Incarnation

About

Incarnation is a reverse roguelike platformer where you play as a being slowly shedding supernatural abilities. Each level ends with you discarding a power like flight or wall jumps until you’re left with basic human movement. You navigate procedurally generated levels using only your mouse, adjusting to shrinking toolsets as the game forces you to adapt with simpler mechanics. The challenge lies in planning runs that account for future limitations while still surviving current obstacles. The game’s standout is its inverted progression system. Instead of building up skills, you systematically remove them, creating a tense balancing act between short-term goals and long-term viability. Mouse controls feel precise for platforming, though the lack of keyboard support might limit accessibility. Released in late 2023 by developer Idan Rooze, it’s a short but conceptually bold experiment that rethinks how ability management shapes risk and reward. The transformation from godlike to mortal plays out over 10 increasingly claustrophobic stages.