Hades 2 isn’t getting a sequel, but its best alternative arrives in one week

12 Jun at 15:34 Comment Views: 15
Polygon
Summer Game Fest 2026
Explore world premieres, fresh trailers, and exclusive insights from over 40 industry-leading developers and hardware creators.
Explore more→
<p>Six years following its debut, Supergiant Games’ <em>Hades</em> remains a benchmark for narrative-driven roguelikes. While the genre previously prioritized pure mechanics over scripted storytelling, <em>Hades</em> masterfully demonstrated that persistent, layered narrative progression could thrive within repetitive gameplay loops.</p>

<p>Since that milestone, the genre has seen many imitators, yet few have managed to push the medium forward—until now. <em>Erosion</em>, the latest title from Plot Twist (the team behind <em>The Last Case of Benedict Fox</em>), aims to redefine roguelike storytelling by emphasizing how player-driven decisions shape an evolving world.</p>

<p>I went hands-on with <em>Erosion</em> during Summer Game Fest, and even a brief 30-minute session was enough to reveal its unique mechanical structure. Beyond its polished twin-stick combat, the game introduces a persistent, reactive world that shifts in response to your failures.</p>

<div class="display-card video large no-badge">
    <div class="w-adsninja-video-player">
        <div class="an-ignore">
            <div class="adsninja-video-player emaki-video-player emaki-video-player-e36c37e71d4f7830" id="emaki-video-player-e36c37e71d4f7830">
                <script>
                    window.valstream = window.valstream || {};
                    window.valstream.queue = window.valstream.queue || [];
                    window.valstream.queue.push(function(){
                        const fallbackContent = `<button class="prem-player-close">x</button><video class="adsninja-video-player" id='emaki_video-e36c37e71d4f7830' poster="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-2.jpg?fit=crop&w=1024&h=576" controls><source src="https://video.polygonimages.com/2026/06/erosion-playtest-trailer-_-june-23-first-public-playtest-1781202795.mp4" type="video/mp4">Your browser does not support the video tag.</video>`;
                        let result = null;
                        try {
                            window.an.monetizeVideo('.emaki-video-player-e36c37e71d4f7830', JSON.parse(`{"name":"Instream-InContent","groupName":"content"}`), JSON.parse(`{"trackingId":"in-content","playlist":[{"title":"Erosion Playtest Trailer","description":"","length":"1:30","mimeType":"video/mp4","url":"https://video.polygonimages.com/2026/06/erosion-playtest-trailer-_-june-23-first-public-playtest-1781202795.mp4","thumbnailLink":"https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-2.jpg?fit=crop&w=1024&h=576","textTracks":[{"kind":"subtitles","label":"English","language":"en","url":"https://video.polygonimages.com/2026/06/erosion-playtest-trailer-_-june-23-first-public-playtest-1781202795-1781204001.vtt","default":false}]}]}`)).catch((error) => { throw error; });
                        } catch(error) {
                            document.getElementById('emaki-video-player-e36c37e71d4f7830').innerHTML = fallbackContent;
                        }
                    });
                </script>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>

<p>The premise is gripping: your protagonist’s daughter has been abducted into the depths of a treacherous dungeon. Your goal is to rescue her, but there’s a catch—every three deaths advances the world by a decade. This temporal shift drastically alters the overworld, transforming landscapes and changing the world’s inhabitants as your daughter ages in real-time.</p>

<p>Combat feels exceptionally tight. Unlike <em>Hades</em>, which relies on frequent banter between protagonist and antagonist to carry the plot, <em>Erosion</em> lets the adrenaline-fueled action do the talking. Fans of high-intensity shooters like <em>Enter the Gungeon</em> will find the movement and weapon feedback incredibly satisfying.</p>

<div class="body-img landscape">
    <div class="responsive-img image-expandable img-article-item" style="padding-bottom:56.25%">
        <figure>
            <img src="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/11.jpg" alt="The player engages in intense combat within the dungeon in Erosion">
            <small class="body-img-caption">Image: Plot Twist/Lyrical Games</small>
        </figure>
    </div>
</div>

<p>The game’s destructible voxel environments make every encounter feel tactile and chaotic. RNG factors—like the rare appearance of a shopkeeper—ensure no two runs feel identical, encouraging experimental builds that emphasize different tactical approaches.</p>

<p>The time-progression mechanic is the real standout. Witnessing a farm I previously "cleared" turn into a desolate ruin—or, conversely, a massive bandit stronghold—highlights the consequences of my performance. It creates a dynamic narrative that unfolds naturally through gameplay, independent of traditional cutscenes.</p>

<p>While skilled players might bypass these temporal shifts, the system ensures that every player leaves a footprint on the world. By shifting the focus from scripted dialogue to environmental storytelling and systemic consequences, <em>Erosion</em> offers a fresh take on roguelike structure that feels both retro and revolutionary.</p>

<div class="body-img landscape">
    <div class="responsive-img image-expandable img-article-item" style="padding-bottom:56.25%">
        <figure>
            <img src="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/13.jpg" alt="The decaying overworld town in Erosion">
            <small class="body-img-caption">Image: Plot Twist/Lyrical Games</small>
        </figure>
    </div>
</div>

<p>I only scratched the surface of what <em>Erosion</em> has to offer, but it’s already clear this is a title to watch. <em>Erosion</em> is slated for an early 2027 release on Windows PC and Xbox Series X, with a <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/3211720/Erosion/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">public Steam playtest</a> running from June 23 through June 30.</p>

<div class="display-card article article-card small no-badge active-content">
    <img width="440" height="248" src="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/sylk_keyart_nologo.jpg" alt="Related coverage">
    <span class="article-card-label"><label>Related</label></span>
    <div class="w-display-card-content regular article-block">
        <h5 class="display-card-title">8 overlooked indie gems from a week of major reveals</h5>
        <p class="display-card-excerpt">A closer look at the best titles we discovered at Day of the Devs 2026.</p>
    </div>
</div>
Source: Polygon
Comments - Cackle
Related articles
