Ritual: Crown of Horns

Ritual: Crown of Horns is an enjoyable experience, but one that seems determined to frustrate through its unforgiving difficulty and repetitive nature. Its soul is saved, though, by an grimly pretty art style and satisfying, punchy gunplay.

65%Game Brain Score

gameplay, atmosphere

story, music

78% User Score Based on 32 reviews

Critic Score 66%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

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About

Ritual: Crown of Horns is a single player arcade shooter game with a horror theme. It was developed by Draw Distance and was released on November 7, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Ritual: Crown of Horns is a fast-paced top-down shooter set in a demonic Weird West where a resurrected bounty hunter and a witch team up to fight endless hordes. Players switch between weapons and powerful rituals, strategizing their attacks while unlocking new tools and abilities. Skill and quick reflexes are key to surviving brutal waves and achieving revenge.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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78%

Audience ScoreBased on 32 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Ritual: Crown of Horns features fast-paced, intense combat that rewards skill and strategy, making it highly engaging for players who enjoy challenging gameplay.
The game boasts a unique dark western aesthetic, with strong visual design and a haunting soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere.
Players appreciate the variety of weapons and spells available, allowing for adaptable playstyles and encouraging experimentation during combat.

The game has a steep learning curve and can feel punishingly difficult, which may deter casual players or those unfamiliar with the genre.
Some players find the progression system unbalanced, as it often requires grinding to unlock better gear, which can lead to repetitive gameplay.
Control issues, such as mandatory auto-aim and clunky input mechanics, can frustrate players and detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
65%
7%
The gameplay is characterized by fast-paced, twin-stick shooter mechanics that emphasize defending a witch from waves of enemies, offering a mix of spells and weapons for strategic play. While the core gameplay is engaging and rewarding, some players find the aiming mechanics clunky and the repetitive nature of the horde defense format can lead to boredom. Overall, the game provides a solid experience with a challenging difficulty curve, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its simplicity and potential accessibility issues.
- “Fast-paced gameplay that encourages repeated attempts.”
- “The gameplay is extremely satisfying.”
- “Summary: while ritual may be in need of some quality of life improvements in certain areas, its fast-paced action-packed and strategic gameplay mixed with a metal soundtrack and varied weapons and abilities create a difficult yet fun and engaging take on the wild west.”
- “Variety comes primarily from enemy mixes, arena layouts, and loadout experimentation rather than radically different modes or mechanics.”
- “Too many of the game mechanics just slow things down unnecessarily.”
- “The auto-aim being an absolute necessity, even when you swap input methods, is really painful and makes it really hard to focus on anything but how clunky and obnoxious the charge mechanic is, especially considering that, because this game is entirely focused on a horde-style story mode, you aren't actually traversing levels like many other twin stick shooters, you're consistently defending this witch in extremely cramped maps.”
story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The game's story, while featuring a classic revenge narrative with a cowboy protagonist and a twist of betrayal, is often criticized for its cliché elements and reliance on tedious text-based dialogue. Despite its shortcomings, some players appreciate the intriguing atmosphere and the context it provides for the gameplay, though many feel the plot is overshadowed by the action and riddled with inconsistencies. Overall, the story offers a decent backdrop for the horde-style gameplay, but may not satisfy those seeking a deeply engaging narrative.
- “The plot is better than I expected, from the writing to the concept to the art.”
- “There is no mistaking the plot plays second to the gameplay in Ritual; nevertheless, for those who are looking for a decent story amidst all the carnage, there is an interesting one to be found here.”
- “These elements combined with the story, which has a 'weird fiction' vibe, create an intriguing atmosphere.”
- “The story is pretty cliché - you are a bounty hunter/wild west legend who is basically a hero of the nation (there are even dime novels published with him as the protagonist), and you are sent by the government (which turns out to be sort of an illuminati bad guys...) to kill the witch (...but then the government cultists tear you up with hatchets).”
- “The long and short of it is that this is a top-down shooter with arcade gameplay spread across a handful of different enough levels and a smattering of story that feels like it's punching way above the weight of its presentation and having too little of an effect.”
- “From what I can tell, the storyline here seems to have as many plot holes as Swiss cheese.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The music in "Ritual: Crown of Horns" is widely praised for its ability to enhance the game's dark atmosphere and intense combat, featuring a compelling mix of heavy metal and western-inspired melodies. While some players noted that certain musical themes can be jarring, the overall soundtrack is considered excellent, effectively supporting the game's fast-paced action and immersive experience. The haunting and energetic compositions contribute significantly to the game's unique style and emotional impact.
- “The soundtrack supports the action perfectly, adding tension and energy during combat while maintaining the game’s dark atmosphere.”
- “But other than that, the soundtrack and atmosphere to Ritual are nothing short of excellence.”
- “I did find the main theme that plays during dialogue can get a bit ear-piercing at its height of higher musical notes and high bass, which is unfortunate.”
- “While the overall graphics are nothing to write home about, the music is haunting.”
- “The music, a bold mix of heavy raw guitar and western-inspired melodies, only adds to the chaos that we’re about to dive into.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
23%
23%
The atmosphere of "Ritual: Crown of Horns" is widely praised for its dark, immersive quality, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack that intensifies the action and evokes a sense of horror. The game's art direction effectively blends elements of horde survival, tactical shooting, and occult western themes, creating a cohesive experience that keeps players on edge. While some aspects of the presentation may be less impressive, the overall atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The soundtrack supports the action perfectly, adding tension and energy during combat while maintaining the game’s dark atmosphere.”
- “At its heart, the atmosphere of Ritual: Crown of Horns is one of darkness filled with action and heavy metal, but always looming in the background when things do slow down, is that subtle sense of horror, resulting in you never feeling safe even when in the one place you are supposed to feel it.”
- “These elements combined with the story, which has a 'weird fiction' vibe, create an intriguing atmosphere.”
- “At its heart, the atmosphere of the game is one of darkness filled with action and heavy metal, but always looming in the background when things do slow down is that subtle sense of horror, resulting in you never feeling safe even in the one place you are supposed to feel it.”
- “Moreover, while the occult gets mixed with a wild west setting, the presentation and atmosphere, particularly the draw distance's creation, are underwhelming at best.”
- “The presentation is cohesive rather than flashy; models and animations are serviceable, but the strength lies in the art direction and atmosphere.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The graphics of "Ritual: Crown of Horns" effectively capture its occult western aesthetic, enhancing the game's grim atmosphere and immersive experience. While the overall visuals may not be groundbreaking, the art style in cutscenes and character portraits is well-received, and enemy readability is praised. The combination of haunting music and compelling visuals contributes to a memorable experience for players who appreciate its demanding combat and dark themes.
- “The art style heightens the grim landscape that we find our protagonist, Daniel Goodchild, in.”
- “Its soul is saved, though, by a grimly pretty art style and satisfying, punchy gunplay.”
- “While the overall graphics are nothing to write home about (it's not isometric, but literally top-down view), the enemy readability is great (I'm not color-blind though, so wouldn't know how readable they would be for color-blind folk). The art style in cutscenes, character portraits, and loading screens is pretty good, the dialogues are nice and go well with the portrait representation, and the music is haunting.”
- “While the overall graphics are nothing to write home about (it's not isometric, but literally top-down view), the enemy readability is great (I'm not color-blind though, so wouldn't know how readable they would be for color-blind folk). The art style in cutscenes, character portraits, and loading screens is pretty good, the dialogues are nice and go well with the portrait representation, and the music is haunting.”
- “Visually, Ritual: Crown of Horns commits fully to its occult western aesthetic.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the grinding aspect for allowing 100% completion through repeated level play, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game. However, some find the story delivery tedious, relying heavily on text-based conversations, which can detract from the experience.
- “The story is delivered primarily through tedious text-based conversations.”
- “I spent a couple more hours grinding for bonus items for fun.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Character development is noted to be somewhat lacking in dialogue compared to other aspects, yet the character design remains effective and appealing.
- “The character development in this game is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
- “The backstories and personal growth of each character add layers to the narrative, making every decision feel impactful.”
- “It is unfortunate, however, that one doesn’t get nearly as much dialogue as the others, but regardless, the character design works.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression throughout the game.”
- “I found the characters to be one-dimensional, making it hard to connect with their stories.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game offers significant replayability due to its requirement to replay levels for currency and gear upgrades, alongside challenging gameplay and a captivating western-horror theme. Players find additional value in tackling various challenges and objectives, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The game offers a lot of replayability, mainly because it encourages you to replay levels to grind for currency to buy better gear.”
- “With challenging yet rewarding gameplay, its western-horror theme is genuinely fascinating, providing huge replay value through challenges and additional objectives.”
- “The gameplay is challenging yet rewarding, but the replay value feels limited due to a lack of variety in challenges and objectives.”
- “While the western-horror theme is genuinely fascinating, I found that once I completed the game, there wasn't much incentive to play through it again.”
- “Despite the initial excitement, the replayability suffers because the additional objectives don't significantly change the experience.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is generally solid, though some users report minor performance and input issues. As new enemy types and hazards emerge, players are encouraged to adapt their strategies, which may detract from traditional optimization methods.
- “As new enemy types and hazards are introduced, earlier strategies can become unreliable, encouraging experimentation and adaptation rather than rote optimization.”
- “Some minor performance and input issues.”

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66%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Ritual: Crown of Horns is a arcade shooter game with horror theme.

Ritual: Crown of Horns is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and others.

Ritual: Crown of Horns was released on November 7, 2019.

Ritual: Crown of Horns was developed by Draw Distance.

Ritual: Crown of Horns has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

Ritual: Crown of Horns is a single player game.

Similar games include 12 is Better Than 6, Colt Canyon, Kill The Crows, Jupiter Hell, Dust & Neon and others.

Ritual: Crown of Horns

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