Features
Short answer: Crimson Moon is a roguelite, not a roguelike. It is built around runs, but your progress does not vanish when you die — Steam’s own store copy describes a home base called the Church where you spend upgrades between runs. That single detail is what separates the two labels, and it is why the question keeps coming up.
Crimson Moon released on 1 September 2026 from developer and publisher ProbablyMonsters at $19.99. Steam lists its genres as Action, Adventure and RPG. Roguelike is not among them.
What the store page actually says
Two lines in the official feature list settle it. The first: “High Risk, High Reward Missions — Every successful run presents new missions, modifiers, and skill achievements.” That is run structure. The second: “Seek Sanctuary Between Runs — The Church is your home base for upgrades, NPC interactions, and War Table planning.” That is meta-progression.
A game with both is a roguelite. A roguelike in the strict sense sends you back to zero, keeping only what you learned.
| Trait | Strict roguelike | Crimson Moon |
|---|---|---|
| Run-based structure | Yes | Yes |
| Progress kept after death | No | Yes — upgrades at the Church |
| Persistent hub area | No | Yes — the Church and War Table |
| Steam genre listing | — | Action, Adventure, RPG |
| Co-op | Rare | Yes — online co-op |
Why press coverage calls it a roguelike anyway
Outlets covering the launch have used “roguelike” loosely, and hands-on previews from Summer Game Fest described it as a blend of soulslike and roguelike mechanics. This is not sloppiness so much as drift: since Hades, “roguelike” has functioned as a marketing shorthand for “run-based with permadeath in the run,” and almost nothing sold under that word today is a roguelike by the original definition.
The useful question is not which label is correct but which expectation the label sets. If you are searching for this because you want the structure of a modern roguelite — die, unlock, come back stronger — Crimson Moon delivers that. If you are searching because you want the brutal reset of a true roguelike, it does not.
What it actually plays like
You are a Nephilim, a human-angel hybrid, fighting through the fallen city of Gildenarch against demons, undead, vampires and what the game calls Hellgrowth abominations. Combat is melee-led with supernatural powers and angelic transformations, built around missions and boss encounters with the Dead Gods. Difficulty scales dynamically, with higher settings paying out better rewards.
Steam lists full controller support and recommends a gamepad, plus online co-op for players who would rather not crusade alone.
The honest caveat
Two things this article does not settle. First, we have not verified how much carries over between runs — “upgrades at the Church” could mean a light unlock track or a full persistent skill tree, and that difference decides whether the run-based framing matters after ten hours. Second, ProbablyMonsters is a well-funded studio group rather than a bedroom operation, so this is not an indie in the small-team sense even though it sits at an indie price.
If the run structure is what you are shopping for rather than this specific game, the action roguelikes that already earned their reputation are a safer twenty dollars, and the Vampire Survivors lineage is cheaper still.
Frequently asked questions
Is Crimson Moon a roguelike?
Not strictly. It is a roguelite. The game is built around runs, but Steam’s store copy describes a home base called the Church where you spend upgrades between runs, which means progress persists after death.
Does Crimson Moon have permadeath?
Runs end, but your account progress does not reset. Upgrades bought at the Church carry over, so death costs you the run rather than everything you have built.
How much does Crimson Moon cost?
19.99 dollars on Steam, with no discount applied at the time of writing.
Does Crimson Moon have co-op?
Yes. Steam lists online co-op alongside single-player, so you can play through missions with another player.
Who made Crimson Moon?
ProbablyMonsters is credited as both developer and publisher. The game released on 1 September 2026.
What genre is Crimson Moon on Steam?
Steam lists Action, Adventure and RPG. Roguelike is not one of the listed genres, despite the run-based structure described in the store copy.
Is Crimson Moon a soulslike?
Hands-on previews from Summer Game Fest described it as blending soulslike and roguelike mechanics. The store page emphasises melee combat, boss encounters and dynamic difficulty scaling rather than using the soulslike label itself.
Sources and citation
- Official Steam store page and feature list for Crimson Moon, including the “Seek Sanctuary Between Runs” and “High Risk, High Reward Missions” entries
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4317690/Crimson_Moon/ - Steam Web API appdetails response confirming genre listing, price, release date and co-op categories
https://store.steampowered.com/api/appdetails?appids=4317690 - SmashPad hands-on preview describing Crimson Moon as a blend of soulslike and roguelike mechanics
https://smashpad.com/sgf-2026-hands-on-crimson-moon-is-an-engaging-blend-of-soulslike-and-roguelike-mechanics/ - Bloody Disgusting launch coverage using the roguelike label
https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3966150/dark-fantasy-roguelike-crimson-moon-slashes-onto-pc-consoles-today-trailer/
