This dark comedy visual novel introduces us to a tale of my two favorite things: romance and death. Cleverly titled Necromance and developed by Subversionary Studios, it is set to release on Steam in August 2025. As the Prologue is available for Steam Next Fest: June 2025, I delved into the story ready to learn about the art of raising the dead. But due to a series of poor choices, I learned the art of becoming the dead instead. 

The Skull and the Fool

Our story begins with a talking skull, Nevermore, and their roommate/cellmate, Pilz the mushroom. Nevermore is imprisoned in their “laboratory” with naught to do but speak with Pilz, who can only buzz in response. Not only is Nevermore particularly chatty for a skull, but they’re morbid in a way that rides the line between sarcastic and sinister.

Nevermore realizes that a stranger is approaching their long-abandoned laboratory: our player character, the Hero. Soon after their introduction, it was painfully obvious that the Hero is…not bright.

They are on a quest to resurrect their lover, Lady Orla, who instructed the Hero to set out on this grim quest. Thus, the Hero is committed to discovering Nevermore (apparently a powerful necromancer), bind the skull to the Hero, and use Nevermore’s knowledge to free Lady Orla from the cold grips of death. Unfortunately, Lady Orla is also an old enemy of Nevermore’s, so the Hero must convince the skull to overcome their grudge before they can enact the ritual. 

On their journey, the Hero must use their (very few) wits against the obstacles that lay in their path. Plus, they have to put up with the constant verbal aberrations of Nevermore. 

Puzzles of Death

Between the dialogue, limited choices are presented to the Hero as they encounter puzzles on their quest, such as infiltrating the laboratory, finding a secret passageway, and writing a magic contract.

I’ll say two things about these puzzles: First, they are not difficult. If you pay attention to the dialogue, the answer is immediately clear. Second, despite the lack of difficulty, I died several times. I’m ashamed to say that only a few of these times were on purpose. In my defense, one of the clues depends on the color of a bird that I had never seen before. Am I the only person who doesn’t know what a grackle is?

The Ritual of Gaslighting

Writing the contract to bind Nevermore to the Hero is the only puzzle in the game that doesn’t have a clear hint. The Hero remembers what Lady Orla instructed them to write, but Nevermore is there, telling the Hero to do the opposite.

These Bones Need Meat

Throughout the puzzles is near-constant commentary from Nevermore, who, at least in the beginning, could be considered a limited omniscient narrator. After each action or statement from the Hero, the game cuts to Nevermore mocking them. Likewise, once the Hero meets Nevermore, the process of binding the skull is jam-packed with banter and arguments between the pair.

I must admit, the dialogue became exhausting for me. The characters say a ton, but I learned little about them, their desires, and their histories. Plus, in the first half of the Prologue, the player is flung back and forth between the Hero’s quest and Nevermore’s verbal jabs so rapidly that it’s jarring. 

Dialogue should either inform us of the characters, progress the story, or both. Given that this is a comedy, it’s also absolutely okay to have jokes for the sake of jokes. But the issue I have with Necromance is that the majority of the lines are meant for humor, and it was a little too much. Especially since almost all of the humor is “Hero says/does something stupid, and Nevermore makes fun of them.” At least for me, both the folly of the Hero and Nevermore’s comebacks tend to be more irritating than funny.

I’m sorry, Lady Orla who?

Nevertheless, the story concept is intriguing. An apprentice necromancer binding a powerful lich to resurrect the Hero’s lover? The lover who also happens to be the lich’s enemy? It’s gold. I want a reason to care about these characters, and the Prologue left me with several questions. Namely, who in the world is this Lady Orla character? Why the Hero care so much about her? And, most importantly, why I should care?

It’s worth noting that the developer’s website gives additional information on the Hero’s relationship with Lady Orla, so perhaps this history just isn’t detailed in the Prologue. Considering that the story revolves around Lady Orla’s resurrection, I’m hoping for the sake of the player’s investment that these questions are answered early on in the game.

I’m not sure if the developer has finalized the script for Necromance yet, but either way, I would recommend combing through the dialogue one more time to eliminate the fluff. I also encountered some grammar and spelling errors, so hopefully the dialogue will get a final polish before the full release. 

German Shadow Puppets

Side note: An aspect of Necromance that I admired is the artwork. The developers state that the artstyle is a “shadow puppet aesthetic inspired by German Expressionism.” 

Curious, I did some research on the subject, and I definitely see the inspiration. The art style reminds me of German director Lotte Reiniger, who pioneered the medium of silhouette animation. Necromance emulates this style of animation very well. It’s like there are multiple layers that make up each setting. When the scene moves, the layers shift in a way that creates a vintage 3D effect. The coloring and design of the backgrounds are also especially pretty. 

And Now to Rescue the Lady

My issues with the game aside, I certainly don’t want to diminish the passion that was clearly put into Necromance. I would like to have more of a reason to be invested in the Hero and Nevermore, but I see the vision that the creative team has for the pair’s relationship. The art direction is admirable, so I’m sure lovers of Gothic comedies would enjoy an evening with this game.

If you have a passion for spooky visual novels with a splash of German shadow puppetry, check out Necromance on Steam! 

Necromance is scheduled to release in August 2025.