Skul: The Hero Slayer

92%
Game Brain Score Based on 10,161 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Skul: The Hero Slayer Game Cover
Despite the minor problems, Skul is an immensely enjoyable, constantly surprising and great looking roguelike adventure that comes well recommended.
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"Skul: The Hero Slayer" is a roguelike hack'n'slash game where players control a skeleton king, Skul, with the ability to change his skull and gain unique abilities. Traverse through various environments and battles, collecting skulls and upgrades to defeat the overpowered human heroes. With procedurally generated levels, each playthrough offers a new and challenging experience.

  • iPad
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  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
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  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
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  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
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Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 10,161 reviews
gameplay642 positive mentions
grinding178 negative mentions
  • gameplay1,352 mentions

    The gameplay of "Skul: The Hero Slayer" is characterized by its fast-paced, engaging mechanics centered around a unique skull-swapping system that allows players to adopt different abilities and playstyles. While many players appreciate the variety and depth this mechanic brings, some express frustration with the game's difficulty spikes, repetitive elements, and reliance on RNG for item drops, which can lead to uneven experiences. Overall, the game is praised for its addictive gameplay loop and charming visuals, making it a standout title in the roguelike genre despite some balancing issues.

    • “The gameplay is fast-paced and engaging, with a unique twist: you can switch between different skulls, each granting you different abilities and playstyles.”
    • “The gameplay loop is fun, I love the skull upgrading mechanics, the items are fine, the aesthetic is awesome, the story is intriguing, the characters are good, and I really enjoy the game.”
    • “The skull mechanic is fun and even if some skulls are not as fun, those that are fun make this game really enjoyable.”
    • “The gameplay feels extremely button mashy, with the skull system providing the only variety for builds, but since you can only hold two at a time, your options are very limited.”
    • “Sadly, and I think I read someone complaining about that here in the reviews or in the discussions, the game still kind of forces you towards one gameplay style (the dodging) while giving you the illusion you could play differently (with ranged characters, tank characters, etc.).”
    • “The gameplay becomes repetitive and boring way too early on.”
  • story872 mentions

    The story of "Skul: The Hero Slayer" is generally described as simple yet charming, with a premise that involves a skeleton on a quest to rescue the demon king from human heroes. While some players find the narrative predictable and not particularly deep, many appreciate its emotional depth and the unique perspective of playing as the "bad guys." Overall, the story serves as a pleasant backdrop to the engaging gameplay, with cutscenes and lore revealed as players progress through the game.

    • “This game, this game was captivating, I loved the story, took me a while to finish it.”
    • “Did not expect the story to pull me in as much as it did, you really grow to love Skul.”
    • “The story is simple, but charming, and definitely leaves you wanting more.”
    • “It's a fairly predictable story, so don't expect anything crazy from it.”
    • “The story is short and sweet; don't skip the cutscenes!”
    • “The story is forgettable because there is no special plot.”
  • graphics521 mentions

    The graphics of "Skul: The Hero Slayer" are widely praised for their charming pixel art style, vibrant colors, and detailed animations that effectively bring the game's dark fantasy world to life. Many players appreciate the unique character designs and the overall aesthetic, which is reminiscent of classic indie games, though some note occasional graphical glitches and a lack of environmental variety. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's appeal, enhancing both the gameplay experience and the storytelling.

    • “The pixel art style is charming and detailed, bringing the dark fantasy world to life with vibrant colors and fluid animations.”
    • “The art style is amazing, and the plot is cute as heck.”
    • “The graphics are visually stunning.”
    • “This game is buggy as hell for me, but it is only graphical issues.”
    • “I have had graphical glitches since the first hour I played it.”
    • “The graphics are nothing to write home about but Skul is cute and fittingly animated.”
  • music425 mentions

    The music in "Skul: The Hero Slayer" receives mixed reviews, with many players praising its quality and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, particularly during boss fights. However, several users note that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, especially in the early levels, leading to some frustration. Overall, while the music is generally well-received, there is a consensus that more variety could improve the experience.

    • “The music is really good, the HUD isn't too cluttered, and the pixel art reminds me of Dead Cells' art style.”
    • “The soundtrack is awesome and the developers have put a lot of love into this game.”
    • “The music always fits the mood (like my heart enters overdrive when their boss music kicks in) and is really well made.”
    • “However, in comparison to other roguelikes, this game feels a lot more stiff, and the music is somewhat lackluster.”
    • “I honestly don't like the soundtrack at all; after I installed the game for the first time and started playing my first runs, my god, the music is so annoying since it's just one song playing over and over again.”
    • “The music gets really repetitive pretty fast, unfortunately, but that's a minor annoyance.”
  • replayability270 mentions

    Skul is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, attributed to its diverse range of skulls, items, and build combinations that keep gameplay fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the procedural generation of levels and the challenge of permadeath mechanics, which contribute to an almost infinite replay value. While some reviewers note a lack of variety in bosses and environments, the overall consensus is that the game's mechanics and updates significantly enhance its replayability, making it a standout title in the roguelike genre.

    • “This game is one of the best roguelikes I have ever played. The sheer replayability is great, with so many items to choose from that make your gameplay completely different and unpredictable every playthrough.”
    • “The replayability of this game is insane! With procedurally generated levels and permadeath mechanics, Skul offers endless replayability for those who enjoy the challenge of roguelike gameplay.”
    • “The skull mechanic in the game keeps things fresh with every run and makes the game have seemingly endless replay value.”
    • “The game has enough replayability, and gatekeeping the 'true ending' behind NG+ feels a bit lazy to me.”
    • “A really fun roguelike that unfortunately has very little replayability after you finish it.”
    • “The bosses and mobs remain the same throughout each playthrough, so once you exhaust trying many of the item and skull combinations and understand how to dodge and beat boss/mob attacks, the game becomes relatively easier and loses much of its replayability.”
  • grinding188 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it excessively tedious and repetitive, especially in the later stages where enemy health pools inflate significantly. While some appreciate the grind as a core element of the roguelike experience, others feel it detracts from overall enjoyment, leading to frustration and burnout due to slow progression and minimal rewards for effort. Overall, the game is seen as fun but requires a considerable investment of time to overcome its grindy nature.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Please, God, no more! I've been grinding for 12 hours.”
    • “The entire thing is a slow-moving, tedious, grindy slog from beginning to end (and this is coming from someone who had patience enough to beat Dead Cells on its hardest difficulty).”
    • “Getting any form of progression was incredibly slow and felt so grindy.”
    • “There's none of that rewarding feeling when you die, you would say 'man, I died, but I unlocked this new item that I can't wait to try out in my future runs!' instead you would just think, 'oh man, I gotta die at least 3 times to get the next minor stat boost.' It's just ever so tedious.”
  • humor115 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players enjoying the quirky character designs and amusing dialogue, particularly the unique personalities of the various skull transformations. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to blend challenging gameplay with lighthearted, comedic elements, making it an entertaining experience despite its difficulty. Overall, the humor is a significant draw, contributing to the game's charm and replayability.

    • “The character designs are particularly noteworthy, with each skull transformation showcasing unique and often humorous personalities.”
    • “The good: it's a roguelike where you can slaughter enemies left and right, pretty good way to spend an afternoon, the story is good, the combat is fluid, and the little enemy dialogues are funny.”
    • “This game is an absolute gem with funny but tense combat.”
  • stability34 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent graphical glitches and freezing issues, particularly on PC. While some users have noted that it runs well on the Steam Deck, others have experienced significant bugs that can disrupt gameplay, such as inventory glitches and freezing during runs. Overall, while the game shows promise and is enjoyable, it requires further polishing to address its stability issues.

    • “By the way, I've been playing on Steam Deck entirely and it runs great.”
    • “Early access or not, this game is so bug-free and fleshed out it is definitely worth the price already!”
    • “Runs great, looks great, solid game; I got it on sale for 10 dollars and I think that's the perfect price.”
    • “The game freezes, please fix it.”
    • “I found this game to be buggy beyond anything I've played recently.”
    • “Currently has enormous and consistent visual glitches that completely break all dialogue boxes, the inventory screen, and the options screen.”
  • emotional33 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with many players noting its touching and heartfelt storyline that evokes strong feelings, including tears. The narrative, while sometimes seen as cliché, resonates deeply with players, particularly through its character development and heartwarming conclusion. Overall, the game is described as an emotional rollercoaster that successfully combines engaging gameplay with a compelling story, making it a standout experience in the roguelike genre.

    • “This game made me cry.”
    • “The story is great at showing off the characters and the world, with a heartwarming end.”
    • “A true labor of love with a touching story.”
    • “I cried.”
    • “The emotional moments felt forced and didn't resonate with me.”
    • “I found it hard to connect with the characters on an emotional level.”
  • character development26 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by its impressive and varied character designs, which range from cute to humorous, enhancing the overall visual appeal and immersion. While the plot may not be particularly strong, the unique character transformations and gameplay mechanics provide a satisfying experience. Players appreciate the charming pixel art and the ability to explore different playstyles through character customization, although some feel that certain designs lack creativity.

    • “The character designs are particularly noteworthy, with each skull transformation showcasing unique and often humorous personalities.”
    • “The story is beautiful, as is the character design.”
    • “This game is one of a few very fun and active roguelikes with many ways to develop your funny little skeleton boy with some very nice looking visuals and character design.”
    • “Character design ranges from cute, to unusually sexy, to straight up uninspired; however, the enemy design is effective, but not especially creative despite the opportunities provided by the game's unique premise.”
    • “B - character development grind is very steep.”
    • “You can't see what the hell is going on half the time because of the poor choices in color and character design.”
  • optimization22 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and no crashes, others experience issues such as performance drops over time, graphical errors in ultrawide mode, and unoptimized controls. Some users have noted that the game runs well on various platforms, but there are concerns about certain aspects like loading times and hitbox responsiveness. Despite these issues, the game's engaging mechanics and visuals are frequently praised, indicating that it can still deliver a fun experience when performance is stable.

    • “It's like Rogue Legacy, but trimmed down and optimized for combat.”
    • “Fun, good-looking, good-sounding, excellent performance of game graphics and music are all worthy of high recognition.”
    • “The game also runs smoothly with controller or keyboard.”
    • “Been having performance issues since the recent update.”
    • “Performance occasionally drags when the game's been running for a while on an overspec'd machine - some sort of leak, or unoptimized code?”
    • “Overall, the controls don’t feel optimized.”
  • atmosphere18 mentions

    The atmosphere in Skul is widely praised for its beautifully crafted pixel art and engaging music, creating a vibrant and immersive world that enhances gameplay. While some reviewers note a homogeneity in design and occasional monotony in maps, the overall ambiance is described as lighthearted and enjoyable, making each run feel unique. The combination of visual and auditory elements contributes significantly to the game's identity, providing a fresh take on the roguelite genre.

    • “In terms of graphics, Skul features pixel art that is well-crafted and beautifully designed, creating an eye-catching world where each map provides a different atmosphere.”
    • “The graphics and atmosphere are great, especially the music stands out to me.”
    • “The world is vibrant, the music is atmospheric, and the gameplay is fun and smooth.”
    • “It is however very homogenic in terms of design and atmosphere, which gives it its own identity and makes for a discreet, lighthearted and comfortable ambience that feels spot on for a game you're meant to replay.”
    • “Cons: monotonous maps, little to no atmosphere, unreasonably high dq costs, skills are limited and tricky to change.”
    • “You want a different atmosphere, fresh air and different stages.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with players expressing frustration over excessive ads and DLC advertisements that detract from the experience. Many feel that the game is a cash grab, with slow progression that lacks pay-to-win options, leading to a sense of disappointment despite some enjoyment of the gameplay. Overall, the monetization strategy is viewed as poorly balanced and detrimental to player satisfaction.

    • “I hate the excessive DLC advertisements.”
    • “I paid 6 euros for this garbage. Don't be a fool like me and go for this now obvious zero effort cash grab from devs who really should go back to whatever career they had before making games like this.”
    • “It's also got cash grab mobile game progression (meaning painfully slow) though without the pay-not-to-wait features, which I guess makes it better?”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

Buy Skul: The Hero Slayer

Play time

20hMedian play time
61hAverage play time
8-80hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 69 analyzed playthroughs

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