Willow Guard

About

Willow Guard is a single player hack and slash game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by MiTale and was released on April 10, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

Willow Guard is a dark fantasy RPG where you play as Ghweros, investigating monster attacks in a mysterious village. It features challenging hack-n-slash combat enhanced by deck-building mechanics and choice-driven storytelling. Explore a richly crafted world of uplifted animals, lost gods, and ancient secrets while battling through pixel art environments.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 34 reviews

story11 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Engaging story and world-building with well-written dialogue and interesting characters, creating a captivating narrative experience.
Fun and satisfying combat system that combines action RPG elements with a unique card mechanic, allowing for strategic gameplay.
Charming art style and atmospheric visuals that enhance the overall experience, making the game visually appealing.

Inconsistent difficulty spikes can disrupt gameplay flow, making some sections feel overly challenging or frustrating.
Limited variety in equipment and card options, leading to repetitive gameplay and a lack of meaningful progression.
Some design choices, such as unclear mechanics and awkward controls, can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

story
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
64%
8%
The story in "Willow Guard" is a standout feature, blending engaging narrative elements with ARPG gameplay and visual novel mechanics. Players appreciate the compelling mystery, well-developed characters, and rich lore that unfolds in a non-linear fashion, encouraging exploration and interaction. While some mechanics may feel repetitive, the overall storytelling and world-building create an immersive experience that resonates with fans of narrative-driven games.
- “The story is probably the best part of this; the mystery is compelling, the world is fascinating, and the protagonist is adorable.”
- “No spoilers here, but the story is strong enough to be a visual novel with well-written dialogue and each area being peppered with tantalizing bits of lore just waiting to be pieced together.”
- “The story unfolds in a non-linear way, making you wonder if you made the right choice.”
- “The game story and premise was ok-ish; I think that it draws inspiration from The Witcher, as other people have pointed out.”
- “The base game loop is to go through the same locations each day again and again and push the story a bit each time.”
- “Combat and story start off basic to put you in a false sense of security.”
gameplay
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
63%
11%
The gameplay combines action RPG elements with unique mechanics like deck building and roguelike features, offering a satisfying experience as players upgrade equipment and cards. While the combat is generally fluid and engaging, some players find the card mechanics forced and the overall gameplay somewhat redundant. Despite its potential, the game has underutilized mechanics that could benefit from future updates, but it successfully balances nostalgia with fresh ideas, making it enjoyable for many.
- “It's a good mix of storytelling with ARPG gameplay, with some unique-feeling mechanics thrown in.”
- “Fighting style is a pretty straightforward action RPG, but it has a deck-building mechanic (you can put cards in your deck that will give you different boosts and abilities) and of course a touch of roguelike (if you die, you gotta restart the dungeon or go somewhere on the map).”
- “The gameplay in Willow Guard feels simultaneously nostalgic and fresh, and I honestly had a lot more fun than I expected.”
- “This game could have been fun, but bad gameplay and mechanics ideas and decisions make it just more annoying than fun.”
- “It is as if somebody on the dev team liked card games too much, so they forcefully shoved some card mechanics into this game.”
- “Given this, it's a shame that the game includes many underutilized mechanics, such as the equipment system, set items, traps, and other environmental hazards.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming art style and beautiful visuals that create an engaging atmosphere, appealing particularly to fans of whimsical narratives. However, some players noted issues with repetitive environments and technical imperfections, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the consistent aesthetic and storybook feel may resonate with players as they progress through the game.
- “Beautiful visuals, great atmosphere, and that 'just one more try' kind of fun.”
- “Endearing art style.”
- “The visual novel-esque passages for interacting with the characters give the game a wondrous storybook feeling to it, and the music, in all its simplicity, is atmospheric and complements the art style so well.”
- “Don’t let the cute animals and charming art style fool you!”
- “The conflicting art style, coupled with the violent nature of the gameplay, really leaves a bland taste in my mouth.”
- “Once past the visuals, I was soon dismayed by the awkward controls, unbalanced difficulty spikes, and lack of variety in terms of level design.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its beautiful visuals, engaging narrative, and immersive sound design, creating a cozy and enchanting experience. Players appreciate the blend of genres and the well-crafted story, music, and character interactions that enhance the overall vibe, making it feel like a captivating storybook. The combination of these elements fosters a compelling "just one more try" gameplay experience.
- “Beautiful visuals, great atmosphere, and that 'just one more try' kind of fun.”
- “The story, music, atmosphere, and characters are all incredibly well done and add to the overall vibe of the game.”
- “The sound design is equally great, and the backing tracks are cozy and atmospheric but never feel repetitive.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The music in the game is highly praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively setting the tone and enhancing the overall experience. It complements the art style beautifully, contributing to a storybook feeling that enriches the narrative and character interactions. Overall, the music is described as simple yet impactful, adding depth to the game's vibe.
- “The story, music, atmosphere, and characters are all incredibly well done and add to the overall vibe of the game.”
- “The music is quite nice, sets the tone well for the game overall.”
- “The art is beautiful, and the music really helps bring everything to life.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and boring, with many rooms lacking challenge and offering minimal rewards. The repetitive nature of farming dungeons for armor and gear is seen as a frustrating experience, primarily due to the reliance on RNG mechanics.
- “Other rooms were more tedious than challenging.”
- “But all that I have mentioned above is making it just tedious and boring.”
- “There's a lackluster amount of armor and gear unless you want to drudge through said dungeons over and over again farming an RNG sim.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's replayability is hindered by a lack of diversity in deck and equipment options, leading to repetitive playthroughs that feel similar.
- “This limitation hurts the game's replayability, as most playthroughs will involve players using very similar decks and equipment.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to dive back in, making replayability a major issue.”
- “The lack of diverse choices and outcomes means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express a strong admiration for the character designs, highlighting their appeal and uniqueness, which contributes positively to the overall character development experience in the game.
- “I am ridiculously in love with all the character designs as well.”
- “The character development in this game is incredibly deep and engaging, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
- “I appreciate how the characters evolve throughout the story, with their backstories and motivations being revealed in a compelling way.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as quirky and unconventional, blending gory elements with a playful, almost whimsical narrative style that appeals to a unique sense of comedy.
- “It's like it was dunked in a whimsical brain and then they said, 'Let's make it gory and work a story around your funny mind, tee...hee...hee.'”