There’s no shortage of fantastic Steam roguelikes, and Caves of Qud is one of the top rated for a reason. It’s a colossal undertaking that’s earned an ‘overwhelmingly positive’ 95% Steam rating since it launched in early access in July 2015, and a huge update delivers a wealth of new things to do and find. While it might not have the name recognition of Hades, Dead Cells, Spelunky, Dwarf Fortress, or The Binding of Isaac, this is certainly one roguelike you won’t want to miss out on.
Caves of Qud: The Creatures of the Seventh Plague is a massive update for one of the best roguelike games on Steam, described by developer Freehold Games as a “year-long patch” and one of the biggest additions to the game since launch. Built on a deeply simulated world filled with physical and political systems, this is a roguelike with a truly memorable story where you can play as everything from a gunslinger to a telepath, engaging with various NPCs, tackling all manner of nasties, and making impactful choices.
In this new chapter in the game’s main quest, you’ll meet the Girsh Nephilim across five new dungeons and get your hands on all manner of new gear, skills, furniture, items, implants and more, including late-game mecha that you can make use of to overcome its toughest tests. There are also grappling guns, new cybernetics, a rework to the first aid systems, a new single weapon fighting skill tree and hefty rebalancing to dual wielding, and plenty more.
The eponymous ‘Seventh plague of the Gyre,’ the Girsh Nephilim are mythical beings that serve as the next step in the extensive Caves of Qud main questline. You’ll have to track these to the cradles that they call their home in order to put a stop to this threat, but watch out: with each nephilim you kill, the remaining few absorb its essence, becoming even more powerful.
Freehold Games announces that The Creatures of the Seventh Plague “will be our last major update to Caves of Qud before we shift our focus completely to the 1.0 release.” The team has previously stated that wrapping up the main narrative arc is its core focus, so expect to see that then – although we’ll probably be waiting a while longer for it yet.
For now, though, Caves of Qud: The Creatures of the Seventh Plague is out now on Steam. It’s a free update for all players. You can check out the full details courtesy of Freehold Games, and get your copy of Caves of Qud via Steam – expect to pay $19.99 / £15.49 to discover why it’s so beloved.
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