Ron Gilbert’s Death by Scrolling Turns the Screen Into Your Greatest Enemy

Ron Gilbert, the legendary creator behind Monkey Island and Thimbleweed Park, has revealed his latest passion project – a frantic roguelike RPG called Death by Scrolling.

The game was unveiled during Gamescom: Opening Night Live and looks like a chaotic blend of classic top-down action with a relentless twist: the screen itself is your enemy.

Players are dropped into Purgatory, where they must choose from several unique characters, each with distinct perks, and fight their way upward while Death relentlessly closes in from below. The scrolling screen never stops moving, forcing constant action as enemies swarm and loot scatters across the path. Think Zelda-style combat, but with a timer always breathing down your neck.

Gilbert has been open about the game’s journey. He first began working on it in 2019, only to pause development while finishing Return to Monkey Island. Afterward, he experimented with a different RPG project, which he admits proved too ambitious. Rather than abandon everything, he regrouped his small team of contractors and refocused their efforts on bringing Death by Scrolling to life.

Though the Gamescom trailer didn’t reveal a release date, Gilbert confirmed the game is targeting a launch in 2025. Until then, fans can keep up with development updates through Gilbert’s blog and Mastodon posts, where he’s been sharing progress and even inviting beta testers.