Shardlight

About

Shardlight is a single-player, science fiction arcade game with compelling story, good mechanics, ingenious graphics, and a beautiful soundtrack. In a post-apocalyptic world, Amy Wellard, a young woman working for the ruling Aristocrats to qualify for the vaccine lottery, believes there's a cure and is determined to find it, even if it costs her her life. The game creates a dense atmosphere through its depiction of the struggle for survival in a world devastated by bombs.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 489 reviews

story179 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

Engaging and well-written story with memorable characters set in a unique post-apocalyptic world.
Beautiful pixel art and excellent voice acting that enhance the immersive experience.
Logical puzzles that are challenging yet fair, allowing for a smooth gameplay experience.

Some puzzles can feel overly simplistic or repetitive, lacking the depth found in other adventure games.
The pacing of the story can feel rushed towards the end, with a lack of meaningful choices throughout the game.
Certain character motivations and plot points may come off as clichéd or underdeveloped.

story
438 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
57%
2%
The story of *Shardlight* is a compelling exploration of a post-apocalyptic world marked by disease, political corruption, and class struggle, featuring a well-developed protagonist and memorable characters. While the narrative is engaging and enriched by strong voice acting, some players found it to be somewhat linear and predictable, with pacing issues and occasional plot holes. Overall, it is praised for its immersive storytelling and thematic depth, making it a noteworthy entry in the point-and-click adventure genre.
- “Shardlight tells an incredibly deep story of disease, war, famine, and political corruption.”
- “An amazing storytelling experience, with unique and memorable characters, cool twists, and outstanding voice acting.”
- “The story, writing, music, voice acting, and atmosphere are all top-notch... just like you would expect from a Wadjet Eye game.”
- “The story is weak and really badly written with pointless gore thrown into the mix in the second half of the game; the characters (the heroine Amy included) are flat, annoying, and difficult to take seriously when they are defined only by cliches and singular quirks of personality.”
- “The story of Shardlight is, alas, just a very mediocre one with huge pacing problems.”
- “The plot is completely and unavoidably linear up to the last scene, in which you're rushed to take a life-changing decision.”
graphics
115 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
51%
4%
The graphics in the game are characterized by a nostalgic pixel art style that some players find charming and well-executed, while others consider them outdated and lacking in resolution. Despite the simplicity of the visuals, many reviewers appreciate the artwork's ability to enhance the storytelling and atmosphere, with particular praise for character portraits and the overall aesthetic. While the graphics may not appeal to everyone, they are often seen as a fitting complement to the game's engaging narrative and strong voice acting.
- “Amazing adventure as any product from the Wadjet Eye factory; I loved the scenarios and the character portraits; that art style is just, simply, timeless.”
- “The graphics are honestly astonishingly beautiful, especially for an adventure game studio game.”
- “The graphics, sound, story, pacing, world, characters, balance of exploration + puzzle solving + dialogue, vibe etc....all that and more are great; honestly the foundation is here for a truly excellent point-and-click adventure game.”
- “Unfortunately, the graphics are quite dated; the AGS engine is showing its age here.”
- “My only complaint is that the maximum graphics resolution is very low considering we have 4K screens and it's 2016.”
- “But unfortunately, this game falls short on almost every aspect: visuals, story, world building, characters.”
music
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
29%
4%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its quality, atmospheric fit, and emotional depth, particularly highlighting the guitar-based soundtrack. However, some players found it repetitive or unremarkable, suggesting it may not resonate with everyone. Overall, the voice acting and sound design are consistently noted as strong elements that enhance the game's immersive experience.
- “The music and the atmosphere are really good; I felt engaged in this world from minute one.”
- “The thematic and unintrusive soundtrack by Nathaniel Chambers fits the gameplay and the world well.”
- “The music and sound design are both excellent, with a gentle minimalism entirely appropriate to the ruined city where the game takes place.”
- “The music, for the most part, is awful, repetitive when you don't want it to be, and horrifyingly bad folk caterwauling when it isn't.”
- “There is no slider for the music volume so music is pretty annoying.”
- “Music is a bit simple and depressing, but works in the post-apocalyptic sense.”
gameplay
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
69%
7%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its logical puzzles and streamlined mechanics, while others find it repetitive and lacking in depth. While the point-and-click format offers a comfortable experience, many reviewers noted that the gameplay does not fully capitalize on the potential of its engaging story and character development. Overall, it is seen as decent but could benefit from more innovative and varied gameplay elements.
- “What the game lacks in graphical complexity, it makes up for in active gameplay, story, and character definition.”
- “Like all of Wadjet Eye's games, Shardlight's gameplay is quite good with logical puzzle design based around actions and things that mostly make sense.”
- “Gameplay-wise, the puzzles are enjoyable, logical but never too hard.”
- “Mediocre worldbuilding, bad storytelling, gameplay not really compelling.”
- “Gameplay is the real issue, and it felt like quite a grind.”
- “It's a shame more time wasn't spent on the gameplay when so much of the rest of the package is solid.”
atmosphere
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
79%
14%
7%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and engaging qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals, atmospheric music, and well-crafted environments that evoke a strong sense of place, particularly in a post-apocalyptic setting. While the art and sound design contribute significantly to the overall experience, some players feel that the gameplay and puzzles do not always match the high standard set by the atmosphere. Overall, the game successfully creates a rich, atmospheric world that captivates players, despite some criticisms regarding its narrative and puzzle design.
- “The imagery is insanely picturesque - atmospheric backgrounds blend in nicely with the well-designed characters and props, and the lighting mapping is implemented meticulously: the sunsets and sunrays beaming down are stunning.”
- “The atmosphere of this game is really great, and it feels like I was playing a Fallout game.”
- “The atmosphere and art for the game is very good, showing you a sad destroyed city and death, but giving you hope when you see greenery and people living their lives and trying to rebuild.”
- “The last game of Wadjet Eye's back-catalogue for me before Unavowed, Shardlight once again takes a post-apocalyptic setting; contrasting with Primordia, this is still a world inhabited by humans, but the widespread infection of the population with the 'green lung' plague makes for a decidedly downbeat, even depressing atmosphere.”
- “If I do finish this game it will be solely due to the art and atmosphere, because the writing is crap.”
- “The world is well constructed and immerses you in a depressive and multi-faceted post-apocalyptic atmosphere.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is a mixed bag, with some players finding it lacking overall, while others appreciate the quirky character interactions and dialogue, particularly with the character Amy. The walking animations and certain absurd scenarios, like the chandelier scene, add a comedic touch, but inconsistencies in the story detract from the experience. Despite its grim setting, the writing manages to inject humor, making for a fun, albeit flawed, adventure.
- “Walking animations are hilariously quaint, but the little dudes are characterful, and the dialogue portraits are straight-up great.”
- “Amy is a very hilarious character to riff on; I'm not sure if that was intentional or not, but it makes my experience playing the game more fun anyway.”
- “From the get-go, the setting is very grim, but the writing has a great sense of humor.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews of the game's emotional aspect are mixed; some players find it lacking in depth and connection, describing it as bland and filled with one-dimensional characters. In contrast, others highlight the presence of dark, heart-wrenching moments and commend the storytelling for its emotional impact, particularly praising the depth and personality of the protagonist, Amy. Overall, while some players feel the game fails to evoke strong emotions, others appreciate its touching narrative and character development.
- “This one is very dark and has some heart-wrenching moments.”
- “The storytelling is touching as always in their games.”
- “After some Blackwell games, I almost end up with tears in my eyes - so touching the endings were.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the reviews indicate that while some puzzles in the game can be tedious and simplistic, the engaging story and characters help mitigate the grinding experience. However, there are notable flaws, such as anticlimactic endings and a lack of innovative gameplay, which can detract from the enjoyment. Balancing puzzle difficulty without making the experience feel laborious remains a challenge for the game.
- “I think there were some notable flaws in this one in particular though, such as some of the puzzles being a bit tedious and the ending(s) being anticlimactic.”
- “For me, the inventory puzzles and the point-and-click pixelated graphics get tedious, but there was an interesting story and some nice characters.”
- “[Some tedious puzzles weigh the experience down, unoriginal setting, few innovative gameplay concepts]”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
29%
29%
Overall, the optimization of the game is praised for its high-quality art, animations, and a fully voiced cast that enhances the storytelling experience. While most voice performances are commendable, one character's portrayal stands out negatively. The game's immersive atmosphere and haunting soundtrack contribute to a well-crafted experience, despite some minor narrative inconsistencies.
- “Art, animations, vocal performances, and the soundtrack are all top-notch.”
- “One of the strongest stories and multimedia performances I've seen for a small-studio adventure game.”
- “A truly believable milieu, meticulously crafted, laced with a rare 100% voice-over performance, and a haunting soundtrack that fits the mood well.”
- “Abe Goldfarb, as usual in every Wadjet Eye game, gives a terrible, hammy vocal performance, but otherwise the voice acting is very good, including the main character importantly.”
- “A truly believable milieu (although you'll need a flexible science fiction imagination to see past the obvious holes and scope problems), meticulously crafted, laced with a rare 100% voice-over performance, and a haunting soundtrack that fits the mood well.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Character development in the game is described as moderate, featuring a few unexpected twists, but overall, it feels underwhelming given the impressive character design and atmospheric elements. While the unique aesthetics of the characters, particularly the aristocracy's outfits and masks, are praised, they do not compensate for the lack of depth in character progression.
- “Character design is great; the crazy look of the aristocracy’s outfits and their creepy masks was an excellent choice.”
- “Cool atmosphere and decent character design are wasted on a pretty lackluster game.”
- “There’s a moderate amount of character development that occurs and a few less predictable twists.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game offers limited replayability, primarily due to a lack of impactful player choices leading to the ending, though it does feature multiple endings and some achievements that encourage replay. Additionally, small choices and a commentary mode provide slight incentives for players to revisit the game.
- “Missed several more obtuse achievements, plus there are multiple endings, so there's significant replay value.”
- “Also has some replay value through small choices and a commentary mode.”
- “The game also would've been strengthened by having player choice play a greater role before the immediate ending to increase replay value, which it currently is lacking.”
- “Missed several more obtuse achievements, plus there are multiple endings, so there's some replay value.”
- “Also has some replay value via small choices and a commentary mode.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users report significant stability issues, including frequent bugs and skipped conversations, which detract from the overall experience.
- “The game is incredibly buggy; conversations keep skipping over and over.”
- “I experienced frequent crashes that made it nearly unplayable.”
- “The stability issues are frustrating, with constant lag and glitches disrupting gameplay.”