The story takes players beneath the surface to the forgotten underground city of Aedaria. Decades ago, the city was cursed by the gods and plunged into darkness. According to legend, anyone foolish enough to pass through its gates is swallowed by the city and never seen again.

Alric has a personal reason for venturing into the ruins. His father entered Aedaria years ago in search of the truth and never returned. Now Alric must follow in his footsteps, uncovering the secrets buried beneath the cursed city while facing the creatures and dangers that have made it their home.

Sunken Realms features a hand-crafted dungeon made up of 109 rooms across six distinct sections. While the individual rooms are designed by hand, their arrangement is procedurally rearranged each time players enter the dungeon, creating a different route through Aedaria on every run.

Combat combines melee and ranged attacks with a collection of forgotten spells. Players can battle enemies, explore the ruins, and collect gold and crafting materials from defeated foes and treasure chests. The deeper players venture, the greater the risks—and the greater the potential rewards.

Between expeditions, players can return to their surface camp to make use of their collected resources. Weapons and armor can be crafted, food can be prepared, potions brewed, and equipment improved. The Soul Forge also allows Alric to upgrade his stats before heading back into the ruins. Once prepared, players can take on higher difficulty levels for tougher encounters and better loot.

The adventure isn’t entirely focused on combat and progression, either. Between runs, players can spend time around the campfire with a friend, developing a heartfelt personal story that adds another layer to Alric’s journey. An original score is also designed to reinforce the atmosphere of the mysterious underground world.

Warren cites Outward as the game that originally inspired him to begin developing his own project, particularly its sense of adventure and exploration of the unknown. Over the course of development, Sunken Realms evolved into its own experience while also drawing storytelling inspiration from Hades and a sense of adventure reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda.

Sunken Realms launches on Steam September 18, giving players the chance to descend into Aedaria, uncover the fate of Alric’s father, and discover what remains hidden within the cursed city.