It’s bad enough to end up in the afterlife – and probably much worse to immediately be banished on arrival! No less when you’re just a cute little kitty. Crypt Custodian is the latest game from veteran developer Kyle Thompson, the developer of prior titles Sheepo and Islets. Just as with his other titles, Crypt Custodian is a top-down metroidvania with an extra focus on tight combat and movement, and represents a fun middle ground between quirky, meticulously crafted humor and visual flair next to tight, action-packed gameplay. You’ll play as Pluto, a mischievous cat-turned-janitor, and in your afterlife exile, you’ll explore a vast landscape filled with curious and fun denizens, hidden secrets, and a seemingly endless amount of nooks and curiosities.
But wait, how did this cute little kitty end up as a janitor? And why are there so many wayward and – at times – hostile spirits in the afterlife to begin with? Enter Kendra, the guardian of the afterlife. Upon your unexpected entrance into this realm, you have a rather disastrous meeting with her – where you’re banished to being a janitor…forever! You would think this is your mistake alone, but after meeting other denizens of the realm…let’s just say you aren’t sure anymore. Surely there’s a mistake if all these cute little animals are in the same realm as all these evil spirits!
Surprisingly, the afterlife is quite the dangerous place. Luckily, as a sly and nimble kitty, you have a lot of abilities at your disposal to help navigate and subjugate threats! Movement and combat are at the heart of Crypt Custodian’s design philosophy. Drawing off Kyle Thompson’s past titles, movement is highly fluid, tight, and intuitive. Combat is simple to pick up but filled with nuance and quirk that makes it rewarding to master. Movements and attacks flexibly link together to create a wonderfully fluid system of jumping, dashing, rolling, attacking, and more. You’ll also pick up tons of special abilities along the way to not only expand combat capabilities, but also expand movement ones as well.
The ultimate test of combat is of course what you’re actually fighting – enemies and bosses – and Crypt Custodian is full of unusual and creative hostile denizens. The afterlife is a very strange place, and what you’re fighting certainly reflects that! You’ll be fighting the rather strange hostile spirits that inhabit the corners of this odd realm. Golems, witches, ghouls, oversized bugs, animal-looking abominations, wayward vagrants and…a giant pot full of spiders? Needless to say every enemy in the game is designed to be unique, with individual behaviors and move sets that will always keep you on your toes…or paws!
But not everyone in the afterlife is hostile (or rude) luckily! In fact there’s lots of friendly faces you’ll encounter too – some of which share your unfortunate fate. As you travel throughout the realm, you’ll often find yourself taking refuge in a cute little bar run by a big bird. As you meet various friends and acquittances scattered over the world, some will come back to take refuge here themselves. You can also buy items, modify your inventory, and check out unlockables here. There’s just one thing though…don’t ask what’s in the VIP room!
Developed by Kyle Thompson and ported to Xbox and published by Top Hat Studios, Crypt Custodian launches on August 27 at 12pm EST / 9am PST / 4pm UTC on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, with a 15% launch discount until September 10th.
Crypt Custodian
Top Hat Studios, Inc.
Sweep up the afterlife as Pluto the cat in this charming action adventure/Metroidvania about life, relationships, and moving on.
Step into the shoes of Pluto, a mischievous cat who has just died, and landed in the afterlife’s palace. After a brief and disastrous meeting with the Afterlife Guardian – Kendra – you’re banished from the palace and sentenced to clean… FOREVER!!!
Explore the vast grounds that surround the palace, battle beasts with your trusty broom, and gain new abilities to expand your world. Hang out with doomed ghosts, solve puzzles, discover secrets, and… organize an ambush to break back into the palace!
