Shovel Knight Pays Crypt Of The NecroDancer A Visit In A Big Update
Dig to the beat.
It’s been 10 years since the release of rhythm roguelike Crypt of the NecroDancer, and while that might be ancient history in gaming terms, developer Brace Yourself Games still isn’t finished with it. Both Crypt and its sequel, Rift of the NecroDancer, have kept up a steady pace of DLC, and now both games are getting an expansion that adds an iconic indie game character.
Shovel Knight, the titular star of the smash hit 2014 indie game, comes to both NecroDancer games in a pair of October 30 updates. For Rift, the update brings six new songs from Shovel Knight to play through. In Crypt, Shovel Knight will appear as a playable character, complete with new music and a set of custom mechanics to set him apart from the rest of the game’s roster.
Shovel Knight brings a fun new movement style to Crypt of the NecroDancer.
Released earlier in 2025, Rift of the NecroDancer trades its predecessor’s roguelike dungeon crawling for more traditional rhythm mechanics. It builds on the tried-and-true fundamentals of the genre established by games like Dance Dance Revolution, replacing the notes that typically fall down the screen with a host of enemies that require different patterns of rhythmic taps to defeat.
Rather than changing those fundamentals, the new music pack adds Shovel Knight into the mix. The Shovel Knight main theme will be added to Rift for all players, regardless of whether you buy the DLC. Five more songs are available for purchase, all chosen from the themes of different Shovel Knight levels.
As with previous Crypt of the NecroDancer DLC packs, its Shovel Knight update adds a new character. Both Crypt and its Legend of Zelda spinoff, Cadence of Hyrule, blend traditional roguelike dungeon crawlers with rhythm games, making every enemy move to the beat and increasing the damage you do if you also do so in time with the stage’s music. The Shovel Knight DLC adds 15 tracks you’ll hear as you explore the dungeon, pulled from the game’s original soundtrack by Jake Kaufman and legendary Mega Man composer Manami Matsumae.
Six tracks from Shovel Knight’s soundtrack are coming to Rift of the NecroDancer.
Playing as Shovel Knight adds some interesting quirks. While most characters can only move in cardinal directions, Shovel Knight can also move diagonally. And like in his own game, Shovel Knight can use his shovel as a pogo stick to bounce on enemies. In Crypt, that means moving into an enemy will let you hop on their head rather than staying in place and attacking. If you’re able to jump directly from enemy to enemy, you’ll gain a damage boost until you hit the ground again. It can be tough to pull off, but for anyone who’s already played through the game with the other characters, trying to line up enough enemies to keep the combo going makes combat feel fresh again.
Even when you’re not attacking, your shovel can be used to hop across objects. It can even dig through the floor of the dungeon as you land, opening shortcuts to deeper, more difficult floors. That might challenge brand-new players, but it should mix up the game for people who’ve been on board with Crypt of the NecroDancer for a while.
Earlier this year, Rift of the NecroDancer added a Hatsune Miku DLC, following a Hatsune DLC for Crypt in 2024. While those are still my favorite updates to the games, thanks to Miku’s ridiculously catchy tunes, the Shovel Knight DLC is still up there with the best additions to the NecroDancer games. Shovel Knight’s soundtrack is still great, and his Crypt moveset is one of the most interesting yet.
