Wonderland isn’t always a place of wonder. FURYU’s CRYMELIGHT takes the familiar imagery of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and steers it into a far darker setting, mixing anime-styled characters with action roguelike combat and a story about guilt, freedom and the choices people make under pressure.
The publisher’s latest press materials highlight a dangerous interpretation of Wonderland, populated by characters inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic. Here, however, the charming literary references sit alongside hostile encounters and a cycle of fighting, falling and growing stronger.
A different kind of Wonderland
According to the official CRYMELIGHT website, the game is a single-player roguelike action adventure in which its heroines confront their sins. The design puts progression and decisions at the centre of the experience, with character growth forming part of the wider narrative.
It is an unusual combination on paper. Roguelike repetition works best when the player enjoys learning something new on each attempt, while story-led action games need their characters and dramatic moments to survive that repetition. Whether CRYMELIGHT can make those elements strengthen one another is the question that interests us most.
A death game built around five cards
FURYU’s official story gives Wonderland a decidedly grim purpose: it is a prison for the souls of the dead. Alice, who has lost her memories, is led by the White Rabbit to a tea party where she learns that only someone who defeats the Queen can earn freedom. Mary, another girl trying to find her way home, joins her. The journey is about more than winning fights; every new character carries a history and a burden that Alice can begin to uncover.
Official CRYMELIGHT gameplay screenshot. Image: FURYU / Steam.
The card system is not simply decoration. Players build poker-style hands from five skill cards, trying to form combinations with stronger effects. At the same time, defeating enemies expands a phenomenon called the Wonder Dimension, which accelerates and strengthens combat as it spreads. In roguelike fashion, falling in battle sends Alice back to the beginning and costs the cards collected during the attempt. Progression is not entirely erased, though: materials earned through repentance can improve equipment between runs.
It is an ambitious mix, pairing a story about guilt and memory with systems that reward trying again. The useful question is whether the game’s mechanical repetition makes those revelations more powerful or interrupts them. We won’t claim to know the answer until we have played a finished version.
Release timing and platforms
Launch update, 4 November: FURYU has confirmed that CRYMELIGHT is available for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 from 5 November in Japan (4 November at 15:00 GMT). The PC version on Steam has not yet launched. FURYU says it will follow once pre-release review is complete, and has not confirmed a new unlock time. The Steam storefront may continue to display the original date, so players should follow the official listing for updated availability. This distinction is confirmed in the publisher’s 4 November release statement.
For fans of expressive, character-led dark fantasy, CRYMELIGHT is one to examine beyond its immediately eye-catching style. This is a news feature based on official material, not a hands-on verdict.