If you've picked up Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, you may be surprised at the absence of an advertised feature. Multiplayer isn't included in the game yet, but it is still on the way according to the publisher.
Both the Xbox Store and PlayStation Store list the game as having multiplayer for up to two people, matching a stretch goal achieved in the initial Kickstarter pitch. Steam and Nintendo both list it as single-player only.
For the time being, it is only single-player. Multiplayer is coming as one of several free updates, per a launch press release from 505 Games. Online and local co-op and Versus modes are listed alongside other post-launch updates that will add Roguelike mode, Boss Rush, Chaos Mode, and Nightmare Difficulty.
Bloodstained is billed as an "Iga Vania" after its creator, Koji Igarashi. It was conceived as a modernized homage to classic Castlevania games like Symphony of the Night from Igarashi. But rather than a family of vampire hunters setting out to stop Dracula, this one focuses on an alchemy-enhanced girl named Miriam fighting against demons. In a castle, naturally.
The release of Bloodstained was relatively quiet, coming just after E3 without much fanfare. The launch trailer made a splash with a promise of a Shovel Knight cameo. If you're looking for a good deal on Bloodstained you can pick it up on PC at a discount.
