Death By Scrolling: Ron Gilbert's New Roguelike RPG Officially Announced for PC

Acclaimed game designer Ron Gilbert, best known for iconic titles such as Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion, has officially announced his next project: Death By Scrolling.

Published by MicroProse and revealed during Gamescom ONL 2025, the roguelike RPG promises to offer a unique blend of influences, drawing inspiration from classics like The Legend of Zelda, Diablo, and Thimbleweed Park. According to MicroProse, "Death By Scrolling is a chaotic rogue-like RPG from Ron Gilbert (Monkey Island, Maniac Mansion) unveiled at this year's Gamescom Opening Night Live." Players are tasked with racing through Purgatory, battling a host of monsters, navigating treacherous traps, and evading the relentless Grim Reaper.

The announcement solidifies the buzz built up over months, as Gilbert previously teased the title on social platforms and the Terrible Toybox studio website. The official Steam page description reads: "Welcome to Purgatory, now under new management! Death by Scrolling is a rogue-like vertically scrolling RPG where you kill enemies, collect gold, and avoid the Grim Reaper long enough to pay the Ferryman’s exorbitant river-crossing fee to the afterlife." Gameplay centers around character selection—each hero comes equipped with unique perks and signature abilities.

Progressing through the levels involves upward movement on the screen, defeating foes, collecting valuable gems, and amassing enough gold to appease the Ferryman.

The real-time element adds pressure, as players must complete objectives before meeting their demise, all while engaging with side quests and shops scattered throughout the journey. Development on Death By Scrolling began at the start of 2024, with Ron Gilbert sharing regular progress updates via his Mastodon account and the Terrible Toybox website.

When detailing the project, the studio states, "Best described as Classic Zelda meets Diablo meets Thimbleweed Park," with an anticipated release window of late 2024 or early 2025. Notably, the project recently welcomed Elissa Black—a veteran quest designer with credits on Swords of Freeport, TownCraft, Metrocide, and Objects in Space.

Gilbert humorously commented that Black’s addition increases the likelihood of the game’s completion, reinforcing the project’s momentum. Death By Scrolling is currently slated for release on PC via Steam, with MicroProse at the helm as publisher.

As one of the most anticipated indie games from Gamescom ONL 2025, it reinforces Gilbert's legacy of delivering innovative and genre-blending adventures for audiences eager for fresh roguelike RPG experiences.

Zelda PC Diablo Gamescom Thimbleweed Park developer Legendary Ron Gilbert Monkey Island Death By Scrolling MicroProse Terrible Toybox Gamescom ONL 2025 Steam Elissa Black