Tomb of the Bloodletter Review: Brutal word roguelike takes spellers to task

When’s the last time you checked your words-per-minute? If you’re like me, then not since you last sat down with Mavis Beacon in the early 2000’s. It’s time to put your typing aptitude to the test in Tomb of the Bloodletter, a typing roguelike from developer Ethan Goldreyer’s hilariously named studio, Ethan’s Secretions. Using strategic keystrokes, players battle oddball baddies with cartoonish “Magicks” and cutthroat combos.

Typing titles fell by the wayside as new games introduced substantive gameplay mechanics, but Tomb of the Bloodletter turns standard typing attacks on their head with inventive roguelike elements, Scripps-ready rivals, and so much more.

While I was able to enjoy Tomb of the Bloodletter on my Lenovo Legion Go (touchscreen AND trackpad) and my Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max via Steam Link, the game is best played with a traditional WASD keyboard. Put your gamepad back on the dock and type to your heart’s content, fellow word nerds.

Tomb of the Bloodletter boasts silly visuals, satisfying roguelike progression

Each round ofTomb of the Bloodletter starts pretty quickly; players shift from the game’s menu screen to character selection with a single click. Gamers get their choice of four playable characters, each of whom brings their own unique skills to the table. You’ll start the game with just one unlocked; access to the other three hinges upon your performance. Players then head straight into the first encounter, where they’ll stare down their first charmingly hand-drawn target. Ambient music may help you lock in, but otherwise, the subdued sound design doesn’t wow.

Suddenly, an on-screen QWERTY keyboard appears. Some letters bear peculiar symbols which give your in-game QWERTY a little extra oomph. (That’s “O-O-M-P-H,” though I’m unsure if onomatopoeia is accepted) With roguelike buffs, players can tailor their character’s abilities to their personal playstyle. As you progress, you’ll gain access to new items and Magicks as they progress, introducing not-yet-seen challenges.

In the above screenshot, “J” is shown with Pacifism applied. If I enter “JOB,” my opponent will receive 2 damage. “O” and “B” have no rewards, which means they’ll assume more of a support role than an offensive one. Opponents’ health is shown on the red heart, and while 6 HP doesn’t seem like much, rare opportunities to heal and random power-up distribution can quickly derail your strategy. Don’t lean too hard into tactics; your vocabulary is just as important to gameplay progress as attacks and defense. Make your way through the first zone to unlock the next playable character, the Heretic, for access to healing Prayers that’ll assuredly come in handy. A-M-E-N.

Tomb of the Bloodletter is a blast, but brutally difficult

“Guzzling.” Cute. Word puzzles put us in peculiar spots at times. Like in Scrabble, sometimes playing a particular four-letter word could earn you eleventy zillion points. At the same time, your opponent is Grandma. Thankfully, Tomb of the Bloodletter is between you and (checks notes) Ethan’s Secretions. As such, several expletives are accepted as valid terms. Ask me how I know.

It’s best you get familiar with some obscenities — typing or screaming — becauseTomb of the Bloodletter can get downright merciless. With so few opportunities to heal, run-ending ailments, and RNG Magick key placement that’s unfair at best, there’s a non-zero chance you’re at 1 HP by Battle 3. Sometimes, strong language is your best (or only) option. Proper nouns, however, are not permitted, as is standard in traditional word puzzles. Check out a quick back-and-forth between my invisible bike-riding opponent and me, and see some Magicks and other mechanics in motion:

Tomb of the Bloodletter seemingly checks every box, but one glaring omission — a timer — makes as much structural sense as, well, an invisible bike. Urgency is fundamental to puzzle-solving. Likewise, puzzle players are a bookkeeping bunch that tends to track completion times, monitor improvement, log speedruns, and beat personal bests. I’m not advocating making the game even more challenging than it already is; however, nearly all players stand to benefit from a toggleable timer. This extends time-tracking opportunities to competitive players while boosting accessibility.

Tomb of the Bloodletter: Final thoughts

Tomb of the Bloodletter is a smart, funny, and challenging typing roguelike that Goldreyer clearly crafted with C-A-R-E. Hand-drawn visuals ooze the character of an old Flash game, and the game’s first content update extends already impressive replayability. In a post to the game’s Steam community, Goldreyer broke down new bug fixes, additions, and QoL adjustments spellers can expect, as well as a surprise fifth character.

“I’m excited to share that the first of 4 new characters is now available to unlock, once you’ve beaten the game with the first 4. I’m really happy with how this character’s turned out, as it’s going to encourage a playstyle that revolves almost entirely around the Fury mechanic […] I think he’ll do a good job shaking the game up for any players who’ve gotten used to relying on certain strategies. Additionally, I’ve drastically improved the history panel! It now displays a graph of your lifetime letter usage, and keeps track of all the Magicks you have (and haven’t) used! Smaller changes include a few bug fixes, polish updates, and some new words added to the dictionary.“

Tomb of the Bloodletter will appeal to part-time typists in small doses, but the game is, by and large, for word processors willing to get their hands dirty. Fight through the ink-coated keys and revel in smug satisfaction — deservedly so — because this is one tough tomb. Puzzle fans, challenge yourself today with Tomb of the Bloodletter, available on Steam now for just $7.99. I believe in you.