What is Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel?
Imagine a 1930s pulp adventure where WWII soldiers fight undead monsters in the Egyptian desert. It's a chaotic, atmospheric action RPG that trades card drafting for divine weaponry and tomb raiding.
Gameplay
Look, I'll be honest right out the gate: if you're here for a deckbuilder, you're in the wrong place. There are no cards, no drafting, and zero synergies to geek out over. Instead, you're playing a 2.5D Action RPG set in WWII-era Egypt. Your loop is simple: you dive into ancient tombs, blast through undead hordes and soldiers, and try to uncover a dark curse using divine weapons and stylish combos. It's more like Diablo or SmashTV than Slay the Spire.
Since it's in Early Access, the experience is pretty rough. You'll run into some seriously unpolished bits—the dev even admitted some maps were just top-down editor screenshots with a shader over them. It's definitely in a 'fixing everything' phase, including working on Steam Deck presets. At $24.99, it's a bit of a gamble for a game this unfinished, but the core combat and atmosphere keep it moving.
Progression is tied to exploring different areas and tackling the first act, which is surprisingly long. You'll spend your time fighting through desert levels and delving into tombs, focusing on the action rather than any complex meta-progression. It's a straightforward brawler that relies on the pulp adventure vibe to carry it through the jank. I'm giving it a 6/10 right now for the potential, but don't expect a polished product.
Key Features
- WWII-era Egypt setting
- Local co-op brawling
- Divine weapons and combos
- Undead horde combat
What Players Say
People are generally digging the vibe, with one player noting the Egypt setting is 'awesome' and praising the flicker of the torchlight. Others love the voice acting and the fact that the first act feels substantial for an early build. It's described as 'destructive fun' by some, though the general consensus is that it's still in the early stages of development.
Screenshots
Verdict
“Ok so this is WWII Egypt but with undead hordes mixed in, sounds like it could be weird but it's fun! First thing that got me was just walking around in the desert levels, it actually feels like a pla…”
“I got the game because I like looter shooters and the setting of the game looked awesome. The game is in the early stages but I found that there was the first act was still quite long. I really liked …”
“Keep up the good work. This game has a lot of potential. Now after an hour: + the different areas of the game are nicely designed and very atmospheric + loved the voice acting + combat and controls fe…”
“If you've ever wondered what it'd be like to play a dungeon crawler in WWII Egypt, look no further! I've played the demo before, so I've got some more playtime. As I mentioned before, Under the De…”
“As a Dutch guy the closest thing we have to a desert is Scheveningen at low tide, so mybe I'm easily impressed. But the Egypt vibe in this game is awesome . The lighting especially, torchlight flicker…”
Grab this if you want a pulp-action romp with friends and don't mind the 'temporary' maps and Early Access bugs. If you're looking for a deep deckbuilder or a polished experience, skip this or wait until the dev cleans up the rough edges.
View on Steam →* Price at time of publication (checked 14.09.2026). Prices may vary by region and are subject to change. This is an editorial review, not a commercial offer.