On August 4, Japanese solo creator Carvel announced that they are currently developing a roguelike RPG called UNDER WORLD (working title), releasing a preview video of the game’s alpha version, including gameplay footage.

UNDER WORLD is strongly inspired by Shin Megami Tensei, particularly the series’ early entries on the Super Famicom, and 2017 deckbuilder roguelike Slay the Spire. In their introduction to the preview video (below), Carvel explains where the idea for UNDER WORLD came from: “I wanted to make a new game based on my own interpretation of the appeal of these two games (SMT and Slay the Spire) that I love.” The beta version of the UNDER WORLD is scheduled to launch in 2025, however, it is not yet known whether it will be available in other languages aside from Japanese.

The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where the surviving humans have to live underground because war has contaminated the surface and made it uninhabitable. Monsters in the form of angels and demons suddenly appear and start fighting for control of the underground world. As the protagonist, you must explore the depths of the underground to locate and purge the source of these monsters.

Shin Megami Tensei Slay the Spire inspired Japanese RPG UNDER WORLD

The gameplay footage shows the player moving around a map dotted with enemies and defeating them in turn-based battles using cards to attack, defend, and trigger various other effects. This game cycle is similar to Slay the Spire, as is the pattern of completing events and receiving items, which give you buffs (like Slay the Spire’s relics do).

Familiar to Shin Megami Tensei fans, UNDER WORLD has a similar range of alignments that change depending on the player’s behavior and have a knock-on effect on gameplay. These are Neutral, Law, and Chaos. There is also “Moral,” i.e. the player’s morality, which increases or decreases depending on your choices. If your Moral hits zero, you will suffer a penalty. It seems these two mechanics will come into play during combat and other situations.

From the video, it seems that UNDER WORLD will combine the strengths of Shin Megami Tensei and Slay the Spire. CARVEL is currently working on the planning, design, detailed pixel art graphics and sound by themselves. The creator is currently looking to recruit paid developers for the project. It will be interesting to keep an eye on this promising SMT and Slay the Spire-inspired game.

UNDER WORLD (tentative title) is currently in development, with a Beta version slated for release in 2025.

Written by. Verity Townsend based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2024-08-09 11:49 JST)