Project: Catalepsy

A third-person action roguelike set in the circles of Christian hell. Explore an infernal abyss, face dark forces, and test your skill in battles where every death is a new beginning.

🎮 Project: Catalepsy
Overview · Game Guide

Project: Catalepsy is a fresh take on the roguelike genre, bringing the action into a fully 3D environment with a third-person camera. Players descend into a hellish abyss where every decision can mean the difference between life and death.

With 20 levels filled with relentless enemies and lethal traps, a terrifying boss awaits every 5 floors. Once you move forward, there is no turning back.

Core Pillars

Fast Movement

Quick reflexes are essential. Mobility defines survival in the Abyss.

Strategic Combat

Every encounter requires planning. Learn enemy patterns, choose your moment.

Challenging Environment

Danger everywhere. Traps, ambushes, and powerful bosses test you constantly.

Technical Summary
PropertyValue
GenreRoguelike / Action / Third-Person
PlatformPC (Windows, Mac)
Levels20 + 4 Boss Encounters
AudienceGamers 18–35, fans of Hades, Dark Souls
StatusPrototype Available
🌍 Universe
World Building · Game Guide

The game is set in the Infernal Abyss, a desolate realm beyond the mortal plane. A dark interpretation of Christian hell where souls are tested and consumed by the void.

The narrative revolves around the eternal conflict between good and evil, where darkness has claimed dominion and only the most determined souls have any hope of escape.

Environmental Themes

🏛️ Corrupted Architecture

Gothic structures twisted by dark forces, blending cathedrals with nightmarish organic growth. Walls that shouldn't breathe—breathe.

🌑 Perpetual Darkness

No natural light reaches these depths. Only flickering flames and ominous glows illuminate your path, hiding countless dangers.

⚰️ Death's Presence

Corpses, bones, and remnants of failed attempts serve as grim reminders that you are not the first to attempt this descent.

🩸 Living Environment

Walls that pulse, floors that bleed—the Abyss itself seems alive and malevolent, as if hell has a consciousness of its own.

🎮 Gameplay
Mechanics · Game Guide

Catalepsy combines fast-paced action with strategic decision-making. The loop creates constant uncertainty—keeping players on edge and testing their skill at every step.

Core Game Loop
1
Prepare at the Gate

Select skills, equip amulets, apply modifiers. Your choices shape the entire run.

2
Descend into the Abyss

Navigate procedurally generated levels. Layout, enemies, and loot change every run.

3
Fight & Survive

Battle enemies, navigate traps, face bosses every 5 floors. Collect blood shards.

Progress & Repeat

Use blood shards for permanent upgrades. Return stronger. Push deeper.

Key Features

Procedural Generation

No two runs are identical. Level layouts, enemy placements, and loot change every attempt—guaranteed infinite replayability.

Meta-Progression

Permanent upgrades persist between runs. Every death makes you stronger and unlocks new options for future attempts.

Boss Encounters

Every 5 levels, face a unique boss with distinct mechanics and attack phases requiring perfect execution.

No Going Back

Once you descend to a new level you cannot return. Constant tension forces careful resource management.

☠️ Player
Character · Game Guide

You play as a soul trapped in the Infernal Abyss, fighting for escape and redemption through a deep customization system.

Attributes
AttributeDescriptionNotes
❤️ HealthSurvival poolNo regeneration mid-run
⚡ StaminaDodges & abilitiesRegenerates quickly
🛡️ DefenseDamage reductionImproved through upgrades
⚔️ Attack PowerDamage outputScales with skills
Combat Actions

Dodge Roll

Quick evasion with brief invincibility frames. Timing is everything.

Melee Combo

Close-range attacks. High risk, high reward. Chain for maximum damage.

Special Ability

Powerful skills with cooldowns. Use strategically to turn the tide.

🚪 The Gate
Mechanics · Game Guide

The Gate is your preparation hub before each descent. Every decision made here shapes your entire run.

Once you pass through the Gate and enter the Abyss, there is no turning back. Choose your skills, amulets, and modifiers with care.

Available Actions

Skill Selection

Choose active and passive abilities. Each combination creates unique playstyles and synergies that define your run.

Amulet Equipping

Equip powerful amulets for passive bonuses. Limited slots force you to prioritize which buffs matter most.

Modifier Application

Apply modifiers to increase difficulty in exchange for greater blood shard rewards. Stack multiple for extreme challenges.

Upgrade Shop

Spend blood shards on permanent unlocks—new skills, amulets, stat improvements. These persist across all future runs.

🔥 Infernal Abyss
World · Game Guide

The Infernal Abyss is the core dungeon—20 procedurally generated floors of escalating horror. This is where every run lives or dies.

Level Structure
FloorsNameDifficulty
1–4The Descent BeginsIntro
5First BossBoss
6–9EscalationMedium
10Mid-Point BossBoss
11–14Deeper HellHard
15Third BossBoss
16–19True HellExtreme
20Final BossLegendary
Environmental Hazards

Spike Traps

Instant death on contact. Timing and awareness are everything.

Poison Pools

Continuous damage over time. Avoid or rush through quickly.

Collapsing Floors

Sections that crumble. Maintain momentum or fall to your death.

Automated Turrets

Projectile attacks from fixed positions. Destroy or evade smartly.

🩸 Skills
Systems · Game Guide

Skills are special abilities selected before each run. The right combination of active and passive skills is the key to powerful, synergistic loadouts.

Skill Types

Active Skills

Manually activated with cooldowns. Offensive, defensive, or utility focused. Use at the right moment for maximum impact.

Passive Skills

Always-on bonuses that modify stats or add effects like life steal, crit chance, or synergy multipliers.

Skill Examples
SkillTypeEffect
Blood StrikeActiveArea attack channeling dark energy. High damage.
Soul BarrierActiveProtective barrier that absorbs incoming damage.
Shadow StepActiveShort-range teleport with brief invincibility frames.
BloodlustPassiveRecover health per enemy killed.
Swift StrikerPassive+20% attack speed.
PrecisionPassive15% critical hit chance for double damage.

Skills unlock permanently using blood shards. Experiment with combinations to discover powerful synergies.

⁉️ Resources
Systems · Game Guide

Resources are the currencies and materials driving progression. Understanding when and how to use them determines the pace of your character's development.

All Resources
ResourceTypeHow to GetUses
🩸 Blood ShardsPermanentEnemies, bosses, challengesPermanent upgrades, unlocks
✨ Soul FragmentsTemporaryDrops, chests, roomsIn-run upgrades, healing
💎 Essence CoresRareElite enemies onlyCraft legendary amulets
📖 Knowledge TomesCollectibleHidden locationsLore + bonus content
🗝️ Abyss KeysSpecialRare dropsUnlock secret areas

Soul Fragments are lost on death. Spend them at safe zones between levels—there is no point hoarding temporary currency in a roguelike.

⛓️ Modifiers
Systems · Game Guide

Modifiers are optional challenges applied before a run. They increase difficulty in specific ways while boosting rewards. Stack them for extreme runs with maximum payouts.

Each active modifier increases blood shard rewards by 25%. Stack 4 for 2× rewards. Master players can achieve 3×–5× multipliers.

All Modifiers
ModifierCategoryEffect
Horde ModeEnemy+50% enemy spawn rate
Elite SwarmEnemyAll enemies gain elite status
EnragedEnemyEnemies deal +100% damage
FragilePlayer-50% maximum health
ExhaustedPlayerStamina regenerates 50% slower
WeakenedPlayer-30% damage output
DarknessEnvironmentSeverely reduced visibility
Hazard OverloadEnvironment+100% environmental hazards
Collapsing WorldEnvironmentFloors randomly collapse
Speed RunChallengeTime limit per level
IronmanChallengeOne life, no second chances
ChaosChallengeRandom modifiers each floor
🍀 Amulets
Systems · Game Guide

Amulets are equippable artifacts with passive bonuses active for the duration of a run. Start with 3 slots—more unlock through progression. Combining the right amulets creates powerful builds.

Rarity Tiers

Common

Basic stat bonuses. Available from the start.

Uncommon

Moderate effects. Unlock through progression.

Rare

Powerful effects. Require specific unlocks.

Legendary

Game-changing abilities. Extremely rare.

Amulet Examples
AmuletRarityEffect
Vitality StoneCommon+15% maximum health
Swift BootsUncommon+20% movement speed
Vampire's FangRare10% life steal on all attacks
Iron SkinRare+25% defense
Chaos OrbLegendary15% chance to trigger explosion on hit
Chrono ShardLegendary-30% cooldown on all skills

Synergy example: Vampire's Fang + Swift Boots + Bloodlust = aggressive life-steal build. Constant movement and attacking sustains your health pool throughout the run.

🗺️ Roadmap
Project · Game Guide

Our development journey from prototype to full release. Each milestone brings Catalepsy closer to the complete experience we envision.

Milestones
Prototype Completed

Core combat mechanics, basic enemy AI, procedural level generation, initial game loop. Playable demo available.

Funding In Progress

Securing investment and partnerships to accelerate development, expand team, and build marketing foundation.

MVP TBA

Complete game loop. All 20 levels, boss encounters, skills, amulets, and meta-progression fully implemented.

Alpha & Beta TBA

Public testing phases. Community feedback, content expansion, final balancing, and platform optimization.

Launch TBA

Official release. Full game, post-launch content roadmap, community features, and ongoing updates.

FAQ
Project · Game Guide

A third-person roguelike action game set in the circles of Christian hell. 20 procedurally generated levels, boss fights every 5 floors, and a permanent progression system that makes every death meaningful.

PC (Windows and Mac) exclusively at launch. Additional platforms may be considered based on community demand after the initial release.

A complete 20-level run takes 45–90 minutes for experienced players. Most early runs will be shorter as you learn enemy patterns. Even short failed runs feel meaningful thanks to meta-progression.

Catalepsy is designed as a single-player experience focused on mastering solo gameplay. Multiplayer may be explored in future updates depending on community interest.

You lose run progress and any Soul Fragments collected. However, you keep all Blood Shards earned and all permanent upgrades unlocked. Each death makes your next run stronger—in roguelikes, failure is progress.

We're currently in the prototype phase with a playable demo available. The full release date will be announced as development progresses. Follow us on social media for updates.

Collect Blood Shards during runs and spend them at the Gate on permanent unlocks—new skills, amulets, stat upgrades. This meta-progression system ensures you're always moving forward, even on failed runs.

Before each run, select active and passive skills, equip amulets, and apply optional modifiers. The combination of these choices creates your build, enabling countless playstyle variations.

Instead of fixed modes, Catalepsy uses the Modifier system. Apply modifiers to increase challenge in specific ways—more enemies, reduced health, environmental hazards—each rewarding you with increased blood shard drops.

The fully 3D third-person perspective is rare in the roguelike genre. Combined with the Christian hell setting, the no-turning-back progression mechanic, and the deep modifier/amulet build system, Catalepsy creates a distinct identity among games like Hades or Hollow Knight.

Yes. We're committed to supporting Catalepsy after launch with regular updates including new enemy types, skills, amulets, environmental themes, and potentially new game modes shaped by community feedback.

Play the prototype and share your feedback. Follow us on social media, join our Discord, and spread the word. For investment opportunities or partnerships, reach out through our contact page.