Crypt Custodian

Crypt Custodian is a top-down metroidvania where you play as Pluto, a dead cat sentenced to sweep the afterlife forever. It is one of the most enjoyable exploration games in the genre, and that is largely because it never wastes your time.

The Good

The quality-of-life design is the foundation everything else is built on. You can teleport to any well you have visited at any time. Dying costs nothing. No lost currency, no corpse runs, no punishment at all. You respawn at the nearest well with everything you had. This sounds like it would remove tension, but what it actually removes is hesitation. Every locked door, hidden path, or unfamiliar area becomes worth investigating because the worst-case scenario is a few seconds of backtracking.

The world is large, interconnected, and full of secrets. More than ten themed areas branch out from the central palace grounds, each with its own enemy types, puzzles, and collectibles. New movement abilities unlock shortcuts between zones, and the map folds back on itself in ways that reward paying attention. A dead end in one area becomes a throughway after you pick up the right ability three zones later. It is the kind of world that makes you want to check every corner.

Pluto's broom handles both combat and cleaning, and the sweeping loop is surprisingly satisfying. Clear trash, fight spirits, pocket garbage as currency, and spend it on upgrades at the Sinner's Inn. Charms let you customize your playstyle with passive benefits. Twenty-four unlockable upgrades give you flexibility without overwhelming you with choices. The build space is not deep, but it is enough to make each run through a new area feel slightly different.

The cast is a highlight. Every ghost outside Kendra's palace has a story about how they ended up banished, and the writing lands consistently. It is funny without forcing it, and occasionally hits a genuine emotional beat. The Sinner's Inn acts as a social hub where your rescued companions gather, and watching it fill up over the course of the game is quietly rewarding.

The soundtrack deserves attention. Eric Thompson's compositions sit somewhere between haunting and cozy. Ambient, melodic, and perfectly matched to each area. It sets a tone that keeps exploration relaxing even when the environments get stranger.

The Not So Good

Combat is functional but stays simple. Broom swings, dodges, and special attacks cover the basics, and upgrades improve your stats more than they change how you approach fights. Boss encounters have bullet-hell patterns that demand attention, but standard enemies rarely push you past basic strategies. The combat supports the exploration. It does not carry the game on its own.

Some areas, despite different themes and color palettes, share similar layouts and visual structures. The distinctiveness is mostly cosmetic. You will not confuse the zones, but a few feel more like variations than truly new spaces.

Recommendations

Explore everywhere. With instant fast travel and no resource loss on death, no decision takes more than a few seconds to revert. If a path looks interesting, take it. If you get lost, the game has a generous hint system you can buy with garbage currency.

Verdict

Crypt Custodian is a metroidvania that trusts its world to be interesting enough that you will want to explore it, and then removes every barrier that might stop you from doing so. The result is a game that feels fun from the first room to the last.

Kyle Thompson built something special here. If you liked Islets, this is a confident evolution from the same developer. If you have never played a metroidvania before, this is one of the best places to start. And if you are a genre veteran looking for a game that respects your time while still offering a world worth getting lost in, Pluto's afterlife is worth the visit.