During Gamescom 2025`s Opening Night, acclaimed game developer Ron Gilbert unveiled his latest creation, “Death by Scrolling.” This new title is a pixel-art, vertical auto-scrolling roguelike that blends action-RPG mechanics with a distinctly dark comedic tone.
Players in “Death by Scrolling” are thrust into a place called Purgatory™, a visually vibrant yet retro-pixelated realm that is relentlessly devoured by an advancing inferno. This constant threat dictates the core gameplay loop: continuous upward auto-scrolling, compelling players to always move forward, which directly inspired the game`s title.
The revealed trailer highlighted five distinct heroes, each endowed with unique abilities. Gameplay footage depicted these heroes battling diverse enemies as the environment scrolls upwards. Players collect power-ups, presented as cards, and gather gold throughout their journey. A persistent threat comes in the form of a pursuing reaper, inflicting various debilitating status effects. The ultimate objective is to amass enough wealth to bribe the ferryman and escape Purgatory™—a task that appears far more challenging than it sounds.
As a roguelike, repeated deaths and restarts are an expected part of the experience. However, the exact nature of persistent upgrades or elements that carry over between runs remains undefined. The trailer did allude to quest and shop systems, potentially hinting at progression mechanics that might mitigate the roguelike difficulty.
While a concrete release date has not yet been announced, “Death by Scrolling” is currently available for wishlisting on Steam.