Shadowcrawl

About

"Shadowcrawl" is a game where you enter the NEXUS, a Hyper-Dimensional Holy Ruin, to avoid dying in your nightmares which have been haunting you for years. As you navigate the ruins, your experience points, skills, and game world elements can be permanently altered, leading to a unique and personalized journey. The ultimate goal is to access Transcendental Planes of Reality and gain ancient secrets from the Gods.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 30 reviews

music6 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Shadowcrawl is easy to pick up and play, offering a unique blend of mechanics that can lead to an engaging experience for those willing to navigate its complexities.
The game features a retro aesthetic and a Lovecraftian theme that many players find intriguing, with a variety of weird and innovative ideas that set it apart from typical roguelikes.
Despite its flaws, Shadowcrawl has a deep meta game and can provide hours of fun for fans of the genre, especially when played at a discounted price.

The game suffers from a confusing user interface and poor design choices, including a lack of volume options and unclear character selection mechanics.
Gameplay lacks depth and player choice, with abilities that can be spammed without cooldowns, leading to a repetitive and unchallenging experience.
Many players have noted that the game feels abandoned, with unresolved issues and a lack of updates since its release, contributing to a sense of neglect from the developers.

music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The music in the game has received mixed feedback; while some players appreciate its fitting and immersive quality, particularly the chiptune elements, many find it excessively loud and repetitive, with a strong desire for volume control options. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the game's atmosphere but could benefit from adjustments to allow for a more comfortable listening experience.
- “Something that really blended in nicely was the music; it doesn't stand out, but it's not out of place.”
- “The music is pretty cool (because I made it lol) and overall it's a very fun little game with a ton of really cool and innovative ideas.”
- “The soundtrack is somewhat limited, but I love the chiptune.”
- “The music is too loud; I can barely think straight with it blaring in my ears.”
- “Loud and looping music, with no volume options in the game, period!”
- “I would like to find an option to silence the music.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The gameplay of Shadowcrawl is noted for its accessibility and depth, featuring a mix of unique mechanics that can be overwhelming at first but ultimately rewarding for players who persevere. It combines engaging action with strategic thinking, allowing for fast-paced play despite being a turn-based game, though some bugs may detract from the experience. Overall, players find the gameplay enjoyable and challenging, with a compelling theme and story.
- “An interesting theme and story with fun gameplay despite the few bugs.”
- “I really liked the game mechanics - simplistic at first glance, but making for engaging action, where you still have to think; otherwise, you get overrun and eaten (stabbed, disintegrated, whatever you want) by hordes of enemies.”
- “But despite that, Shadowcrawl is surprisingly easy to pick up and play and obviously has quite a bit of depth because there are so many weird, disparate system mechanics clashing with one another that for those of you that can survive the initial headache, you're gonna have one helluva time.”
- “I really liked the game mechanics - simplistic at first glance, but making for an engaging action, where you still have to think; otherwise, you get overrun and eaten (stabbed, disintegrated, whatever you want) by hordes of enemies.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game features an intriguing story with a rich theme that captivates players, encouraging them to progress through various quests and bosses in a dungeon setting. While the narrative depth is notable, reviewers find it challenging to summarize without revealing spoilers, indicating a complex and engaging plot that enhances the overall gameplay experience, despite some minor bugs.
- “An interesting theme and story with fun gameplay despite the few bugs.”
- “I'd try to explain the story, but I don't want to spoil anything, and... I also wouldn't know where to start.”
- “But the game has enough depth to intrigue the player to continue his quest to end this game.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics are praised for their amazing retro art style, characterized by great attention to detail and cohesive design. Players appreciate the customizable settings that allow the game to emulate a CRT display, enhancing the nostalgic experience.
- “The art style is amazing: definitely retro, but with a great sense of detail, and everything fits together just right.”
- “They've got the little graphics settings you can adjust, which will make the game look like it's on a CRT.”
- “The graphics settings allow you to make the game look like it's on a CRT.”
- “The graphics settings allow you to make the game look like it's on a CRT.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and monotonous, leading to boredom and frustration. The repetitive nature of the gameplay often results in a lack of engagement, causing some to abandon traditional strategies in favor of reckless tactics.
- “I only died due to literal boredom while playing. The game could not keep my attention, so I gave up on the tedious back and forth and just started bump damaging my way into groups, only to get surrounded by hordes of little one-shot wonders.”