Fairyside

About

Fairyside is a single player casual role playing shooter game with horror, fantasy, drama, mystery and others themes. It was developed by Kiyummi Games and was released on November 1, 2022. It received very positive reviews from players.

A dark fantasy roguelike shoot-em-up with lots of bullet hell featuring cute pixel art, visual novel interludes, and story-driven gameplay. Join Shirley in her journey to learn magic and survive Redwood Academy!

Skip User Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 61 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

Fun and addictive gameplay blending roguelike bullet hell mechanics with a cozy magical school theme.
Charming pixel art and appealing, whimsical story with engaging characters and worldbuilding.
Free to play with fair progression, no microtransactions, and decent replay value through meta progression and endless mode.

Repetitive and limited procedural generation leads to similar rooms and enemy spawns diminishing variety.
Some frustrating design choices such as unclear enemy attack cues, inconsistent damage mechanics, and certain enemies spawning unfairly.
Narrative delivery relies heavily on text dumps that can disrupt gameplay flow, and killing some NPCs can break quest or lore progression without a way to reset.

gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
57%
12%
The gameplay is a competent twin-stick shooter with roguelike, bullet hell elements that many find fun and satisfying, especially for quick, casual sessions. However, it is criticized for lacking variety, depth, and meaningful progression, with some viewing it as a derivative and barebones experience compared to similar games. Overall, while mechanically solid and enjoyable for some, it may feel shallow and uninspired to others.
- “Very fun gameplay!”
- “The gameplay is fun, roguelike with bullet hell battles, and though I suck at it, it's already turning into my preferred game to just pick up and play a quick run whenever I get a few minutes of free time.”
- “As for the gameplay mechanics, the system starts off simple but has some interesting depth as you get to the middle and late game.”
- “It's basically Binding of Isaac with somehow worse graphics and much worse gameplay.”
- “The developer chose not to do the job of a real game developer and create meaningful bespoke levels, narrative-based gameplay progression and so on.”
- “Gameplay is very barebones with not much to do.”
story
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
48%
13%
The story is generally praised for being cute, endearing, and whimsical, blending lighthearted magical school themes with darker, more complex elements and intriguing worldbuilding. Some find it charming and enjoyable, though occasionally scattered or rushed, with a narrative style that relies more on notes and background details than direct storytelling. Overall, it complements the gameplay well and adds to the game's personality and appeal.
- “This is a warm, whimsical adventure with cozy quests and a gentle sense of discovery.”
- “A fun roguelite bullethell with adorable little sprites contrasting an engaging darker story.”
- “There is some interesting worldbuilding to be found in the story as well as the notes which can be gathered.”
- “Dump garbage, cringe writing visual novel fanfiction text at gamers when you can't work out how to narrate your story through the mechanics of the game (show, don't tell!).”
- “The story seems really scattershot, though a decent amount of focus remains on the main protagonist Shirley and her love Rasha.”
- “It alternates between a typical magical school setting, a love story, a barely touched on allegory on hatred and human ambition, and a bunch of dark secrets from everyone who isn't the main two characters.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The graphics are primarily simple pixel art with charming character and monster designs, though some users find the style underwhelming or low-quality compared to modern visuals. While the artstyle has its fans for being cute and unique, others criticize it as poorly executed or less appealing than similar pixel art games. Overall, the graphics are functional and stylistic but may not impress players seeking high-end visuals.
- “The visuals are presented in a simple pixel art style illustrating equally simple and charming character and monster designs.”
- “Pretty fun, love the artstyle.”
- “Other than that, the graphics are simple and charming.”
- “This features really godawful pixelcrap 'art' instead of real graphics.”
- “It's basically Binding of Isaac with somehow worse graphics and much worse gameplay.”
- “It's hard to say if this was because the developer didn't have the skill to do the job of creating 3D visuals, or couldn't afford to hire someone who does, but it also doesn't matter.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The music is primarily royalty-free or Creative Commons tracks, featuring a lighthearted and fitting ambiance that complements the game's cute art style. Overall, the soundtrack is well-received and enhances the unique visual and design elements of the game.
- “The music is lighthearted and the art is cute.”
- “The ambiance is good, the art is cute and the music follows well.”
- “Fairyside is a unique visual novel/roguelike fusion with a great art style, soundtrack, and game design.”
- “The music is royalty-free, which is what I expected.”
- “The music and sound are mostly just CC tracks from MacLeod and free sound effects.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers strong replayability through its meta progression system and an endless mode that provides substantial build variety, despite having a relatively short main story and limited boss encounters. Additionally, the absence of microtransactions enhances the value as a complete and free experience.
- “I actually wish there were more bosses because the ending boss leaves me hoping for more, but with the addition of an endless mode after you finish, there's actually quite a lot of content in terms of build variety and replayability for a game you don't have to pay for.”
- “There aren't any microtransactions at all (this is a complete game), and while the game itself isn't very long, it promises a bunch of replay value thanks to the meta progression system.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding is seen as an optional but tedious strategy, where players can either rely on skill and reflexes or invest time in upgrading to more easily endure tough boss fights.
- “You're either better off just leaving it alone and using your reflexes or grinding out a bunch of upgrades to just damage sponge the bosses.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features no microtransactions, offering a complete experience upfront. Although the main story is relatively short, its meta progression system adds substantial replay value.
- “There aren't any microtransactions at all (this is a complete game), and while the game itself isn't very long it promises a bunch of replay value thanks to the meta progression system.”