Dark Souls Meets Inception and Backrooms in Steam’s Coolest New Action RPG

Truth be told, the fractured, shifting landscapes seen in Inception would translate brilliantly into an interactive medium, and no gaming genre fits that esoteric atmosphere quite like the Soulslike. From the high-medieval motifs that pioneered the genre to the suffocating sci-fi dread of titles like Hellpoint, the missing puzzle piece has always been a project bold enough to weave these disparate visual philosophies into a singular, hallucinatory experience. Fortunately, that exact title is just over the horizon.

Memoirium, an ambitious action RPG crafted by solo developer GoldenGratus, brilliantly fuses retro aesthetics, demanding Soulslike combat mechanics, and a deeply unsettling dreamscape to shape one of the most hypnotic releases of the year.

Within Memoirium, players traverse a disjointed oneiric domain comprised of bizarrely interconnected zones. Assuming the mantle of the Dreamer, you will wander through desolate graveyards, archaic fortresses, and incongruous 21st-century classrooms. Unlike traditional Soulslike adventures or standard action RPGs, the geography here is bound by no single motif. Because every step occurs entirely within the subconscious, transitioning fluidly from cosmic futurism to gothic medievalism—and onward to contemporary mundanity—feels entirely organic.

The intentional PlayStation 1-era graphical fidelity amplifies the unsettling atmosphere of the environment. These low-poly visuals cultivate a strong sense of liminality, rendering spaces that feel profoundly synthetic and deliberately incomplete—qualities certain to captivate devotees of Backrooms lore and psychological dread. Such uncanny, surreal presentation might even evoke fond memories of FromSoftware’s esoteric 1998 horror classic, Echo Night.

Beneath its dreamlike facade, the mechanical core remains fundamentally grounded in Soulslike tenets: stamina management is paramount, light and heavy offensives must be carefully measured, and precise blocking or evasive maneuvers spell the difference between survival and ruin. Adventurers can thoroughly investigate eight distinct dungeons while amassing an arsenal consisting of diverse weaponry, arcane spells, and protective gear. Special keepsakes grant passive enhancements and, diverging from conventional consumable items, automatically replenish at specific checkpoints.

In a rare departure for the genre, Memoirium features “Your Room”—a personalized, highly customizable sanctuary removed from the external turmoil. As you scour the shifting territories, you will unearth various mementos to curate and furnish your private living space. These decorative elements range from ordinary household articles like beds and desks to functional desktop computers. Embodying the ethos found directly on the game’s official Steam page, players will find endless opportunities to “Dream, Defy, Decorate” throughout their journey.

The project also carries the backing of Outersloth, the specialized indie venture fund established in 2024 by the creators of Among Us, Innersloth. Given the consistent caliber of past Outersloth-backed releases—such as Flock Around and Dosa Divas—there is substantial reason to anticipate that Memoirium will emerge as an unexpected breakout triumph.

Memoirium launches on Windows PC on August 13.

Not all difficulty is good difficulty

Source: Polygon