On October 21, 2026, GPTRACK50 will be releasing Stupid Never Dies, an action roguelike where players control a young zombie named Davy fighting for love while devouring enemies in an ever-expanding dungeon. Expect stylish action as you level up with each run, munching through foes in pursuit of romance. But is this adventure worth your time or should you look for something tastier? Let’s analyze Stupid Never Dies step by step and see where it stands.
Stylish Action
The combat of Stupid Never Dies at a first glance appears to be a normal action game. The player, as Davy’s zombie form, will have access to a basic light attack, heavy attack, a few special moves that are determined based on the items you have equipped, and of course a bit button. Davy’s attacks appear slow, but they pack a real punch that allow him to do great damage to enemies that match his level.
The true highlight of Stupid Never Dies’ gameplay is the Style Eat mechanic. Whenever the player defeats an enemy that isn’t one of the weak fodder ones, you’ll be able to absorb their style and transform into them by tapping the left or right buttons on your D-Pad.
In an instant, Davy can become a towering colossus whose attacks are extremely slow but have immense power and knockback ability, or you can become an ice fairy with quick attacks that slowly build up a freeze meter, which can lock enemies in place to allow you to do massive damage.
These enemy styles come with their own attacks and passive buffs to your base stats as well. So even if you’re not planning to transform into one for your current fight, it’s best to eat as much as you can anyway in order to become stronger.
The potency of the style you absorb depends on the enemy’s strength. You might snack on a weak werewolf and gain a lackluster style, whereas a powerful werewolf could give you the ultimate fighting edge, letting you clear out enemy groups with ease.
However, there’s a catch: you only maintain access to these styles for three floors. If you don’t transform, the ability still vanishes once you move beyond three floors. This setup creates an addictive cycle where players are continually switching between styles and devouring foes to gain new transformations frequently.
The limited duration may seem irritating, but it encourages reckless play, which I find genuinely enjoyable. After clearing a floor, you can either progress to the next level, which is slightly higher, or leap down multiple levels for faster completion.
If I lack a strong style, I usually tread carefully, advancing straight to similar-level floors. But if I’m rocking a powerful style, like the harpy form that can deal immense ranged damage, I’ll dive straight to a tougher boss floor to put my skills to the test and cut down my run time.
A Roguelike To Die For
Now that we’ve unraveled the core gameplay of Stupid Never Dies, let’s delve into the roguelike mechanics and gameplay loop that set it apart in the genre.
You’ve likely picked up on the discussion about the urgency behind actions and style-eating enemies to speed through levels. This urgency is heightened by a persistent timer that counts down whenever you’re in the dungeon.
You have mere minutes to clear each dungeon run. If the timer expires, you’ll start taking severe passive damage and die within seconds, so it’s essential to sprint through each floor.
To mitigate the timer, clearing every ten layers grants you an extra 3:00 of time, pushing you to skip levels to speed toward the finish. Plus, there’s a reward chest on each floor, which sometimes contains an additional minute.
Honestly, running out of time isn’t something that happens often, provided you keep moving. Still, the mere presence of a countdown adds an engaging tension, motivating fast-paced gameplay and making you weigh the decision of whether to battle every enemy for experience.
But chasing that EXP is tantalizing. Leveling up not only aids in your current run but also strengthens you for future attempts due to the intriguing leveling system at play.
Upon losing a run, Stupid Never Dies records your earned EXP, giving you a boost matching what you obtained in your previous attempts. So, enemies that offered 1 EXP earlier may reward you with 100 on your fifth run.
Davy is an immortal zombie, so losing a run isn’t the end. While it can feel frustrating to fall short against a boss after dedicating 10-20 minutes to reach them, knowing that your next battle will likely be against a stronger version of yourself is enticing and makes you want to jump back in right away.
After every level up, you need to choose between three upgrades. If you’ve touched any modern game recently, you’re probably well-acquainted with this mechanic. Ranging from passive buffs that boost boss damage to major changes reshaping Davy’s skills, these upgrades offer substantial choices.
I’m not usually a fan of roguelikes, and I’ve been somewhat critical of the genre for their reliance on chance mechanics. However, I genuinely enjoyed the gameplay loop presented in Stupid Never Dies.
Certainly, like most games in this genre, it does rely on RNG for success. Yet, with the rapid leveling process, players can access upgrades quickly. This means you know right from the outset how your run might unfold, alleviating much of the frustration typically found in roguelikes.
Bizarre Pacing
Bizarre Pacing
While Stupid Never Dies features fantastic gameplay once it gains momentum, the initial hours can be a tedious slog due to pacing issues. The first few stages may feel drawn out and structured in a manner that tests your patience.
