New Castlevania Seals Defeated Bosses Into Tarot Cards

A defeated boss’s soul gets sealed in a tarot card and becomes one of your skills. That’s the hook of Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, a 2D action-exploration game out October 15 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PC (Steam), and Nintendo Switch.

It’s set in Paris in 1499, 23 years after Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (released in Japan as Akumajō Densetsu). The protagonist is Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont and Sypha.

Evil Empire developed the game, with Motion Twin as advisory studio. Both worked on Dead Cells.

Rose lashes enemies with a whip and swings from rings to push forward. To reach a boss room, you gather clues from ghosts and other characters, then read the backgrounds to solve puzzles. You can travel between docks by boat, and you save at checkpoints.

Weapons fall into seven categories, and the further you explore, the stronger the versions you find, up to four tiers. Equipped Relics add effects to attack and defense, and can also boost stats or help with exploration.

The cards that hold boss souls are called Arcana. They work as active skills or special abilities, and can be upgraded once you meet certain conditions. Konami’s official site lists Death, Medusa, and Carmilla among the bosses, plus a new one: Joan of Arc.

Every boss you beat adds another Arcana, so the ways you can fight on the next stretch of exploration look set to keep growing.

The menu includes a difficulty setting. The game runs at 60 fps, and at 30 fps on Nintendo Switch.

It comes in a Standard Edition and a Midnight Edition. Midnight Edition adds a sound and art gallery with 71 tracks, Trevor-style and Sypha-style costumes, and a Relic, Family’s Grace.

Language: English
Players: Single-player
Age rating: ESRB T
As of October 13, 2026