Cursed mode is out — try the first pyramid in your browser

Cursed mode is now available in Vale: The Last Curse of Ra on the App Store. I’ve also updated the PixelPicked demo so you can play one complete pyramid in Cursed mode, right here in your browser.

Every treasure matters

In Cursed mode, the exit stays shut until you’ve collected every treasure. There are no relic pickups. You have to explore the chamber, plan your way back and make it out alive.

The mummies are less forgiving, too. Awake mummies kill on contact, even when they’re patrolling. They have shorter warnings, search for longer and recover sooner after a knife hit. Pyramid 1 also has a faster yellow mummy waiting upstairs.

Try The Gate of the Valley

The free browser demo contains all of Pyramid 1, with seven treasures to recover. Checkpoint shrines give you a place to regroup, and you can retry a section without spending a life.

Use arrows or WASD to move, Up/Down for stairs, and Space to jump or throw a carried knife. Touch controls and browser gamepads are supported. You can’t jump while carrying a knife, so think about where you’ll need it.

Play the Cursed demo on PixelPicked

Get Vale: The Last Curse of Ra on the App Store

The native game is available for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV. Pyramids 1–4 are free. Explorer and Adventurer modes are still there if you’d prefer a gentler expedition.

I’d love to hear how you get on: which treasure made you rethink your route?