FIRST SIGNAL | HALLOWEEN DISCOVERY
The dead refuse to stay dead, and the mortician on duty has the sort of night nobody can clock out of. Graveyard Shift: A Sage’s Last Stand turns its gothic premise into a dark pixel-art roguelike deckbuilder from solo developer Jonathan Cerrato of MonkeyMan Games.
A deck built from the dead
Players step into the role of Aldric, a Sage of the Veil hiding from his past in a seemingly quiet morgue. When the dead rise, the bodies arriving at the table become strategic choices. The official game description places card creation, upgrading and survival at the heart of a campaign spanning twenty-two nights, with escalating threats and bosses that challenge established rules.
One more night
The mortuary framing gives the deckbuilding decisions an unusual weight. Building toward stronger, Ascended cards, balancing risk and surviving the next shift all support the same idea: last night’s solution may not be enough when the next body arrives.
The developer behind the graveyard
We’ve also spoken directly to Cerrato about the work behind the game, the realities of independent development, community feedback and the challenge of bringing a card-driven interface to controllers and handheld devices. That story deserves to be read alongside the game itself.
Read our interview with Jonathan Cerrato
A Halloween discovery, still evolving
Released in Early Access on 27 October 2026, Graveyard Shift: A Sage’s Last Stand joins the five-game Halloween Signal Drop lineup. Early Access means the game is available to play but is still being developed; it should not be confused with a finished 1.0 release.
Explore Graveyard Shift on Steam · Visit the Halloween Signal Drop
Editorial note: This is a First Signal discovery feature based on the official store description and our developer interview, not an independently scored gameplay review. Giveaway participation does not guarantee a favourable verdict.