Overlooked action roguelike with Rogue Legacy vibes adds a bunch of new modes and items, and it's just $3 if you're fast

The New Year is here, the holidays are drawing to a close, and the grind of everyday life looms large once more. Typically, the early January period can be pretty quiet, and it's a good time to pick up something you might have missed out on. With that in mind, a big Plague Breaker update is a great excuse to take a look at the Castlevania-inspired retro roguelike from Wozzy Games. Introducing a new set of challenge modes along with over 30 additional items, it's the ideal reason to give it a try - especially as you can currently grab it for less than $3 on Steam.

First launched into early access in 2021 and then hitting full release in 2023, Plague Breaker takes heavy inspiration from Rogue Legacy, The Binding of Isaac, and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. The 2D action-platforming feels closer to that old-school style, although Dead Cells fans will instantly feel at home with the loadout combo of weapons, spells, and magic items. While there are only four base classes (Warrior, Mage, Rogue, Hunter), each features a unique skill tree, and you're able to multiclass across several in order to create your own custom builds.

I love the pixel-art retro look of Plague Breaker, and while it doesn't have quite the vast depth of some of its more notable peers, there's certainly more than enough to keep you busy, with six weapon types, over 100 magic items, more than 50 abilities, and six bosses to conquer. In case all of that wasn't enough, however, Wozzy Games has just delivered a hefty update to ring in the New Year.

Wozzy Games says it started out with the intention of adding just a few items, but ended up spending a lot more time building the overhaul because it decided the update "could be a lot more fun than I had initially planned." Ten of the 36 new items are tied to special challenge runs that you must complete to unlock the corresponding object. Of the rest, 17 are unlocked by default, while eight more have specific requirements to earn them.

In 'Gotta Go Fast,' for example, the whole game turns into Sonic, with any damage taken causing all of your money to fly out of you onto the floor much like the eponymous hedgehog's rings. In similar fashion, if you take a hit while you're carrying zero coins, you instantly lose. One of the other challenges sets you permanently ablaze for the entire run, making the whole attempt a constant race against time as your health slowly burns away.

Among the other item additions are several summoning options, allowing you to call on friendly undead or bring a flying book onto the battlefield to bother your foes. The 'Infestation' pickup causes mini rat hordes to spring out each time you take damage, quickly turning the tide against your aggressors. There's even a special 'cursed item' to watch out for, but Wozzy Games says "you'll have to go and check the game out" to discover it.

Plague Breaker is 75% off through Monday January 5 in the Steam Winter Sale, meaning you'll pay just $2.99 / £2.32 for your copy. Grab it here while the discount lasts - if you're after something simple but rewarding to fill the gap until your next big game comes along, it's a perfect pickup at this price. There's still more to come, too: Wozzy Games says that an in-game encyclopedia is next on the cards, adding, "Hopefully that doesn't end up taking way longer than I expect!"