If you’ve ever wished Dark Souls and a roguelike had a brooding, tactical offspring, Netherworld Covenant might be exactly what you’re looking for. The debut Early Access title from developer MadGoat and publisher Infini Fun just dropped on PC via Steam, offering a grim, deliberate mix of brutal combat and procedural progression.
Set in the cursed realm of Languireg, Netherworld Covenant hands you the Nether Lantern—a powerful, forbidden artifact—and throws you into a war between plagued heroes and nightmarish demons. It’s a dark, tactical grind through corrupted worlds where every dodge, parry, and counterattack matters. Forget button-mashing; this is combat that demands precision and punishes mistakes.
Enemies range from relentless beast hunters to deadly soul devourers, all requiring smart use of stamina and ghostly powers. You’ll need to time your dodges, conserve energy, and strike back with purpose. It’s classic soulslike combat layered with roguelike mechanics: risk, reward, and reset.
Combat also gets a supernatural edge thanks to Soul Companions—undead allies you can summon mid-fight. Whether you favor the Swordsman, Ranger, Guardian, or Rogue class, mastering their distinct skills can tip the balance in your favor. Phase through walls, land devastating backstabs, and unleash brutal finishers as you make your way deeper into the abyss.
Between battles, you’ll retreat to your base in the Borderland, a liminal space between life and death where you can regroup, craft gear, and form spectral alliances. Each run earns you new resources and boons, letting you push a little further next time. Expect to face off against monstrous bosses and fallen champions as you climb toward redemption.
“We built Netherworld Covenant as a love letter to both soulslikes and roguelikes,”
said Feng Hu, artist at MadGoat. “They’re genres that reward patience, skill, and learning through failure—and that’s what we’re leaning into with this game.”
Netherworld Covenant is out now in Steam Early Access for $17.99 USD (or €17.49), with support for multiple languages including English, French, German, Spanish, Turkish, Portuguese, Russian, Korean, and Chinese.