Hyper-speed action unfolding in hell. Korea's young development team takes on their debut title, "HellPunk: Purgatorium"
Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/954/G095494/20251020026/
Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Noguchi | 2025/10/20 05:23 (UTC)
At the “gamescom Asia × Thailand Game Show 2025” held in Bangkok, Thailand, I had the opportunity to experience a demo play of HellPunk: Purgatorium, an action roguelite currently under development by South Korea’s indie studio Urban Oasis. The game follows a man searching for his missing sister who accidentally falls into hell, where he unleashes an intense, high-speed combat spectacle.
At the event, Sangwoo Ji, director at developer Urban Oasis, personally demonstrated the game in front of the actual machine and introduced its features—here’s what I learned.
While HellPunk: Purgatorium is a roguelite, it features a well-structured story. The protagonist has been traveling the world searching for his missing sister when he’s caught in an accident and falls into hell. There, he encounters Lilith—the demon of jealousy—who serves as the game’s heroine and plays a pivotal role in the narrative.
Telling stories within roguelites is challenging. To overcome this, the development team implemented a system where new story elements and dialogue appear each time the player character dies. In most roguelites, death simply resets progress—but here, dying gradually reveals more of the story.
Thumbnail image No.006 / High-speed action unfolding in Hell. South Korea’s young development team’s debut title “HellPunk: Purgatorium” Thumbnail image No.002 / High-speed action unfolding in Hell. South Korea’s young development team’s debut title “HellPunk: Purgatorium”
The story centers around the protagonist’s past, his relationship with his sister, and the enigmatic Lilith—unfolding across hell as a backdrop. The gradual unveiling of truth through repeated deaths may offer new value to the roguelite genre.
The development team aims for high-speed, chaotic action. Watching it in motion, the player character dashes at astonishing speed across stages, swiftly eliminating monsters. Upon defeating enemies, blood sprays and monster bodies disintegrate—creating a lavish, grotesque atmosphere that matches the team’s intent.
Regarding this gruesome presentation, Ji stated they drew inspiration from titles like Blasphemous and Doom. The team has coined their own genre label: “Doomsales”—a portmanteau blending the brutal action of Doom with the roguelite mechanics of Dead Cells. This description accurately captures the fusion of these two iconic games.
Interestingly, there is no concept of falling damage in the map design. The developers concluded that fall damage would hinder high-speed gameplay, so players can freely rampage without worrying about terrain. This choice clearly prioritizes speed as a core game design principle.
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The most important upgrade system in the game is “Gear.” After defeating monsters, random gear drops and can enhance player abilities. There are four rarity levels for gears, with a limited number of slots available.
Players can search or dismantle acquired gears using a “Gear Searcher,” and dismantling yields “Gear Pieces” used to upgrade stats. The strategic choice of which gear to select within tight limits adds depth to gameplay.
Multiple weapons are available, each equipped with two active skills and one passive skill. In the demo, Ji showcased switching from gauntlets to swords—seamlessly transitioning between weapons enables dynamic combat tailored to situations. Players must leverage each weapon’s unique strengths for effective strategies.
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Additionally, defeating monsters or taking damage fills a gauge; once it reaches 100, players can unleash the ultimate move—“Overheat.” This flashy special attack embodies the game’s exhilarating satisfaction.
Beyond regular stages, there are more challenging “Elite Stages” featuring enemies with super armor that don’t flinch from attacks and have high health. In return, rewards are richer. Players enjoy choosing which stage to tackle based on risk versus reward balance.
Upon clearing a stage, players obtain “Seals”—a system allowing skill changes across four distinct themes. Some seals specialize in area-of-effect attacks capable of defeating many monsters at once; others focus on powerful single-target strikes. Each seal has clear individuality, so players must choose and strategize based on their preferred playstyle.
As with most roguelites, temporary upgrades like gear or skill changes are lost upon death. However, permanent progression elements remain even after dying.
At the base camp, various upgrades are possible. Players can drink a “Cocktail” at the bar—providing effects only during that session. Using collected “Blood Stones” from boss battles allows upgrading the player’s body itself. These physical enhancements persist across deaths and steadily strengthen the protagonist. This design ensures players feel progressively stronger with each attempt, even if they struggle with action games initially.
The game features numerous side quests. Completing requests from NPCs at the base camp and fulfilling specific conditions unlocks new cocktails.
After completing a quest, players receive ingredients to make drinks—delivering them to the bartender allows access to a new cocktail. Though still in development, these small details will undoubtedly add depth to the game world.
In areas like the “Dark Bazaar,” players can spend “Shards”—a currency obtained by defeating enemies—to purchase gear and seals. Shards are also used for body modifications beyond just shop purchases. Having options that aren’t reliant solely on random drops is a welcome feature.
The game’s central theme is the “Seven Deadly Sins.” Seven weapons are planned to correspond with this theme. After defeating bosses, players receive gems that can be traded for new weapons in a dedicated crafting system—also scheduled for implementation. Although still under development, weapon lines aligned with the thematic framework will surely raise player anticipation. It’s exciting to think about how each weapon will ultimately stand out.
The full release is expected to last around 10 hours and include four chapters. A demo version is currently available on Steam and playable for free.
Urban Oasis currently consists of just four members—this is their first game project. Development has taken approximately 1 year and 10 months. Two team members began development immediately after university graduation, while the two programmers are still undergraduate students.
Though some family members advised them to get a regular job, positive responses at international exhibitions encouraged support for their ambitions. After exhibiting at Tokyo Game Show 2025 in September, they’ve confirmed participation in G-STAR in Korea this November—and are also considering an appearance at TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT in March 2026. Given that Japan hosts the nearest overseas exhibition from South Korea, they’re eager to actively participate.
The team received financial support through being selected for a campaign by BIC, a South Korean indie game exhibition. Receiving strong backing from both national and local government programs, they are steadily advancing toward global recognition. We look forward to following their journey until the official release.
Sangwoo Ji (left) Thumbnail image No.001 / High-speed action unfolding in Hell. South Korea’s young development team’s debut title “HellPunk: Purgatorium”