After five years in development, Capybara's Below will release next week

First announced at Microsoft's 2013 E3 press conference, fantasy roguelike Below is finally releasing on December 14 – just in time to meet its 2018 release window. Developed by Canadian studio Capybara Games – best known for Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP – the game was initially meant to launch in 2016 before it was delayed.

Below is a roguelike: it has a procedurally generated world full of dark dungeons and ominous outdoor environments, and permadeath. There's plenty of games like this in 2018, but the art style of Below will certainly set it apart.

Lauren was impressed by what she saw when she went hands-on with the game earlier this year. "Below is difficult, as intended," she wrote. "If I’m not bleeding out from an encounter with my little red friends, I’m contending with an empty stomach or dry mouth. And then when all my survival meters are topped off I get incautious and sprint directly into a spike trap. Despite the numerous deaths, I didn’t feel frustrated. It’s difficult to mourn my little nameless heroes."

Sounds amazing. There's a Steam page already if you're one to wishlist things, and here's a gameplay trailer to jog your memory:

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.