Rubinite – First Look (Demo)

I recently stumbled across a demo for a new pixel-art boss rush game, set to release in 2025. What I saw looked gorgeous, and as a fan of the genre, I had to check it out to see if it’s one to keep an eye on.
The demo last about 40 minutes if you read everything, and in that time, I talked to the various NPCs to learn about the game’s setting, learned the basic combat mechanics, and took down the two available bosses.

These are my hands-on impressions of Rubinite.

The game introduces us to Ruby, a red-hooded princess (I think?), right from the start in a somewhat unsettling cutscene. From the available dialogue, I gathered that the horned figure in that opening scene is Alcina, a Witch responsible for creating the terrifying creatures called Blood Recipients: our main enemies in Rubinite. These creatures are infected by the “true blood” and turned into puppets by the Witch. Alcina has invaded Scarlet Kingdom in search of the Pure Blood Crystal, which is made, among other things, from the eyes of Ruby’s people. Yep, Rubinite has a pretty creepy obsession with eyes, and from what I can tell, it seems likely that that’ll be a key plot element throughout.
There’s also some cryptic mention of something happening eight days from the start of the game, on a full moon night, though I have no clue what that’s about.

There are three NPCs to talk two. The enemy against which you trained in the tutorial area, Roy the man that protected Ruby against the swordman in the initial cutscene, and a lizardman and shopkeeper named Wichiwi. These characters, along with Ruby, spend their time between battles at a safe hideout. Here, you can chat with your companions and purchase upgrades before heading out to face the next Blood Recipient, whose location you simply pick from a map. It doesn’t seem like there are any freely explorable areas outside of the safe zone, though Wichiwi’s discovery of a hidden area hints that the home base might expand later on.

Let’s get to gameplay.

After the intro cutscene, Ruby finds herself in a training area where you’re introduced to the game’s basic combat mechanics. And this is where Rubinite sets itself apart from other boss rush games. Ruby wields a regular weapon – a basic knife in the demo – but that doesn’t really cut it. The Blood Recipients can only be killed by destroying their implanted Pure Blood Crystal, which only Ruby can see. The knife just kind of scratches the surface.
Here’s how it works: Ruby has to use the Focus mechanic (hold R2 on a Dual Sense) on the boss, which starts filling up an observation gauge. Once the gauge is full, it places a mark on the target, and you can stack up to three marks. With at least one mark, Ruby can target the boss’ Pure Blood Crystal and unleash a devastating Critical Strike. The more marks you stack, the stronger the attack.

Other mechanics keep things interesting and fast-paced. Ruby is an incredibly agile kid and can dash around the arena to avoid attacks and quickly move around the enemy. If you perfectly dodge an attack while focusing on the enemy, the gauge instantly fills, placing a mark – rewarding you for staying close to the boss. Furthermore, the closer you are to the enemy, the faster the gauge fills.

If you spend too long without observing, the gauge resets to zero, and taking damage not only reduces your health but also wipes out all your marks!

This system encourages aggressive, skillful play. You’ll have to learn each boss’ attack patterns and stick close to them, dodging while stacking marks. It’s a risk/reward system, where you decide whether to go for max marks and risk losing them all if you’re hit, or play it safe and unleash your Critical Strike with fewer marks and less damage.

Character customization in the demo is pretty limited, but what I saw still hints at a somewhat deep build system. There’s a large skill tree for unlocking new abilities and perks, though I couldn’t access any skills myself. From the extra footage in the demo, though, some of the skills look pretty interesting and like they can affect combat significantly. There are also talismans that can be crafted and equipped, granting Ruby different effects. I bought a talisman and an extra slot for the second boss fight, though the available choices didn’t have a huge impact. It also seems like it should be possible to change your weapon, and possibly armor, though I’m not entirely sure about that.

So, what are my overall thoughts? I think the game has a ton of potential. The enemies are grotesque and the world is eerie, and Ruby’s movement feels fluid and responsive. Dancing around the bosses, laughing in their face and dodging attacks while observing them, stacking marks and planning my Critical Strikes felt like a fresh take on combat. If the full game has a solid customization system, it could certainly be something special.

That said, the two bosses included in the demo – The Beast and The Guardian Faye – are pretty basic and straightforward enemies. They gain new attacks as the fight progresses, but remain manageable nonetheless. It makes sense, though, as they’re the introductory bosses meant to ease you into the unique mechanics. The demo shows off footage from other bosses that look much more intense.

I’m also curious how regular attacks will evolve once more weapons are available. In the demo, with just the knife, I found it more effective to immediately start focusing again after landing a Critical Strike rather than bothering with regular slashes. Since all enemies seem to be Blood Recipients, I’m left wondering what role standard melee combat will play in the final game.

I intend to find out in 2025.