Roguelike Fans Have To Try This Spell Crafting Co-Op Game In 2026

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Co-op roguelike games can be unpredictable – they really depend on how fun it is to play both alone and with friends, over and over again. Luckily, this new indie game strikes a great balance. It combines individual creativity with teamwork, letting everyone design spells and tackle different challenges together. This unique “literary” roguelike is imaginative and stays enjoyable even after many hours of play, just as engaging as your first few attempts.

Many online multiplayer games fall into a trap of feeling too similar, both in how they look and how they play. This can quickly lead to repetition and boredom after players initially try them. Some co-op games prioritize fun multiplayer features over complex gameplay, and while some players like this trade-off, the most successful games combine strong multiplayer ideas with unique single-player experiences. This blend makes playing with others feel more meaningful and engaging.

Vellum Supports Almost Complete Player Freedom Through Co-Op Roguelike Adventures

Vellum version 1.0 is a cooperative roguelike where you and your friends learn and create powerful magic together. The game focuses on unique gameplay where you master different colors representing various magic types, customizing your character with a powerful and personalized skillset. Team up with allies to defeat monsters in the Tome worlds, and watch how your choices even affect your enemies’ development.

In Vellum, your character’s abilities are built around Signature Inks – essentially color-based classes. Red Ink focuses on health manipulation, Green lets you summon a companion called an Inkling, and Blue excels at damaging groups of enemies. Each color offers a unique playstyle that you can further customize by tailoring your spellbook. As you play, you’ll fuel your book with ink and discover perks, modifiers, and combinations that let you create powerful and imaginative spell sets for each run.

This game truly lets your creativity run wild. Players are constantly coming up with and testing new spells, ensuring that each playthrough feels unique. You also have a lot of control over the experience, being able to customize both your character and the enemies you face. Want a bigger challenge? You can modify runs to make enemies tougher and offer better rewards. Like games such as Mewgenics, the enemies evolve and change, pushing you to master the game’s systems and adapt your strategies.

Crafting Spells Into Individual Builds For Each Run Supports Player Ingenuity

Between each chapter in a playthrough, players can make enemies tougher by adding modifiers or bonuses. But the core of the game’s upgrade system is Inscriptions. These let you improve your spells and signature inks, which you use throughout the game. As you level up an ink color, you unlock rows of Inscriptions that help you customize your build between runs. These Inscriptions are very detailed, offering lots of options for creating unique and complex builds.

One of the things that makes Vellum so replayable is the wide variety of Inscriptions you can choose from and experiment with—it’s even more fun when playing with friends and trying out different builds together. There are at least 15 unique Inscriptions for each ink color, which means there are 120 different ways to customize your build using the eight available classes. Discovering a play style that suits you, and finding strong spell combinations with others, is a key part of the experience.

Other Customizable Features Allow Personal Expression During Every Step Of Vellum’s Gameplay

Each world you explore in Tome has unique rules that change how the game plays, so you’ll regularly return to The Illuminated Library between adventures. This library acts as your home base, where you can customize your spells and relax in your own personal Reading Nook. By completing adventures and earning in-game currency, you can decorate your nook with furniture and hundreds of other items to make it your own.

In Vellum, players can really tailor their experience by choosing the types of challenges they take on. Massive Raid Realms offer a significantly tougher test than regular Tome runs, and Appendices add a ton of content for endgame players. Like many great co-op games, the game encourages you to constantly tweak your strategies, keeping things fresh and rewarding teamwork and clever spell combinations.

I’ve been playing Vellum with my friends, and honestly, it’s one of the most exciting co-op games I’ve found in a while, especially now that it’s fully released! It supports up to four of us, which is great, but what really sets it apart is how deep the gameplay is. Most roguelike multiplayer games feel pretty simple, but Vellum has so many layers and possibilities that it just makes you want to keep experimenting and trying new things. It’s rare to find a game that does that so well.

Now that Vellum 1.0 is out, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your opinion in the comments below, or discuss it with other fans in the ComicBook Forum.

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2026-05-01 18:14