Steam Nextfest is back and I made sure to wishlist the game demos I wanted to play beforehand. I still forgot some, but I screenshotted them on my phone. This week is a Metroidvania about where animals go when they die. This week is Crypt Custodian.

Crypt Custodian is Metroidvania/Soulslike from Kyle Thompson. The game will be released for the PC in 2024.

In Crypt Custodian you play as a cat named Pluto and their adventure into the afterlife. After garnering a lot of bad press during the afterlife, Pluto is doomed to sweep up the bad part of the afterlife.

The gameplay is pretty standard for a Metroidvania/ Soulslike. The map is broken into areas that give the player an ability that will let them get to the next area and allow them to backtrack so they can get goodies they couldn’t reach before.

Lots and lots of platforming,

Pluto has a set amount of lives (3 to start) and can be upgraded, along with. It is important to upgrade because enemies hit hard. Each enemy has pretty readable attacks and takes a few hits to kill. Pluto uses their broom to swat and whack enemies until they explode into the garbage or whatever the currency is.

Thank God Pluto can dodge roll

Combat encounters really invoke anxiety because smaller platforms littered with hard-hitting enemies mean a swift game over. Death usually means a teleport to the nearest “spirit well” or bonfire last saved. There is one boss at the end of the demo and it is incredibly fun. The boss has a lot of health and invokes some bullet-hell mechanics, which adds to the anxiety of fighting such a large enemy.

Enemies drop souls or “garbage” and you use that garbage to buy abilities at the bar. A damage circle and a perk that at full health Pluto deals more damage.

Crypt Custodian is such a cute game. The in-game cutscenes really focus on the cute and colorful art style. There are birds, frogs, and cats in this afterlife and they all have such a soft, adorable style.

Crypt Custodian’s demo is a great start to Steam Nextfest. The platforming is fun, the combat is fun and has some challenges to it and the art style is fantastically cute. The demo lasted about 45 minutes and it was an absolute blast talking to characters and searching for goodies to become a powerful cat janitor.

I love this demo. I implore you to try it as well.