Rift of the NecroDancer announced, combines Punch-Out, Rhythm Heaven, and Guitar Hero

The studio behind Crypt of the NecroDancer has come up with some pretty clever ideas for its games. Cadence of Hyrule merged the roguelike-rhythm design with the Legend of Zelda series and sent the titular (and perfectly named) Cadence through Hyrule. The creativity and wordplay continue with Rift of the NecroDancer, a new spinoff from the team at Brace Yourself Games.

As the reveal trailer shows, this is a totally different take on the NecroDancer universe. As the name implies, a rift has opened, causing Cadence’s friends to disappear. To save them, she’ll have to engage in a variety of rhythm-based minigames. The first one shown mimics Guitar Hero’s famous note highway, with a series of brightly colored bats, ghosts, and zombies that must be fought along to the beat.

After this comes a boss fight in the style of Punch-Out, where Cadence has to dodge attacks and strike back. Lastly, we see a Rhythm Heaven-like minigame in which a few characters engage in yoga poses. Rift of the NecroDancer already looks like it’s bringing together some fun ideas, all of which lean upon the musical prowess of Danny Baranowsky, who composed the tunes you heard in the previous games.

You can wishlist Rift of the NecroDancer on Steam and see a few other details on the game page. It will have three different modes, each of which focuses on one of the minigame types you see in the trailer. The game will also support mods and leaderboards for score-chasers. Rift of the NecroDancer currently has no release date or final platforms, but it will be coming to PC via Steam at a minimum.

For reference, the original Crypt of the NecroDancer is available on PC, a variety of PlayStation and Xbox consoles, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. Cadence of Hyrule, however, was Switch exclusive. The Hyrule-set spinoff let you unlock Link and Zelda — two Nintendo-owned characters. Prior to the announcement of Rift, the most recent addition to the series was free Majora’s Mask-themed DLC for Cadence of Hyrule.