33 Immortals is a rare genre addition that really pushes the boundaries of the action-roguelike into a new space, and this review aims to delve into both the pros and cons of that.
The success of Hades pushed many developers to try their hand at making their own action roguelike game. While most of them don’t add enough to form their own identities, 33 Immortals is different. The game adds enough innovation to set itself apart from its inspiration, especially for those who enjoy raid-style encounters.
33 Immortals is an excellent mix of familiar action roguelike goodness and an entirely new mob-style mechanic that promotes teamwork.
The Good:
- Gameplay is smooth and addictive
- Playing with friends is a huge plus, and servers seem reliable
- Experimenting with different builds is encouraged
The Bad:
- While the bosses are reliably fun, other encounters can become repetitive
- The game’s lacking tutorial makes it tough to get started
Review Details:
- Reviewed on: PC
- Platforms available: PC, Xbox Series X/S
- Official release date: June 10, 2026
33 Immortals encourages strength in numbers
Those who have played similar action-roguelike games will likely find the general gameplay loop in 33 Immortals to be fairly familiar. Players are thrown into an area with multiple enemies to build up as much strength as they can. From currencies that players can use to purchase heals and stat-related buffs, to boons that give powerful bonuses, players want to craft builds that help them to take down the boss waiting for them at the end of a run.
The game features three distinct areas with their own identities and final bosses. The more you progress, the tougher completing runs becomes, especially since the number of active players reduces.
The twist here is that other players are constantly fighting alongside you. Despite the game’s name being 33 Immortals, there aren’t always that many players in a run. Regardless, this adds a major wrinkle to the game that helps it to stand out from other, similar experiences.
In addition to getting stronger to better tackle the boss, 33 Immortals requires players to raid every chamber in a given map. Completing this objective prompts the boss to spawn, at which point each surviving player bands together to fight them. This raid-style gameplay loop is extremely addictive, especially when playing alongside friends.
An understandable criticism some may have is that bosses just take too long to defeat, though that’s mostly because multiple players are meant to be fighting them and dealing damage simultaneously.
Key to our 33 Immortals review is that we found the game to feature some very fluid combat. Dodging feels responsive, and memorizing attack patterns makes for rewarding counter-attack opportunities.
The game also has multiple weapons that players can unlock for use, from basic swords to an awesome crossbow. Pair them with the many perks and in-run bonuses that you can find, and every player can create a build that works for them. This freedom of choice is what many roguelike games aim to achieve, but only a few succeed in capturing. 33 Immortals is among those few.
Its greatest strength is a double-edged sword
Playing alongside multiple other players is a unique gameplay mechanic, especially for this genre. But it can also be somewhat infuriating at times. Matchmaking is completely random in most cases, which means that you’re playing alongside players who could either be great or complete newcomers who just don’t know what to do.
This uncertainty makes sense when you consider how cryptic the tutorial of 33 Immortals feels. The game only highlights the bare basics of a run, seemingly expecting players to check the in-game compendium for a more detailed understanding. Adding some more depth to the tutorial or making it mandatory for every player could be a good idea, considering one player’s faults could mess with every player’s run.
For example, co-op attacks are extremely strong in 33 Immortals, but they require at least two players to work together. Similarly, every run requires players to complete chambers if they want the boss to spawn. The bosses generally aren’t as tricky as many single-player roguelike bosses, but they do have mechanics that promote, if not outright require, some degree of teamwork.
While it’s possible to beat these bosses alone, the game expects every player to work toward this goal. Coordination can be a game-changer, but not every player will be in the mood to work together. 33 Immortals does let players create parties with their friends, but that’s only limited to four players in any given party.
Fortunately, this drawback is largely limited to the game’s first area. Players can only unlock the proceeding areas after completing the first one, by which point they should have a good idea of how the game works. Those who complete the Inferno world should have a much better experience, both in terms of playing alongside players who understand 33 Immortals’ mechanics, and switching up the area and enemy types to something more interesting than what’s initially on offer.
The Bottom Line: 33 Immortals is a beautiful and fluid game that gives more than enough reason for action-roguelike fans to give it a shot, even if it isn’t quite as replayable as the genre’s best.
Score: 8.5/10
