Towaga: Among Shadows

Towaga: Among Shadows tells your typical story of the forces of light overcoming the darkness.

75%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

story, stability

85% User Score Based on 85 reviews

Critic Score 53%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

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About

Towaga: Among Shadows is a single player and multiplayer arcade shooter game. It was developed by Sunnyside Games and was released on July 14, 2020. It received neutral reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

In Towaga: Among Shadows, players must master light to exorcise hordes of creatures across 70+ levels, four game modes, and a richly detailed universe. With intense scoring modes, challenging achievements, and a focus on improving abilities and spells, this game offers a unique and magical journey for those seeking to battle for the light. Immerse yourself in the stunning 2D graphics and compete with friends to rise to the top of the leaderboard.

Genres & Tags

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85%

Audience ScoreBased on 85 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game features stunning visuals and beautiful animations, making it visually appealing.
Gameplay is simple yet addictive, providing a fun experience with a variety of unlockable items and achievements.
The game is well-suited for casual play, especially for those who enjoy arcade-style shooters.

Gameplay can become repetitive quickly, especially after unlocking all skills, leading to a lack of engagement.
The game suffers from balance issues, requiring more grinding and luck than skill to progress effectively.
Technical issues, such as bugs preventing players from replaying story levels after completion, detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
49%
9%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simple mechanics and repetitive nature, which some players find engaging while others deem it shallow and boring. Despite its visual appeal and fluid controls, the gameplay loop can become monotonous, though it offers a variety of unlockable items and abilities that add depth. Overall, while the game is visually stunning and has moments of enjoyable gameplay, it struggles to maintain long-term player interest due to its lack of complexity.
- “The idea is awesome and the gameplay is really enjoyable.”
- “Towaga: Among Shadows is simple and intuitive when it comes to gameplay yet deceptively challenging when it comes to upgrades and finding that perfect balance of weapons and magic to battle your way through progressively challenging levels.”
- “Stunning visuals and simple but challenging gameplay.”
- “Visual strengths are appreciated, but the generally simple gameplay won't keep player attention very long.”
- “The main problem the game has is that the gameplay is tragically mediocre, shallow, and as a result - boring.”
- “This game actually has pretty good production value with well-made artwork and music, but I think the actual gameplay is dogwater.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
25%
11%
Overall, the graphics of the game have received high praise for their quality and artistic execution, with many reviewers highlighting the vibrant, colorful visuals and impressive character art. While some players noted the limitations of 2D graphics, the aesthetic appeal and production value were frequently commended, with comparisons made to animated films. However, a few critiques pointed out that the graphics alone could not compensate for gameplay shortcomings.
- “Gorgeous graphics, lots and lots of unlockable items and achievements.”
- “Very good graphics (indie game wise) and amazing character art.”
- “Not only are the animations and cut-scenes amazing, the actual in-game graphics are colorful, vibrant, and look like something out of a well-made cartoon.”
- “While there are options to change the resolution for the mobile app, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the mobile app, 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 admittedly nice looking 2D visuals that were completely wasted on such a non-game.”
- “The graphic artists and animation team could have easily created a television show instead of a game and it would have been successful.”
story
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
76%
12%
The game's story is described as basic and somewhat underwhelming, primarily revolving around a hero-villain dynamic with Mesoamerican influences. While the lore is presented through various means, including character dialogue and unlockable notes, it fails to engage players deeply, often feeling like an afterthought to the gameplay. Additionally, technical issues hinder the experience, such as bugs that prevent players from replaying story stages after completion.
- “Lore is quite decent as well, told either in comments to the story, spoken by characters in a very neat waiting room between missions, and more thoroughly explained in written notes or descriptions we can unlock.”
- “The story begins when Towaga’s world finds itself threatened by Metnal the Voidmonger, in an attempt to bathe the entire territory in darkness.”
- “The story mode starts right away with a very desirable cutscene that manages to grab the player either for its effects or for the whole design of the different characters.”
- “The story is not the focus of the game, and the story unlocks mostly do not feel worth it too.”
- “Then there is the story: it feels like a very basic hero-villain story with Mesoamerican visual influences and a half-baked world.”
- “Haven't 100% completed the game yet but finished the main story in just a couple of hours.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
20%
30%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players praise the distinct and immersive soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, others express disappointment over the lack of music during gameplay, particularly during combat. Overall, the production value of the music is noted as high, with many appreciating its quality and thematic fit.
- “Music is distinct and helps immerse the player in the world.”
- “The background music is also quite good and matches the theme of the game.”
- “A beautiful game with great animations and an amazing soundtrack.”
- “But there is a 99 cent soundtrack.”
- “This game actually has pretty good production value with well-made artwork and music, but I think the actual gameplay is lacking.”
- “What's missing in this game is a soundtrack; it's silent, there is no music while you fight, and that's a bummer.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers appreciate the character development for its vibrant, nostalgic animation style reminiscent of classic Don Bluth and Disney films, highlighting the rich color palettes and smooth hand-drawn movements that bring the characters to life.
- “The character development in this game is truly remarkable, with each character evolving in ways that feel authentic and engaging.”
- “I was instantly reminded of Don Bluth and the older Disney animations with the rich color palettes and the smooth hand-drawn movement of some unforgettable character designs.”
- “The depth of the characters' backstories adds layers to the gameplay, making every decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight that the game's mechanics, such as protective shields and ice bundles, contribute to its overall stability by providing diverse and reliable gameplay options. Players appreciate how these features enhance combat without causing instability or performance issues.
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress without losing progress.”
- “I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall gameplay experience.”
- “There are numerous bugs that disrupt gameplay, causing characters to get stuck or actions to not register.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players criticize the grinding aspect for being heavily reliant on luck rather than skill, as progressing requires maximizing character skills through repetitive level replaying, which risks losing all progress. The poorly designed difficulty curve further exacerbates the frustration, rendering strategies and grinding efforts largely ineffective.
- “It requires more luck and grinding than your personal skill: you can't move on without maximizing your character skills, which is impossible without replaying the same level (the current one, because you simply can't replay others without losing all your progress).”
- “Any kind of skill, strategy, or even plain grinding are ineffective in the face of a badly designed difficulty curve.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of "Towaga: among shadows" has been criticized as a blatant cash grab by mobile developers, with reviewers expressing frustration over its poor adaptation to PC and lack of modern presentation. This approach is seen as disrespectful to PC gamers, who are encouraged to compare prices with app store offerings, highlighting the game's unethical monetization strategy.
- “Towaga: Among Shadows is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it were a real PC game (it's not). It's a cash grab from greedy mobile developers. This mobile app is a great lesson in not judging a book by its cover, and that's a big deal in an industry where if the publisher can't be bothered to make the game look modern and decent, rightfully, nobody will bother with the rest, either.”
- “There simply is no acceptable excuse for this; it's an insult to PC gamers and it's a cash grab, an unethical one, in the hopes that PC gamers won't price check against the app stores.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Arcade games are noted for their simple gameplay loops and fast-paced action, contributing to high replayability. Players often find themselves returning to these games for quick, engaging sessions.
- “Arcade games generally have a simple gameplay loop, fast-paced gameplay, and great replayability.”