Haunted Dungeons: Hyakki Castle looks creepy, clever

Grid-based dungeon crawlers are having something of a resurgence. After the success of 2012’s Legend of Grimlock , the genre suddenly saw a burst of new games that put new twists on the classic “move a square at a time/fight monsters” gameplay. There are a plethora of games available on PC, and a few have drifted over to consoles and VR.

Developed and published by Happinet, Haunted Dungeons: Hyakki Castle looks as though it is a game that has taken this basic gameplay and added a super cool hook to it. While exploring the titular castle, which is haunted by creepy spirits based on the Yokai of Japanese folklore, players are able to take their party of four, and split it into two separate parties. The ability to split paths allows for new strategies when fighting monsters. You can flank baddies, or distract them with one team while sneaking up behind with another.

This new dynamic helps Haunted Dungeons: Hyakki Castle really stand out frrom the crowd. Add the new party mechanic to the creepy vibe and visuals, and Hyakki looks like a winner.

Haunted Dungeons: Hyakki Castle, will launch on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch  on Aug. 30 for $13.99.