Roguelikes are everywhere right now. Hades set a massive bar for the genre, and everyone is trying to clear it. The latest contender is Grim Trials from Rolling Glory Jam and publisher Soft Source.
It definitely borrows the visual language of Hades, but after digging into the details, it is doing something different. It trades the Greek gods for a gothic, heavy metal aesthetic that feels grim in all the right ways.
A Darker Shade of Death
You can’t ignore the similarities. The isometric view and the fluid dashing movement are straight out of the Supergiant playbook. But the atmosphere is its own beast. The game takes place in The Academy, a training ground for the undead that looks like a crumbling cathedral. The colors are cold. Expect lots of purple, grey, and dull gold. You aren’t fighting legends here. You are fighting “Sinful Souls” and enemies that look like twisted religious statues.
The Reaper’s Grind
The story follows Avelin. If you played the studio’s previous game, Rage in Peace, you might recognize her as Timmy’s wife. In this game, she has died and woken up as a “Cocoon,” basically a raw soul trying to become a Grim Reaper.
Her goal isn’t to escape hell. She wants a promotion so she can see her husband again. It gives the gameplay loop a tragic weight. You aren’t just grinding for high scores. You are fighting for a reunion.
Scythes, Crossbows, and Smithing
Combat focuses on dual-wielding. Avelin carries a scythe in one hand for heavy crowd control and a crossbow in the other for range. You have to weave them together to survive. It forces you to manage your spacing constantly.
The really unique part is the crafting. Most roguelikes just drop weapons on the ground for you. Here, you have to forge them. Between runs, you play timing-based mini-games to smelt and hammer your gear. How well you do in the mini-game actually determines your stats for the next run. It makes the prep work feel just as important as the fighting.The Verdict
The audio matches that “haunted saint” visual style. The devs describe it as “Heavy Metal,” but it sounds more atmospheric to me. Think distorted strings and low chanting rather than fast guitar solos. It fits the mood perfectly.
Grim Trials will obviously get compared to Hades when it launches, but I think the crafting system sets it apart. It looks like a solid indie title for 2026. It is a game about grief and hard work, and I am ready to see if Avelin can make the cut.
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