Hogwarts Legacy fans need to grab this free Steam download

If your wizarding adventures have drawn to a close in Hogwarts Legacy, you may want to check out Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse. In terms of gameplay, Never Grave is an entirely different kettle of fish from the open-world RPG that is Hogwarts Legacy. That being said, if you enjoy embodying a powerful witch and exploring a magical world, Never Grave offers you those same thrills in another genre.

Developed by Frontside 180 and set to be published by Pocketpair - yes, of Palworld fame - Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse is a 2D Metroidvania-roguelike that sees you tasked with making your way through a dangerous world, using the support of your “cursed” but helpful magic hat. “Use a variety of magic or possess your enemies to reach the lowest levels! Bring back loot, build new facilities in your village, make a living and strengthen yourself for the next battle! Supports up to four-player multiplayer,” the synopsis reads.

Enjoy a relaxing tour of Hogwarts’ four house common rooms below.

You’ll make your way through several dungeons, possessing enemies using your cursed hat. You can then take advantage of their unique abilities in order to defeat other enemies and gain the upper hand in battle. Throughout your journey, you’ll collect various materials to help clear ruined villages, build new base facilities, and to prepare potions to help you in combat.

Visually, the game is a delight. It features “traditional Japanese hand-drawn animation” with “thickly painted backgrounds for depth, as if you are travelling through a world of picture books and cut out pictures”. Never Grave is no walk in the park, boasting “tough” boss battles and given that the dungeons are procedurally generated, it should always feel fresh and new.

Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse is set to launch in the next couple of months but for now, you can download and enjoy a free demo courtesy of Steam's ongoing Next Fest.