EXCISA is a first-person occult horror roguelite that blends strategy and adventure on PC. Players sit at a séance table in an abandoned house, using tarot cards and dice rolls to summon an entity known as the Angel while managing risks from supernatural threats.
Gameplay
The core loop centers on turn-based decisions at the table. Each action advances the session while consuming a turn. Selecting a tarot card from the Major Arcana reveals potential outcomes for success or failure on the upcoming roll. Players then choose how many dice to cast, with lower numbers offering safer gains like resources or tools and higher numbers required to progress toward the Angel.
Rolls attract attention from the house itself. More dice increase the chance of drawing unwanted entities to the table. Health appears through visible trembling hands, time tracks via six burning candles, and fear builds with audible heartbeat cues. A disconnected phone allows requests for ritual items that arrive through a portal, though some carry curses that alter future rolls in exchange for power.
The bowl on the table accepts sacrifices for better odds, including health traded for luck. Progression moves through six depths, each layering new challenges onto prior mechanics without resetting them. Between depths, a choice determines whether to secure gains or push forward with accumulated risks intact.
Game Modes
EXCISA operates as a single-player roguelite experience focused on repeated runs through the house. Sessions emphasize risk management and survival until the Angel can be reached or the player opts to exit. The structure revolves around descending depths while handling persistent elements like curses and entity behaviors across attempts.
No separate multiplayer or alternate modes appear in available details. The roguelite format encourages learning entity patterns and optimizing card and dice choices to improve future runs. Permanent unlocks from successful claims in the house carry over between sessions.
Key Mechanics and Risks
Eleven distinct uninvited guests respond to loud dice rolls, each following unique rules such as biting every turn, duplicating, activating only during Angel summons, or summoning others. Recognition and banishment become essential as the session deepens. Items range from beneficial blessings to cursed objects that players may retain or discard at a cost of a turn.
The absence of a traditional HUD keeps focus on environmental signals. Success demands balancing preparation with the high-stakes three-dice rolls needed for ritual advancement. Failure before standing up wipes the entire session progress.
Is It Worth Playing?
EXCISA targets players who enjoy tense, choice-driven roguelites with horror themes and strategic dice mechanics. Its single-player format rewards careful observation of entity behaviors and resource management through the séance setup. The game remains in a pre-release state with no user reviews or confirmed updates available yet.
Those drawn to occult narratives, risk-reward systems involving tarot and dice, and atmospheric tension without conventional interfaces may find the experience compelling once it launches. Availability is limited to PC through standard digital storefronts at this stage.
