Skip to main content

Evoland

79%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
grinding, replayability
79% User Score Based on 3,665 reviews

Platforms

LinuxPCTabletAndroidMac OSPhoneiPadSteam DeckMobile PlatformiPhoneWindows
Buy Nowfrom $1.61
Buy NowGet on Steam €2.49

About

Evoland is a single player casual role playing game with fantasy and comedy themes. It was developed by Shiro Games and was released on April 3, 2013. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Evoland is a game and a story. The story of action adventure gaming as seen in many popular JRPGs and action RPGs, starting from the very beginning, when a few pixels were enough to make us dream for hours. You will discover a bit of video game history and very fun gameplay, covering 20 years of adventure gaming history. Inspired by a wide variety of the most popular action RPGs and JRPGs, Evolan…

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Skip User Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,665 reviews
gameplay253 positive mentions
grinding146 negative mentions
  • Unique and charming concept of evolving graphics and gameplay as you progress through RPG history.
  • Humorous and nostalgic references to classic games like Zelda, Final Fantasy, Diablo, and others.
  • Short and enjoyable experience with diverse gameplay styles and puzzles.
  • Extreme frequency of random encounters especially on overworld map, making exploration tedious.
  • Gameplay lacks depth and polish; simplistic combat modes and repetitive mechanics.
  • Poor or absent controller support with bugs and technical issues; some critical glitches and short length limit replay value.
  • gameplay
    1,194 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Evoland offers a unique and charming gameplay experience by progressively evolving graphics and mechanics from early 8-bit adventure styles to 3D RPGs, blending elements from Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Diablo. While this evolution gimmick provides a fun nostalgia trip with varied gameplay and puzzles, the individual mechanics remain relatively shallow and simplistic, often feeling underdeveloped and occasionally clunky, with the experience being very short and sometimes repetitive. Overall, the gameplay's appeal lies more in its concept and tribute to gaming history than in deep or polished game systems.

    • “Rather than following a traditional progression system where players unlock stronger abilities or gear, the game instead ties advancement to the very fundamentals of gaming—visuals, sound, mechanics, and interface elements—gradually transforming itself as you play.”
    • “The game takes different gameplay styles for different dungeons, seamlessly transitioning between turn-based battles, action RPG sequences, and puzzle-solving moments, reflecting the evolution of the RPG genre.”
    • “With its unique blend of gameplay styles, clever references, and delightful progression, it offers a fresh and enjoyable experience that celebrates the evolution of gaming.”
    • “The game jumps often from mechanic to mechanic, each time executing its new mechanics even worse than it did the previous ones.”
    • “Unfortunately it gives up on this gimmick after surprisingly little gameplay, gameplay elements come up once or twice at best, only the zelda-esque segments are at all fleshed out (and even then, you only get a grand total of 2 items and 4 significant mechanics... including those items), the writing is barely even worth calling a parody with so little effort put into it, and the game comes to a screeching halt after the second town.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics are purely nostalgic and not even suffice to be enjoyable, story is easily predictable, especially if you played games since the 90s... oh and there's a small card battle minigame included.”
  • story
    822 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in Evoland is generally described as short, simple, and heavily derivative, serving primarily as a nostalgic framework that pays homage to classic RPGs like Final Fantasy and Zelda. While it includes familiar tropes and references, it lacks depth, character development, and originality, often feeling more like a parody or excuse plot rather than a compelling narrative. The game's main appeal lies in its evolving gameplay and visuals rather than its narrative, which many find underwhelming but fitting for its brief, lighthearted experience.

    • “If Evoland was only that, it’d be an enjoyable game; however, Evoland tells its own story, and while pieces of it are heavily influenced by many RPGs, most notably the Final Fantasy series with a focus on Final Fantasy VII, the story in Evoland keeps the player involved.”
    • “The story unfolds as you unlock new features, revealing a world threatened by darkness and in need of a hero.”
    • “Drawing heavily from games like Final Fantasy, Zelda, Dragon Quest, and Diablo, you take your character through a very enjoyable, funny, and exciting adventure that will fill you with nostalgia the whole way through.”
    • “The story is predictable and uninspired (especially considering how much they seem to worship some classics, you'd think they'd have pulled some decent story from some of them).”
    • “The game isn't bad, if you are just looking for a quick and pointless time killer, but the story does not really hold up and even though the concept at the start was great, it falls apart very quickly.”
    • “If the point (based on the subtitle) was to tell a short story, Evoland only succeeds on a basic level; there is technically a start, middle, and end to it, but it's all lazily written and boring to read.”
  • graphics
    749 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Evoland features a unique graphical progression system, starting from simple monochrome 8-bit visuals and basic mechanics, gradually evolving through various art styles and gaming eras up to low-poly 3D graphics. While the evolving graphics and nostalgic references are widely praised and create a charming, museum-like experience, the visual upgrades plateau about halfway, and some find the later 3D graphics less appealing. Overall, the graphics are well-executed and integral to the game's concept, offering a rewarding and enjoyable homage to RPG history despite some technical quirks and inconsistencies.

    • “You start with literal stick figure graphics and a single button and slowly unlock colors, sound, save files (yes, you unlock the ability to save) until it becomes a full on jrpg.”
    • “The game constantly surprised me with how it evolves going from monochrome visuals to full 3d graphics, from simple movement to full combat systems, all unlocked piece by piece as I progressed.”
    • “Special mention for the "time changing" puzzles, in which you have to alternate between 2d graphics and 3d graphics to make your way into the level.”
    • “The evolving graphics gimmick kinda wears thin pretty fast, and once that initial wow factor wears off you're left with what's honestly kind of a mediocre experience.”
    • “Sadly the devs kinda messed that up, as previous places stay with the graphics you saw them, meaning if you've unlocked beautiful 3d graphics, the first town will still have snes graphics for no reason what so ever.”
    • “Hit detection is awful, combat is boring, character movement is slow, and for a game that advances through increasingly 'high-res' graphics, the final stage of graphic advancement is a disappointing, poorly-animated style that would feel more at home on an older smartphone than on a pc game.”
  • humor
    331 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a playful, self-aware humor heavily rooted in nostalgic references and parodies of classic RPGs like Final Fantasy, Zelda, and Diablo. While many players find the tongue-in-cheek jokes and evolving gameplay elements amusing and charming—often eliciting smiles and laughter—others feel the humor becomes repetitive, overly reliant on clichés, or occasionally falls flat. Overall, its humor is best appreciated by fans of retro RPGs who enjoy lighthearted, referential comedy, though it may not sustain its comedic impact throughout the short playtime.

    • “Evoland is a delightful, genre-bending romp that celebrates the history of RPGs in a unique and humorous way.”
    • “Humor with heart: be prepared for witty jokes and playful references that poke fun at RPG tropes while celebrating their charm.”
    • “The real beauty of Evoland is how it humorously reflects back on the different features added as each of these games evolved.”
    • “The 'jokes' are largely not funny. The gameplay shifts so much that, even if there is a part of the game you enjoy, it doesn't last long at all.”
    • “It is just so damn sloppy made. Everything is sloppily placed, the music repeats until it's annoying, the things the game says it will show you get so damn hardcore repetitive it is just not funny anymore. There is no real narration or smart system to support the so-called gaming history they show, and many more issues.”
    • “I could go on and on, but these references aren't clever in the least; they're just not funny.”
  • music
    309 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game evolves alongside graphics and gameplay, starting from simple, retro 8-bit tunes and gradually advancing to more complex, orchestral styles reflecting different gaming eras. While many praise the nostalgic, fitting soundtrack and its immersive role in the game's progression, some find the music repetitive, generic, or overly derivative of classics like Zelda and Final Fantasy. Overall, the soundtrack effectively complements the game's homage to RPG history, delivering enjoyable and memorable themes despite occasional repetitiveness and a lack of originality.

    • “The soundtrack evolves by adding layers and complexity as new features are unlocked, enhancing the immersive experience.”
    • “The game ingeniously combines elements of various gaming eras, from the pixelated graphics and chiptune music of classic RPGs to the 3D environments and orchestral scores of more modern titles, with each era accompanied by a fitting musical score that enhances the overall immersion.”
    • “You start with no graphics or music, then gradually unlock improvements such as 8-bit and 16-bit music, color, and 3D textures, experiencing the evolution of game music alongside graphics and gameplay as you progress.”
    • “Again, despite its influences... games renowned for their timeless, moving music... the kind of music that sold the first video game soundtracks... this game is full of short, repetitive, plinky-plunky, nails on a chalkboard garbage that you will hear re-used all over the game.”
    • “It's trying to be the music of other games without actually being it, and the song loops are short enough that a few of them can get really grating.”
    • “The music is wretched.”
  • grinding
    150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is widely described as tedious, repetitive, and exhausting, particularly in the second half where random encounters and turn-based combat become monotonous and detract from enjoyment. While the concept and initial gameplay are praised for creativity and humor, many players find the frequent battles, backtracking, and slow progression frustrating, making grinding feel like a chore rather than a rewarding challenge. The game's short length somewhat mitigates this, but for many, grinding overshadows its nostalgic appeal and inventive mechanics.

    • “No grinding is involved at all, and the game is actually a fast-paced adventure.”
    • “To be honest, being rather tired of 'retro' games, I didn't expect much from it, but the reference flow, the puzzles use the evolution theme well and there's no grinding it out like some of the games it imitates.”
    • “Not really grinding to level up, mind you.”
    • “Except the devs completely missed what made those games fun and special; Evoland is a grindy slog whose main selling point is 'watching the graphics get better.'”
    • “The second half of the game on the other hand is a really tedious and boring slog.”
    • “You can't take two steps before getting in a new battle, and all the battles are practically the same, making them really tedious and, at times, even frustrating.”
  • replayability
    98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers a short, one-time experience with very limited replayability, mostly tied to achievement hunting or minor collectible pursuits. While the gameplay and nostalgic appeal are appreciated, once completed, there is little incentive or content to encourage repeated playthroughs. Overall, it is best enjoyed as a brief, nostalgic journey rather than a game with lasting replay value.

    • “The evolution of the game is what intrigued me; I stayed for how well it was integrated into the gameplay and changed the replayability of the levels.”
    • “It has the three things that make a good game: graphics, gameplay, replayability.”
    • “(Also the minigame riffing on FF8's 'Triple Triad' was really fun and replayable!)”
    • “The game lacks a substantial or original plot, has a fairly limited interface, is laughably short, gets repetitive quickly, and has absolutely no replay value.”
    • “I finished the game in 3 hours, the amount of replayability is literally 0; you could get max 6 hours of gameplay if you wanted to get all the achievements, but that's it. In my book, a game should be at least 1 hour of gameplay per euro, so if you can get it for 3 euros or less, then go ahead.”
    • “Bought the game on sale for 50% and was still disappointed with how it never seemed to be worth even that value—boring gameplay that never really lets the player become invested in, while also making the game much too quick to progress through, leaving absolutely no replay value.”
  • stability
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is frequently reported as buggy, with issues ranging from texture tearing, controller detection problems, and character glitches to collision detection and puzzle mechanics that can cause players to get stuck. Despite these stability challenges, many users acknowledge improvements through patches and appreciate the game’s charm and retro appeal. Overall, while technically stable and smooth-running at times, the game suffers from several persistent bugs that can impact playability.

    • “Technically it is stable, runs smooth, solid work with almost bug free design except the hit detection (not as crisp as other top-down slashers but still acceptable).”
    • “No errors, no glitches.”
    • “The time-travel puzzles are tedious and buggy; tedious because you always need to backtrack to solve them, and buggy because you can get yourself stuck in pretty much every single puzzle by placing a bomb next to a time crystal, passing a small tree, and then changing era when the bomb explodes.”
    • “Also if you try to skip getting any of the upgrades to keep a particular style early on, the game will either block your progress outright or become an unplayable buggy mess, so there's only one way to play it, really.”
    • “After choosing the character and walking around a bit in the cave, the game glitches up and crashes.”
  • emotional
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional impact of the game is divisive, with some players feeling nostalgia and genuine emotional moments, while others find the narrative underdeveloped, shallow, or lacking meaningful character connection. The game’s strength lies in its nostalgic appeal and homage to classic RPGs, but it may fall short for those seeking a deeper or more emotionally driven story.

    • “You surprised me, you thrilled me, you made me cry a little.”
    • “From the catchy tune of the battle theme, to the emotional tune of when [spoiler] Zephyros kills Kaeris [/spoiler] to the final boss theme, which is one of the most incredible fight themes I have heard to date.”
    • “In essence, Evoland is a must-play for enthusiasts seeking a heartwarming journey through the history of gaming, where simplicity and nostalgia intertwine to create an enjoyable and immersive experience.”
    • “Some people say 'Evoland' is shallow and has a boring story.”
    • “Boring storyline.”
  • atmosphere
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is generally well-crafted and evolves throughout play, effectively complementing the gameplay and visuals with fitting music and tone. While the story may be weak or unengaging, the nostalgic, old-school RPG vibe and changing environments create a compelling and immersive experience. Overall, the atmosphere is appreciated for its consistency and progression, despite occasionally typical RPG elements and some repetitive encounters.

    • “Atmosphere, gameplay and graphics are continuously changing through the stages of the game and are always quite fitting.”
    • “Atmospheres are done decently, with music and tone to match setting.”
    • “Fantastic game - it's incredible how precisely the atmosphere of so many different oldschool RPGs was captured.”
    • “The story is nothing special, and random encounters at one point can be rather boring and annoying, but the overall atmosphere and difficulty compensate for that.”
    • “The atmosphere: 3/5 - it's basically your typical RPG atmosphere.”
    • “A story not told: the story is more or less non-existent, the atmosphere is there and yes there is a story but you don’t really care and there isn’t much to follow.”
  • character development
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in this game is minimal and largely overshadowed by its satirical and humorous approach, resulting in a story and characters that lack depth or meaningful progression. Players seeking a rich, immersive RPG experience with strong character growth may find this aspect underwhelming. However, the character designs and comedic tone provide a light, enjoyable atmosphere despite the limited development.

    • “I can't recommend it, however, if you are looking for a deep and meaningful RPG with story and character development that immerses and interests you.”
    • “Gameplay is novel at times, but the character design is endearing enough to make the entire experience give you that warm, fuzzy feeling.”
    • “The storyline wasn't introduced for the first hour (of three), so it made the story and character development a little underwhelming.”
    • “The final fantasy and Baldur's Gate style games rely heavily on skill trees and character development for entertainment, but Evoland omits these aspects in favor of satire, which, while funny, cannot carry the game through the long sections.”
    • “I had expected at some point that it might "evolve" into its own game but that never happens and it is so short that the plot and character development may as well not even exist.”
  • optimization
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is generally smooth with stable performance and no major bugs, although some users noted occasional control stuttering. However, there are mixed opinions regarding 3D performance, with a few describing it as poor and impacting overall experience.

    • “In terms of performance, it ran extremely smoothly and I did not encounter any hiccups while playing.”
    • “The game runs smoothly and I've experienced no bugs or issues.”
    • “Runs smoothly, and I have zero saving issues.”
    • “The controls were a bit stuttering, this is my only small complaint about it.”
    • “I have no clue why the 3D performance is so awful, but it really makes me sad.”
    • “If you can get over this game's subpar gameplay and really bad 3D performance, then it's interesting, to say the least.”
  • monetization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's monetization is widely perceived as a cash grab, with users criticizing the presence of microtransactions and missing promised DLCs after key milestones. Despite its retro homage, the monetization approach detracts from the experience, especially compared to older games that lacked such practices.

    • “I would not recommend this game to me; it just feels like a quick cash grab like most games on Steam today.”
    • “Recommended for people that remember those 'good old times' and for everyone that asks themselves why people actually play retro games and why they did not have early access or microtransactions back in the times... and where are those DLCs after I defeated the boss?”
    • “The game just feels like a cash grab to me.”
Skip Game Offers

Buy Evoland

5h Median play time
5h Average play time
3h Main story
6h Completionist
4-6h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 51 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Evoland

Games Like Evoland

Evoland ImageEvoland ImageEvoland Image
75%2kreviews

Evoland

Casual Role Playing
TabletAndroidPhone+1
Games like Evoland
Evoland 2 Image
77%2.4kreviews

Evoland 2

2015Casual Hack and Slash
PCTabletAndroid+7
Games like Evoland 2
Breath of Death VII Image
85%1.1kreviews

Breath of Death VII

2011Role Playing
Xbox 360PCXbox+2
Games like Breath of Death VII
The Messenger Image
90%8.1kreviews

The Messenger

2018Arcade Platformer
Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPC+7
Games like The Messenger
Lenna's Inception Image
87%253reviews

Lenna's Inception

2020Role Playing
LinuxPCMac OS+3
Games like Lenna's Inception
More games like Evoland
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Evoland is a casual role playing game with fantasy and comedy themes.

Evoland is available on PC, Mac OS, Phone, iPad and others.

The main story can be completed in around 3 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 6 hours to finish. On average players spend around 5 hours playing Evoland.

Evoland was released on April 3, 2013.

Evoland was developed by Shiro Games.

Evoland has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Evoland for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

Evoland is a single player game.

Similar games include Evoland, Evoland 2, Breath of Death VII, The Messenger, Lenna's Inception and others.