Shadow King

About

Shadow King is a single player platformer game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Johan Peitz and was released on November 19, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

The Shadow King has invaded the castle belonging to the Knights of Valor and they need your help to get it back! Explore the massive castle in this metroidvania and help the fallen knights back to their former glory! Upgrade your moves and weapons along the way as you fight minions, defeat bosses, find secrets, and unravel what has happened.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 40 reviews

graphics2 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Charming retro aesthetic with a fun, bite-sized metroidvania experience that offers enjoyable platforming and exploration.
Simple and responsive controls that allow for a satisfying gameplay experience, especially for fans of the genre.
Packed with secrets and upgrades, making it a great option for a quick gaming session without overstaying its welcome.

The game is very short, with completion times around 40-60 minutes, which may not justify the price for some players.
Control mapping can be frustrating, as the jump and action buttons are not intuitively assigned, leading to gameplay issues.
Some platforming mechanics feel unrefined, with issues like sluggish character movement and unreliable jump inputs.

gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
49%
38%
The gameplay is characterized as a charming, lo-fi microgame that offers a brief, self-contained experience rather than a full-fledged adventure. While it features simple and responsive controls, the mechanics are limited yet surprisingly effective, though some minor bugs were noted that did not significantly impact play. Overall, it provides a slightly original take on the microvania genre, but players should manage their expectations regarding its length and depth.
- “It's charmingly lo-fi and scuffed, with a completely naive story and simple gameplay that is just barely original enough not to be every other microvania.”
- “If you buy this game, be aware going in that it is very much a microgame, a self-contained appetizer or snack of gameplay, not a full-size experience.”
- “It's charmingly lo-fi and scuffed, with a completely naive story and simple gameplay that is just barely original enough not to be every other microvania, but not so original that you would've wanted a longer game to see it developed.”
- “The controls are simple and responsive while the gameplay gets a surprising amount of mileage out of a limited number of mechanics.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The story is characterized as charmingly lo-fi and naive, offering a simplistic narrative that feels familiar yet slightly original within the microvania genre. However, its lack of depth leaves players wishing for more development, suggesting that while it has its charm, it doesn't fully engage or satisfy.
- “It's charmingly lo-fi and scuffed, with a completely naive story and simple gameplay that is just barely original enough not to be every other microvania, but not so original that you would've wanted a longer game to see it developed.”
- “The story is charmingly lo-fi and scuffed, featuring a completely naive narrative that feels underdeveloped.”
- “The gameplay is simple and just barely original enough to stand out from other microvanias, but the story lacks depth and leaves you wanting more.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics are praised for their appealing retro aesthetic, which adds a charming and nostalgic visual style to the game.
- “Really nice retro aesthetic.”