Trulon: The Shadow Engine

Potential for a great, genre-defying game cut short just as this Steampunk adventure truly picks up any steam. Feels more like a demo of a game than the entirety of one, making the $20 price tag for the PC version a hard sell.

58%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

stability, grinding

63% User Score Based on 60 reviews

Critic Score 53%Based on 9 reviews

Platforms

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About

Trulon: The Shadow Engine is a single player role playing game with fantasy, anime and kids themes. It was developed by Kyy Games and was released on March 1, 2016. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

In a world of steampunk and magic you take the role of Gladia, a monster huntress set on a quest to find a cure to the disease that is spreading across Tripudia. Trulon combines adventure RPG elements with a unique card combat system.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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63%

Audience ScoreBased on 60 reviews

story19 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

Unique tactical card-based combat system that blends RPG elements and deck building, providing moments of strategic depth and rewarding combos.
Vibrant and charming art style with colorful, hand-drawn environments and pleasant soundtrack that suits exploration and battles well.
Straightforward and accessible gameplay with a light steampunk story that offers a cozy atmosphere and a manageable challenge for casual RPG players.

The game suffers from a high degree of randomness in combat, causing inconsistent difficulty spikes and occasionally tedious, prolonged fights.
Numerous bugs and technical issues have been reported, including problematic save system, trigger bugs preventing progression, and clunky UI inherited from its mobile origins.
Short and linear with limited exploration, few character customization options, repetitive enemies and animations, and a story that lacks depth and character development.

story
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
71%
4%
The story of Trulon: The Shadow Engine is a straightforward, linear steampunk adventure with an interesting premise but shallow character development and minimal complexity. While some players find it entertaining and easy to follow, others criticize it as predictable, lacking depth, and plagued by pacing issues and bugs that hinder progression. Overall, it offers a modest, earnest narrative that suits fans of smaller indie RPGs but may disappoint those seeking a rich, immersive story.
- “Trulon: The Shadow Engine is a modest yet ambitious attempt by Kyy Games to merge classic RPG storytelling with a unique tactical card-based battle system.”
- “Based upon a book by Jak Koke, Trulon: The Shadow Engine is set in a steampunk universe where a young hunter called Gladia has discovered a plot to poison her homeland, using mechanical machines from the kingdom of Maelon. After reporting it to the Queen of Tripudia and realizing that they won’t act, she sets out on her own journey to find out who sent the machines and to stop their plot.”
- “The characters and story are interesting, as are all of the people you meet along the way on your journey.”
- “The storyline was abysmal.”
- “In short, the character development was shallow, the characters themselves one-dimensional, the storyline was ludicrous with absolutely no depth and it was over so quick I thought I'd lost my virginity for a second time...”
- “Despite the satisfactory visuals, BGM, SFX, battle mechanic, and deck management, this mobile ported game has a weak and forgettable story and characters.”
graphics
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
46%
8%
The graphics of Trulon: The Shadow Engine feature a charming, vibrant art style with retro and anime-inspired elements that suit the game’s genre well, offering colorful, polished visuals and smooth animations. However, the visuals sometimes feel low-detail or simplistic, with repetitive sprites, limited character facings, and occasional graphical inconsistencies, reflecting its mobile origins. Overall, while not technically impressive, the appealing art style and atmosphere make the graphics enjoyable for many players despite some roughness and bugs.
- “Trulon is a nice little card battler with endearing low-poly visuals.”
- “The graphics in Trulon: The Shadow Engine are great - you will swap from pixels (moving around the map) to nice 3D graphics in specific locations.”
- “From the day towns to the night cities, the art style really shines throughout the game as you play through it.”
- “Some (de-)buffs don't show as graphic effects, multiple enemy types reuse the same sprite in the same color, and the same animations are reused for most attacks and skills.”
- “In what seems to be an act of pure unadulterated laziness, the sprite for the main character was left with very minimal facings and movement.”
- “The same cannot be said for the world map; they have resorted to 8-bit graphics for the character sprite.”
gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
57%
10%
The gameplay combines turn-based JRPG mechanics with card-based deck building, offering a unique but relatively simple and sometimes shallow experience. While the card combat and deck customization add strategic elements and fun experimentation, randomness and lack of features like redraws can be frustrating. Overall, it provides an entertaining, visually appealing, and accessible gameplay loop, though it may feel short and occasionally buggy.
- “The game has interesting mechanics and the gameplay with cards can create fun experimentation.”
- “Trulon: The Shadow Engine is an amazing RPG game that mixes up a few styles of gameplay, creating a unique combination of RPG, steampunk, and fantasy elements.”
- “A unique mechanic in this deck-building game is that there are different types of mechanisms you can equip on your characters which add special bonuses during battles.”
- “Not sure if it gets better, but the gameplay is very shallow, enemies repetitive and the cards are boring.”
- “Most of the time the luck of the draw will screw you over more than anything, and there's no mechanic to draw more cards or redraw your hand if you get a bunch of duds.”
- “The biggest complaint I have about the gameplay is that there is no map.”
music
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
39%
18%
The game's music features pleasant, atmospheric melodies that suit both exploration and combat, enhancing its nostalgic and steampunk-inspired tone. However, many players find the soundtrack repetitive over time due to limited variety, which may lessen its impact during extended play. Overall, the music is fitting and enjoyable initially but could benefit from more diversity and dramatic shifts.
- “The soundtrack, while understated, enhances the game’s charm with mellow melodies that complement both tranquil exploration and tense combat.”
- “The game has some really nice joyful atmospheric music when you are in the cities, and then when you are in battle the music shifts to a more serious and sometimes intense tone.”
- “Soundtrack fits perfectly, whether you're walking around casually or fighting a group of enemies, there’s always a great song in the background.”
- “Music is decent but repetitive.”
- “Although this is nice and all, sometimes this can get a little repetitive and therefore you end up not wanting to listen to the music at all whilst you play the game.”
- “The lack of variety in the background music really makes it repetitive.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its vibrant, colorful visuals and pleasant, fitting music that shifts appropriately between joyful city themes and intense battle tracks. While the limited scope and budget are noticeable, the strong focus on storytelling and mood effectively enhances the overall experience.
- “The game has some really nice joyful atmospheric music when you are in the cities, and then when you are in battle the music shifts to a more serious and sometimes intense tone.”
- “All of the areas that you go into seem to be really vibrant in their colors and give off the atmospheric sense that you would imagine.”
- “Big, colourful graphics and pleasant atmospheric music enhance the overall experience.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's stability is problematic, with multiple bugs reported, including some that are game-breaking and force players to redo significant progress. While not universally bug-ridden, these issues can severely impact the overall experience.
- “While the game isn't as bug-ridden as some reviews make it seem, I encountered one game-breaking bug myself.”
- “The game looks okay and has half-decent (if not well-balanced) game mechanics, but it's buggy - and some bugs are game-breaking.”
- “There are a couple of glitches that almost ruined my playthrough and made me redo most of the storyline quests just to continue playing on my save file.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect is mixed, as it rewards strategic planning over mindless repetition but is often undermined by reliance on randomness, making encounters feel inconsistent. Additionally, slow pacing and tedious quests contribute to a dull experience, suggesting a rushed or unpolished design.
- “Rudimentary battles rely too much on luck, the overall slow pace and tedious quests will likely put you to sleep; there are too many indications of being a rushed port.”
- “The reliance on randomness can make encounters feel inconsistent, veering between exhilarating and tedious depending on luck.”
- “At its best, it rewards careful planning and moment-to-moment decision-making rather than repetitive grinding.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game runs smoothly on most systems after patches, showing solid technical optimization. Additionally, strategic optimization of decks enhances gameplay by enabling powerful combos and easier battles.
- “Despite these shortcomings, the game runs smoothly on most systems and rarely suffers from major technical issues once patched.”
- “An optimized deck will turn a tough fight into a walk in the park.”
- “It is very satisfying to test out differently optimized decks to inflict multiple status effects with high damage combos.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is generally viewed as shallow and one-dimensional, lacking depth and complexity. Users find the storyline unrealistic and the overall progression unsatisfying and brief.
- “Character development is a bit bland.”
- “In short, the character development was shallow, the characters themselves one-dimensional.”
- “The storyline was ludicrous with absolutely no depth and it was over so quickly.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's emotional impact stems from its nostalgic, old-fashioned writing style and archetypal characters, delivering sincere and heartfelt moments. It evokes the charm and wonder of classic Japanese RPGs while incorporating unique creative elements.
- “The writing captures an old-fashioned charm reminiscent of traditional Japanese RPGs, with archetypal characters and simple dialogue that carry emotional sincerity.”
- “Ultimately, Trulon: The Shadow Engine is a modest, heartfelt creation—a game that aspires to evoke the wonder of classic role-playing adventures while adding its own inventive twist.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is short and linear, offering little to no replay value. Users generally find its replayability to be very limited.
- “Trulon is both linear and short with no replay value.”
- “This game is short with little to no replay value.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The provided text does not contain any relevant information or opinions about the game's humor.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization system, centered around battle cards, adds a strategic layer to gameplay by encouraging players to experiment with different cards and holders to win battles. This approach makes spending feel engaging rather than purely transactional.

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53%Critics’ scoreBased on 9 critic reviews

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10h Median play time

10h Average play time

10-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Trulon: The Shadow Engine is a role playing game with fantasy, anime and kids themes.

Trulon: The Shadow Engine is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, iPhone, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 10 hours playing Trulon: The Shadow Engine.

Trulon: The Shadow Engine was released on March 1, 2016.

Trulon: The Shadow Engine was developed by Kyy Games.

Trulon: The Shadow Engine has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked Trulon: The Shadow Engine for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Trulon: The Shadow Engine is a single player game.

Similar games include Battle Chasers: Nightwar, Skyborn, Celestian Tales: Old North, SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech, Cosmic Star Heroine and others.

Trulon: The Shadow Engine

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