This is Niche Spotlight. In this column, we regularly introduce new games to our fans, so please leave feedback and let us know if there’s a game you want us to cover!
Today’s Spotlight is going to cover Shadowlings by Games from the Deep, a title that is pretty much the definition of “niche.” You can probably count the number of articles that have even mentioned this game on one hand, and finding any information about the developer is quite difficult.
Based on their Twitter account (which has a whopping 14 followers), the dev appears to be Russian, and the translation seems pretty shoddy, but ultimately I felt like the game looks cool enough that it’s worth covering.
Shadowlings is a top-down, skill-based sword combat game where you play as a ninja on a quest for revenge. Your clan helped a nefarious shogun seize control of the land, and in return he slaughtered everyone except yourself.
Fight your way up the shogun’s castle using a variety of weapons, gadgets, mystical elixirs, and secret ninja arts. The game’s combat system is rather basic, but focuses purely on your skill as a player, with little in the way of RNG or hidden dice rolls.
The game recently received a new update that added a “true” final boss encounter and fleshed out the ending. You can check out the launch trailer above.
Shadowlings is available on Windows PC via Steam for $9.99, and it’s currently 70% off.
Here’s a rundown of the game:
Shadowlings – is a slaughter to heavy metal in decorations of Medieval Japan.
After your Ninja clan helped The Great Shogan to seize power in the kingdom, he turned against you and destroyed your brothers. But you survived – and now vengeful Shadowling goes after Shogan, leaving blood trail behind him.
Let the swords sing and ring, let the arrows and shurikens whistle, and let Shogan tremble in fear looking at the shadows darkening around him. Shadows of your brothers who he’s treacherously killed, and a shadow of an avenger who will hide the sun above his head forever.
Key Features:
- Hardcore battles, in which everything depends on your skill, not parameters of your character. True dance with the death!
- Role system. Master and use ancient ninjas’ martial arts – from increasing your survivability to reflecting arrows.
- Ninja’s arsenal. Purchase and find in treasures best weapons and armor, become even deadlier. Use kunai, shurikens and mysterious ninjas’ elixirs
- Devour souls of killed enemies and use them to cast Shadow Magic. Teleport, become invisible, hypnotize enemies.
- Explosive soundtrack. Energetic heavy metal with Eastern motives that slams in unison with ring of your sword and rumble of falling bodies.
- Characters style inspired by Japanese traditional doll Daruma.
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