Ascend or Die

Grab some friends. Kill some monsters. Become immortal.

Ascend or Die is a couch co-op roguelite for 1-4 players. Pick a character, fight through arena after arena of increasingly dangerous enemies, and try not to get your whole party killed. Again.

It's got cultivation mechanics. Think xianxia progression where you advance through realms of power, growing stronger with each breakthrough. Procedural arenas, a pile of weapons to find and level up, and runs that take about 30-45 minutes. Good for a session or five.

What's in the game

• Local co-op (1-4 players): Shared screen, revive your friends, argue about who gets the loot
• 4 playable characters: Swordsman, Alchemist, Phantom, and Brawler. Different stats, different playstyles, different cultivation paths
• Cultivation system: Advance through realms of power as you fight. Each breakthrough makes you meaningfully stronger
• Weapon progression: 8 weapons, each with 8 levels. After each arena a chest appears with offerings: pick up a new weapon, level up one you're carrying, or take Spirit Stones if you're already stacked. A weapon at level 8 hits very differently than one at level 1
• Procedural arenas: Different layouts, enemy mixes, and loot every run
• Meta-progression: Permanent upgrades that carry between runs. Die, get stronger, try again

The characters

• The Swordsman (Sword Dao): Balanced melee fighter. Hits hard, stays standing, and grows into a monster as his cultivation deepens. A good pick if you like being in the thick of it.
• The Alchemist (Flame Dao): Ranged fighter with the longest reach in the roster. Keeps her distance and turns things to ash. Fragile if you let enemies get close.
• The Phantom (Wind Dao): Fast assassin. Strikes before you can blink, dodges what she can't tank. Glass cannon with style.
• The Brawler (Body Dao): The tank. Highest armor, most HP, and enemies drop more loot when he's the one killing them. Slow, but good luck killing him.

Early Access

This is an active work-in-progress. The game is playable and fun right now, but it's not done yet. Here's what to expect:

• Regular updates (check the devlog)
• More characters, enemies, and content coming
• Online co-op is live (early preview)
• Your feedback shapes the game

No microtransactions. No DLC gates. You get the game, you get the updates.

Controls

Keyboard + mouse or gamepad. Local co-op works best with controllers.

Move, attack, dodge, use abilities. Simple to learn, plenty of room to get good.

Platforms

Windows, Linux, and macOS. Download the one for your platform.