Pixel Heroes: Byte & Magic

Ultimately, the bland, dreary combat sinks the entirety of the experience and it’s with a heavy heart that I must warn you to avoid this title if you have any choice in the matter. Pixel Heroes: Byte & Magic is a swing and a woeful miss.

63%Game Brain Score

humor, gameplay

grinding

69% User Score Based on 654 reviews

Critic Score 55%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $0.84

Buy NowGet on Steam€9.75

About

"Pixel Heroes: Byte & Magic" is a humorous RPG/Roguelike game with procedurally generated content, ensuring a unique experience each playthrough. Choose three heroes from 30 unique classes, and embark on a journey to defeat evil forces and save the town of Pixton. The game features randomly generated dungeons, events, and loot, providing endless replayability.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 661 reviews

humor144 positive mentions

grinding32 negative mentions

Pixel Heroes offers a charming retro aesthetic with humorous writing and engaging gameplay that appeals to fans of old-school RPGs.
The game features a variety of character classes and randomized loot, providing a good level of replayability and strategic depth.
The turn-based combat system, while simple, allows for tactical decision-making and can be quite rewarding when players learn to adapt to enemy weaknesses.

The game suffers from repetitive gameplay, as many encounters and dungeons feel similar, leading to a grindy experience over time.
Permadeath can be frustrating, as players are forced to restart from the beginning if their party wipes, which can feel punishing and unfair.
Inventory management is cumbersome, with limited slots leading to tedious sorting and decision-making about what to keep or discard.

humor
146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and charm, featuring a mix of quirky dialogue, pop culture references, and self-aware jokes that resonate well with players. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to balance its challenging gameplay with lighthearted moments, making it an enjoyable experience overall. However, some players noted that the humor can become repetitive over time, though it generally adds to the game's appeal.
- “Overall a hilarious and engaging game; perfect to play if you have time to kill.”
- “The game’s off-the-wall humor and lighthearted tone balance the difficulty perfectly.”
- “It's charming, with biting humor and just the right amount of strategic depth.”
- “Shallow, unfunny humor”
- “Shallow, unfunny humor”
gameplay
144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of simplicity and frustration, with many players appreciating the nostalgic RPG elements and humor, while also criticizing unbalanced mechanics, repetitive gameplay, and the harsh permadeath system that prevents returning to town. The combat is often described as straightforward but lacking depth, leading to a grindy experience, though some find enjoyment in the quirky characters and random events. Overall, while the game has potential and charm, its gameplay mechanics leave much to be desired, making it a mixed experience for players.
- “Gameplay is good and pretty easy to learn.”
- “I found the interface easy to use, the mechanics complex enough for interest, but simple enough for casual play, and the random quest structure looks replayable for some time.”
- “The perfect balance of gameplay and humor.”
- “Overall, while the game is nicely polished, the gameplay itself is severely lacking.”
- “The battles - the core gameplay - are terrible and where the tedium sets in.”
- “Alas, as with most games of this type, the gameplay becomes repetitive after a while.”
story
122 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
75%
10%
The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and coherence, with many reviewers noting that it features random, forgettable quests and minimal character development. While there are humorous moments and a light-hearted atmosphere, the overall narrative is described as uninspiring and repetitive, failing to engage players who seek a compelling storyline. The quests often feel disconnected, leading to a perception that the game lacks a meaningful plot or direction.
- “This is the story of Hacky, Samira, and Jamal, three legendary adventurers. They vanquished foe after foe, completed quest after quest, with none of them succumbing to death's touch. But alas, on their final quest to save the world from the abysmal lord of the cyclopean pyramid, they got what was coming to them.”
- “Pixel Heroes is an engaging, humor-filled story that is fun for people of all ages.”
- “I love reading the character background story at the beginning, I love the traveling mechanism that is like Oregon Trail, I love everything about this game.”
- “There is no real story and the quests feel random.”
- “The quests are instantly forgettable as they are fantasy 'parody' quests with no hook and little humour.”
- “It's tagged as an adventure but it has a trite and forgettable story.”
graphics
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
61%
7%
The graphics of the game are predominantly pixel art, which elicits mixed reactions from players; some appreciate the nostalgic charm and detail, while others find them simplistic or unattractive. Many reviews highlight that the visuals complement the game's humor and gameplay, though some express a desire for improved graphics in potential sequels. Overall, while the pixel graphics may not appeal to everyone, they are generally seen as fitting for the game's style and purpose.
- “I mean, the game is clearly a labor of love, the graphics are very nice and there are plenty of little details showing the authors' care.”
- “Graphics: fantastic pixel graphics make this game a lot of fun.”
- “The retro style graphics, fun music, and Monty Python-esque comedy are a mashup of new and old.”
- “Graphics are really bad.”
- “The pixel graphics are also ugly, and I mean ugly as pixel graphics go, not just because it is pixel graphics.”
- “However, in my opinion, I found that the visuals lean from being nostalgic to being too simplistic and boring for my tastes, with no updated sprites for different weapon and armor equips; the visuals never update themselves and it will look the same throughout the game.”
music
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
58%
12%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its nostalgic retro style and catchy tracks, particularly during boss fights, while others find it repetitive and annoying over time. Many users appreciate the overall soundtrack but note that it can become grating, leading some to turn it off entirely. Overall, while the music adds charm to the game, its lack of variety and volume control detracts from the experience for some players.
- “So many pros to this game, nice pixel graphics, nice combat arrangements, plenty of cool items with special abilities, nice soundtrack, nice humor and references to pop culture and a lot more fun and cool things to discover.”
- “The music should’ve gotten a higher score, since making my lets review I delved into the goblin fortress, and that boss fight has the most amazing music.”
- “Blown away by this game after an hour I know I'm hooked, immersive, hilarious, and a frackin awesome soundtrack!”
- “Also for my taste, the music is repetitive and forgettable; I played with it turned off.”
- “The only glaring issue I had was that the music became obnoxious quickly, and I had to turn my own on.”
- “But with no volume control, and loops of songs under a minute or two long, the harsh tones of the classic songs quickly drill into your ear until exhaustion.”
replayability
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
42%
8%
The game boasts high replayability due to its roguelike progression system, diverse character classes, and randomly generated quests, which encourage players to return for unique experiences. While some reviews note limited longevity, the overall consensus highlights enjoyable mechanics and varied playstyles that enhance replay value. Players appreciate the balance of complexity and accessibility, making it a fun choice for both casual and dedicated gamers.
- “The replay value is also pretty good, with a roguelike progression system unlocking new characters and multiple campaigns similar to a new game plus.”
- “Great replayability, lots of characters, interesting combat system, and a great anachronistic dark sense of humor.”
- “Experimenting with the varied playstyles sends this game’s replayability skyrocketing.”
- “Limited replay value, but recommended for those who crave punishment and enjoy extremely random RNG.”
- “But despite the replayability aspect of permadeath and unlocking new characters, this isn't a game that's going to have a huge lifespan.”
- “The game manages plenty of depth and replayability without bogging you down with hour upon hour of camping or questing.”
grinding
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with many noting that combat lacks depth and strategy, leading to a monotonous experience. Inventory management is frequently criticized for being cumbersome, as players struggle to differentiate between useful items and junk. While some appreciate the abundance of loot and the potential for replayability, the overall sentiment leans towards grinding feeling like a chore rather than an engaging part of the gameplay.
- “Despite the simple and charming aesthetic, it can get exceedingly grindy and repetitive, and god help you if you try to 100% achievements.”
- “Dungeons feel a bit too long--you have to get through about six packs of trash on average to get to the boss encounter, all the while your inventory will fill up with junk and you're faced with the tedious task of picking through it before you can advance any further.”
- “After you have completed the hardest difficulty level, Pixel Heroes can start to feel like a very repetitive, tedious, and pointless experience.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a vibrant and comical tone, with engaging roadside interactions and humorous quests that enhance the overall enjoyment. Players appreciate the lightheartedness, which contributes significantly to the game's appeal and entertainment value.
- “I loved the roadside interactions and felt that the comical atmosphere made the game more enjoyable. In the end, that's one of the main reasons, if not the main reason, we play games in the first place: because we want to enjoy them.”
- “The game features a very funny atmosphere with quests that can make you laugh out loud sometimes.”
- “The comical atmosphere throughout the game enhances the overall experience, making it a joy to play.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in this game is largely criticized, with many players noting that non-playable characters (NPCs) communicate in gibberish, detracting from the overall narrative and depth of storytelling. As a result, those seeking rich character arcs and engaging plots may find this game lacking.

55%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews

Buy Pixel Heroes: Byte & Magic

73h Median play time

55h Average play time

20-90h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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Pixel Heroes: Byte & Magic

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