Shard Squad

About

Shard Squad is a multiplayer casual shooter game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by The Root Studios and was released on November 10, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

In Shard Squad, build a team of over 20 elemental creatures from Fire, Electric, Water, Nature, and Crystal to survive relentless enemy waves. Recruit new Shards by defeating bosses and combine their unique traits to unlock powerful abilities and enhance your squad's strength. Face challenging events and bosses to test your strategy and earn valuable rewards.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Skip User Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 85 reviews

gameplay15 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features adorable pixel art and a vibrant visual style that enhances the overall experience.
Gameplay is fun and engaging, with a unique blend of creature collection and bullet-hell mechanics that keeps players invested.
The squad-building system allows for interesting team compositions and synergies, adding depth to the gameplay.

The core gameplay loop can feel repetitive, with limited upgrade options and a lack of meaningful progression.
Many players find the upgrades to be underwhelming and grindy, leading to a sense of stagnation in character development.
The game lacks clarity in its mechanics and progression, making it difficult for players to optimize their strategies effectively.

gameplay
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
54%
8%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the fun mechanics and visual appeal, while others criticize the lack of depth and originality compared to other vampire survivor games. Many appreciate the strategic elements and character variety, but some find the core loop repetitive and the upgrade mechanics insufficiently impactful. Overall, while the game offers enjoyable moments and charming aesthetics, it struggles to provide a compelling long-term gameplay experience.
- “The gameplay is fun and deep while not being overwhelming.”
- “The inclusion of local co-op is an especially welcome feature, turning the already chaotic gameplay into a charming shared experience.”
- “A great example of balance between a casual survivor-like that still requires enough engagement to make the gameplay fun.”
- “There are enough vampire survivor games on the market that there's really no excuse for the designers fumbling this hard on the core gameplay loop.”
- “Gameplay feels the same across every run with every character, with few options for real customization.”
- “While the variety of shards and relics is commendable, some players may find that the moment-to-moment gameplay begins to feel repetitive once the novelty of new combinations wears off.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their colorful and cute art style, which appeals to fans of whimsical aesthetics reminiscent of classic titles like Pokémon. Players appreciate the visual design, which enhances the gameplay experience and creates an inviting atmosphere, despite some critiques regarding specific mechanics. Overall, the game's graphics contribute significantly to its charm and engagement, making it a standout in the genre.
- “Love the graphics, love that as you progress and unlock new items, the ones related to summoning a character in the game will have that character now show up in the hub.”
- “The colorful art style and wide cast of characters makes an outstanding first impression.”
- “One of the best survivors-like games I've played in terms of visual design and graphics.”
- “I'm not refunding because I want to support the artists, but this is very skippable, even for fans of the genre and aesthetic.”
- “Although I love the game and the graphics, there's one single mechanic that breaks the game for me.”
- “If you buy this, you buy this for the art style.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The game's story is set in a charming world filled with quirky characters and engaging side quests, contributing to an enjoyable progression experience. However, the overarching narrative is perceived as somewhat unclear and muddled, leaving players uncertain about the main plot. While the voice acting adds a layer of polish, its inconsistent quality may not be a significant draw for all players.
- “Very cute and amazing story, creative world and characters, fun progression.”
- “I enjoyed it enough that I can see myself playing past the final story beats to try and unlock more relics through quick runs when I can.”
- “Not really sure if I missed a beat in the overarching story, but besides the cutscene, the story is a bit muddy and could honestly be about nuclear disarmament by the way of elemental critters for all I know.”
- “The game introduces you to a fabled world filled with characters out on a quest to, well, better themselves?”
- “Voice acting in story mode adds a small extra layer of polish, though its quality varies and may not be the main draw for most players.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The music in the game is highly praised for its fun, high-energy chiptune and electronic influences, enhancing the arcade-like experience. Players particularly enjoy the catchy tracks, especially from the second stage, and appreciate how the soundtrack complements the game's vibrant pixel art and overall atmosphere. Many find the music enjoyable enough to serve as background ambiance even when not playing.
- “The soundtrack leans into high-energy chiptune and electronic influences, supporting the game’s arcade-like momentum.”
- “Super cute pixel art, great music, and the gameplay is just pure fun.”
- “The music and art are fantastic, and the atmosphere is so good I just leave it for some background ambiance when I'm not even playing!”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive and often tedious, particularly when pursuing achievements or necessary upgrades for harder difficulty levels. Many feel that the time investment required for upgrades is not justified by the modest benefits they provide, leading to a frustrating experience.
- “Also, the game is very grindy, and you can spend many hours upgrading everything.”
- “This game is difficult on hard mode, but not because it's challenging; it's because the upgrades are inadequate and the game expects you to have a fully upgraded tree to even attempt hard mode. It requires insane grinding to unlock it, and even after unlocking it, the boost is very modest, similar to upgrades during the run.”
- “Upgrades are both extremely grindy and essentially worthless.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it highly enjoyable and engaging with numerous achievements and distinct stages, others feel it lacks depth for long-term replay value. Despite some shortcomings, it offers fast-paced runs and team-building experimentation that can keep players coming back.
- “Happy and fun with lots of replayability; I am playing non-stop.”
- “Even with these shortcomings, Shard Squad remains a charming and highly replayable roguelite that succeeds at what it sets out to do: offer fast, satisfying runs with plenty of team-building experimentation.”
- “However, I feel the game falls very short in its replay value.”
- “Difficulty seems well-balanced, plenty of achievements and replayability, a total of 8 stages to discover, and the events/monsters in each stage are clearly distinct.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its fantastic music and art, creating an immersive experience that players enjoy even as background ambiance when not actively playing.
- “The music and art are fantastic, and the atmosphere is so good that I just leave it on for some background ambiance even when I'm not playing!”
- “The immersive atmosphere draws you in, making every moment feel alive and engaging.”
- “The game's environment is beautifully crafted, creating a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game's optimization is challenged by a relic that introduces a Dance Dance Revolution minigame, which can deal burst damage based on player performance. This mechanic adds a layer of risk, particularly in the bullet hell environment, potentially impacting overall gameplay fluidity and experience.
- “The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even during intense moments.”
- “I love how the game encourages you to optimize your strategies for maximum efficiency and enjoyment.”
- “The balance between risk and reward in the optimization mechanics keeps the gameplay engaging and challenging.”
- “The optimization in this game is severely lacking, leading to frustrating performance issues during critical moments.”
- “I often experience significant lag and frame drops, which completely disrupts the gameplay experience.”
- “The game feels unpolished, with many areas that could benefit from better optimization to enhance overall performance.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development is highlighted by users for its appealing and cute designs, suggesting a strong visual appeal that enhances the overall experience.