iPhone · 2 players · In design
A co-op survival roguelite where the music fills in as you play
Two players hold off endless waves of cave ghouls in a new run every time. The song starts as a lone bassline, and every level-up and boss adds more of it.
Music by Smol Mod. The track playing on this page is an early piece of the soundtrack.
How the song builds
Every run starts in the dark with one weapon and nothing but a low, slow bassline under your feet.
Each level-up adds a part to the track as well as a new power. The stronger you get, the fuller it sounds.
Mini bosses show up mid-run. Take one down and the chorus comes in, and it might drop a tape.
The final boss plays the full track at its loudest. Win it and it drops a tape with a new song on it.
On the beat
Attacks fire and land in time with the track. As more of the song comes in, your weapons hit harder and faster, and a screen full of ghouls goes down like part of the music.
The music
Smol Mod is the musician behind the Dark Duo soundtrack. Every level in the game is one of their tracks, written so it can be pulled apart into layers and built back up while you play.
The bassline you hear at the start of a run, the drums that come in as you level up and the chorus that lands when a mini boss falls are all theirs. The song playing on this page is an early piece of it.
How a run works
Your hero attacks on their own. You steer through the cave while ghouls pour in from every side, grab the XP they drop, and pick a new weapon or upgrade each time you level up. A run lasts about 15 to 20 minutes, and it ends when you both go down.
Multiplayer
Dark Duo is built for two. Play on the same couch or team up online. Build your heroes to cover each other, pull the horde apart, and pick each other up before the ghouls close in.
Pick a track
The level select is a track list. Each level is built around one of Smol Mod's songs, with its own cave, ghouls and boss. New songs come on tapes, dropped by mini bosses, final bosses and special loot chests. Pick one up and its level goes on the list.
A roguelite
The upgrades on offer and the waves of ghouls change every time. Gold you earn carries over to unlock new heroes, weapons and starting perks, so each run gets you a little further.
Weapons that combine
Max out the right pair of weapons and they combine into something much stronger. Two players means two builds at once, and some upgrades only work when you stand together.
Standing still
Leave your hero alone and they don't just stand there. Their idle animation is a little dance in time with the song, if the ghouls give you a second to enjoy it.
Questions
Dark Duo is in design
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