Dark Scrolls

Dark Scrolls is a game which I reckon will be a perfect salve for some people, being a neat call-back to the days of 8-bit gaming and old school shmups, but I just found it to be a bit too samey. It's fun, sure, but it works best in shorter half hour bursts for me. I expect a bit more from my roguelites, but if you approach this as an arcade game instead, you'll be in a better frame of mind.

Dark Scrolls is still a charming game that was clearly crafted with love and is worth checking out, regardless of your interests in side-scrollers and roguelikes. Just be prepared to climb out of that grave and into a solid adventure.

Dark Scrolls isn’t doinksoft’s most enjoyable or approachable game. But between the references to several Capcom classics, it’s frantic energy, and plenty of little secrets, there’s a lot of plucky personality. It can be punishing, grindy and under-explained at times. But each chaotic attempt offers enough oddball charm to justify another run.

Dark Scrolls balances high-intensity platforming with a somewhat rewarding progression system. The boss battles are a highlight, utilizing tried-and-true pattern-recognition mechanics that often reward patience and muscle memory. Coupled with a map full of mysteries, branching paths, and new heroes to rescue, there is an amount of replay value here. The single-player mode is so-so, but if you are looking for a frantic, retro-fueled challenge to tackle with a friend on the couch, Dark Scrolls is an absolute must-play.

Dark Scrolls presents an intriguing concept by blending platforming, shoot ’em up, and roguelite elements within a charming retro-inspired aesthetic. Its diverse cast of characters, enjoyable co-op gameplay, excellent pixel art, and fast-paced action stand out as key strengths. However, the execution falls short of its potential, with imprecise controls, frustratingly unfair moments, uninspired level design, and repetition setting in too early. While there is some fun to be found, these shortcomings ultimately prevent the game from maintaining its appeal from start to finish.

In theory, I should like Dark Scrolls a lot more. However, the cozy atmosphere and strong audiovisual presentation can’t save this auto-scrolling platformer from the simple fact that it just isn’t much fun to play: while there’s plenty of variety on offer, doinksoft expects a significant time investment before you get to it, and the unrewarding progression, floaty controls, dull roguelite elements, and frustrating bugs make that a journey you’d rather avoid. If the developers push through a substantial number of updates in the coming months, it may be worth a look (especially given its modest price tag) but until then, just keep scrolling.

Dark Scrolls is a title I should have loved and instead loathed. It is not offensively bad or poorly made, so you may find some fun here that I did not.