Wildkeepers Rising

Wildkeepers Rising is a vibrant action RPG that builds on the familiar foundations of the survivor-like genre while carving out its own identity through creature companionship and expressive fantasy flair. Developed and published by Lioncode Games, the game invites players into a hand-drawn world under siege, where survival is less about solitary endurance and more about forming powerful bonds with magical allies. From the first run, it’s clear that the experience aims to be welcoming and kinetic, blending auto-attacking chaos with moments of thoughtful decision-making that steadily deepen as systems reveal themselves. At its core, Wildkeepers Rising follows a loop that will feel instantly recognizable to fans of bullet-heaven games: enemies flood the screen in escalating waves, your character attacks automatically, and your primary responsibility is movement, positioning, and choosing upgrades as you level up. What elevates this familiar structure is the Guardian system, which transforms each run into a collaborative effort between the player and a small team of summoned creatures. Throughout a stage, Guardian Monoliths appear, offering the chance to recruit new allies that fight independently alongside you. Each Guardian brings its own attack patterns, elemental effects, and supportive traits, immediately altering how a run unfolds and encouraging players to adapt on the fly. The strategic depth of the Guardian system becomes more apparent as the difficulty ramps up. With a limited number of Guardian slots available during a run, choosing which creatures to bring along becomes a meaningful decision rather than a cosmetic one. Some Guardians specialize in clearing large groups of enemies, others focus on high single-target damage, and some provide defensive or regenerative support. Their active abilities, which can be triggered once charged, add moments of tactical intervention during otherwise automated combat. Timing these abilities correctly can mean the difference between being overwhelmed and turning a hopeless situation into a triumphant comeback. Progression extends well beyond individual runs, giving Wildkeepers Rising a strong sense of long-term investment. Completing stages unlocks new Guardians, upgrades, and playable Wildkeepers, each with distinct starting traits that subtly change how the game feels. This meta-progression encourages experimentation, as switching characters or focusing on different Guardian synergies can dramatically alter the rhythm and difficulty of subsequent runs. The sense of discovery remains strong as new combinations reveal unexpected strengths, reinforcing the idea that mastery comes from understanding systems rather than memorizing patterns. Visually, the game stands out with a colorful, hand-drawn art style that lends personality to every creature and environment. Guardians are expressive and varied, clearly communicating their role through animation and design, while enemy hordes strike a balance between whimsical and threatening. Even during moments of intense on-screen chaos, the presentation remains readable enough to support informed decision-making. The fantasy aesthetic is complemented by energetic sound design and music that underscore the escalating tension of each run without overwhelming the senses. Narratively, Wildkeepers Rising keeps its storytelling light but purposeful. The world is framed as one struggling against invasive forces, and your role as a Wildkeeper ties directly into the act of recruiting and protecting magical creatures. While the story never overshadows gameplay, it provides enough context to make progression feel like part of a broader journey rather than a series of disconnected challenges. This subtle narrative layer adds motivation and helps distinguish the game from more abstract entries in the genre. As with many survivor-like experiences, repetition can set in over extended play sessions, especially once players become comfortable with optimal Guardian combinations. Enemy variety and environmental shifts help mitigate this, but the core loop remains intentionally focused and streamlined. Difficulty spikes can also feel sharp at times, particularly on higher settings where successful runs demand careful build planning and precise movement. These moments may frustrate newcomers but tend to reward persistence and system knowledge rather than raw reflexes alone. Overall, Wildkeepers Rising succeeds by enriching a popular genre with systems that emphasize synergy, experimentation, and visual charm. Its Guardian mechanics add a cooperative feel to what is traditionally a solitary struggle, transforming survival into a shared effort between player and creatures. While it doesn’t radically reinvent the survivor-like formula, it refines it with personality and thoughtful progression, making it an appealing choice for players who enjoy fast-paced action paired with strategic variety and a colorful fantasy world that invites repeated exploration. Rating: 7/10

Fun good

Является ли игра интересным взглядом на вампиров выживателей? Да, определённо. Интересно ли ее играть? Под вопросом. С одной стороны тут много хорошего: - Реально красивый арт. - Групповые бои. У вас есть герой (есть разные), и до 4 покемонов которых вы получаете во время рана. Покемоны также имееют статы хп и прочее, но после смерти возрождаются через х секунд. Они атакуют базовыми атакими сами по себе, но у них копиться ульта, которую игрок должен активировать вручную (клавиши 1-4). Ульты самые разные, где то покемон создаст взырв и раскидает всех врагов, где то бафф накинет, где то просто урон нанесет. При лвл апе вам дадут пассивки как на героя так и на покемонов. Также есть в игре руны, что можно одеть по 2 на героя и каждого покемона. Это либо пассивки сильные, либо активные навыки (типа делайте шипы вокруг себя раз в 4 секунды). - Метапрогрессия норм. Есть и базовые штуки типа хп урон и прочее, есть открытие новых покемонов/рун, за достижения получаем больше реролов/рефандов и прочее, плюс есть улучшаемое снаряжение, что можно накинуть как на покемонов так и на героя. - Сложность в игре не для детей. Враги тут не губки для урона, а очень даже бьют. Казалось бы все хорошо, но игре будет сложно получить аудиторию вампиров: 1) Игра требует активного геймплея. Нужно и героем управлять, и за 4 ультами следить. Еще и враги буллет хелл могут устроить, накидав кучу аое на пол экрана. Кто хочет просто "отдохнуть" игра явно не понравится 2) Игра плохая повер фэнтэзи. Так как это командные бои, то сила именно героя относительно монстров тут довольно слабая, что тоже может не зайти поклонникам жанра 3) Хотя я в целом хвалил разнообразие метапрогрессии, реальной глубины там нет. Как и в рунах/поверапах в течении рана. Все это я уже видел, и не раз.

I LOVE this game! I came across Wildkeepers via a bundle it's currently in. I was so intrigued by the art style and when I saw it was a survivors-like I decided to try it out and I don't regret it. The gameplay is like that of Vampire Survivors except instead of one character getting all the upgrades for different weapons and spells you have five characters for each run; One 'Wildkeeper' who you choose before the run and four guardians which are selected during the run and each have their own unique attacks and abilities. There are four different areas to progress through where you acquire new Wildkeepers and guardians. There is about 6-8 hours of gameplay to finish the main progression of the game. If you want to then continue to upgrade armor and max out abilities & sigils and 100% achievements (which offer rewards in game) there is yet more incentive to replay the same areas. I do wish that there were more missions and that the story was a little more in depth but these are minor criticisms and have not prevented any enjoyment of the game. Overall, I highly recommend this game, especially if you're looking for a new survivors-like to play. I adore the art, character design and gameplay. I got it in a bundle for under four dollars but with the enjoyment I've had with Wildkeepers Rising I would've happily paid full price. I really hope to see a sequel or dlc for this game!

A solid game at a good price. Adds a different take on the genre and it has plenty of quests / achievements in game to unlock.

I think this game delivers exactly what it promises as being a creature collector mixed with like a vampire survivor/brotato sort of bullet hell. As someone who loves creature collector games/having summons/pets this is right up my alley. It's got its quirks but I'm enjoying it so far!

Me gusto el juego, al añadir las criaturas cambia la formula del Vampire Survivors bastante, y de manera muy interesante. Y los graficos son muy buenos.

Schien zu Beginn spaßig zu sein, fühlt sich aber komisch an. Seltsame Hitboxen. Interessante Idee verschiedene Monster freizuschalten. Aber am Ende habe ich langsam genug von Spielen bei denen die Metaprogression aus 1% mehr davon und 1% mehr davon besteht. Sorry, lernt endlich spannende Dinge damit anzustellen.

<3

Lots of fun combos to use with all the different characters. Easy at first but with difficulty levels you can make it harder if you'd like. Enough variation to the later parts of the game that you can't really use the same strategy throughout the whole game which is refreshing to make you change your play style.