Shadowcrypt

About

Shadowcrypt is a challenging arcade game of strategic sword & shield combat. Quick reflexes, timing, and keen observation of enemies are key to survive the deadly catacomb! You play as a hero who is the last of an ancient order sworn to battle corrupted sorcerers. Pick up weapon upgrades along the way, find the Necromancer and defeat his horde of undead warriors through a series of labyrinthine ro…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 108 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features nice animations and designs for the characters, reminiscent of classic platformers.
Combat mechanics are simple yet rewarding, requiring players to learn enemy patterns and timing.
The game offers a nostalgic retro feel, appealing to fans of old-school dungeon crawlers.

The game is very short and linear, with repetitive level design and limited enemy variety.
Players lose all their equipment upon death, making retries frustrating and tedious.
The controls can feel unresponsive, and the lack of a save system leads to excessive backtracking.

gameplay
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
73%
6%
The gameplay is characterized by solid combat mechanics and appealing visuals, but it suffers from a lack of depth and variety, making it feel shallow and repetitive. Players can complete the game in about 30 minutes, emphasizing mastery over simplistic mechanics rather than offering engaging content or replay value. While the game has potential, it is criticized for its unresponsive controls and absence of innovative features that could enhance the overall experience.
- “Good combat mechanics but very little content.”
- “The mechanics are simple with a small learning curve.”
- “Gameplay: combat is quite simple, but overall extremely challenging.”
- “Unresponsive controls with precise timing gameplay.”
- “This is a husk of a game that could have thrived from an overarching story bound into the lore, a diverse cast of NPCs, rewarding decision-making, innovative fighting mechanics that let no room for monotony and challenging boss battles.”
- “I would not recommend this to anyone unless they assign very little value to their dollar and want to play a difficult game that uses poor mechanics to accomplish its level of difficulty.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
17%
17%
The graphics are generally well-received, featuring appealing 8-bit visuals and decent animations that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some users feel that the graphics could have been more developed, indicating a sense of untapped potential. Notably, there are no graphics settings available for customization.
- “Cool 8-bit graphics.”
- “Visuals: awesome.”
- “No graphics settings available.”
- “Graphics are serviceable, with decent animations and have an appealing look to them.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
30%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players noting that it fits the dungeon atmosphere effectively and improves significantly as the game progresses. While some found the initial music to be merely adequate, the later tracks enhance the overall experience, contributing positively to the mood and immersion. However, a few reviewers mentioned that the repetitive environment and lackluster sound design detracted from the overall impact of the music.
- “The music is good enough for a dungeon, but becomes excellent later in the game.”
- “I appreciated the mood, the music, the excellent character animation, the sound of the dungeon doors opening and closing, and especially the challenge.”
- “Good: animation, sounds, music, combat mechanics, atmosphere.”
- “The repetitive environment dulls the entire experience, not to mention the lackluster music and sound design.”
- “The music is forgettable and fails to enhance the gameplay experience.”
- “The soundtrack feels uninspired and does not match the game's atmosphere.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
Replayability in Shadowcrypt is primarily driven by its challenging achievements, appealing to players who enjoy mastering mechanics. However, many users feel that the game's short duration of around 30 minutes limits its overall replay value, leading to a sense of boredom after a few runs. While some players appreciate the retro simplicity and challenge, others find little incentive to replay the game frequently.
- “Shadowcrypt feels very retro in all the best ways: simple controls, a manual with valuable game knowledge, no long tutorial, and the best part: its replay value comes from not the length of the game or a plethora of features and modes, but the sheer challenge of finishing the game (and getting achievements).”
- “There are a lot of achievements that can add some replayability for some players.”
- “There are a lot of achievements that can add some replayability for some players, but the thing is the game becomes boring in 30 minutes and I don't see a reason to run it many times.”
- “You won't get much replay value out of it -- it's a short, ~30 minute game that emphasizes mastery over the mechanics.”
- “It's challenging and has replay value because of the hard achievements.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised, with users highlighting its engaging animations, immersive sounds, and evocative music that contribute to a challenging and rewarding experience reminiscent of Dark Souls. Overall, the atmosphere enhances the fun and intensity of gameplay.
- “Fun game, atmospheric and challenging.”
- “The game has great atmosphere, and the combat is quite rewarding, in a similar way to Dark Souls.”
- “The combination of animation, sounds, music, and combat mechanics creates an immersive atmosphere.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's story is largely criticized for its absence, with reviewers noting that it lacks an overarching narrative and engaging lore. Many feel that the potential for a rich story, diverse NPCs, and meaningful choices is wasted, resulting in a monotonous experience primarily focused on backtracking rather than storytelling.
- “This is a husk of a game that could have thrived from an overarching story bound into the lore, a diverse cast of NPCs, rewarding decision-making, innovative fighting mechanics that leave no room for monotony, and challenging boss battles.”
- “It's a hard game with no story, and their idea of dungeon crawling is just backtracking.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed bag; while some appreciate its retro charm and challenging nature, others view it as a tedious waste of potential. Overall, the grinding is seen as a significant element that can either enhance or detract from the gaming experience.
- “Instead of what I can only describe as a tedious waste of potential.”
- “It's grindy, it's retro, it's moody, it's a real challenge.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is consistently described as funny, indicating that humor is a notable and enjoyable aspect of the experience.
- “But it's a funny game.”