Transpose the deckbuilding core of games like Slay the Spire into a dark fantasy setting, with art and creature designs inspired by classic RPGs and DnD, and inject a little of the positional combat trickery of Darkest Dungeon, and you have Deathless: The Hero Quest. Formerly known by a different subtitle, Tales of Old Rus, the roguelike now has a new name as developer 1C Game Studios delivers its conclusive, final update, including visual upgrades, a fresh opening cinematic, and a dangerous new opponent.
roguelike games, your adventures present a series of three narrated choices at each step, with a little flavor dialogue that makes the whole experience feel like it's being directed by a dungeon master.
Battles make use of attacks and spells, depending on your playstyle, and also place emphasis on enemy positioning in a way that will feel familiar to anyone who's spent time with Darkest Dungeon. As such, Varvara the Fair's use of kicks and whips to manipulate the order of her foes makes her my favorite of the four heroes on offer, but each brings something distinctive to the table, including narrative beats that unfold as you progress through their respective quest chains.
Vasilisa the Wise is an elemental sorceress capable of summoning assistants to fight by her side. Famed hero Dobrynya Nikitich is a resolute master of defense with a robust health pool, and warrior Alyosha strides into battle with a sword forged from unique star-steel and an enchanted wand known as a Spellbane. With hundreds of card combinations and relics that can further amplify your builds, there's plenty of room for creativity.
To really immerse you in the setting, 1C has put together a new opening cinematic to set up the game's narrative. Alongside that comes a visual overhaul for the game's final battles, with new effects and illustrations. There's another enemy type to watch out for – Turhaud is an elite ranged warrior and guardian of Chudo Yudo. There's also an update to the merchant to make it cleaner to use, and some additional tweaks have been introduced to improve the experience on Steam Deck.
Deathless: The Hero Quest update 1.1.0 is out now. You can buy the game on Steam for $24.99 / 20.99. Just head here to start your next adventure.
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