Developer Pocketpair has recently released a Steam demo of their upcoming Metroidvania game, Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse.
The game, which is under scrutiny for its similarities to another popular Metroidvania game, is set to launch in the next three months and will offer up to four-player multiplayer. However, it has not yet been given an official release date.
Never Grave: The Witch and the Curse – Announce Trailer
Unlike the developer controversy surrounding Palworld, Pocketpair is listed only as the publisher of Never Grave. Previously, they were listed as the developer until January 25, 2024, when records indicate that the developer was switched to Frontside 180, a seemingly new and unknown studio.
Even the Wayback Machine confirms that Pocketpair was the original developer for Never Grave until recently.
Never Grave is described as “a Metroidvania x Roguelite where you journey with the aid of a cursed hat”. In this game, players utilize a variety of magic, or even possess their enemies to reach the lowest levels. The game also allows players to bring back loot, build new facilities in their village, make a living and strengthen themselves for the next battle, featuring unique elements such as an enemy possession system, base building, and multiplayer.
Recently, The Pokémon Company released a statement confirming its investigation into whether Pocketpair’s game Palworld has infringed on its intellectual property rights.
Despite the controversy, Palworld has seen a surge in its player base with concurrent numbers crossing two million on Steam, making it the second game ever on the platform to do so after PUBG. It also broke its own record with a new high of 2,101,867 concurrent players.