Necropolis gets four-player co-op and a March launch date

Harebrained Schemes, the studio known for resurrecting Shadowrun and, more recently, Battletech, announced the stylish, action-focused roguelike Necropolis in late 2014. It's maintained a relatively low profile since then, avoiding even the bounteous money-fields of Kickstarter, but today the studio revealed that it will launch on Steam on March 17, and even better, that it will support co-op multiplayer for up to four treasure-hungry spelunkers.

Unlike most roguelikes, Necropolis will feature a proper combat system based on timing and animation, so you'll need to learn enemy attack patterns and employ both heavy and light attacks in order to triumph over your enemies. Monsters will exist within an “ecology of threats,” exhibiting predator and prey behavior that you'll (maybe) be able to take advantage of, and naturally, the deeper into the dungeon you go, the worse things will get. On the upside, you'll be able to upgrade your avatar with magical elixirs, items of power, runes, ward, and spells.

The game won't stray too far from one core aspect of roguelikes, however, which is that you will almost certainly die, often and badly. When you do, everything changes, and you'll start over again from the top. Get it right, or die trying.

Necropolis preorders will be available on Steam on February 2. More information about Harebrained's “procedural death labyrinth“ can be found at necropolisgame.com.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.