Spellbound Survivors

About

"Spellbound Survivors" is a pixelated RPG where players battle against the Overlord Wizard and his soul reapers, unlocking new abilities and powers with each map conquered. The game offers strategic customization of weapons and power-ups, animated super attacks, and a system called "Spellbound Survivors" which promises more than just thrilling battles.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 67 reviews

music6 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Offers a solid and addictive gameplay experience with a variety of characters and powers to unlock.
The pixel graphics and soundtrack are well-received, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
Provides a steady progression system with numerous achievements and unlocks, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.

The game suffers from balance issues, particularly with boss difficulty and weapon effectiveness, leading to frustrating gameplay.
Many mechanics feel derivative and lack originality compared to other games in the genre, particularly Vampire Survivors.
Technical issues such as enemies moving through walls and poor optimization detract from the overall experience.

music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and fitting atmosphere, with many noting the great soundtrack and sound effects that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some players find the music repetitive and overly intense, leading to annoyance over time, although the option to mute it is available. Overall, while the soundtrack is well-received, its repetitiveness may detract from the experience for some players.
- “The music of this game is top-notch and the ultimate skills make you feel powerful.”
- “I really liked the soundtracks and the creative mechanics, such as dash, unique ability for each character, and the red bar meter special.”
- “Great game and soundtrack.”
- “The music is a bit repetitive and a bit too intense 100% of the time.”
- “The music became a bit annoying after a while, so I muted it.”
- “The pixel graphics are decent and the music is adequate for this genre of game, although it is the same tune over and over, which gets annoying.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The graphics of the game primarily feature retro pixel art, which some players appreciate for its clarity and charm, while others criticize it for being simplistic and lacking modern enhancements. Although the visuals are described as decent and well-executed, they are considered outdated, with limited options for improvement. Overall, the pixel graphics receive mixed reviews, with some praising their aesthetic and others finding them lackluster.
- “The progression is balanced, the enemies are balanced, and the graphics are clear and well done.”
- “+ beautiful pixel graphics and great soundtrack.”
- “[b][i]survival action-roguelike, a clone of vampire survivors with excellent pixel graphics, tons of content and high replayability.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
- “Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of interesting mechanics, such as a unique spell system and character abilities, but many players feel these elements are poorly integrated and lack synergy. While the soundtrack and visual details are praised, the overall experience suffers from slow movement and limited skill expression, leading to a sense of frustration with the mechanics that feel disconnected. Additionally, the progression system appears slow, with players noting that unlocking new characters takes considerable time.
- “I really liked the soundtracks and the creative mechanics, such as dash, unique ability for each character, and the red bar meter special.”
- “Cool soundtrack, amazing details on everything (characters, spells, weapons, enemies, bosses..) and game mechanics.”
- “In this game, those are now executed via a scroll mechanic and earned by killing lots of enemies.”
- “Overall, it feels like the spell system is tacked on just to differentiate the gameplay a bit.”
- “The biggest issue, I think, is that too many mechanics were designed in a vacuum because they were 'interesting' but didn't end up complementing each other.”
- “There's no skill expression to get around this; you move too slowly and obviously the dodge mechanic isn't spammable.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The game is praised for its high replayability, featuring excellent pixel graphics, a wealth of content, and addictive gameplay. Players appreciate the numerous unlockables and the engaging nature of the survival action-roguelike mechanics, making it a title worth revisiting.
- “Survival action-roguelike, a clone of Vampire Survivors with excellent pixel graphics, tons of content, and high replayability.”
- “Although some important adjustments are needed, Spellbound Survivors is fun, very addictive, has plenty of things to unlock, and offers great replayability.”
- “There is a fair bit of replayability with this game.”
- “The replay value is quite limited, making it hard to justify multiple playthroughs.”
- “After completing the game once, I found little incentive to play it again.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding in the game to be tedious and unengaging, with a significant amount of effort required to achieve 100% completion. While the initial difficulty can be challenging, many feel that the grind becomes more manageable over time, though it remains a major drawback to the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “I tried putting it down for a few weeks to see if I would have the itch to pick up the game again later, but when I attempted to play it again recently, I was quickly reminded of the absurd amount of tedious grinding I have to do to 100% this game.”
- “It's just that the progression isn't fun and is super grindy.”
- “The beginning is hard, but if you get through it, things get easier. This is a common aspect in many games, but here it's worse and applies to the grindy unlock metagame as well. Unlike other games where each purchase raises the price of all items with incremental increases and a complex pricing formula, here everything is much simpler, making the gameplay much easier once you get the ball rolling.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
Players report that the game's optimization is lacking, particularly during high-level combos and late-game scenarios, leading to performance issues even on powerful hardware.
- “The performance chugs with higher level combos and late game play, even on a beefy rig.”
- “I will say the performance chugs with higher level combos and late game play, even on a beefy rig.”
- “My CPU isn't getting hot, so I think it's more about optimization.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that Gamemaker Studio is often associated with low-quality, retro-style games that are perceived as cash grabs, particularly in comparison to more successful titles like Vampire Survivors. Users express frustration over the pricing, suggesting that it is disproportionately high for the value offered.
- “Gamemaker Studio is most commonly used to make retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs.”
- “This also costs more than you can get Vampire Survivors for, so it's clearly a cash grab intended to steal sales from Poncle for their original game concept.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is subtle and often evokes a light-hearted response, with players noting moments that elicit genuine laughter. Overall, it contributes positively to the game's charm and enjoyment.
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's story is centered around a progression system that involves grinding to unlock new survivors, maps, and power-ups, creating a sense of mastery as players advance through repeated gameplay.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users report significant stability issues, describing the game as both visually buggy and functionally poor, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “This game is riddled with bugs and feels unstable, which is disappointing for a title of this caliber.”
- “I frequently encounter crashes and glitches that ruin the overall experience.”
- “The performance issues make it hard to enjoy the game, as it often freezes or lags during crucial moments.”