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Cursemark

Cursemark Game Cover
93%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics
Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, story
93% User Score Based on 322 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Cursemark Game Cover

About Cursemark

Cursemark is a single player open world hack and slash game with fantasy and dark fantasy themes. It was developed by FrivolousKnight and was released on June 8, 2026. It received very positive reviews from players.

Cursemark is an action-exploration roguelike where you forge unique equipment to pierce the depths of the Unknown Lands. Unlock hundreds of items and spells, then discover powerful rune synergies every run in this place beyond the edges of the world.

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Reviews

93%Audience ScoreBased on 322 reviews
gameplay28 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Deep and fun gameplay that combines roguelike, soulslike, and ARPG elements with rewarding build customization and meta progression.
  • Beautiful pixel art, compelling world design, atmospheric music, and varied, challenging enemies and bosses with distinct mechanics.
  • Active and responsive developer support with frequent updates, bug fixes, and a strong foundation for growth and replayability.
  • Combat can feel clunky or unpolished at times, especially the dodge mechanic lacking invincibility frames and the overwhelming visual/audio effects.
  • Balance issues with some overpowered or underpowered skills, runes, and builds, along with difficulty spikes and some frustrating enemy behaviors.
  • Early access state features limited content, some bugs, occasional performance drops, incomplete controller support, and puzzles that may be confusing or obtuse.

  • gameplay

    69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    41% positive mentions, 55% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions

    The gameplay offers a deep and polished roguelike experience with smooth combat, rich build variety, and engaging mechanics like cursemarks and rune synergies, blending inspirations from Soulslike and ARPG genres. While the core loop is addictive and well-paced, some players note issues with unclear tooltips, visual clutter, and occasional tediousness or repetitive content. Overall, it delivers solid, fast-paced, and satisfying gameplay with strong replayability and worldbuilding.

    • “This game gives you the roguelike experience blended in a mix of Elden Ring world progression vibes format sprinkled with some Path of Exile gems building skills mechanics; everything from music, art style, and combat feels polished.”
    • “Cursemark already has a fantastic gameplay loop that keeps me coming back for 'just one more run.' The variety of rune and talisman combinations makes build experimentation genuinely rewarding, while the cursemark system adds a tactical layer to route planning and progression decisions.”
    • “The atmosphere is fantastic, the art direction is gorgeous, and the fast-paced gameplay is incredibly satisfying, somewhere between Hades and Hyper Light Drifter.”
    • “Some inconsistencies on tooltips leave you wondering how certain mechanics work (or if they work together with others at all) as well as how much something is actually powering you up.”
    • “Some interactions between synergy mechanics are not explained as well as they could be (such as chain attack triggers on ward abilities) and therefore require trial and error to figure out what is valid with what.”
    • “There isn't enough variety in the content to make it feel like a good roguelike and the unlocks aren't important enough to actually affect the gameplay leaving probably half of the runs feeling like a slog.”

  • graphics

    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    46% positive mentions, 43% neutral mentions, 11% negative mentions

    The game's graphics feature a beautiful and unique pixel art style with a dark fantasy aesthetic that is both nostalgic and polished, contributing significantly to its charm and immersion. Visuals are praised for their personality, enemy variety, and smooth combat effects, though some users note occasional performance issues such as FPS drops despite the retro 2D style. Overall, the graphics complement the gameplay well and are considered a strong aspect, though minor improvements and more graphic options could enhance the experience further.

    • “Every environment, enemy, and effect has a lot of personality, and the overall aesthetic gives the game a unique charm that kept me engaged from the very beginning.”
    • “The dark fantasy aesthetic is outstanding, very reminiscent of early Diablo, and the gameplay has a classic Gauntlet Legends feel to it.”
    • “The music, the aesthetics, the enemies, the weapons, abilities, runes, wards, ultimates, the bosses and the sheer amount of build variety... all of it is just perfect and I'm only a few hours in.”
    • “Tried different graphic drivers (AMD) and with some older versions it feels a little less laggy but still not the same as it used to.”
    • “Even tried different methods of uninstalling the graphics drivers (Display Driver Uninstaller, AMD Cleanup Utility).”
    • “There is such a limited graphics option setting, there is nothing more to do on my end.”

  • music

    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    56% positive mentions, 38% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty, fitting ambiance, and strong contribution to the overall aesthetic and immersion. While some find it slightly repetitive or mismatched during intense combat, the soundtrack is generally regarded as a standout element that enhances the gameplay experience.

    • “The soundtrack really helps the game flow!”
    • “Also the game music and ambience they capture with the graphic aesthetic was something I didn't know I was missing in gaming.”
    • “The audio is also fantastic, with constantly amazing soundtracks to immerse yourself in.”

  • optimization

    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    33% positive mentions, 34% neutral mentions, 33% negative mentions

    The game generally runs smoothly with good performance and minimal issues on most platforms, including the Steam Deck. However, some players report occasional FPS drops and clunky spellcasting, suggesting certain optimizations are still needed, especially with complex effects and builds. Overall, optimization is solid but has room for improvement as the game continues in early access.

    • “I am really enjoying this game so far; I haven't had any performance issues, bugs, or other problems.”
    • “A good example of a perfect game: fair price, interesting gameplay loop, no performance issues, and strong replayability.”
    • “Really buttery performance on Steam Deck.”
    • “Very poor optimization.”
    • “Bit of FPS drop with some builds, so some optimization will be needed.”
    • “Performance drops when you have a lot of effects going on, along with audio issues and some runes not working on certain abilities.”

  • atmosphere

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    63% positive mentions, 37% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game boasts a fantastic, grim medieval European atmosphere with unique bosses and intriguing mechanics, blending a Souls-like tone with elements reminiscent of Hades. Its art direction is praised for enhancing the immersive and satisfying fast-paced gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere is consistently highlighted as a standout feature that effectively sets the tone and enriches the experience.

    • “The atmosphere is fantastic, the art direction is gorgeous, and the fast-paced gameplay is incredibly satisfying, somewhere between Hades and Hyper Drifter.”
    • “It really nails tone and atmosphere, which for me would have been enough, but coupled with the combat system?”
    • “Great iteration on the Hades formula with a Souls-style atmosphere.”

  • replayability

    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    60% positive mentions, 40% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    Replayability is consistently praised, with players highlighting the game's engaging gameplay loop, depth, and ongoing content updates that keep it fresh. Despite some recent performance issues, users remain engaged and find the game offers strong value through repeated play sessions.

    • “A good example of a perfect game: fair price, interesting gameplay loop, no performance issues, and strong replayability.”
    • “Regardless, replayability where it's at now is still there, and I have yet to get bored even after "beating" the game in its current state.”
    • “Even with only a few zones available in early access, there's already a surprising amount of depth and replayability.”

  • story

    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    40% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 60% negative mentions

    The story is straightforward and integrated into the map progression, featuring some rogue-lite elements. While fairly generic, it provides a solid fantasy backdrop without relying on cryptic storytelling. Overall, the story is considered fair and functional.

    • “I like that the progression is built into the map/story as well as featuring a few rogue-lite elements outside of each run.”
    • “It's got a story!”
    • “Nor is there cryptic storytelling.”
    • “The story is generic but serves as a solid little fantasy background.”
    • “Story: fair.”

  • grinding

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game is described as somewhat tedious and exhausting, but necessary to progress, especially in the early stages. However, once mechanics and synergies are understood, players find the loop engaging without excessive farming or incremental grinding.

    • “I can forgive the clunky UI and animations, but the core gameplay loop is too tedious and exhausting.”
    • “Become a hacking, slashing, fireball throwing, lightning bolt launching avatar of destruction... and do it all without dedicating dozens of hours to farming drops and incremental percentage improvements.”

  • emotional

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The emotional aspect is not directly addressed in the provided text, which focuses more on gameplay mechanics such as stacking damage buffs before bosses. Therefore, there is little insight into the game's emotional impact from this comment.

  • humor

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Users feel that the humor attempts in the game fall flat, with FPS drops and pixel graphics coming across as lazy and unfunny rather than entertaining.

    • “FPS drops in a game with 2D Contra-like pixel graphics are not only a sign of laziness but also an unfunny joke.”

  • monetization

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game features frequent or intrusive ads that disrupt the experience, making monetization feel excessive despite relatively easy boss encounters.

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Play Times

15h Median play time
34h Average play time
2-85h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs
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Game News

Pixelated soulslike game Cursemark launches in June

April 27 on nichegamer.com
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Frequently Asked Questions

Cursemark is a open world hack and slash game with fantasy and dark fantasy themes. Common tags for Cursemark include indie, roguelite, magic, exploration, pixel graphics and others.

Cursemark is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 34 hours playing Cursemark.

Cursemark was released on June 8, 2026.

Cursemark was developed by FrivolousKnight.

Cursemark has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked Cursemark for its gameplay but disliked it for its optimization.

Cursemark is a single player game.

Similar games include Heretical, Shape of Dreams, Soulstone Survivors, Tiny Rogues, Magicraft and others.