Dead Cells

Dead Cells is a roguelite action platformer by the French studio Motion Twin, released in full in 2018 after early access. You play a mass of cells that takes over a body in a cursed island prison and fights through a castle that rearranges itself on every run, collecting weapons, skills and blueprints along the way.

The Daily Challenge arrived during early access in 2017. You unlock it by collecting the Challenger Rune from the Concierge. Each day everyone gets the same level with the same loot, and you have four and a half minutes to score as many points as you can and beat a boss. Kills, elite enemies and chests are worth points. Your score is posted whether you win or run out of time.

Unlike most daily runs you can try again as often as you like, and only your best score stays. Motion Twin publishes the rankings on its own site with two boards, best scores and first runs only, so you can choose between racing on a blind attempt or practising the route. Completing dailies also unlocks blueprints. It suits Dead Cells players who want a short, intense run to master with the same map as everyone else.