Vellum is a new co-op roguelike that will be available on Steam in 2024
Vellum, a new Steam roguelike with a distinct theme of ink-based magic, combines the third-person, co-op action of Risk of Rain 2 with gorgeous fantasy magic reminiscent of Magicka, Elden Ring, and The Elder Scrolls Skyrim. Vellum appears to be a fantastically versatile addition to the genre, with over 300 powers and 100 upgrades and spells on offer, and its short-form runs make jumping on with friends a more approachable prospect.
Vellum is the creation of Alvios Games, and its bold, colorful spells jump off the metaphorical and literal page in its new reveal trailer. Vellum is all about the ink that adorns the pages of your magical tomes, and it draws inspiration from the best roguelike games to create something new, intricate, deep, and yet approachable.
In contrast to your enemies, the Torn, monochromatic black-and-white monsters reminiscent of Destiny 2’s Taken that threaten to drain the land’s very color, you and your fellow Scribes sling a variety of brightly colored spells. You can coordinate to earn group-wide boons from The Font, giving you even more game-changing powers, in addition to crafting your own individual builds from over 300 powers that Alvios says “can all be build-makers, no filler.”
While the promise of “over 100 upgrades and spells, over 300 powers for you and your team, and colorful ultimate and signature powers creating over 70 loadout combinations” sounds appealing, one of the most intriguing bullet points for me has to be Vellum’s estimated run time of 30 minutes.
As good as Risk of Rain 2 is, getting a group of friends to commit to an unspecified length play session that can easily drift into multiple hours is often a near-impossible task. If Vellum can provide fun, flashy gameplay with interesting decisions that don’t take up my entire evening, I’m all in.
Vellum will be available on Steam Early Access in 2024. You can add it to your wishlist right now to keep track of future updates and for more information.