The Swords of Ditto

About

The Swords of Ditto is a single player and multiplayer hack and slash game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by onebitbeyond and was released on April 24, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"The Swords of Ditto is a compact action RPG that creates a unique adventure for each new hero of legend in the relentless fight against the evil Mormo. Explore a delightful but dangerous overworld, brave menacing dungeons, and improve your hero in a charming village, during your quest to overcome the evil that plagues the island. Unleash the mystical Sword of Ditto and grab a co-op friend for an …

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Play Modes

+12

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65%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,371 reviews

gameplay149 positive mentions

grinding114 negative mentions

Gorgeous art style and charming visuals that evoke nostalgia for classic Zelda games.
Engaging gameplay with a mix of dynamic combat and puzzle-solving elements, providing a fun experience for both solo and co-op play.
The game has a unique time management mechanic that adds an interesting layer of strategy to the gameplay.

Frequent bugs and crashes, particularly on Mac, which can hinder the overall experience and progress.
The time limit can feel restrictive and stressful, making exploration less enjoyable and leading to a sense of urgency that may not suit all players.
Repetitive gameplay and lack of variety in enemies and dungeons can lead to a feeling of monotony over extended play sessions.

gameplay
517 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
65%
6%
The gameplay of "Swords of Ditto" has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating its charming art style and roguelike mechanics but criticizing its slow pace, repetitiveness, and occasional bugs. While some enjoy the unique mechanics like permadeath and time limits, others find them frustrating and poorly integrated, leading to a grindy experience. Overall, the game offers a blend of engaging elements but struggles with execution, leaving some players disappointed.
- “The gameplay is captivating thanks to the fact that each game is specific to each player.”
- “Good roguelite mechanics and a clever mix of gameplay mechanics make this a very fun experience.”
- “The art, soundtrack, animation and gameplay are superb!”
- “Gameplay is grindy, some puzzle games in dungeons are unclear and unfun at times.”
- “However, gameplay-wise, it's just too slow, dull and repetitive; the roguelite system is tacked on and largely demotivating in how it's integrated, the leveling system makes no sense to me and the builds are too shallow.”
- “The art style is amazing but the gameplay sucks a lot, don't buy it, you will be really disappointed.”
graphics
419 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
42%
2%
The graphics of "The Swords of Ditto" are widely praised for their charming, cartoonish art style that evokes comparisons to beloved animated series like "Adventure Time" and "Steven Universe." Many reviewers highlight the game's vibrant visuals and smooth animations as standout features, although some express disappointment with gameplay mechanics and technical issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the art style is consistently lauded, opinions on the game's depth and execution vary significantly.
- “The swords of Ditto boasts a snug aesthetic, offering a plethora of captivating points of interest to explore.”
- “The artwork is amazing, music fits the theme, characters are cute, animations are done very well, and the story seems like it's going to be good.”
- “The graphics, soundtrack and the mood... it really is a beautiful game.”
- “The only thing this game has going for it is its art style; other than that, this game doesn't do anything for me.”
- “Eventually even the charming graphics will wear thin after killing the same things over and over.”
- “I wouldn't recommend this game for the current price; it contains too many bugs and the visuals of the game aren't good either.”
story
319 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
67%
8%
The story in "The Swords of Ditto" is generally perceived as light and simplistic, often relying on repetitive fetch quests and a familiar narrative of a hero battling an evil witch. While some players appreciate the charming art style and the potential for deeper themes, many criticize the lack of engaging dialogue and the grindy nature of the gameplay, which detracts from the overall narrative experience. Overall, the game offers a basic storyline that may not captivate all players, with some finding it enjoyable enough to motivate multiple playthroughs despite its flaws.
- “The story itself gives you a good reason to start the game again and again.”
- “With a beautiful art style, world, dimension, cute little characters, colorful stages, and a fun story, The Swords of Ditto leaves me with a feeling of wanting more of the adventure.”
- “I figured it was just a cutesy Zelda clone but it kept revealing new features until I was totally invested in a deeper-than-expected plot with some heavy themes.”
- “The story isn't exciting after the tutorial, none of the NPCs have anything interesting to say, the quests are extremely boring (gather this, deliver that), the game is very easy (and I'm playing on the hardest difficulty), and the reward for half the tasks you do... are meaningless.”
- “What kills the story for me is the writing. They dole out inane fetch quests about gathering tennis balls.”
- “To top it all off, you have to repeat the beginning story process over and over each time you die, which kills the pace of the game.”
music
231 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
34%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy, upbeat nature and its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many players noting its fun and engaging quality. However, some reviewers mention that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, with a limited number of tracks. Overall, the combination of charming visuals and a delightful soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it enjoyable for both kids and adults.
- “The soundtrack is a blast, fun, catchy and fitting, one of the main toys we get to use is the kazoo, which will help us travel around the island, this instrument plays when we use it and it's also an important part of the soundtrack, there is not much I can add, it is simply fun to listen and the tracks will come and go according to the section of the island we visit leaving a positive and happy attitude.”
- “The music is engaging and well done for each area.”
- “The art style and music alone are worth the price of admission.”
- “Cutesy music and sprites can't come close to redeeming uninspired, oppressively slow gameplay and cringey millennial language stapled onto a very, very basic Zelda rogue-lite.”
- “Same music is played over and over with possibly only 3 songs in the game.”
- “After the second hour, the music becomes repetitive.”
grinding
118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
The grinding aspect of the game has received significant criticism, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, often detracting from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the charm and visuals, they feel that the excessive grinding, particularly in the context of permadeath and resource management, makes progression frustrating and unbalanced. Overall, the consensus suggests that the game could benefit from a more streamlined approach to gameplay and less emphasis on grinding.
- “Would have benefited greatly from a more linear storytelling and less pointless grinding.”
- “The first couple hours are a joy, which quickly devolves into a grindy slog that makes any charm the game has vanish.”
- “Long story short, I'm not grinding hours and hours just to grind more for hours and hours to beat something that the game very clearly sets up as unfair to you.”
stability
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely reported to be extremely buggy, with numerous glitches that can impede progression, cause crashes, and create unsolvable puzzles. Users have experienced issues across various platforms, particularly on Mac, with frequent freezes and loading problems. While some players acknowledge that certain bugs are being addressed, the overall stability remains a significant concern, detracting from the gameplay experience.
- “This game is boring, slow, buggy, and not fun.”
- “Game crashes instantly on Mac/extremely buggy.”
- “Yes, this game just came out, but there have been so many glitches that literally break the game and you won't be able to progress.”
humor
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm, wit, and ability to surprise players with new jokes even after extended play. Players enjoy the vibrant world filled with funny dialogue, quirky characters, and a mix of absurd and sarcastic humor, although some note that repetitive NPC lines can detract from the experience. Overall, the game's comedic elements, combined with its engaging gameplay and aesthetics, make it a standout feature that enhances the overall enjoyment.
- “Immerse yourself in a vibrant world, where every decision counts and charming humor adds a special touch to this spellbinding epic.”
- “- the humor is so much fun in this game, and even after you've been playing a while you'll still find new things that take you by surprise and give you a laugh.”
- “The story works great and the dialogues are humorous, which fits well with ludic and sometimes non-sense scenarios.”
replayability
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
7%
The game offers a mix of high replayability through its unique legendary heroes and randomized elements, appealing to fans of rogue-like mechanics. However, some players feel that after the initial playthrough, the replay value diminishes significantly, suggesting a somewhat limited endgame experience. Overall, while many enjoy the depth and charm, opinions on replayability vary, with some praising it and others noting its constraints.
- “Each legendary hero you embody brings a unique touch to the fight against the sinister Mormo, guaranteeing infinite replayability.”
- “Fun game, lots of depth and replay value.”
- “It's got heart, charm, and for me, replayability.”
- “After beating the game for the first time, there is not much replayability to be had.”
- “Presents the impression that there's variation and replayability, but there really isn't.”
- “Somewhat limited replayability.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
42%
29%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing significant performance issues such as stuttering, audio glitches, and visual artifacts during transitions, particularly at higher resolutions. Conversely, others report smooth performance on older hardware, highlighting a disparity in user experiences. Overall, while the game has promising ideas, its optimization problems have led to frustration and negative reviews.
- “+ good performance on my old laptop, thanks for that”
- “- game performance: it runs smooth all the time for me”
- “I haven't progressed very far, because of my obvious performance issues, but I thoroughly enjoyed the gameplay I did see.”
- “I experienced various issues with audio starting before screen transitions had completed, with occasional stuttering during said transitions, and misplaced screen transition effects (playing on 2560x1440). There were even instances where an image of a previous level would be visible during certain screen transition effects in dungeons.”
- “Some good ideas, but between bug issues (crashes, performance drops, quests breaking) and gameplay issues (very limited progression from one life to the next; some features are incredibly RNG dependent; no way to skip through dialog), I can't recommend it.”
- “It's really a shame to see such an original game get bombed by negative reviews because of bugs and performance issues.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
60%
10%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a charming and diverse environment, featuring a variety of stages, caves, and dungeons that enhance gameplay. Players appreciate the cute aesthetic, positive soundtrack, and helpful NPCs, which contrast with the underlying themes of overconfidence and pessimism among characters. Overall, the art and music contribute to a vibrant atmosphere that stands out in a genre often dominated by darker tones.
- “The variety of stages, caves, and dungeons give the game a sense of diversity when it comes to gameplay and atmosphere; these, of course, are not a walk in the park and might offer quite the challenge.”
- “The toys, the charming atmosphere, the NPCs that help you, and the positive soundtrack create a delightful experience.”
- “The art, music, and atmosphere are absolutely brilliant for a game in this genre, where most games of this nature tend to be relatively grim.”
- “However, this isn't exactly a merit, as the game's atmosphere has yet to update to reflect this: despite the sword now rarely falls, the eras unthreatened for centuries, Mormo remains overconfident and the citizens are pessimistic.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight a significant emotional disconnect in the game, with many players feeling that the potential for a meaningful experience is squandered, particularly in the disappointing true ending. While the local co-op feature fosters heartwarming moments and enjoyable gameplay, the overarching sentiment is one of frustration and unfulfilled expectations, leaving players yearning for a more impactful emotional journey.
- “The wasted potential here is one of the most heartbreaking things in gaming that I can remember.”
- “I wasn't able to finish Majora's Mask because the time limit in that game always made me feel rushed.”
- “When one player goes down, the other can help her up, which splits the surviving players' health between them, while you get to see a very heartwarming animation.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
50%
33%
Reviews highlight that while the character designs are visually appealing and reminiscent of classic styles, the lack of a memorable main character detracts from the overall impact of character development, making it difficult for players to form lasting connections.
- “Feels like a modernized link to the past with neat character designs and art.”
- “Without a memorable main character design, it's hard to remember anything but their eternal smile.”
- “Feels like a modernized Link to the Past with neat character designs and art.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for misleading advertising, particularly regarding its classification as a rogue-like and the ambiguous use of "multiplayer" tags, which led players to expect online and local co-op features that are not present. Developers have been accused of retroactively changing tags and dismissing concerns by claiming that players should have inferred the game's limitations, further fueling dissatisfaction.
- “This is misleading advertisement.”
- “No advertising about it being rogue-like and timed, misleading Steam tags about 'multiplayer' (which, on Steam, is synonymous with online) as well as local co-op.”
- “Instead, developers change the tags after the fact and say 'you should have known because we never explicitly said online multiplayer' despite the fact that their advertising genuinely makes it seem like it has both capabilities.”

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64%Critics’ scoreBased on 3 critic reviews

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6h Median play time

20h Average play time

5-35h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 28 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Swords of Ditto is a hack and slash game with fantasy theme.

The Swords of Ditto is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 20 hours playing The Swords of Ditto.

The Swords of Ditto was released on April 24, 2018.

The Swords of Ditto was developed by onebitbeyond.

The Swords of Ditto has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

The Swords of Ditto is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Moonlighter, bit Dungeon II, Rogue Hero, Lost Castle / 失落城堡, Necropolis and others.

The Swords of Ditto

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