Recotechnology’s El Coco is out — a roguelike that turns European folklore into a nightmare

Why Recotechnology’s El Coco actually matters to roguelike fans

El Coco launched on Nov. 28, 2025 across PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam) and Linux – and it’s the sort of indie roguelike that grabbed my attention for two reasons: it leans hard into a specific, underused vein of European folklore, and it marries that aesthetic to familiar run-based systems with a few dangerous twists. If you like your repeat runs with personality, this one’s trying to sell you nightmares with style.

• Key takeaway: El Coco blends myth-inspired characters (La Xana, Ratoncito Pérez) with roguelike staples: randomized runs, weapon combos, powerups and a candle economy.
• It self-styles as a “bedtime story gone wrong” – pop-up book visuals and watercolor UI aim to make the horror feel whimsical rather than purely grim.
• Watch the economy: candles gate progress and El Coco’s Deals trade huge rewards for steep costs – that design choice can be tense and rewarding, or feel punitive if poorly balanced.

Breaking down the real gameplay: what you’ll actually be doing

At its core, El Coco follows the standard action-roguelike loop: drop into procedurally varied rooms, fight waves of enemies, pick up powerups and trinkets, then use resources to attempt deeper, harder levels. What stands out are a few concrete systems. Weapons have distinct combos, damage types and knockback — that’s a signal Recotechnology wants melee variety rather than one-button repetition. Powerups come as level-start rewards and trinkets feel like modifiers that can seriously re-shape a run.

The resource here is candles. They’re both progression fuel and a target for enemy interference. The more candles you hold, the better your gear prospects, but the Lord of Nightmares actively hunts them — stealing, obscuring, or otherwise screwing with your haul. It’s a simple economy but one that can create tense moments: do you hoard candles and risk being targeted, or spend early and weaken your late-game options?

El Coco’s Deals: clever risk or thinly veiled monetization gimmick?

The press material touts “El Coco’s Deals” — momentary bargains with massive upside and a correspondingly brutal cost. As a concept, it’s solid; risk-versus-reward is roguelike catnip. My skepticism: how often will those deals lean into binary “take this and suffer a gimped build” outcomes that feel like artificial difficulty spikes? If the costs are primarily gameplay changes that force interesting adaptation, the mechanic can be brilliant. If they’re cheap, feel-bad penalties that punish the player for engaging, it’ll sour runs fast.

Myth and art: why the folklore angle matters

Where El Coco wins is tone. The cast — from Ratoncito Pérez running a supply shop to La Xana’s doubtful healing springs and the Meigas (corrupted witches) — isn’t just window dressing. Recotechnology leans into Western European folklore in ways you don’t see much in mainstream roguelikes, and the art direction sells it: paper-diorama environments, watercolor UI, and hand-drawn flourishes make The Uncertain feel like a stuffed storybook gone sideways. That visual identity matters because it separates El Coco from the “neon pixel roguelike” crowd.

What this means for players and where to be cautious

If you’re into replayable bite-sized runs with a clear aesthetic and characterful encounters, El Coco is worth trying. The cross-gen release is also a plus — big reach without locking players into new hardware. But temper excitement with practical concerns: candle-gating and harsh deal penalties can feel grindy if progression pacing isn’t tuned. Also, roguelike fatigue is real; success will hinge on how compelling the weapon combos and trinket synergies feel after dozens of runs.

This caught my attention because indie teams that pair strong visual identity with smart mechanical twists often punch above their size. Recotechnology is betting that folklore + risk-based bargains will carve a niche. If the balance and pacing hold up, El Coco could be the cozy-nightmare pick many players didn’t know they wanted this fall.

TL;DR

El Coco drops across consoles and PC today. It’s a folklore-flavored action roguelike with candle economies, risky bargains, and a distinctive paper-diorama aesthetic. If you crave characterful runs and don’t mind a punishing risk/reward loop, give it a spin — but watch out for potential pacing and balance issues around candle gating and “deals” that can make runs feel unfair.