Super-retro dead-when-you're-dead dungeon RPG Delver arrives for Android

Indie developer Chad Cuddigan’s latest game, Delver, is now available on Google Play.

And it's about as old school as you can get without actually firing up an Atari 2600.

But the retro theme of Delver goes well beyond simple aesthetics.

In a nod to the draconian style of older games, Delver proudly features perma-death.

This 'once you're dead, you're dead' mentality defies the endless retry trend in most games. When death occurs in Delver, it means that your character and all of your loot are well and truly gone.

The only option available is to start the game over again from the beginning.

Fortunately, Delver features a complex system of randomised level generation, ensuring that each playthrough will be different.

Cuddigan hopes to provide weekly updates to Delver to keep the game challenging and fresh.

In order to accomplish this, he has turned to the sales of the game itself to provide budget for future development.

While this means the game was released in an 'unfinished state', it does help justify the $3.99 pricetag knowing that more content is on the way.

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on

Google Play: Delver