No narrative driven Point & Click Adventure this time?
If you think about Ron Gilbert, what comes to mind? The Monkey Island games? Maybe the prequel to the legendary Day of the Tentacle, Maniac Mansion? Or do you think about his more recent works on the nostalgic Thimbleweed Park?
No matter what your first association is, Ron Gilbert is known for his fun and wacky adventure games. Games that are filled with humor, loveable characters, and excellent writing. Gilbert even returned to his most well-known franchise, Monkey Island, in 2022 to work on a sequel, which was very beloved even though it got some hate for its new artstyle.
At the Gamescom 2025, Ron Gilbert's newest project was shown and it is... not an adventure?
Outrun The Grim Reaper
That's right! Death by Scrolling is not a typical adventure you would expect from Ron Gilbert. In the game you are stuck in purgatory and need to get to the ferryman fast, with enough gold to pay him. While you run upwards for the whole game, the bottom of the screen is always closing in, so you need to act quickly.
Run, fight, loot and don't stop... Because that's where HE'S WAITING
The "He" the game is referring to is the Grim Reaper himself, who also chases you while you are on the run. The gameplay seems to follow typical roguelike mechanics, where you can buy and unlock helpful perks and loot between runs. This mixture of roguelike and sidescrolling seems wild and adrenaline-inducing.
What About A Story?
It is not yet clear how much story this game will contain. Unlike Point & Click Adventures, Roguelikes can vary much more when it comes to narrative, as the main focus is the gameplay-loop. The trailer has at least shown us some dialogue options with an NPC, which could indicate some fun conversations and maybe an underlying story.
While I trust Ron Gilbert to deliver once again and release a game that will hold my attention hostage, I would also love his wonderfully wacky writing to return in a more story-driven format.
What are your thoughts? Do you like this new mixture of genres and that Ron Gilbert tries something new? Or would you rather have the next big entry in his forte of adventures?