Hopeguard

About

Hopeguard is a single player action game. It was developed by Hopesquad Studio and was released on February 28, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Your order of knights has been slaying dragons for generations. Now, only the Queen remains and you have been chosen to eradicate her. However, at the peak of the sacred forge, the confrontation will not go as expected… Hopeguard is a third-person dark fantasy game centered on the themes of loss and acceptance. Journey through caves, ruins and forests to solve environmental puzzles and fulfill y…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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81%

Audience ScoreBased on 32 reviews

story10 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game features a compelling story with themes of overcoming adversity and personal growth, effectively engaging players despite its short length.
The gameplay mechanics are interesting, especially the unique twist of losing an arm, which encourages players to adapt and find new solutions to challenges.
The visuals and atmosphere are well-crafted, with beautiful 3D graphics that capture the essence of a medieval fantasy world.

The game lacks a save system, requiring players to complete it in one sitting, which can be frustrating for those who need to pause or quit.
The narrator's voice is often too quiet, making it difficult to hear important dialogue, especially when accompanied by background music.
There are several bugs present, and some gameplay mechanics feel underdeveloped or poorly executed, detracting from the overall experience.

story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
18%
19%
The story of Hopeguard is a familiar dark fantasy narrative featuring a knight on a quest to slay a dragon, which explores themes of existentialism and redemption. While some players appreciate its charm and effective storytelling within a short format, others criticize it for relying on clichés and delivering an unsatisfying conclusion. Overall, the game combines its narrative with engaging puzzle gameplay and strong visuals, creating an immersive experience despite mixed opinions on the story's originality.
- “Now then, the story is good; it's just a simple knight sent out to slay a dragon, has an existential crisis, and learns something. It's been done before, but here it's done pretty well for such a short game.”
- “Short and charming, the story is punctuated by a bit of puzzle gameplay.”
- “The music and narration immersed me from beginning to end, and the story's resolution sends a great message to invite change.”
- “The story is just a plain, dumb cliché... [spoiler] oh, you're the last of your kind hunting the last of the dragonkind.”
- “This has been going on for years/decades and it only occurred to you after a dragon quite literally bites off your arm while you play as the supposed hero of the hopeguards.... "boo hoo, I'm such a bad person... this monster that bit off my arm is just a misunderstood cutie-pie..." really took me out of the immersion of the story.”
- “Story is alright, visuals are fine.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The gameplay is a mix of sword combat and puzzle-solving, starting simply but evolving as players lose their sword arm, requiring creative strategies to progress. While the game features interesting mechanics, such as interacting with statues and using shields, it suffers from clunky controls and design issues that detract from the overall experience. Despite its potential and engaging story, significant improvements are needed for it to be fully recommended.
- “The gameplay is good; it starts off pretty simple with a sword and shield, allowing you to cut and slash your way to the dragon. However, after losing your sword arm, you must come up with new ways to reach the dragon.”
- “Hopeguard is a good dark fantasy puzzle game brought to you by the same studio that created games like Shadow Burglar and All Abug. It features a good story, engaging gameplay, and well-designed levels.”
- “But now, while the game introduced a mechanic where you can hand over your shield to a statue in order to open some doors, if you climb the small wall, you also place your shield in the slit but you are unable to move while the shield is not in your possession. For some reason, you need to press the interact button 3 times for a single climb-up, which could have been a single input.”
- “I could definitely see this becoming a game, but it would need a heck of a lot of work put into it in order for a good game to come out of this. There are lots of design, mechanics, and polish issues, so much so that I just barely don't recommend it even at the price of free.”
- “Short and charming, the story is punctuated by a bit of puzzle gameplay.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The graphics are praised for their impressive 3D design and vibrant colors that effectively evoke a medieval atmosphere, making the visuals a highlight of the experience. While some users note minor bugs and a linear gameplay structure, the overall aesthetic, including level design and environmental storytelling, is considered visually appealing and engaging.
- “The graphics are good, featuring a nice 3D look that definitely captures the feel of a medieval-styled world with beautiful colors and designs that make you want to stop and stare at it all.”
- “The level design and the various environments each tell a story, all reinforced with beautiful visuals, lighting, sounds, and VFX.”
- “Know that it was made for a school project and is a bit buggy, but it's still so cool to see the visuals and everything in it worth the 30 minutes.”
- “Graphics are okay, but the game feels completely linear and short.”
- “The story is alright, but the visuals are just fine.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The music in the game effectively complements the medieval fantasy theme, enhancing immersion throughout the experience. However, some players encountered bugs that affected audio settings, causing the music to stop playing when attempting to lower its volume for better narration clarity, which can sometimes be too quiet. Overall, while the music is praised for its fitting atmosphere, technical issues with audio balance detract from the experience.
- “The music was good; it fits with the whole medieval fantasy genre.”
- “The music and narration immersed me from beginning to end, and the story's resolution sends a great message to invite change.”
- “One bug is that when I tried to lower the music volume to hear the narrator better, the music just stopped playing. The narrator can be pretty quiet, sometimes speaking in a whisper, and with the loud music, it's hard to hear him.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game, created as a school project, is noted for its impressive visuals despite being somewhat buggy, which affects its overall stability. However, many users still find the experience enjoyable and worth the time spent.
- “I understand it was made for a school project, but it's quite buggy. Still, the visuals are impressive and make it worth the 30 minutes.”
- “The game has a lot of potential, but the stability issues really detract from the overall experience.”
- “I encountered frequent crashes and glitches that made it hard to enjoy the gameplay.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its cute and heartfelt story, evoking strong emotional responses from players.
- “A cute and heartfelt story!”
- “The emotional depth of the characters truly resonated with me.”
- “I felt a strong connection to the narrative, it brought me to tears.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its appealing atmosphere, which enhances the overall experience, complemented by engaging puzzles that add depth to the gameplay.
- “This game has a captivating atmosphere that draws you in, and the puzzles add an engaging layer to the experience.”
- “The immersive atmosphere of the game truly enhances the overall gameplay, making every moment feel significant.”
- “The combination of stunning visuals and ambient sounds creates a rich atmosphere that keeps you enthralled throughout.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has received negative feedback, with users reporting high temperatures for their video cards even while navigating menus, indicating poor performance and resource management.
- “I loved the narration, but I really dislike the optimization of this game.”
- “Disgusting optimization; just being in the menu, the video card temperature is around 80 °C.”