Halls of Torment is still probably the best survivor-like with The Boglands DLC and free update out now

Possibly still the absolute best action-roguelike survivor-like ever made, Halls of Torment has expanded with The Boglands DLC and a big free update. Note: a DLC key was provided to GamingOnLinux.

What is it? Halls of Torment looks a bit like the original classic Diablo, but its gameplay is based on Vampire Survivors. You pick a character class, and then run through a series of different halls to take down as many enemies as possible, while collecting experience to level up and completely over-power your character. It has the delicious sort of action that allows you to completely hyper-focus on it as you just tear through enemy after enemy. It gives the kind of pure chaos towards the end of a run that you can't help but appreciate it.

Check out The Boglands release trailer below:

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It already had a lot of content to play through with multiple characters each with their own style, along with multiple rooms to battle through and lots of quests and now there's just more of it? The Boglands should be a no-brainer. The main problem with the DLC though, is that you need to have spent quite a long time in the game to actually be able to unlock the new content, because it requires hunting down potion ingredients across different halls (maps) to access it. A problem amplified by the 30 minute runs every time, which just feels a bit too long. It never wastes your time, but 30 minutes every time feels like a lot. I think I've been spoiled by the many other survivor-likes that have released with more compact runs.

Not an issue for seasoned players I imagine, maybe I'm just rubbish and that required me to put more time into it due to many failed runs, but I think you have to be really into Halls of Torment for the DLC to actually be worth it. Some of the enemy combinations really are tough to beat when put together. Then again, all it takes is one seriously good run to complete a whole bunch of quests, I think I was just unlucky at the start.

Thankfully, with all the quests you get to go through and their various rewards, I think it's worth it. Especially if you do enjoy over-powering your characters and constantly trying out new combinations using the special abilities you pick up from the maps and defeating the mini-bosses.

As for the DLC content, the new characters and maps certainly add a different flavour to the game, that may not be to everyone's tastes but it's fun to see the developers trying to do something a little different with it. It's been a little unstable and unbalanced since the DLC release though, but it's getting better after a couple of patches.

DLC Highlights:

• A New Stage:
  Trudge through a murky swamp teeming with insects, spirits, and ancient walking trees. Time is not your enemy here—survival is. Victory lies not in the grains of sand in the hourglass, but in the piles of slain foes.
• Two New Heroes:
  • The Crone summons twisted plant life to ensnare enemies and spread Decay, a creeping affliction that weakens defense and shatters block chance.
  • The Alchemist hurls volatile mixtures imbued with elemental powers—customizable for fire, ice, lightning, or earth. He thrives in chaos, and favors builds that harness multiple elements at once.
• 50+ New Quests:
  Earn rewards by experimenting with new mechanics, braving the Boglands, and mastering your tools.
• New Abilities & Gear:
  Unlock three new abilities and a dozen new items—each designed to synergize with the Crone's control and the Alchemist's raw elemental creativity.
• Decay Mechanic & Earth Element:
  Unleash the new Earth element and apply Decay—a long-lasting, armor-cracking curse that softens even the toughest foes.
• 6 New Artifacts:
  Customize your runs with powerful stage modifiers. Risk meets reward as these ancient objects twist the rules to your favor—or demise.

More Traits. More Blessings. More Ways to Die.
Expand your build potential with potion-focused blessings and new traits waiting to be uncovered.

Plus there's also the free update that gives you The Bard as a new end-game character with their own unique abilities too, along with a few assorted other new items sprinkled into the game. Plus, some bug fixes and balancing changes and a few bits of improvements for gamepad controller players. I haven't seen any controller issues since the update, it all feels like a perfect fit for a gamepad.

It's still easily one of the best designed survivor-likes available today. Not played it before? You're in for a treat.