Dark Scrolls is a thrilling blend of roguelite, shoot ’em up, and arcade platformer, drawing clear inspiration from several classic titles, notably Ghosts ‘n Goblins and Castlevania, with a touch of Mega Man thrown in. The premise is simple: choose one of three starting heroes, dive into a randomly generated level, and try to survive until the end. What initially appears to be a classic retro action game quickly reveals itself to be far more profound than its charming pixel art graphics suggest. Behind this game is the independent studio Doinksoft, which has already made a name for itself with acclaimed pixel-rich titles like Gato Roboto and Gunbrella, and whose characteristic knack for well-crafted game mechanics permeates every frame.
Its greatest strength lies in its variety. There are only a few levels, but they are generated by a random engine, meaning the environments are different each time you play. This effectively eliminates the sense of repetition that often marred older platformers. The ability to choose different paths to reach the final objective also makes each playthrough unique. Here, we find clear echoes of Castlevania: the choices you make not only affect the difficulty but also encourage experimentation throughout the game, right up to the intense boss fights, which demand perfect mastery of your character’s movements.
In the game, we meet Grizz, a large, bearded barbarian who relies on brute force, throwing heavy axes in an arc and crushing enemies with a powerful ground slam from the air. In contrast, there’s Pigeon, a fast and agile thief who relies on mobility: he throws rapid-fire knives at short range and attacks vertically with daggers while jumping. For me, however, the wizard Emerys proved to be an obvious choice, as the combination of high mobility and ranged attack capability made this character choice very easy. Add to this a wide array of unlockable characters, each with completely different abilities and playstyles. The game offers a total of nine heroes, and by exploring hidden corners, you can unlock anything from a barking dog to a saxophone-playing rat. Whether you prefer close-quarters combat, support roles, or a more aggressive run-and-gun approach, chances are you’ll find your favorite character.
The unique skills of the characters open up a multitude of possibilities in terms of variety and challenge. I haven’t explored the co-op mode as in-depth as the solo mode, but the diversity of heroes is, in my opinion, one of the main strengths of this mode. Much like in Golden Axe, there are great opportunities to combine the unique strengths of different characters. The charming pixel art graphics are also accompanied by an engaging retro-style soundtrack that ramps up the adrenaline during the most chaotic battles.
The upgrade system is another real highlight. You collect crystals that you can then exchange for various skills. Creating synergies between life-stealing vampires, helpful elves, and faster projectiles gives you a real sense of progression throughout each run. There are few things as satisfying as the feeling of finding the right combination of skills that turns chaotic battles into well-oiled triumphal marches.
Despite its name, Dark Scrolls is also much more balanced than one might expect. The challenge is certainly there, but the game rarely feels unfair. Failures are more often due to your own mistakes than frustrating design choices, which makes you want to jump into another game almost immediately.
Unfortunately, the game stumbles on one point that many modern roguelites have now solved more effectively: the absence of a save system. You cannot save between levels, which implies and demands a greater time investment than necessary. If you want to keep the crystals you’ve collected and end your gaming session, you are effectively forced to finish your run earlier than planned. This feels unnecessarily tedious and risks putting off players who don’t always have time for long sessions.
This is a shame, because otherwise, Dark Scrolls succeeds in being both entertaining from the start and addictive in the long run. The variety of levels, characters, and upgrades means the game constantly offers new ways to play, and its lighthearted tone perfectly balances the game’s high intensity. The game is not a revolution in itself and won’t give you the impression of playing something unique for the first time. Its strengths lie precisely in the fact that it takes small elements from several game series of different genres and combines them to form a very solid and entertaining game.
Dark Scrolls may not be the ruthless challenge its name suggests, but it is an intelligently designed, charming, and highly entertaining action game that makes it hard to put down the controller.