What are the pros of Have a Nice Death?

Exceptional hand-drawn art style and charming underworld atmosphere.. Fluid, responsive, and highly satisfying combat mechanics.. Witty writing and dark humor that brings the characters to life.. Challenging boss encounters that feel difficult but generally fair.. Creative and fun weapon variety when they are actually available..

What are the cons of Have a Nice Death?

Frustrating progression system where powerful items and 'cool' weapons are rarely seen.. Stingy drop rates that limit the player's ability to experiment with builds.. Level design is often described as primitive or repetitive across runs.. Perceived lack of post-launch updates and ongoing developer support.. Difficulty scaling can feel inconsistent or poorly balanced for some players..

Have a Nice Death

Have a Nice Death is a 2D action roguelike where you play as an overworked Death, whose employees have run rampant, completely throwing off the balance of souls - and his vacation plans. In order to restore order, you'll have to grab your trusty scythe and show your employees who's boss.

86%

Very Positive

DeveloperMagic Design Studios

PublisherArc Games

Release DateMar 22, 2023

$24.99

Peak Players2.5K

Metacritic81

Controllerfull

PlatformsWindows

Action

Indie

AI Review Summary

Have a Nice Death is a visually stunning 2D roguelite that excels with its fluid, fast-paced combat and a charmingly dark sense of humor. While the art direction and character design are widely praised, the experience is often hampered by a stingy progression system and repetitive level design that can make runs feel unrewarding.

Pros

Exceptional hand-drawn art style and charming underworld atmosphere.95%
Fluid, responsive, and highly satisfying combat mechanics.90%
Witty writing and dark humor that brings the characters to life.80%
Challenging boss encounters that feel difficult but generally fair.75%
Creative and fun weapon variety when they are actually available.60%

Cons

Frustrating progression system where powerful items and 'cool' weapons are rarely seen.85%
Stingy drop rates that limit the player's ability to experiment with builds.80%
Level design is often described as primitive or repetitive across runs.70%
Perceived lack of post-launch updates and ongoing developer support.60%
Difficulty scaling can feel inconsistent or poorly balanced for some players.50%

Notable Mentions

Reviewers frequently compare the game's vibe to the Death Jr. series.
A significant portion of the player base transitioned from Game Pass to the Steam version.
The game is noted for its high difficulty, requiring prior experience with the roguelite genre.

Confidence: 80%

Based on the 52 most relevant reviewsGenerated on Oct 26, 2026

Game Vitals

Live snapshot

Player Activity

Current peak

109

Peak · last 90 days

195

All-time peak

2.5K

Price

Current price

$24.99

Lowest tracked

$8.74since Feb 15, 2026

Review Sentiment

Last 30 days

85%

All-time positive

86%

Review Statistics

Total Reviews10.8K

Positive: 9.3K (86%)Negative: 1.5K (14%)

15%

Reviews from Steam Deck

Dev Response Rate

19h

Avg Playtime at Review

70%

Credible Reviews