Thrice Cursed

First of all, I'd like to say that producing a game these days as a solo developer is a daunting task and should be applauded. The game is a fun souls-like adventure with unique elements. While it's not the longest story it's got great substance with a lot to build on, and I can't wait for future content. If you like the genre I would definitely recommend purchasing the full game. Honestly, I would recommend purchasing the full game even if it's not your favorite genre. We need to support more people making fun and unique games. Great job Pixel Anvil - I can’t wait for more! (PS: he and his wife literally had to do voiceover to make the budget work. That’s so cool.)

So I actually got a chance to playtest this game late last year, after answering a Reddit post made by the developer. At that time, I could see the vision, but there were a lot of issues. I was intrigued enough to buy the game now that it's actually released though, and I must say - while it's not perfect - I'm impressed by how much better the game plays now. Obviously - as a solo dev project - it's not really going to match up to a big studio production, in terms of scope or feel. I did encounter some issues with the gameplay, such as being unable to backstab people at times, and when I tried dual wielding it didn't seem to register both swords hitting with L2, despite it visually showing my character swinging both weapons through the enemies. But there was enough weapon variety to where I didn't feel ripped off when dual wielding didn't seem viable, as I was able to try a variety of weapon types and play styles that all did work fine, and added some variety to the feel of the game. If you go in to this expecting a Lies of P level Souls-like experience, you're going to be disappointed. But going in to this knowing that it was made by a single person, I was quite impressed. I genuinely enjoyed this game.

Definitely would recommend 10/10 game

Stop for the love of god stop. Devs when you add any kind of controls to the camera you trigger my motion sickness. Please stop! I cant even play this. Add an option to remove your control over my camera. Its not helpful.

Recommended (But Barely) — More Hope Than Hype Another game that makes Steam’s binary “Recommend / Not Recommend” system feel inadequate. I wish I had a sliding scale, because my feelings about this game land squarely in the middle. It’s a frustrating Souls-like—not just because of the genre’s usual difficulty, but because I can’t always tell if my frustration is my fault… or the game’s. Let’s break it down: This is a solo-developed indie project, clearly made with heart. That counts for something. It’s got a low barrier to entry and an inviting visual style. But it also feels like a beta—something still finding its footing. (Should be labeled Early Access) Cons: The camera is especially unruly. Yes, that’s par for the genre, but here it’s worse than usual. The tutorial feels tacked on. You’re dumped into a room with floating text boxes. It could’ve been replaced by a menu option and lost nothing. The UI and menu system are clunky. There's no confirmation prompt when selecting “Return to Main Menu”—I hit it by accident and lost a chunk of progress. The controls feel… off. There’s a disconnect between input and action that’s hard to articulate but very noticeable. Combat often hinges on RNG—getting a decent weapon can drastically change how tolerable fights are. Pros: The art style is clean, simple, and pleasant. Aesthetic mega-win. The voice acting (apparently done by the developer and their spouse) is silly and charming in a way that evokes older games. It has a kind of awkward, retro warmth that I found endlessly endearing. Final thoughts: I’m recommending this game not because it’s great right now, but because I see the potential behind it. With refinement and experience, this developer could go on to make something truly special. If small games like this get support, we give creators a chance to grow—and that’s something I’m willing to back. As Wendigoon said of Skinamarink (paraphrasing): We need to support those that are not the mainstream, that is the only way different voices can shine through and shake things up.

Genuinely surprised the review count is so low on this one. It's not often I stumble across an indie game in this price range with this much charm (I get the impression the dev team really love their craft). Having a lot of fun with it so far. The best way I can describe it is a 'casual souls-like'. It doesn't demand huge chunks of your time, with each level being relatively short, but the stakes are still there in that if you die, you're starting a fresh run. Easily the kind of game you can pick up for 15 minutes, put down, and come back to without losing your rhythm too. The randomisation is a nice touch, where levels appear in a different order each time and there seems to be a solid variety of loot so the runs I've done so far don't feel repetitive. Visually it's really polished too, the character and level designs are fun and suitably varied. There are a couple of rough edges worth mentioning. A few times the target lock-on failed for me when an enemy was too close, which led to some frantic, flailing swings at thin air. I'd also love an option to skip the tutorial on repeat runs. Minor gripes though, and hard to hold against it at this price point.

Audio balancing is horrible and gave me a bad migraine. The camera is also awful in certain areas, it felt like I was fighting the camera. The controls and combat are really slow and clunky, even for a souls-like game. Every enemy takes around 15 hits to kill with the little dagger you get near the start of the game, but the dagger is really slow, so it starts off really repetitive and boring. The enemies are also pretty fast, and seem to have infinite stamina, so hitting them without getting hit yourself requires a lot of patience, especially in multiple enemy encounters. I couldn't stand to keep playing, I stopped after less than half an hour. I love souls-likes. I've played demon souls, ds1, 2, and 3, sekiro, and elden ring, as well as several other souls likes, multiple times each. Recently I played code vein, and I had a wonderful time, I was hooked instantly. Unfortunately, I just didn't see any silver lining in the experience I had with this game. I have zero desire to go back. I understand it's a cheap indie title, but even considering that, it really just isn't worth my time. I got it on sale, and still asked for a refund. I love supporting indie devs, but not this time. I just don't think the dev(s) will create something I will enjoy in the future, so it isn't worth it imo. Maybe it's harsh to leave such a critical review of such a small indie title, but I'm doing this for the purpose of informing those who might purchase this in the future, and end up regretting it.