At The MIX Fall Showcase, Norwegian indie studio Rubarb unveiled a teaser trailer for their new title Basalt: The Cursed Vein. This is a roguelite that mines its way into the match-3 genre, with every successful combination pulling players deeper into a mining obsession. The game’s Steam page is now also live.
In Basalt: The Cursed Vein, you’re in a ruined mining town and must dig for ores and rare materials to rebuild it. The core gameplay is a strategic match-3 loop with a limited number of moves that persist across levels. Every successful run provides resources to unlock new bombs, tools, and upgrades. These in turn allow you to venture deeper into cursed shafts where richer veins and nastier monsters await.
The game’s dark and gritty atmosphere is a central element, with moody pixel art that captures the cold, unsettling nature of the mining settlement. Artist Simon Nyhus describes the art as “rough,” saying it “hides something, and every character knows more than they’re telling you.” Between runs, you’ll interact with townsfolk, whose shady deals and tragic backstories add a layer of mystery to the journey.
