Halls of Torment : The boglands DLC Review
When I first jumped into Halls of Torment it felt like a breath of fresh air: a compact, action-heavy roguelite that blended the horde survival feel of games like Vampire Survivors with the loot and replayability of old-school ARPGs. The runs were tight, the unlocks satisfying, and I found myself coming back again and again. So when the studio announced the The Boglands DLC I was genuinely excited: this did not seem just a minor add-on but a serious expansion that promised new heroes, new mechanics and a whole new environment.
What is it
Halls of Torment is a roguelite action-RPG in which you pick one of several characters and step into a series of survival runs: you dodge waves of enemies, collect items and traits, level up, and try to hold out for as long as you can while building power and unlocking permanent bonuses for future runs. In many ways it feeds into the gameplay of Vampire Survivors, with a dash old school Diablo added in terms of setting and feel. The Boglands is the first major paid expansion for the game and arrives alongside a free “Bardcore” update. The paid DLC adds a swampy new level environment (the Boglands), two new playable characters (the Crone and the Alchemist), a new gameplay mechanic called Decay (and a new Earth element), dozens of new quests and items, and additional artifacts to modify your runs. It’s designed to be a substantial addition, not just a handful of skins or a single new stage.
Gameplay
If you’re familiar with Halls of Torment’s base loop then The Boglands will feel immediately comfortable: choose a hero, dive into a run, collect gems or drops, take trait upgrades, build up combat power, fight enemies and bosses, die, come back stronger. What the DLC adds is fresh content that shifts how you approach runs. After a small quest you can access the new content. The Boglands environment introduces the Decay mechanic, a sort of gradual‐damage or weakening effect on enemies, especially armored types, and the Earth element, which gives you new strategic building blocks. he Crone uses plant/decay themed powers to control the battlefield, while the Alchemist plays more as a multi-element caster with flexible build options. These additions mean that established builds get new pivots: you might now chase decay stacks, or mix elemental synergies you never focused on before. On top of that there are 50+ new quests in the new sandbox area to help unlock the gear and artifacts you’ll need to use these new mechanics well. The base game’s familiar grind and incremental unlock loop continues (and yes, it’s still a grind) but with good reason: the new content offers enough variation to make it feel meaningful. Some of the old quirks remain, such as the randomness of trait and item drops and how some runs rely heavily on luck for a big break, but in my time with The Boglands I found the additions made that randomness feel more manageable because I had more tools to push back.
Presentation
Visually Halls of Torment has always leaned into a retro aesthetic: Not the prettiest but the chunky pixel-art, pre-rendered backdrops, give that kind of early '90s vibe that works beautifully with the endless hordes and loot-driven runs. The Boglands layer on top of this a swampy new set piece filled with creeping roots, drowned spirits and visual themes of decay and rot, it fits the mood well, gives a fresh look without breaking style continuity. Audio-wise the developers added new music tracks (especially via the free Bard update), and the DLC includes new SFX tied to the fresh mechanics (Decay effects, elemental swaps, etc). There’s a strong value to the extras: not only do you get new heroes, items, quests and mechanics, but you also get artifacts (six new ones for the DLC) that allow you to tweak your runs in deeper ways (stage modifiers, etc). The presentation holds together well: no major showstoppers, and everything feels coordinated. It won’t blow your mind in terms of high-end visuals (it’s not going for AAA), but in context it’s a satisfying package.
Parental view
From a family or parental perspective Halls of Torment (and The Boglands DLC) is fairly accessible but leans toward more mature gameplay in terms of depth rather than content. The visual style is stylized pixel art with fantasy violence (monsters, gore hinted at but not graphic), and the thematic elements (decay, dark swamp, undead, etc.) are atmospheric but not overtly horrifying or inappropriate. The game is better suited to older kids or teens rather than young children purely because the mechanics assume sustained attention, build progression and strategy. Importantly the DLC isn’t introducing any predatory monetization and the value is clear, which is a plus for families wary of microtransactions. On the downside, younger players may struggle with the repetition and grind elements, and the strategic depth might demand patience or support from a more experienced player. Overall though it’s a solid choice for those comfortable with mild fantasy violence and want a bit more bite than casual fare.
Final thoughts
The Boglands expansion for Halls of Torment delivers a strong dose of new content that feels meaningful and adds fresh hooks to a game that already had a solid foundation. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it doesn’t need to: by giving new heroes, mechanics, a new environment, and dozens upon dozens of new quests and items it simply expands the playground in the best possible way. If you liked the base game you’ll get a lot out of this; if you were looking for something slightly different but familiar you’ll find it rewarding. The grind and randomness are still present but now you have more tools to shape your runs and experiment. For me this is a thumbs up because it expands the experience rather than diluting it, giving both fans and newcomers more reason to dive back in.
Title: Halls of Torment: The Boglands
Developer: Chasing Carrots
Publisher: Chasing Carrots
Platforms: PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
ESRB: T for Teen (Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes)
Release Date: October 28, 2025
MSRP: Base Game - $9.99 DLC - $3.99 The Bog Bundle - $11.99
