Death Howl Reviews
Death Howl is a challenging and rewarding adventure with a solid deckbuilding experience for players brave enough to stick it out. Ro’s gripping story of grief shines despite being part of an oversaturated genre, and the game’s deep strategy and unforgiving Soulslike elements make it feel truly brand-new.
Death Howl is a tough, atmospheric, and surprisingly emotional experience. Its blend of deckbuilding and tactical combat is clever and demanding, its visuals are hauntingly beautiful, and its story hits harder than you might expect from a game built around cards and grids. It’s not for everyone – the difficulty alone will put some players off – but if you enjoy games that challenge both your strategy and your resilience, it’s absolutely worth your time.
Death Howl is a demanding and uncompromising indie video game that stands out for its oppressive atmosphere and strong artistic identity. Its mix of deck building, turn-based strategy, and high difficulty fits well with the tone of the story, but it also results in a slow pace, a lot of repetition, and a steep learning curve. If you accept its rules, it's a great game.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Death Howls stands out from today’s crowded space of indie soulslikes with its unique mix of deck-based, turn-based, grid-locked combat. Its oppressive darkness, pixelated Nordic tribal aesthetic, and an incredibly well-accomplished audio all blend together in perfect harmony to create an atmosphere that pulls you into its weird, mysterious, and creepy spirit world. It does fall into a repetitive loop as you farm lesser spirits for upgrades, rather early on in the game. But overall, the game had a level of difficulty and a layer of complexity, both in story and gameplay, that really lured me in. For lovers of the pixel-heavy soulslike / soulslite genre, I definitely recommend this game. It is as challenging as it is rewarding. With that I award Death Howl with the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Can a Deck-Builder really be considered a Souls-like? The short answer is yes and Death Howl is all the proof you need. It exudes confidence with a dark, gripping thirty-hour narrative, infused with tactical gameplay that felt reminiscent of Into The Breach that it doesn’t need to rely on roguelike elements, as the deckbuilding genre often does. If Death Howl must be labeled as a deckbuilder, it’s one of the best there is and belongs alongside other genre titans like Slay The Spire, Balatro and Inscryption.
Death Howl stands out for its strategic depth and dark atmosphere, which are captivating, but the frustration that builds up during gameplay risks overshadowing much of its potential: despite the high-quality atmosphere and pixel art, the overall experience is often compromised by excessive difficulty and a lack of strategic variety, which turn the challenge into a test of endurance rather than a fun experience.
Review in Italian | Read full review
I’m a bit of a sucker for games that tackle themes like grief and loss, and Death Howl is a prime example of how to not just use story beats to do that but include gameplay in that storytelling as well. There is beauty in the determination and grit that Ro shows, but it feels like there are things she still needs to learn about herself as well. Exploring that story and playing the wonderful grid-based and card-based combat is exquisite, if you’re up to dealing with dying over and over again.
Death Howl is an original, creative game about grief, sorrow, and depression. You’ll feel it both in the story and in the combat, sometimes entirely through no fault of your own. Despite its challenges and occasional technical issues, the game leaves a strong impression and is worth experiencing for anyone looking for something different.
Review in Unknown | Read full review
Death Howl is different because it treats you like an intelligent person. It doesn't hold your hand, go into too much detail, or use clichés. It doesn't hold your hand; instead, it trusts you to make your way through its brutal, atmospheric world, giving you a deeply immersive, emotionally gripping experience.
Death Howl is a tough game that rewards your perseverance with more challenge, and for fans of iron-tough soulslikes and deceptively complex tactics games, it’s a definite gem
Death Howl is a bold combination of grief-driven storytelling, deckbuilding strategy, and soulslike challenge. It’s not an easy game to settle into, and the lack of a tutorial makes the first hour harder than it needs to be. But if you can push through the rough start, there’s a deep, soulful experience waiting for you. The atmosphere alone might keep players going even when the difficulty bites back.
Though I felt the game’s progression system was somewhat flawed, Death Howl still managed to impress me thoroughly with its incredible storytelling, art, and unique blend of genres, creating something utterly unique and highly memorable.
By combining elements from seemingly very different genres and focusing on narrative as the guiding thread for the journey, Death Howl proves to be a deckbuilder that is as original as it is captivating. Although its high difficulty may be daunting at first, it is worth embarking on this melancholic journey through the afterlife and the power of maternal love.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Death Howl blends Soulslike brutality with deckbuilding and roguelike progression in a way that swallowed me whole, delivering challenging and thought-provoking gameplay wrapped in The Outer Zone's now signature crunchy pixel art and moody color palette. What ultimately makes it shine is its aesthetic: a grimy fusion of SNES-era pixels and atmospheric horror where every sound, creature, and environment reinforces a world that's disgusting, beautiful, and unforgettable. It can be a little tricky to follow along with the narrative, and some aspects felt a bit too slow for my liking, but all-in-all, this is a genre-splice that comes off without a hitch.
Death Howl is one of 2025's best games, mixing Soulslike and Deck builders into something I never knew I needed so badly.