What Astral Ascent is
Astral Ascent is a 2D platformer roguelite set in a modern fantasy world. You play as one of four heroes trying to escape The Garden, an astral prison watched over by 12 powerful bosses called the Zodiacs. The Zodiacs are spread across 4 worlds, each with their own attacks, combat style, backstory and reason for standing in your way. Combat is fast, and every run asks for skill and quick reactions. Between runs you keep getting stronger, so progress carries forward even when a run ends badly.
Choosing a hero and building a loadout
Each of the four characters plays differently and comes with their own weapon. Ayla is an assassin who relies on speed and sharp blades to cut down targets before they react. Kiran fights with raw strength, landing hits heavy enough to create shockwaves. Calie is a sculptor turned warrior who hurls magical gemstones through enemy defenses. Octave summons ethereal weapons trained on him by a powerful witch, covering short and long range as needed. On top of that, you unlock dozens of unique spells per character, so you can optimize a build you trust or experiment with something new each attempt. Spells, weapon feel and character personality all differ, which is what gives the game its replay value.
Playing together
The game supports two-player local co-op, so a friend can sit beside you and fight through the same run. If you are apart, Steam's Remote Play Together lets the second player join over the internet as well. Co-op is tagged alongside the game's roguelike and local co-op features, so expect the same shared run structure rather than a separate mode.
What to know before starting
Expect difficulty: the game is tagged as difficult with perma death, and each run tests your skills. The story unfolds piece by piece across replays, revealing character motivations and the secrets of the world as you grow stronger, so the narrative is meant to open up over time rather than in one sitting. Visually it is hand-drawn with frame-by-frame animation and hand-crafted areas, and it is tagged as atmospheric and story rich. It is listed as singleplayer with co-op options, so you can go through the Garden alone or with one friend.