If you wished Wordle was more like Balatro, you need to try the free demo for Cursed Words on Steam.

As players progress, the score requirements increase and bosses appear, forcing a more strategic approach. The full game is expected to launch with eight characters and over 200 'stamps and stickers' that modify gameplay and scoring.

Developer Buried Things and publisher Forklift Interactive have released a free Cursed Words demo on Steam, the companies announced Tuesday. The game is a roguelike that combines word-forming puzzles with the strategic depth of titles like Balatro, with a full release planned for later in 2026.

What is Cursed Words?

Cursed Words starts with a simple premise: form words from tiles on a board to score points. As players progress, the score requirements increase and bosses appear, forcing a more strategic approach. The game encourages players to break the rules of language by using tiles with chess pieces, poker hands, and numbers to create high-scoring combinations.

The roguelike elements come from building synergies between character abilities and collected items. According to the announcement, the demo features four characters with unique skills. The full game is expected to launch with eight characters and over 200 'stamps and stickers' that modify gameplay and scoring. This follows a trend of recent indie games, like the fists-only brawler Sealbreakers, that apply roguelike mechanics to different genres.

A smarter word game

The developers have embraced a playful tone in describing their creation. "Why a word game? Because we’re really smart. And we’re British, so we sound even smarter than that," said Niru Fekri-Arnold, co-founder of Buried Things, in the press release. "But don’t worry, Cursed Words accepts American words too."

Andrei Podoprigora, CEO of publisher Forklift Interactive, offered a more cryptic statement using the game's unique tiles: ":♕♖S 4 ♙". The company noted this quote is worth over 1200 points in the game.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cursed Words?

Cursed Words is a roguelike-inspired word game where players form words from tiles to score points. Developed by Buried Things, it features mechanics like character abilities, bosses, and synergies that allow players to break traditional language rules.

Where can I play the Cursed Words demo?

The free demo for Cursed Words is available to download now for PC on the Steam digital storefront. There is no confirmed release for consoles at this time.

When will the full version of Cursed Words be released?

The full version of Cursed Words is scheduled to be released later in 2026, according to its publisher, Forklift Interactive. A more specific date has not yet been announced.

Is Cursed Words similar to Balatro?

Yes, the developers have described Cursed Words as a 'Balatro-style roguelike'. While the core gameplay is about forming words, it shares Balatro's focus on creating powerful synergies between different items and abilities during each run.