Have A Nice Death Release Date, Trailer, And Gameplay - What We Know So Far

Life as the Grim Reaper ain't easy. And in Magic Death Studios' breakout indie hit "Have a Nice Death," players get to experience just how difficult it is. Or, at least, might be. While there are plenty of video games where your character is forced to die and even more with characters we sadly lost in-game, this is relatively unique where you play death itself. A roguelike-platformer hybrid, "Have a Nice Death" was originally released in early access form for PC via Steam back in March 2022. However, like all early access titles, the time comes for it to either become a full release or be discontinued.

"Have a Nice Death" has been confirmed for a full release, which is sure to excite many gamers and critics considering the solid reviews it received upon its early access launch. But what does the full release of "Have a Nice Death" entail, and what other platforms will be getting in on the fun along with the already existing PC player base? Here's everything you need to know about the full release of "Have a Nice Death."

"Have a Nice Death" was previously released in early access for the PC via Steam on March 8, 2022. Upon its release, the roguelike garnered tons of praise from the player base, currently boasting a "Very Positive" rating on Steam. But while the early access version of the game has been available for a while on PC, "Have a Nice Death" is receiving a port to the Nintendo Switch in the near future.

On November 9, 2022, the official Nintendo of America YouTube page published an announcement trailer for the "Have a Nice Death" Nintendo Switch port. The Switch version of the game is due out on March 22, 2023. This comes a little over a year after the title's original PC early release, and will also mark the full release for that platform as well. "Have a Nice Death" is currently available for pre-order on the Nintendo Switch and is retailing at the consumer-friendly price of $24.99. The early access version on Steam is available for a bit cheaper — $14.99 to be exact.

The announcement trailer for "Have a Nice Death" was unveiled on November 9, 2022. In the trailer, you can see the game's version of Death engaging in all of the high-energy, chaotic platforming the title has become synonymous with since its initial early access launch. It also gives the release date for the title on the Nintendo Switch, which will coincide with its full release in March 2023. The trailer was largely a success, garnering close to 50,000 views and over 2,000 likes on YouTube within the first week of publishing. Most of the comment section shows excitement for the full release of the game too.

On Reddit, some gamers unfamiliar with "Have a Nice Death" and its signature gameplay style marveled at the trailer. One likened it to a combo of "Hollow Night," "Death's Door," and "Devil May Cry." Considering the legacy of those three IPs, that's quite a flattering comment. 

On its official Steam page, "Have a Nice Death" is described a 2D action roguelike. The game itself plays very much like a platformer and side-scroller. In a review done by IGN, "Have a Nice Death" is described by Tom Marks as a "side-scrolling hack-and-slash." In the game, you control Death (or the Grim Reaper), who must deal with a sudden influx of souls passing on into the afterlife. Due to the subsequent chaos that the massive "migration" to the Other Side has caused, Death gets the higher-ranking dead he already has on his hands in line and ready to work.

The gameplay contained within "Have a Nice Death" was a huge part of its appeal upon its early access release. Each level is procedurally generated and features combat with some smaller enemies, culminating in a big boss battle later on. Death progressively levels up with each eliminated enemy and can eventually be upgraded to become more formidable against tougher opponents. Will this be added to the list of games you need to play before you die? Only time will tell.