DaRmaZat The first two Lucky Tower games originally released as Flash titles, yet both quickly turned heads thanks to their blend of slapstick humor and gruesome deaths. Now, Lucky Tower Ultimate aims to be the crown jewel of the franchise, as it finally leaves Early Access with its full 1.0 release, launching simultaneously on PC and Nintendo Switch.
Developed by Studio Seufz and published by AMC Games, this full release wraps up more than a year of updates with a final narrative arc centered around a prophecy, culminating in a showdown with the sorcerer Evelius. Along the way, new locations such as a castle and Evelius’s lair, additional voice lines, companions like the unpredictable Princess, and further meta-progression elements round out what is easily the most complete—and chaotic—version of the game. Yet.
Escaping the Tower? One Run “at a Lifetime”
The goal in Lucky Tower Ultimate remains unchanged from its predecessors: guide Von Wanst as he tries to escape Evelius’s procedurally generated tower filled with enemies, traps, and doors that may—or may not—lead anywhere useful. Before each run, you can choose between Peasant or Normal mode.
In Peasant Mode, you start with basic equipment and a shorter, more forgiving tower layout. In Normal Mode, you begin almost naked—down to your underwear—forcing you to scavenge for everything. You can switch difficulty after each run, which is a welcome bit of flexibility, as the difficulty can hit hard. Ideally, Peasant Mode could have used a mid-run save option, but at the same time, I understand the design decision—adding that would likely undermine the tension that makes each run meaningful.
As Clunky as Intended
If you’re new, the tutorial is well worth your time. It teaches you how to interact with the world—picking up, throwing, and manipulating nearly everything you come across. A particularly nice touch is the ability to swap items between hands, letting you decide which becomes your primary weapon.
And in Lucky Tower Ultimate, literally anything can be a weapon. Even objects that clearly weren’t designed for combat can be used as such—and yes, that includes picking up defeated enemies and using them to bludgeon others. It’s absurd, and it works. Every item has some form of use: as a weapon, often as armor, or simply for the chaos that comes from throwing or shaking it. That last mechanic is especially clever—shake an object or a defeated enemy, and it might drop gold coins, weapons, or other useful loot.
This level of freedom, creativity, and unpredictability is easily the game’s biggest strength. The combat itself is deliberately clunky. You can’t attack diagonally or upward, which initially feels limiting—but I’m pretty sure that awkwardness is very much part of the overall design and the joke.
Death as Entertainment
At its core, the gameplay loop is genuinely fun, but it’s the writing that elevates everything. Von Wanst rarely stops talking—and more importantly, rarely listens—turning most interactions into one-sided, hilarious monologues. The voice acting is excellent, and the music complements the chaos perfectly.
Still, the real highlight? The deaths. They are as varied as they are ridiculous. One moment, you’re fighting an enemy with a straw broom and accidentally trigger a switch that causes the ceiling to crush you both. The next, you step through a door into a pitch-black void, only for it to slam shut and impale you with spikes.
And then there are the NPC encounters. You might approach an NPC who presents you with a bizarre riddle, only to suddenly find yourself in a dream sequence—like racing against the clock as a monkey, placing items on a giant tongue to solve it. Whether you succeed or fail, the outcome is often just as absurd. That’s Lucky Tower Ultimate in a nutshell: you never quite know if a situation should be taken seriously—or if it’s about to turn into your next ridiculous demise.
Absurd, Unpredictable, and Genuinely Fun
The tower itself constantly throws unexpected scenarios your way, all presented in a charming comic-book art style. From bizarre characters dressed as princesses or even Santa Claus, to creatures reacting with genuine confusion when you interact with them—it all adds to the awkward, offbeat humor. Nothing ever feels entirely predictable, and that’s exactly what keeps each run fresh.
Technically, the game runs extremely well on Nintendo Switch. Performance is smooth throughout, and the lightweight nature of the game means it doesn’t drain the battery quickly—making it ideal for short play sessions on the go. The only adjustment I had to make was increasing the subtitle size to 1.5, as the default setting is quite hard to read in handheld mode. Other than that, the Switch feels like a natural home for Von Wanst’s chaotic adventures.
Final Thoughts
Lucky Tower Ultimate is a brilliantly creative roguelike that turns frustration into laughter through its absurdly funny death scenarios. Its comic-book art style is striking, the humor consistently lands, and the dual-mode system keeps the experience both accessible and challenging. It’s a game where failure isn’t a setback—it’s part of the entertainment. With any luck, Xbox and PS5 versions will follow, but for now, I’ll gladly dive back into the tower to discover even more ridiculous ways to meet my end.
Additional Information
Release Date: Apr 16, 2026
Reviewed On: Nintendo Switch 2. Download code provided by the publisher and PR agency.
Developer: Studio Seufz
Publisher: AMC games
Relevant links: Available via the Nintendo eShop (NL-BE, NL-NL, US), Steam, and Epic Games Store.
