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🦉 WE READ 309 OWNER COMMENTS

Dead Cells: what owners actually say

Owners praise Dead Cells as a top-tier indie roguelike, but the sudden end to development has left some fans frustrated with the publisher's decision.

LEMMY · 199 YOUTUBE · 51 HACKERNEWS · 37 REDDIT · 14 STACKEXCHANGE · 4 PRODUCTHUNT · 4

What owners complain about

  • Development ended abruptly FEW

    The original designer Sébastien Benard publicly called the decision to end Dead Cells development 'the worst imaginable asshole move,' suggesting it was a sudden publisher decision rather than a natural conclusion. Some fans reading the statement felt there was more to the story.

  • Publisher controversy FEW

    Commenters expressed concern about the publisher making sudden decisions about ending development, with the original designer's public criticism raising questions about the relationship between developers and publishers in the indie space.

What owners love

  • Grouped with acclaimed indies

    Dead Cells is mentioned alongside celebrated titles like Hades and Transistor in indie game discussions, indicating it's regarded as a standout in the indie roguelike genre.

  • Beloved by the indie community

    The game is cited as an example of successful indie development, with the broader indie community rallying around showcases that feature games like Dead Cells.

  • Designer talent recognized

    Sébastien Benard forming a new studio and working on a new roguelike (Tenjutsu) generated interest, showing that the Dead Cells designer has a following eager for his next project.

Surprising patterns

  • The original designer publicly and sharply criticized the decision to end development, which is unusually candid for industry figures and suggests internal tension beyond typical development cycles.
  • Fans in comments were already aware of and discussing the behind-the-scenes publisher dynamics, showing an engaged community that follows more than just the game itself.

WHO SHOULD SKIP IT

Players who want a game with ongoing active development and regular content updates, as development has officially ended and the original designer has moved on to a new studio.

GYIBB verdict
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Synthesised from 309 real owner comments across 6 platforms. Every point is grounded in the comments — no marketing, no AI guessing. How we do it →