SWORN

About

SWORN is a single player and multiplayer hack and slash game. It was developed by Windwalk Games and was released on September 23, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Take the battle to Arthur in style with Deluxe Edition, giving you access to the ultimate collection of cosmetic upgrades for SWORN. The Cosmetic Bundle contains a unique weapon skin for each of the 4 character’s 4 weapons and a signature outfit tailored to each hero. The Deluxe Edition of SWORN contains: •SWORN Main Game •SWORN – Deluxe Cosmetic Pack (Vigilante) •SWORN – Deluxe Cosmetic Pack (Ro…

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,834 reviews

gameplay156 positive mentions

grinding38 negative mentions

Fun and addictive gameplay with a variety of characters, weapons, and blessings allowing diverse builds and playstyles.
Well-implemented multiplayer cooperative mode that scales difficulty and enhances the roguelike experience, making it ideal to play with friends.
Polished art style, responsive controls, and satisfying combat mechanics that provide a smooth and engaging gameplay experience.

Frequent multiplayer disconnects and crashes with no rejoin or mid-run save feature, causing loss of progress and frustration.
Limited content with repetitive bosses, rooms, and lack of story or character development compared to genre leaders like Hades.
Balance issues including uneven weapon viability, blessing effectiveness, and difficulty scaling leading to monotonous enemy health sponges and punishing hazards.

gameplay
436 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
59%
5%
The gameplay of Sworn closely mirrors Hades with fast-paced, responsive combat, a solid roguelike loop, and extensive build and character customization. Its key strengths include engaging cooperative multiplayer, diverse weapon and blessing synergies, and a progression system that keeps runs fresh. However, some reviewers find the game less polished and smooth than Hades, with balance and difficulty issues, occasional repetitiveness, and lacking narrative depth to complement the strong gameplay foundation.
- “Incredibly addicting and fun, with an easy to grasp gameplay loop and tons of twists and turns to keep you entertained for hours.”
- “Sworn has a lot of potential — the gameplay is genuinely fun and engaging.”
- “The gameplay feels very natural and responsive.”
- “The core gameplay is very strong and there is a decent variety of possible builds but with only 4 base bosses and each class only having 8 unlockables runs start feeling very samey very fast.”
- “On some weapons/builds final boss is unbeatable with 'bad' corruptions if you don't want to spend an hour to '1 hit + dodge 20 attacks' gameplay.”
- “Take Hades gameplay, slow it down by around 5 times, make all the boons only minor stat increases like +50hp or +5% chance to crit thereby making their impact on gameplay negligible and give it a thin dress of Arthurian like story, no real story here or depth or accuracy to legend but who cares.”
story
230 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
67%
16%
The story in this game is widely regarded as minimal, lackluster, and underdeveloped compared to titles like Hades, with many reviewers noting a near absence of engaging narrative, character development, or immersive world-building. While the gameplay and co-op features receive praise, the story is seen as a weak point, often described as thin, basic, or nearly non-existent, leaving players wanting more depth, charm, and meaningful progression. Overall, the game prioritizes combat and multiplayer over storytelling, making it less appealing for those seeking a rich narrative experience.
- “The story is smooth and you get to slowly piece together everything that's going on behind the scenes.”
- “I initially started playing this game just to get through the main story and once I was able to do that, all I wanted to do was beat the entire game.”
- “The combination of gripping gameplay, a deep story, and the ability to play with friends makes it a standout title in the roguelike genre.”
- “The story may as well not be there, which is a disappointment considering how Hades' narrative is one of its major selling points and a big factor in the 'just one more run' formula.”
- “The lore and storytelling in this game is lacking and I wish we got to know more about the NPCs and bosses that you interact with as you progress.”
- “The story and dialogue is practically non-existent and the cast of characters is underutilized so there's nothing to get invested in apart from the gameplay.”
graphics
168 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
41%
4%
The graphics of the game feature a distinct, comic-book-inspired, painterly art style that blends dark, moody atmospheres with vibrant visuals and heavy shadows. While many appreciate its unique and polished aesthetic—often compared to but grittier than Hades and reminiscent of Darkest Dungeon—some find it less charming or cohesive, with occasional inconsistencies in character design and a somewhat simplified or dated look. Overall, the art style is widely praised for enhancing immersion and complementing gameplay, despite some critiques of graphical polish or variety.
- “Sworn is a visual masterpiece, brought to life by a striking comic-book art style that is both vibrant and grim.”
- “Sworn adopts a stylized, almost graphic-novel-inspired art direction, using heavy shadows, bold silhouettes, and moody color palettes to create environments that feel oppressive yet striking.”
- “The art style is stunning, sound effects are awesome, and I love that I get to play with my friends.”
- “The game literally only has resolution as your graphical option.”
- “Lacks basic PC features such as graphics scaling options.”
- “The visuals, while the art style is pretty decent overall, the character designs are pretty lame; where in Hades your boons came from uniquely cool takes on classic gods, here your boons come from differently shaped and colored "fae" people, and your arsenal is just generic medieval weaponry, except clunkier to fit the art style.”
music
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
51%
5%
The game's music receives mixed reviews, with many praising its energetic, metal/rock soundtrack and effective boss fight themes that enhance gameplay intensity. However, some critics find it generic, repetitive, or derivative of Hades' iconic soundtrack, lacking originality and memorability. Overall, while the soundtrack complements the game's style well and contributes positively to the experience, it falls short of the standout musical genius seen in comparable titles.
- “The soundtrack is wonderful, and it fits very well in this video game.”
- “Music: idle music is tranquil, combat music is energetic, and boss music slaps.”
- “This is all perfectly complemented by an epic soundtrack that fuels the intensity of every fight and deepens the sense of a world steeped in tragic lore.”
- “Music is so generic it could have been made by AI (if it isn't).”
- “All of the music feels like it was ripped from other games.”
- “Music - forgettable tracks, ambient guitar stuff; this could really use an upgrade.”
replayability
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
38%
6%
Replayability is widely praised, with many players highlighting the game's vast build combinations, randomized encounters, and engaging co-op mode that make each run feel fresh and exciting. While some note a decline in replay value after achieving all goals or criticize repetitive difficulty scaling, overall the game offers a richly varied and addictive roguelike experience that keeps players coming back.
- “This system gives sworn a strong sense of replayability, as no two runs feel exactly the same, and discovering powerful synergies becomes a major part of the game’s appeal.”
- “This game brilliantly combines fast-paced, challenging combat with deep build-crafting for a roguelike experience that is endlessly replayable and incredibly satisfying.”
- “Endless replayability: with a massive pool of blessings and randomized encounters, no two runs are ever the same.”
- “Wish it had more replayability beyond just higher difficulties and different weapons.”
- “There's not enough content, and the content available isn't fun enough to be replayable, which is something extremely important to this genre.”
- “This imbalance detracts from strategic diversity and undermines the long-term replayability that many players seek.”
grinding
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
Grinding in the game is a divisive aspect, with many players finding the upgrade system and unlocking content to become quickly tedious due to repetitive enemy encounters and high enemy durability, especially at higher difficulties. While some appreciate the grind as part of the roguelike experience and enjoy progression with friends, others feel it becomes a chore that detracts from fun, citing a need for more varied challenges or alternative unlock methods to reduce monotony. Overall, the grind can feel both rewarding and frustrating, depending largely on player tolerance and expectations for pacing and variety.
- “Just gets very grindy very quickly and the enemy/room variety is not really high enough to keep me going.”
- “The whole point of the upgrade system is to take away your classic video game features to artificially make the game harder, longer (grindy!) and less fun, only to hand them to you after you have wasted a lot of time grinding the game.”
- “It's so well polished with many interesting mechanics, great gameplay loop and nice meta progression that feels impactful and doesn't feel like it requires farming.”
stability
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
5%
82%
The game suffers from frequent and varied stability issues, including crashes, freezes, and numerous gameplay glitches that often disrupt runs or cause soft locks, especially in co-op mode. While some players report a mostly smooth experience, many find the bugs game-breaking and frustrating despite the game's fun core and potential. Though improvements have been noted, the overall stability remains a significant concern.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck and looks amazing on the OLED version.”
- “It's very polished and runs great.”
- “Despite being in an early access state, the gameplay is surprisingly deep, and I've had a mostly bug-free experience.”
- “My game crashes or freezes my PC every 3-4 games, always at the loading screen.”
- “Every time I fight Morgana, the game glitches and she leaves the map, making it impossible to beat the game.”
- “Multiple game-breaking glitches occur that end runs completely.”
optimization
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
53%
18%
Optimization for the game is mixed, with some players experiencing frequent lag, performance bugs, and poor multiplayer optimization, while others find it generally smooth and well-optimized, especially at lower difficulties or settings. Despite occasional hitching and frame drops on certain platforms like the Steam Deck, many issues have been addressed through playtests, though the game still needs refinement to fully stabilize performance and improve multiplayer experience.
- “This feels and plays like a very optimized game.”
- “Also, it is optimized and the graphics are great.”
- “On the actual state sworn is really optimized and plays well, it just needs to find its own identity and detach itself from Hades.”
- “The multiplayer aspect would make up for it, if only it wasn't so poorly optimized.”
- “However, there are so many game-breaking/performance bugs that it's mind-blowing this was released out of early access in this state.”
- “Tl;dr - awful performance even in low resolutions.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its strong art direction, dark and grim themes, and cohesive mythic setting that enhances the combat experience. However, some users feel it lacks the charm or narrative depth of competitors and note occasional mismatches between music and environment. Overall, the atmosphere effectively supports the gameplay, creating an immersive and engaging world.
- “From the opening moments, the game makes it clear that atmosphere and theme are central to its identity, blending myth, decay, and rebellion into a cohesive backdrop for its relentless combat loop.”
- “Taken as a whole, Sworn is a confident and atmospheric action roguelike that succeeds through strong art direction, a deep upgrade system, and genuinely enjoyable cooperative play.”
- “Sworn is genuinely a really nice game with a strong atmosphere and enjoyable core gameplay, and you can clearly see the effort and creativity put into its design.”
- “My two primary complaints are that the game lacks the charm and atmosphere of its competitors and that the higher difficulties are annoying.”
- “Like the current track doesn't reflect the level's atmosphere.”
- “The gameplay itself is quite excellent and I'm enjoying unlocking more weapons and progression items, but the environment and atmosphere is sadly lacking—especially for an existing set of lore and history that could be tapped so readily.”
character development
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
Character development in this game is generally seen as lacking depth and emotional complexity compared to titles like Hades, with many users criticizing the voice acting, character design, and narrative delivery. While some find the character development systems rewarding and purposeful, most feel the design is uninspired and the story shallow. The game’s strengths lie more in co-op fun rather than rich character progression or lore.
- “This game is a continuous grind, but it’s a grind that feels purposeful thanks to its deep and rewarding character development systems.”
- “Hades has more story, more progression and more character development.”
- “Recommend for single players, but at this point, just get Hades; it has a great story-line and character development.”
- “The narrative, while thematically strong, is delivered in a relatively light manner and rarely digs deeply into character development or emotional complexity.”
- “The game is slow and sluggish, character design is rough (the fae looks like PS1 NPC), and barely have any lines delivered by unconvincing voice actors.”
- “It lacks the world building and character development / lore that something like Hades has, but it makes up for it with co-op fun with your buddies.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its charm and can evoke strong reactions like laughter and emotional moments, especially in co-op mode. While it may lack some of the depth and story-driven humor of Hades, it still offers funny and memorable moments that contribute to an enjoyable experience.
- “Despite all the failures and minor successes, we managed to overcome the hilarious floating cup and move onto a trippy level.”
- “Co-op had me crying, laughing, and questioning my life choices.”
- “Good Hades clone (funny that some people refuse to accept this favourable comparison).”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is somewhat mixed, with a thematically strong but lightly delivered narrative that lacks deep character development, alongside moments that evoke nostalgic feelings reminiscent of childhood gaming. However, technical issues like inconsistent hitboxes occasionally detract from the overall emotional experience.
- “, it makes me feel like games made me feel as a kid.”
- “The narrative, while thematically strong, is delivered in a relatively light manner and rarely digs deeply into character development or emotional complexity.”
- “It's a bit heartbreaking to be that negative for a good product like that.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's monetization is criticized for misleading advertising about crossplay, which excludes Steam players despite claims, and for relying heavily on ads and microtransactions, especially during boss encounters.
- “Also, bosses heavily rely on ads.”
- “--- Microtransactions ---”
- “Failing to meet that standard while advertising you have crossplay is atrocious.”