Shillelagh

About

Shillelagh is a single player shooter game. It was developed by Andrew Simon Thomas LLC and was released on November 10, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Shillelagh (Shil-lay-lah) is a fast and frantic arena shooter where players are armed with the aura of nature to defend against destructive, undead monsters.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+11

Skip User Reviews

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 13 reviews

humor1 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
The unique mechanics of tree planting and using solar spirits add an interesting twist to the gameplay.
The art style and aesthetics evoke nostalgia for classic dark fantasy games, appealing to fans of the genre.

The game suffers from significant technical issues, including freezing and frustrating deaths due to environmental collisions.
Gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, with spamming attacks leading to a lack of challenge.
The visual clutter and poor sound design make it difficult to navigate and enjoy the game, detracting from the overall experience.

gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The gameplay features an intriguing tree planting mechanic and spirit interactions, but suffers from issues like rapid-fire clicking that detracts from the experience. While some players find the game enjoyable and challenging, others criticize its mechanics as misleading and frustrating, likening it to a less successful clone of "Devil Daggers." Overall, the unique elements and soundtrack are noted as highlights amidst the gameplay's shortcomings.
- “The soundtrack is awesome and the gameplay has a really unique twist.”
- “So, I don't really have a lot to say about the gameplay other than that it's enjoyable and (in my opinion) difficult, but I enjoy punishingly difficult things.”
- “You'll also learn to manipulate some of the game's less obvious mechanics to your advantage if you're observant.”
- “This is a bad Devil Daggers clone with frustrating and boring mechanics.”
- “You either need a reload mechanic, or a fire cap, or an accuracy mechanic, or anything.”
- “The strange mechanic is that trees grow a big green square above them that when you shoot at breaks and creates a special projectile that is circling around you.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The music in the game has received high praise, with many users highlighting the fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. It complements the visual aesthetic and keeps players engaged, making it enjoyable to listen to repeatedly, even during frequent restarts. The combination of compelling music and unique gameplay elements contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The soundtrack is fantastic, the concept keeps me interested, and the leaderboards keep it competitive.”
- “The soundtrack is awesome and the gameplay has a really unique twist.”
- “Given how often you'll be restarting in this game, it's important to have a soundtrack that you want to listen to on repeat, and it fulfills that requirement phenomenally.”
- “You will be driven harder and harder to defend your grove of trees while a black metal soundtrack makes your ears bleed.”
- “The moving and jumping and shooting feels okay, but the best thing about this game for me is the music.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The graphics feature a decent art style with a nostalgic Norse and heavy metal aesthetic, complemented by sprite work reminiscent of classic dark fantasy games. However, the visuals are often criticized for being overly cluttered and obstructive, detracting from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the graphics and music, others find them confusing and lacking in coherence.
- “Where I have to really give this game some praise is in the aesthetics.”
- “It adheres to an old school Norse/druid/heavy metal aesthetic and has sprite work reminiscent of classic dark fantasy games.”
- “Odds are, if you're a fan of the visual aesthetic, you'll also be a fan of the music, and vice-versa.”
- “The art style is decent, but that's about the only positive thing I can say.”
- “While the visuals in this game are over the top, cluttered, and obstructive by their overabundance, the sound design is the exact opposite: nearly nonexistent, best I can tell.”
- “Runs ending prematurely for reasons completely out of my control, confusing and obfuscating visuals, and nonexistent sound design ruin what otherwise could be a fun experience.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game's story concept is intriguing, featuring a quest to defeat a hydra, but it is hampered by the requirement to plant trees after defeating enemies to unlock special projectiles, which some players find cumbersome.
- “The game's story concept is intriguing, and the idea of defeating the hydra adds an exciting twist. I love the unique mechanic of planting a tree each time we defeat an enemy to unlock special projectiles.”
- “The game story concept is fine, and defeating the hydra would be cool, but the requirement to plant a tree each time we defeat an enemy to get special projectiles feels forced and detracts from the overall narrative experience.”
- “The plot lacks depth and fails to engage the player, making it difficult to care about the characters or their motivations.”
- “While the setting has potential, the story is poorly executed, leading to a disjointed experience that leaves players feeling unsatisfied.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game has received mixed feedback, with some players finding it lacking authenticity and others questioning the sincerity of positive reviews. Overall, the comedic elements may not resonate with all players, leading to a divide in opinions on its effectiveness.