Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream

About

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a single player tactical action adventure game with a historical theme. It was developed by River End Games and was released on July 15, 2025. It received positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Experience an isometric, narrative-driven stealth game set in the stunning city of Eriksholm. When Hanna’s brother, Herman, disappears and the police begin to pursue him, her search sets off a chain of catastrophic events that will not only alter their lives but also the destiny of the entire city. Join your allies, outsmart relentless enemies, and use your cunning to uncover the truth behind Herm…

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95%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,030 reviews

story427 positive mentions

replayability14 negative mentions

Stunning, hand-crafted graphics and art direction create a vivid, immersive early 20th century world.
Strong narrative with engaging story and well-voiced characters, enhanced by highly detailed and realistic cutscenes.
Tightly designed stealth-puzzle gameplay offering satisfying challenges, with smooth controls and generous checkpoint system.

Gameplay is heavily linear with mostly one solution per level limiting player creativity and replayability.
The story feels rushed and somewhat predictable in parts, with some characters lacking depth and motivation.
The game is relatively short, roughly 8-15 hours to complete, and is considered expensive at full price by some players.

story
887 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
49%
3%
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream offers a compelling, emotionally engaging, and well-acted narrative set in a richly detailed, atmospheric world. While the story is linear and somewhat predictable with occasional pacing issues and limited character development, it successfully blends mystery, political intrigue, and personal drama, making it a strong highlight for fans of story-driven stealth and puzzle games. Despite its relatively short length and straightforward plot, the storytelling, voice acting, and immersive presentation keep players invested throughout the experience.
- “Eriksholm: the stolen dream is a strong narrative-driven stealth experience that stands out with its immersive world and engaging storytelling.”
- “The story is the undisputed centerpiece here, with every gameplay mechanic working in perfect harmony to move the narrative forward.”
- “Eriksholm takes the isometric real-time stealth formula from games like Mimimi Productions' Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, but boils it down to its essence in order to focus on storytelling rather than freeform sneaking. The voice acting is stellar across the board, the cutscenes look genuinely impressive, and the overall story is a deeply satisfying fantasy story, set in an industrial revolution-era city state suffering from plague and a variety of political intrigues and machinations.”
- “There is no character development; it's just the same stealth escape for each puzzle, and unfortunately, it's further worsened by the lackluster story.”
- “The plot is okay but the story loses its strength towards the end, feeling rushed and underdeveloped.”
- “First, the story is just not very good! After Herman dies—the scene done very poorly—the story unravels, motivations become unclear, and none of the characters behave in an understandable way.”
gameplay
558 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream offers polished, stealth-focused gameplay that blends puzzle elements with tactical planning, emphasizing careful timing and character coordination. While its mechanics are straightforward, linear, and often present only one solution per challenge, the game maintains engagement through evolving abilities, varied environments, and a smooth difficulty curve. Although it lacks the depth and emergent freedom of genre classics, fans of story-driven, methodical stealth adventures will find its immersive world, satisfying stealth puzzles, and strong narrative integration rewarding.
- “Eriksholm plays well to its two main strengths: an amazingly detailed diorama-style visuals and a well-polished stealth gameplay, centered around the interplay between the characters (pretty much like Commandos back in their glory days) and featuring all the classic stealth mechanics.”
- “The gameplay focuses on careful timing and clever problem-solving rather than brute force, making each success feel rewarding. If you enjoy immersive worlds, thoughtful stealth mechanics, and a story with heart, Eriksholm is an easy recommendation.”
- “The stealth mechanics are highly satisfying, offering meaningful variety through different playable characters, each with their own abilities and playstyle. This keeps the gameplay fresh and encourages experimentation rather than repetition.”
- “The harder puzzles often rely on exploiting inconsistent mechanics, so you end up just figuring things out using trial and error.”
- “Gameplay boils down to one simple thing that each character does and executing a plan to move forward; gameplay is very simple and pretty boring in my opinion.”
- “The gameplay is too linear and single, and the character skills, scenes and everything are just for the narrative; you just get the main questline, some simple puzzles, and simple combat mechanics.”
graphics
297 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
26%
1%
The graphics are consistently praised as stunning, richly detailed, and beautifully crafted, featuring vivid environments and top-tier, cinematic cutscenes that greatly enhance immersion. The art style and lighting, boosted by Unreal Engine 5 technology, provide a visually captivating experience praised for its realism, expressive character animations, and atmospheric world-building. While some note minor technical issues or limited graphic settings, overall the visuals are regarded as a standout aspect that significantly elevates the game's appeal.
- “The graphics are just beautiful, the world is designed with great detail - it's just so vivid and lively - and each chapter has something that sets it apart from the others in terms of the setting.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, with richly detailed environments and atmospheric lighting that make the setting feel immersive and alive.”
- “The graphics are stunning , and every detail seems meticulously crafted.”
- “The graphics and artwork: aside from a few cutscenes with very detailed characters, most of the game takes place using very simple graphics.”
- “The graphics were a bit too "smooth" for my taste, without a lot of settings to tweak them.”
- “I can run the game on my fairly powerful PC, but the fans on my graphics card go absolutely berserk while playing.”
music
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
31%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful, atmospheric, and fitting compositions that greatly enhance the overall experience, blending seamlessly with the visuals, story, and gameplay. While not always described as groundbreaking, the soundtrack consistently contributes to an immersive and engaging atmosphere, with voice acting and sound design complementing the audio quality. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong, polished aspect that resonates with players long after gameplay.
- “One of the sleeper hits this year, the story was great, the gameplay was fun, and the music and cutscenes were fantastic. Easily one of my favorite games this year and 2025 has been a stacked year.”
- “All the characters are fully voiced (I love their accents!), and the soundtrack features some beautiful compositions that perfectly complement the action.”
- “The storytelling, music, and ambiance are phenomenal, and the stealth gameplay feels just right.”
- “The graphic design, music, and voice acting are factors driving the price-tag up in this case, but the overall quality of the game doesn't justify it in my opinion.”
- “[b]The music and sounds were nothing that took me aback[/b], either for being bad or particularly good.”
- “The dialogues are flat, and the music is unremarkable.”
atmosphere
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
34%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its rich, immersive qualities, bolstered by detailed, cinematic environments, atmospheric lighting, and compelling sound design. Reviewers highlight its calming yet emotionally engaging mood, Nordic steampunk aesthetic, and seamless integration with story and level design, making it a standout feature that deeply draws players into the world. Overall, the game is celebrated as an atmospheric stealth-puzzle experience that offers both visual beauty and narrative depth.
- “The atmosphere is one of the game’s biggest strengths, supported by detailed environments and a cinematic presentation that keeps you invested in the story.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, with richly detailed environments and atmospheric lighting that make the setting feel immersive and alive.”
- “The scenery and world-building are absolutely stunning, and the game’s atmosphere really draws you in.”
emotional
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The game delivers a visually stunning, emotionally engaging narrative that blends heartfelt storytelling with immersive environments and strong voice acting, though some players found the story occasionally predictable, loosely explained, or lacking deep emotional payoff. Its slow-paced, nuanced approach rewards patience and emotional investment, creating a touching experience centered on themes of memory, loss, and identity, even if character motivations and emotional depth vary in impact. Overall, it is praised for its mature, atmospheric narrative that resonates especially with those who appreciate story-driven, emotionally rich games.
- “It puts a beautiful, emotional story at the forefront and supports it with puzzle-solving that feels organic rather than punishing.”
- “The story is emotionally engaging, and beautifully directed.”
- “This game truly stands out: the story is emotional and deeply engaging, the visual quality is stunning, and the gameplay mechanics are smooth and smartly designed.”
- “Boring story.”
optimization
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
43%
7%
The game is highly praised for its smooth and stable performance across various systems, including older and mid-range hardware, with well-optimized graphics and minimal bugs or stuttering. Although minor UE5 shader stutters are noted when loading new areas, overall optimization ensures a buttery-smooth experience complemented by polished visuals and excellent voice acting. Some very high-end setups may still experience occasional frame drops at maximum quality, but this does not significantly impact the gameplay.
- “The game runs really well with no performance issues, bugs or glitches, even on lower-end hardware.”
- “I am astonished how well optimized the graphics are for this game, as I am running this game very smoothly on a very old system in 1080p: CPU: Core i7 3770 3.4GHz, GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 3GB, Memory: 16GB.”
- “On the technical side, [b]Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream[/b] runs smoothly, with well-optimized graphics and stable performance even on mid-range systems.”
- “Die performance ist größtenteils gut, allerdings gibt es typische UE5-Shader-Ruckler beim Laden neuer Gebiete.”
- “Further optimization is needed, because even with RTX 5080 and 5090, there will still be stuttering and frame drops at the highest picture quality (but this is not a big problem, as long as you are willing to optimize).”
- “My only issue that I have with the game is performance related.”
replayability
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
52%
32%
The game offers a polished and enjoyable first playthrough but suffers from low replayability due to its short length, linear story, and puzzle design with single solutions. Most reviewers suggest it is better suited for a one-time experience or price discounts, as there are few incentives to replay beyond collecting missed items or achievements.
- “Replayability - 7/10 - hardcore mode with increased guards would be interesting.”
- “It's replayable for the pure enjoyment of its overall atmosphere or to revisit after a few years and keep the memory alive.”
- “Chapters are re-playable, which helps for hunting missed collectibles.”
- “Due to a linear story and lack of options to tackle each encounter, there is very little replay value.”
- “The skills of your characters are very limited, the missions are heavily scripted, and enemy encounters are more like miniature puzzles which do not have any replay value at all - and are occasionally a bit obscure or illogical.”
- “If Steam had a neutral review rating this would be a good example of such. Even if I had a lot of fun playing through the game, it took me only 7.5 hours to beat it while collecting the majority of optional collectibles. So even if you aim for 100% completion, you're likely not going to get many more hours out of the game, which makes the $40 price tag a pretty steep ask especially for a game that does not really have any replayability.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
55%
The game is generally stable with excellent optimization, running smoothly at 40-60 fps even on lower-end hardware and the Steam Deck. While mostly bug-free, some minor issues include a character getting stuck in a late section and occasional respawn bugs affecting controls. Overall, no major crashes or visual glitches were reported.
- “It was a mostly bug free experience for me, although I did encounter one small bug in the final section inside the fort where Alva became stuck.”
- “It runs great at 40-60 fps on high settings, though switching between characters is a bit easier with a trackpad or mouse.”
- “Optimization is great, bug free as well.”
- “Respawns are also buggy - you'll often get reset into a state where the mouse cursor disappears, so you can't give commands anymore, leaving you stuck and forced to restart from a much earlier checkpoint.”
- “I guess that makes sense but it can make a few bits frustrating, and seem almost buggy.”
- “The game runs really well with no performance issues, bugs, or glitches, even on lower-end hardware.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
70%
Grinding in the game is often seen as tedious and repetitive, involving lengthy trial and error that can feel more like monotonous busywork than engaging challenge. While some note the gameplay avoids complete boredom, the late stages, especially the final chapter, are criticized for becoming overly dull and grind-heavy. Overall, grinding may appeal to players used to similar achievement-focused or grind-intensive games but can detract from the experience for others.
- “Lengthy trial and error does not make me feel clever, it just indicates I am willing to tediously go through all possible states of the level like a monkey on a typewriter.”
- “You can finish the whole game in 9-10 hours and towards the end (the final chapter in particular) everything became incredibly tedious.”
- “Perfect game if you come from something grindy like AC: Shadows, Dragon Age: The Veilguard or Star Wars: Outlaws; easy achievement game if you hunt achievements.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
Character development in the game is generally seen as limited or lacking depth, with some users noting a weak story and repetitive gameplay that hinders character growth. However, others appreciate the strong character design, voice acting, and atmospheric world-building that contribute positively to the overall experience.
- “The levels are stunning to look at - the detail and feel of the environments lead to great environmental storytelling; the character design, performances (motion capture and voice) are excellent.”
- “Good story, gameplay, and character development.”
- “Beautiful atmosphere, nice character development, great dynamic lighting.”
- “There is no character development; it's just the same stealth escape for each puzzle, and unfortunately, it's further worsened by the lackluster story.”
- “I personally enjoyed the first half more, since it felt like the tonal shift made the character development stop and the acting performance was more meaningful.”
- “I do feel like character development was limited.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is praised for being natural, subtle, and genuinely funny, especially through NPC conversations and character banter that evokes nostalgia. Players appreciate the mix of humor and touching moments, with dynamic guard reactions adding to the comedic experience.
- “These officers have very natural banters, some are even funny and cracked me up - reminding me a lot of older Splinter Cell enemies, and that's very high praise.”
- “They try to mix things up so you have to adapt on the spot, and the guards react to various things, which created a few funny moments!”
- “Funny NPC conversations to listen to.”
monetization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization and advertising approach has been criticized for overpromising features like top-down gameplay combined with cutscenes, while delivering only limited cutscenes and less engaging content. Users feel the marketing efforts overshadow the actual game quality, hinting at a "fake it till you make it" strategy rather than genuine value.
- “You quickly get the impression the developers put more effort into 'fake it till you make it' advertising than into making an actually good game.”
- “What’s worse is the advertising: it promised top-down gameplay combined with cutscenes, but you only get cutscenes at the beginning and the end, plus 2–3 really short ones early on.”
- “Npc dialogues are one of them, advertisements hanging on top of rooftops of Eriksholm is another.”

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83%Critics’ scoreBased on 16 critic reviews

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11h Median play time

11h Average play time

10-15h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 19 analyzed playthroughs

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Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a tactical action adventure game with historical theme.

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 11 hours playing Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream.

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream was released on July 15, 2025.

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream was developed by River End Games.

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a single player game.

Similar games include Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Desperados 3, A Plague Tale: Innocence, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Deliver Us The Moon and others.

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream

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