Phantom Abyss already feels like a proper classic

I guess for a certain kind of game, the only currency that matters is rooms. This feels like it might be the case for Phantom Abyss, a new roguelite that I suspect has the makings of a proper classic. I cannot stop playing it. And as I play – it’s out now in Early Access – what I’m thinking about is rooms. I’m recognising rooms. I’m being surprised by rooms. I’m wondering how many rooms the team has in its room coffers.

Phantom AbyssPublisher: DevolverDeveloper: Team WIBYPlatform: Played on PCAvailability: Out now in Early Access on PC

3D Spelunky is the easy pitch, and for once the easy pitch is sort of right. Sort of. You’re an adventurer exploring a tomb in first-person, aided by a whip that can basically teleport you short distances and a nice dash and a nice duck and slide. Movement here is pure sweetness. I already dream of the way I ghost about, whipping over chasms and past bits of ancient machinery that want to do me in.

Phantom Abyss | Steam Early Access in June 2021 | 4K 60FPS Watch on YouTube

The gimmick is that each procedural temple can be played just once. You have one shot at getting to the idol that lies at its heart. If you get it, nobody else will ever play this temple. If you die, then you are a ghost in the temple, haunting the place, and haunting other players who come by to try and get the idol themselves.

This means that you’ll often jump into a temple and be the only living person around six or seven ghosts, intricate records of the players who have played before. All you know at this point is that they failed to get to the idol. Maybe you will be different! Maybe you can learn from them, watching how they move and the routes they take. It can be a bit like the way ants refine their routes by following the trails left by other ants, each follower refining things, cutting off corners, and then – oops! (It is quite hard being an ant.)

1 of 3 Caption Attribution The artstyle is wonderfully moody.

I followed a ghost this morning who was really lazy – left loads of treasure chests unlooted, which is silly because the loot you collect along the way allows you to buy blessings from shrines along the way – fresh hearts, more hearts, a double-jump, a faster whip! Yesterday I followed a total boff who got everything! It was a master class. I learned so much, and I felt weird to find their body sprawled at a junction deep in the tomb. After that I was on my own.