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BLACKSHARD

BLACKSHARD Game Cover
96%Game Brain Score
music, graphics
optimization, grinding
96% User Score Based on 184 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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BLACKSHARD Game Cover

About

BLACKSHARD is a single player action game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Enclave and was released on April 2, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

BLACKSHARD is a single-player mystery adventure that invites you to explore a strange megastructure called the Labyrinth. With dense atmosphere, great music, and captivating visuals, you unravel forgotten memories and shape your journey through surreal corridors and enigmatic figures. Your choices transform the environment, defining the outcome of this dreamlike exploration.

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BLACKSHARD screenshot
BLACKSHARD screenshot
BLACKSHARD screenshot
BLACKSHARD screenshot
BLACKSHARD screenshot
BLACKSHARD screenshot
BLACKSHARD screenshot
BLACKSHARD screenshot
BLACKSHARD screenshot
BLACKSHARD screenshot
BLACKSHARD screenshot
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96%
Audience ScoreBased on 184 reviews
music32 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • The game features breathtaking visuals and a unique art style that captures the essence of surreal brutalism and cosmic horror, making it a visual feast.
  • Exploration is highly rewarding, with a vast, interconnected world that encourages players to discover hidden areas and secrets, creating a sense of wonder and immersion.
  • The atmospheric soundtrack complements the gameplay perfectly, enhancing the overall experience and contributing to the game's haunting and meditative quality.
  • Navigation can be frustrating due to the lack of clear direction, leading to moments of getting lost in the expansive environments, which may deter some players.
  • The game suffers from technical issues, including crashes and performance drops, particularly on higher settings, which can disrupt the experience.
  • Some players may find the gameplay too simplistic, as it primarily revolves around exploration with minimal interaction or puzzles, which might not appeal to everyone.
  • music
    67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its breathtaking quality, blending ambient soundscapes with ethereal electronics that enhance the atmospheric experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to evoke a range of emotions, from tranquility to tension, perfectly complementing the game's stunning visuals and immersive environments. While some minor technical issues with looping and sparse audio were noted, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's identity and is a standout feature that many players appreciate.

    • “The soundtrack is a fantastic blend of lush ambient soundscapes and ethereal electronics, swinging from peaceful and somber to more unsettling tonal shifts that match your place in the overworld.”
    • “The background music is perfectly chosen; an acoustic masterpiece that blends seamlessly with the visual aesthetics and becomes part of the game's identity.”
    • “From the stunning visuals that never feel redundant to the awe-inspiring music that whispers to your soul, everything is carefully designed to give your journey through this universe a unique atmosphere.”
    • “Audio can be a bit sparse and some sequences have soundtracks that seem to be absent, loop poorly, or cut off.”
    • “This game is quite good overall, a very beautiful structure with interesting lore and incredible graphics, but is sadly hampered by the honestly quite bad soundtrack.”
    • “The soundtrack loops forever no matter how long you are in an area, and does not give you any time to rest and look at the structure without intruding into the background.”
  • graphics
    53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their stunning visuals and immersive atmosphere, with many players noting the striking art style and intricate level design that evoke a sense of wonder. While some minor graphical issues and performance concerns were mentioned, particularly with specific character models and settings, the overall aesthetic experience is described as breathtaking and engaging, making it a highlight of the game. The combination of visuals and music creates a unique and captivating environment that enhances exploration and storytelling.

    • “The visuals are every brutalist's wet dream; I have never taken so many screenshots.”
    • “From the stunning visuals that somehow manage to never be redundant, to the awe-inspiring music that whispers to your soul, everything is carefully designed to give your journey through this universe a unique atmosphere.”
    • “This game is gorgeous and tickles me in so many ways, the level design and its otherworldly architecture, the painted artworks and the abstract visuals, the creative cosmogony with heavy references to chambers, the atmosphere.”
    • “Reducing the shadow quality somewhat helps, but you get artifacts and other graphical glitches... I hope a patch comes at some point.”
    • “Even on the highest graphic settings, the model for the yellow-eyed girl looks extremely poorly done.”
    • “When I first played, I had turned down the graphical settings and thought it was a consequence of that, but when I replayed on the highest settings, it still looked really bad, so a little bit more work could have been put into a character that shows up multiple times.”
  • story
    41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in the game is characterized by its cryptic and abstract nature, often leaving players piecing together vague narratives and character interactions as they explore a visually stunning world. While some find the storytelling engaging and atmospheric, others feel it lacks clarity and depth, leading to mixed feelings about its overall impact. The game excels in environmental storytelling, inviting players to immerse themselves in its unique architecture and unsettling universe, though it may not resonate with everyone due to its esoteric themes and minimalistic approach.

    • “There is an interwoven story that unfolds with multiple characters and multiple endings to discover.”
    • “Absolutely gorgeous, incredible world, narrative, and characters. It does need to be on a certain mentality, willing to walk for long minutes to reach points of interest because the zones are gigantic, but extremely satisfying rewards on the visuals and the story.”
    • “Blackshard is special in many ways—its strange architecture, peculiar characters, and eerie story create a uniquely unsettling universe.”
    • “The overarching plot is very cryptic, with lots of in-world terminology thrown about while never really providing a full-blown answer as to why you are where you are nor what your actions cause in full.”
    • “The thin story aspects fit the setting enough, but are secondary and not especially original or captivating.”
    • “I fell asleep after half an hour of running around aimlessly through a sterile black and white identical looking environment, looking for the next 'memory shard' or whatever to 'progress' the 'story', which was nothing more than getting a few nonsensical lines of unvoiced dialogue.”
  • atmosphere
    39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive soundtracks, and intriguing environments that invite exploration and contemplation. Reviewers highlight the balance of beauty and eeriness, creating a captivating and sometimes haunting experience that enhances the overall gameplay. Many agree that the atmospheric design is a standout feature, making it a must-play for fans of walking simulators and environmental storytelling.

    • “Incredible atmosphere, simultaneously creepy and alluring.”
    • “The atmosphere, the mood, ambience, the soundtrack, are simply flawless.”
    • “From the stunning visuals that somehow manage to never be redundant, to the awe-inspiring music that whispers to your soul, everything is carefully designed to give your journey through this universe a unique atmosphere.”
    • “In addition, I found it unfitting for several of the areas, hampering the atmosphere instead of increasing it.”
    • “While Naissancee had a darker and heavier atmosphere, Dark Shard, despite its name, feels brighter (at least to me).”
    • “The game starts out a little slow; you start picking up the atmosphere for the place, but it takes a bit to get going.”
  • gameplay
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is primarily focused on exploration through walking and jumping in a vast, abstract environment, reminiscent of a walking simulator. While the mechanics are simple and can be repetitive, players appreciate the immersive experience and the opportunity to take in the unique landscapes and atmospheric elements. However, some find the running mechanic cumbersome and the lack of varied gameplay elements, such as puzzles, limits engagement.

    • “The world is layered as a labyrinth of sorts, with a diverse mix of abstract two-tone blocky structure worlds drawing parallels to games like Naissancee, but also with more unique flairs of solar system-esque hubs, post-apocalyptic crumbling liminal piles, formerly bustling-looking metropolitan tower blocks, small nature-strewn valleys, and almost industrial cold mechanical graveyards.”
    • “The gameplay is so simple, yet satisfying; a real pleasure to play.”
    • “I find the gameplay fun and engaging, and I appreciate the eerily striking setting.”
    • “Gameplay consists of...well, walking around while occasionally getting bits of story.”
    • “Finding new places is too time-consuming and there are absolutely no puzzle elements, leaving navigation as the only game mechanic.”
    • “The fact that the gameplay is so 'limited' is not a flaw; I love a great walking simulator if the concept behind and the execution are this awesome and rich.”
  • optimization
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on high-end hardware like the 4070 Ti, some players report performance issues in specific areas, particularly related to lighting effects and unnecessary rendering. Users with mid-range GPUs, such as the 3060, experience struggles in certain spots, indicating that the game demands significant resources. While some players found it runs well with minor inconsistencies, others noted that it requires further optimization to enhance performance across a broader range of systems.

    • “The game uses Unreal Engine, and so it plays around heavily with lighting effects and massive environments. Usually, with UE5, this comes at a heavy performance cost, but I'm happy to report it runs very well on a 4070 Ti Super with over 120 FPS at max settings and 1440p, without hitching or frame drops.”
    • “I've seen people complain about performance; I did not experience any issues (with a 1440p monitor) apart from some minor lighting inconsistencies, probably due to Unreal Engine post-process shenanigans.”
    • “As for graphic performance (which in the case of this exact game I found very important), the 3060 struggled in a couple of places on high settings but overall handled the game well, allowing me to enjoy all the vistas and places in high quality.”
    • “The performance is a bit rough in some spots. There are a couple of areas with floating pebbles that seem to have lighting performance issues. The noosphere near the end was dropping frames when I looked behind me at some of the floating objects, and there's an area where you drop down a cylinder after falling from the stars. If I looked back in that direction, it dropped frames really badly despite not being able to see anything over there, so I'm guessing it's still drawing things that it shouldn't be.”
    • “Running the game in DirectX 11 solves this problem, but the performance is abysmal.”
    • “Abysmal performance in most parts. Note that it's generally a very demanding game; if you don't have a good computer, it will not be enjoyable even on low settings.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the lengthy backtracking required when lost or needing to revisit areas. While the exploration can occasionally yield surprising moments, the lack of puzzles and the navigation challenges contribute to a sense of monotony that may deter some players. Overall, the experience can feel laborious, especially for those who prefer more streamlined gameplay.

    • “I clicked on something in the game that gave me a meme ending that closed the game, and now I have to start a new playthrough to continue. The walking around was already getting tedious, and I'm not starting over after being an hour in to see a different ending.”
    • “Anyways, I had to back away from this because it became tedious, and I lost sight of the beauty that constantly surrounds you.”
    • “Just know that there are no puzzles and navigation will be tedious, which are not deal breakers for some people.”
  • emotional
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting its powerful soundtrack and the deep emotional engagement it fosters, often leading to profound personal experiences. While some players note frustrations with level design that limits exploration, the overall sentiment is that the game excels in delivering an intellectually and emotionally stimulating experience, making it one of the most impactful games for many.

    • “What a masterpiece of a soundtrack with polyrhythmic melodies and simple, emotional tracks to accompany each area.”
    • “Probably the most emotionally impactful game I have played.”
    • “(I explored every nook and cranny and it made me cry. 10/10)”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, users report that the game experiences minor stability issues, primarily manifesting as visual glitches related to Unreal Engine 5's lumen lighting, such as flickering light in darker areas. While reducing shadow quality can mitigate some of these problems, it may introduce additional graphical artifacts, leading to a desire for future patches to address these concerns.

    • “Only some slight visual glitches are unavoidable that are inherent to UE5 and its Lumen lighting: slow flickering/shimmering light on surfaces that are in darker environments and don't get much light.”
    • “Reducing the shadow quality somewhat helps, but you get artifacts and other graphical glitches. I hope a patch comes at some point.”
    • “Glitches and bugs are prevalent.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development in the game is enhanced by impressive character designs and richly detailed environments, reminiscent of end-game sequences in typical sci-fi settings, which contribute to an immersive experience throughout various maps.

    • “The character development is incredibly rich, with each character having a unique backstory that unfolds beautifully throughout the game.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve based on the choices I make, making every decision feel impactful and personal.”
    • “The depth of the characters is impressive; their growth and interactions create a truly immersive experience.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression throughout the game.”
    • “I found the characters to be one-dimensional, making it hard to connect with their stories.”
    • “There are limited choices that impact character growth, leaving the experience feeling linear and uninspired.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized as somewhat meme-inspired, providing a comedic contrast to its otherwise serious tone. Players found amusement in the unexpected funny moments, particularly in the context of the game's lengthy corridors, which added a humorous touch to the overall experience.

    • “Kinda memey, but it was pretty funny to see happen given the primarily serious nature of the game.”
    • “The game has too many super long corridors, and the ending one was kind of funny.”
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Frequently Asked Questions

BLACKSHARD is a action game with mystery theme.

BLACKSHARD is available on PC and Windows.

BLACKSHARD was released on April 2, 2025.

BLACKSHARD was developed by Enclave.

BLACKSHARD has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its optimization.

BLACKSHARD is a single player game.

Similar games include NaissanceE, The Old City: Leviathan, Kairo, Manifold Garden, Aporia: Beyond The Valley and others.