It wouldn’t be The Game Awards without a mention of the phrase “world premiere”, and the newly announced Decrepit perfectly fits the bill.
Decrepit is a new first-person soulslike dungeon crawler from solo developer Olof Hagelin at Jämmerdal Games, set to be published by Three Friends.
If you’re not familiar with Three Friends, it’s a team with a great eye for a hit having helped bring Valheim to prominence.
One member was also an original part of the Mojang team, the studio behind Minecraft.
“In Decrepit, every death drags you back to the dungeons below, stripped of all equipment,” reads a press release.
“Armed with only the knowledge gained from each escape attempt and whatever you can loot from undead inmates and guards, the only path out is learning the castle’s layout before it kills you.”
The title’s gameplay trailer debuted during The Game Awards and I have to say, it looks brilliant.
The Dev Cites Dark Souls and Hexen as Inspirations
You can certainly see the Dark Souls influence at play in the design of Decrepit’s various creatures.
If you hadn’t gathered, you’ll navigate a hand-crafted castle filled with those aforementioned creatures, fighting for your life as you attempt to escape, unlock shortcuts, and outsmart enemy patterns.
There are boss battles if you want to ascend to the castle’s next area, so escaping is by no means a walk in the park.
The game, according to a press release, “emphasises spatial mastery over power creep”.
“Keen-eyed explorers will find hidden secrets throughout the castle that provide permanent bonuses. Helpful, but never a replacement for knowledge and execution.”
In combat, each weapon will have both light and heavy attacks with players encouraged to focus on positioning, timing, and weapon mastery.
There are spell slots too, allowing you to strategise interesting combinations.
The game utilities classes so you can form a build that best suits your preferred playstyle too.
As I said, the castle is hand-crafted so it is not procedurally generated; it’ll stay the same each run.
Enemy encounters, however, do vary and will appear in different positions with “rare threats” emerging to surprise veteran players.
“Shortcuts stay unlocked. Elevators remain active. Secrets stay found. Early runs feel endless,” the release continues.
“Later, you’re sprinting through sections that once took 20 minutes, heading straight for the challenge ahead. The castle compresses as you learn it.”
Three Friends co-founder and producer Albert Säfström said, “Decrepit knows exactly what it is and doesn’t apologise for it.
“It’s a tightly designed challenge with no filler, no bloat – just you, the castle, and the skills you’ve earned. It’s not for everyone but there’s a certain kind of player who’s been waiting for this. If you know, you know.”
The game is currently set to land on PC in 2026 with a final release date “coming soon”.
Hopefully we might see a console release follow should everything go well. This looks like a great release, so fingers crossed.
