Fairyside

About

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!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game features charming pixel art and an engaging story that contrasts its whimsical aesthetic with darker themes.
Gameplay is fun and addictive, offering a satisfying roguelike experience with a straightforward leveling system.
As a free game, it provides a lot of content and replayability, making it an appealing choice for fans of the genre.

The game suffers from repetitive level design and enemy spawn issues, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Some players find the RNG elements and achievement requirements to be overly punishing and frustrating.
The writing and character development are inconsistent, with many characters lacking depth and motivation.

gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
48%
14%
The gameplay is generally well-received, characterized as a fun and engaging twin-stick shooter with roguelike elements and bullet hell mechanics. While some players appreciate the depth that develops in the mid to late game, others find the gameplay to be somewhat barebones and lacking in variety. Overall, it offers a satisfying loop of shooting and dodging, making it a good choice for quick play sessions.
- “Very fun gameplay!”
- “The gameplay is fun, roguelike with bullet hell battles, and though - again - I suck at it, it's already turning into my preferred game to just pick up and play a quick run of whenever I get a few minutes of free time.”
- “Overall solid game, the gameplay loop is satisfying; you shoot enemies while dodging their bullets.”
- “The gameplay is very barebones; there aren't many things to do.”
- “Hfit: 6/10 - there is no variation in gameplay, and I'm not a lore fanatic.”
- “However, there are some serious issues, which again, tie into the gameplay.”
story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
40%
15%
The game's story is characterized by a charming and endearing narrative that contrasts with its darker themes, featuring a magical school setting and a central love story between the protagonists. While some players find the storytelling to be somewhat scattered and rushed, many appreciate the cute art style and the intriguing worldbuilding elements, suggesting that there is depth to be uncovered as players progress. Overall, the story is seen as a delightful aspect of the game, enhancing the overall experience despite some inconsistencies.
- “A fun roguelite bullet hell 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.”
- “The story is also very cute and endearing, so that's a huge plus in my book!”
- “To be honest, I took such a long break between sessions that I don't remember many of the details of the story.”
- “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
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The graphics feature a charming and simple pixel art style, showcasing delightful character and monster designs that enhance the game's aesthetic. While the in-game sprites are well-received, some players find the character art in cutscenes less impressive. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the unique fusion of visual novel and roguelike elements.
- “The visuals are presented in a simple pixel art style illustrating equally simple and charming character and monster designs.”
- “Fairyside is a unique VN/roguelike fusion with a great art style, soundtrack, and game design.”
- “I definitely wasn't expecting to be put through the ringer the way I was upon seeing the game's aesthetic.”
- “The UI and the graphics are trying to kill you.”
- “Other than that, the graphics are simple and charming.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The music in the game is primarily royalty-free, featuring lighthearted tracks and sound effects from sources like Macleod and Free Sound. Players appreciate the ambiance and how well the music complements the cute art style, contributing positively to the overall experience of the unique VN/roguelike fusion.
- “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 VN/roguelike fusion with a great art style, soundtrack, and game design.”
- “The music and sound is mostly just CC tracks from MacLeod and free sound effects.”
- “The music is royalty-free, which is what I expected.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game offers significant replayability through an endless mode and a meta progression system, providing varied build options despite its relatively short length. Players express a desire for more bosses, indicating that the content leaves them wanting more, but the absence of microtransactions enhances the overall value.
- “I actually wish there were more bosses because the final boss leaves me hoping for more. However, with the addition of an endless mode after finishing, there's actually a lot of content in terms of build variety and replayability for a game that you don't have to pay for.”
- “I actually wish there were more bosses because the final boss leaves me hoping for more. However, with the addition of an endless mode after finishing, there's actually quite a lot of content in terms of build variety and replayability for a game that 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
300%
Reviews indicate that players often face a choice between relying on their reflexes or engaging in extensive grinding to acquire upgrades, which can make boss encounters feel more like damage sponges rather than skill-based challenges.
- “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.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious, making the game more of a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
- “I spent hours grinding for resources, only to realize it didn't significantly improve my gameplay.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game features no microtransactions, offering a complete experience, and although it is relatively short, it provides significant replay value through its meta progression system.
- “There aren't any microtransactions at all; this is a complete game. While the game itself isn't very long, it promises a bunch of replay value thanks to the meta progression system.”
- “The game offers a fair monetization model that respects players' time and investment, allowing for a satisfying experience without feeling pressured to spend more.”
- “I appreciate that the game provides optional content for purchase, but it never feels necessary to enjoy the core experience.”