Death's Door is an action RPG about Crow, a bird and reaper of souls, who works for the Reaping Commission Headquarters. His job is to collect souls while receiving commissions on successful retrievals. At the start of the game, he has to bring back a giant soul, but it gets stolen after being attacked by a demonic forest spirit. Now, Crow needs to help the old reaper who tricked him and retrieve several other giant souls that may open the titular Death's Door.
The character can be moved around freely from the Lost Cemetery's central location. Crow has two melee attacks and a ranged attack with limited ammo, which can be upgraded to five different weapons. These vary in style, appearance, and statistics such as damage and range. Melee and ranged attacks are used to solve puzzles like hitting items or setting them on fire from a distance.
The game features a checkpoint and fast travel system through doors. At certain locations, a door can be unlocked that leads back to the central Hall of Doors at the Reaping Commission Headquarters. From there, Crow can quickly return to any area or choose another door. When Crow dies, he returns to the last unlocked door.
The game also contains many secrets and optional collectibles. There are characters to talk to, puzzles to solve, and the Soul Vault where four characteristics can be upgraded several times. Health can be replenished by picking up seeds and planting them in specific pots.
There are three additional magic items unlocked over time as additional ranged weapons that can be switched on the fly similar to melee weapons. These often open up additional paths or secrets in previously explored areas, allowing Crow to pursue a new path or open a new gate.
