Joy Malignant Launches: A Surreal Dice-Based RPG Set in a Cursed City

Joy Malignant is out now on Steam, developed and announced by someone going by the name Petros, publishing under the handle Big Boss Cowboy.

What the game is

Described as a short surreal dice-based RPG, Joy Malignant takes place in Visceria — a cursed city built around suffering. The central conceit is that player choices do double duty: they develop skills and alter the character's appearance, making each playthrough a portrait of the decisions made along the way.

What the source tells us

• Setting: Visceria, a city of "hellish trials"
• Genre: Surreal, dice-based RPG
• Scope: Explicitly described as short
• Core mechanic: Choices shape both skills and appearance
• Tone: Tortured characters, gut-wrenching suffering — the surreal leans dark

The announcement is brief and personal in register — the developer expresses genuine enthusiasm for player reaction and describes the development process as enjoyable, which is a mild but notable contrast to the game's grim subject matter.

For players drawn to compact, choice-driven RPGs with a distinct aesthetic sensibility, Joy Malignant appears designed to leave a mark proportional to its brevity.