Romeo is a Dead Man is easily one of the most unique games of 2026 so far. Hell, it might be one of the most unique of the decade. Blending various art styles, ideas, and genres, there’s no denying Suda51 is back to his usual tricks. The big difference here is it feels more mature. I don’t doubt his previous titles haven’t tried to be great, but rarely have they hit the mark. This time, Grasshopper Manufacture has built a solid action-adventure that feels like a deep and fulfilling title, even if it is insane.
We’ve put together a beginner’s guide for Romeo is a Dead Man, just in case you’re lost on some of the key concepts early on.
Search everywhere
There’re a lot of items in Romeo of a Dead Man that can help improve your weapons, allow you to cook back on your ship, and more. While there’s usually a clear route to each level’s boss fight, there’s no harm in checking every room. Tesseracts are floating cubes that are filled with goodies. Some of the main items are Sentries, which are a great way to level up your arsenal by making weapons do more damage. Sentry can be harvested in different ways, but finding them in tesseracts is probably the easiest.
Unlock all weapons early
While Romeo Stargazer starts off with a katana, there are plenty of different weapons to experiment with. They’re not hidden behind a ton of progression, and they don’t cost much at all. With multiple weapons, finding the ones that are right with you can be the difference between how successful or not you are in combat. Do you want something slow yet powerful, or quick but the damage output is smaller? Unlock the four melee and ranged weapons early so figure where the sweet spot is. Plus, they’re also cool as hell!
Don’t sleep on Bloody Summer
One of Romeo’s most dangerous attacks is Bloody Summer. A pink gauge increases with successful attacks. Once full, pressing the right shoulder button unleashes a powerful attack which works with both melee and ranged weapons. Not only is it a great source of power, it heals you at the same time. It might not refill your health, but some sections are tough and any additional health will be an important gain, especially against some of the tougher bosses.
Aim for the weak spots
When facing bosses in Romeo is a Dead Man (and even more powerful rotters), they have neon, circular weak points. If you hit them enough, their health bars reduce significantly. Sometimes, wearing these points out slows them down temporarily. It’s always good to know where they are straight away. Struggling against a boss is a familiar pattern, but having this knowledge helps.
Stop viruses quickly
When in combat, certain enemies inflict viruses on you. If untreated, they do heal naturally. However, if health is already low, they’ll wipe you out. Items found in the field can cure these instantly. Knowing what does what is important.
- Yellow virus (Godbless Virus) can be cured with Adevil
- Purple virus (Doom Virus) can be cured with FastMin 625
- Blue virus (Boiler Virus) can be cured with ChillNol
Know your Bastards
One of the coolest features in Romeo is a Dead Man are Bastards. These are rotters that can be used for your own benefit. By collecting seeds, you can grow them back on the ship. While they can be harvested instantly, leaving them to grow naturally makes them more potent. As your progress, more slots become available, meaning more bastards to be used in battle. Bastards can also be fused together to make unique and more powerful bastards. Know your bastards, make use of them in battle, and watch those enemies die ins tyle.
Make use of the Sentry Forge
Understanding the Sentry Forge is half the battle. When journeying to each new mission, you’ll control the spaceship. In the dark reaches of space, space debris is everywhere. Most of the time it contains Emerald Flowison. This material can be collected in a multitude of ways, such as killing rotters that swarm you during combat missions. However, it’s also found in space. By entering the Sentry Forge at base or via the Space-Time Pharmacy, emerald flowison can be converted into sentries, which in turn can be used to improve your weapons.
Spend time with DeadGear Cannonball
Another weird and wonderful feature is the DeadGear Cannonball. It might not be clear at first what this is, but the minigame can enhance Romeo. The arcade game allows you to spend emerald flowison to enhance attack damage of melee and ranged weapons, improve health, and more. Once you’ve cleared the stage, this improvements stick, so give yourself a bit of time playing and watch the benefits stack up.
Katsu curry will become your favourite meal
Yet another minigame in Romeo is a Dead Man is cooking katsu curry on the ship. Unlocking new recipes will see you use various ingredients you find across the galaxy. On the ship, the cooking minigame will allow you to make katsu curry. The better you make it, the higher the rank and the longer it lasts. It’s not just some cute minigame, it really does improve Romeo in battle. It’s definitely worth doing if you need that extra support.
