Capcom has ruled action gaming in recent years, from Resident Evil Requiem to Pragmata to the new Onimusha. Now a smaller studio is trying to carve out its own niche by mixing two familiar genres: the dungeon crawler and the zombie apocalypse. Stupid Never Dies, from developer GPTRACK50, puts players in control of Davy, a weak zombie in love with a frozen girl, and tasks them with bringing her back to life. The catch? Davy grows stronger by eating monster cores and stealing their powers.
The game comes from a studio founded by veteran developers who worked on the Devil May Cry series. Its premise is simple and strange: Davy battles through a mysterious dungeon to defeat KOM, the King of Monsters. Every dive makes him grow faster. Players customize his body, devour powerful monsters, steal their abilities, and race against time to conquer the dungeon.
Davy’s Core-Eating System
Stupid Never Dies is a 3D action RPG that leans heavily on its combat system. The game is very linear in the sense that it follows a true dungeon-based adventure, but combat stays varied thanks to the unique styles and abilities players can acquire. Some of those abilities come from biting enemies and taking their cores.
The game shares DNA with the work of Suda51 and Swery, according to the review. It has full of personality, and the ground-up combat system rewards players who dive into it. Davy’s strange animations and playstyle differ from most character action experiences. The combat has a low floor but a high ceiling, meaning anyone can pick it up and enjoy it, but skilled players have plenty of room to grow.
The Free Demo That Carries Over
Before the full game launches on October 21, players can try Stupid Never Dies for free. The demo, called “First Bite,” is available on Steam and gives a sense of the game’s opening and setting. It shows off the parry/bite-based combat system. Save data carries over to the full edition.
That means players who start in the demo won’t lose any progress when the game ships. The demo is live now, and the full game arrives later this month. For players who love action games, this is a good time to check it out. The style alone sells Stupid Never Dies, and the free demo gives everyone a fair shot at seeing what the full package offers.
What the Full Game Brings
The full version of Stupid Never Dies expands on the demo’s systems. Players can customize Davy’s body, devour monsters, and steal their abilities. The game’s signature sense of style comes from its mix of Dungeon Crawler Carl, Dead Rising, and its own bizarre humor.
The studio’s pedigree matters here. GPTRACK50 is founded by veterans of the Devil May Cry series, which means they know a thing or two about fast, responsive combat. That experience shows in the design, even if the game takes a different direction from the series it spun off from.
A Formula Worth Opening Up
If the team can mix up the dungeon-delving formula and let players experiment with multiple builds at once, the game could be something special.
Combat has a low floor but a high ceiling, which is a promising sign. It means new players can jump in and enjoy themselves, while skilled players have plenty of depth to explore. Davy’s strange animations and playstyle set him apart from most character action experiences, giving the game its own identity.
Release Timeline
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Demo release (“First Bite”) | Available now on Steam |
| Full game release | October 21 |
The demo is live now, and the full game arrives later this month. For players who love action games, this is a good time to check it out. The style alone sells Stupid Never Dies, and the free demo gives everyone a fair shot at seeing what the full package offers.
Whether the full game delivers on its promise remains to be seen. The demo shows a solid foundation, but the full game needs to open up the dungeon-delving formula to truly stand out. With a veteran team behind it and a unique premise, Stupid Never Dies has a good chance of becoming something special.
The demo is the place to start. It’s free, it carries over saves, and it gives players a taste of Davy’s core-eating combat system. If you’re curious about the genre, or just want to see what a zombie dungeon crawler looks like, this is the moment to jump in.
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