Shovel Knight

 PC
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 551 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 426 out of 551
  2. Mixed: 66 out of 551
  3. Negative: 59 out of 551

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. churros
    Aug 5, 2023
    9
    Pros:
    + perfect length
    + great pixel art
    + good music
    + great level design
    + fun to use powerups

    Cons:
    - some repetitive tracks
  2. PanchaMiguela
    Mar 4, 2023
    9
    It is quite a simple game, but it is incredibly addictive and challenging, enjoyed it a lot.
  3. Mene0
    Nov 13, 2022
    8
    Shovel Knight: 8/10 great game, classic, feels the most balanced of all

    Plague Knight: 7/10 has some problems, like combat just feels inferior than others, but still quite enjoyable Specter Knight: 10/10 best combat, story and platforming, although has some **** moments imo King Knight: 5/10 barely could bother myself to finish, card game is unfun and both combat and platforming    Shovel Knight: 8/10 great game, classic, feels the most balanced of all

    Plague Knight: 7/10 has some problems, like combat just feels inferior than others, but still quite enjoyable

    Specter Knight: 10/10 best combat, story and platforming, although has some **** moments imo

    King Knight: 5/10 barely could bother myself to finish, card game is unfun and both combat and platforming are also worst in the series. The ending was cool, though.

    Overall incredible platforming experience, highly recommend.    … Expand
  4. Haekan
    Apr 29, 2021
    10
    My favorite indie game ever. It's something special when an indie like this nails everything in its own terms.
  5. TheHound1
    Aug 12, 2020
    10
    An homage to old NES classics but with better, more refined mechanics.
    Great style, great game design, fun as hell gameplay, amazing bosses, each stage feels unique and different, overall this game kicks ass. In my opinion one of the greatest games of this generation.
  6. FrostormNidhegg
    Mar 23, 2020
    9
    Современная игра, сделанная по мотивам 8-битных игр. Хорошая, интересная, каждый замок отличается и визуально, и в плане игрового процесса. Боссы неплохие, некоторые не сбалансированные и скорее убиваются за счет везения. Стоит правда на мой взгляд многовато, особенно по сравнению с Мессенджером. В целом - игра очень хороша, всем фанатом 8-битных платформеров соверуюСовременная игра, сделанная по мотивам 8-битных игр. Хорошая, интересная, каждый замок отличается и визуально, и в плане игрового процесса. Боссы неплохие, некоторые не сбалансированные и скорее убиваются за счет везения. Стоит правда на мой взгляд многовато, особенно по сравнению с Мессенджером. В целом - игра очень хороша, всем фанатом 8-битных платформеров соверую
  7. pedraww
    Dec 8, 2019
    8
    Awesome tribute to the 16 bits era. Great game, great bosses, and a f*cking SHOVEL as weapon.
  8. Aston_Morris99
    May 18, 2019
    9
    an amazing throwback to the golden age of gaming complete with great visual, fun plat forming ,challenging boss fights and new game plus and challenge mode to keep you coming back all & all worth you time
  9. kelvinsanchez15
    Jan 16, 2019
    8
    Para todos los amantes de los juegos de plataforma Shovel Knight es un juego que debes jugar si o si, tiene un gameplay fluido, curva de dificultad bien trabajada, OST de alto nivel y una aventura/historia inolvidable.
  10. OrlandoPloom
    Nov 1, 2018
    10
    Hear me, hear me, here is my love for a game that makes me rise my shovel up and pretend it's a good weapon. Always great feeling to kill someone with a shovel. MASTERPIECE 2/10. No, seriously, a masterpiece.
  11. Guishu
    Apr 25, 2018
    9
    Let me address this before anything: My thought process for my reviews are obviously personal BUT I do take into account a lot of objective factors (Not other people's reviews though.) Just keep that in mind so you can understand why I couldn't give this game a perfect 10.
    Shovel Knight is my favorite platformer in the last 5 years. I don't think any other game comes close. However it is    Let me address this before anything: My thought process for my reviews are obviously personal BUT I do take into account a lot of objective factors (Not other people's reviews though.) Just keep that in mind so you can understand why I couldn't give this game a perfect 10.
    Shovel Knight is my favorite platformer in the last 5 years. I don't think any other game comes close. However it is also true this game is just what I expect from my perfect platformer. So my perfect score turns into a almost perfect score when I take into account some factors. Rogue-likes and RPGs go very well together. Adding platforming to the mix is not an easy task. I really want to know how in the world Yacht Club Games made it look as easy as counting to three.
    Amazing art, Inspired enemies and levels, cool bosses and some over world goodies? Yes please. Shovel Knight does it all, and it does it great. I love this game and I love the creators for making it. I expect big things from them know, so I'll guess we will see.
    Shovel knight suffers from one thing though: It is not that original. It may seem like it, but I wish I had seen at least one mechanic that I would have never seen coming. That would make it a 10 out of 10 review worthy game. A 9 is still a must play with me.    … Expand
  12. aditya1101
    Jan 6, 2018
    10
    A lot of great retro platformers have popped up recently, but few have felt as great to play as shovel knight. This game perfectly captures the ability of retro platformers to have fairly simple core mechanics but to scale immensely in difficulty. This is a game where every level felt super fun to play through over and over again until I had mastered it. Also, it has an incredible soundtrack :D
  13. Gigaflops
    Dec 1, 2016
    10
    Solo para nostalgicos de los 8 bits. Los niñosrata nunca entenderán este tipo de juegos. Un 10 para este fantástico juego que te devuelve a la epoca de los 80/90.
  14. Captain_Chaos
    Jun 22, 2016
    8
    Rarely have I so enjoyed a game that so persistently made me rage, or made me care for an 8-bit sprite as much as I cared for Shield Knight, but Shovel Knight is just that game. An affectionate homage to the golden age of console gaming, Shovel Knight comes to us from former members of Wayforward Technologies, creators of the Shantae series. The game's incredibly varied stages play outRarely have I so enjoyed a game that so persistently made me rage, or made me care for an 8-bit sprite as much as I cared for Shield Knight, but Shovel Knight is just that game. An affectionate homage to the golden age of console gaming, Shovel Knight comes to us from former members of Wayforward Technologies, creators of the Shantae series. The game's incredibly varied stages play out like a greatest hits album of classic platformers. But unlike, say, Ninja Gaiden or Castlevania, Shovel Knight never feels cheap or punishing. The game is filled with a lovable cast of characters, excellent music (courtesy of the ineffable Virt Kaufman, the musical genius behind Contra 4, Scurge: Hive, Shantae, and several other games), useful powerups and hair-pulling jumping puzzles. The controls are extremely tight, and any mistakes you make are your own damn fault. The game rather mercifully makes use of checkpoints, only depriving you of money when you die, money you have a chance to retrieve when you make it back to where you died. And even if you don't, you can always farm for more, and you will need quite a bit to buy all the upgrades. I had to take a few breaks over the course of playing Shovel Knight to cool off, but I kept coming back until I was done. I do not regret for a second backing this lovely game on kickstarter. If you enjoy platformers and classic NES era gaming in general, then grab yourself a copy of Shovel Knight and prepare to strike the earth!… Expand
  15. SMGamer
    Jun 2, 2016
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. WARNING:This review contains spoilers, so if you don't want to hear spoilers, then don't press the button Expand.This game is perfect! It's well done, the controls are tight, smooth and amazing graphics and backgrounds, and to top it all off, the gameplay is amazing!! I love the bosses, especially Plague Knight and The Enchantress. I can't forget the second phase of the enchantress when you down-stab on Shield Knight's shield and smacking the Enchantress' head with my shovel, using my favorite Relic: The Propeller Dagger to continue stabbing her mercilessly till she dies! God, everything is amazing!… Expand
  16. jacob4
    Apr 9, 2016
    10
    An absolute classic and masterpiece! Shovel Knight combines all the things we loved from the old classic 8-bit games like Mario, Metroid, Castlevania, Mega Man, etc. with some Dark Souls leveled difficulty even added in. This game has great action and adventure, lovable characters, great soundtrack, gorgeous 8-bit graphic, and an awesome story. An absolute must play and one of the bestAn absolute classic and masterpiece! Shovel Knight combines all the things we loved from the old classic 8-bit games like Mario, Metroid, Castlevania, Mega Man, etc. with some Dark Souls leveled difficulty even added in. This game has great action and adventure, lovable characters, great soundtrack, gorgeous 8-bit graphic, and an awesome story. An absolute must play and one of the best games of the year.… Expand
  17. zamapa
    Jan 24, 2016
    10
    I have never owned an NES, I have never played an NES game yet I still love this game. It has solid controls and teaches through game-play instead of text. You constantly obtain new abilities in the game, and encounter new enemies and objects. The level design is extremely clever, teaching you something in a low stress situation, and later adding pressure to test you on what you'veI have never owned an NES, I have never played an NES game yet I still love this game. It has solid controls and teaches through game-play instead of text. You constantly obtain new abilities in the game, and encounter new enemies and objects. The level design is extremely clever, teaching you something in a low stress situation, and later adding pressure to test you on what you've learned.

    The graphics and music and charming, and I think they're great even though I have no nostalgia for them. The story is simple and skip able, I couldn't ask for much more. The game become's very challenging, and even though it teaches the mechanics of levels well before you encounter them in a deadly situation, you can still die in some cheap ways. The game is full of adorable characters, and it never felt like it was wasting my time. If I didn't want to talk to a character I usually didn't have to, and if I did I could skip their dialogue if I wanted.

    This is one of my favorite platformers mostly because of the amazing level design. There is so much polish on every detail of this game and it's noticeable. It's fun, and even though the gameplay can be unforgiving checkpoints are frequent and give you some breathing room. This entire game is an example of a great tutorial.    … Expand
  18. Platinum48
    Nov 24, 2015
    10
    This is one of the few platform games sold on Steam that are not spiritual successors of other series to get along in campaigns to raise funds and it was no wonder, the game is quite challenging, is with graphics that much resemble the 8-bit games, and has an interesting plot . I recommend this game for the nostalgic duty that has money to spend on Steam. Your money paid will not be in vain
  19. Uygar
    Oct 24, 2015
    10
    Shovel Knight is a 2014 2D side-scrolling platform game, developed and published by independent video game developer Yacht Club Games. Following a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, the game was initially released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U in June 2014, and ports of the game for OS X and Linux followed in September of the same year.
  20. SkySlam
    Oct 4, 2015
    8
    Retro masterpiece! Great platformer inspired by amazing titles from the NES days. Being a fan of MegaMan, I can't help but recommend this little jewel. Controls are smooth, the music is cool, the graphics are nice and the levels are cleverly designed to entertain the player without frustrating him/her too much.
    The duration of the story mode is pretty short (5-7 hours), be aware of that.    Retro masterpiece! Great platformer inspired by amazing titles from the NES days. Being a fan of MegaMan, I can't help but recommend this little jewel. Controls are smooth, the music is cool, the graphics are nice and the levels are cleverly designed to entertain the player without frustrating him/her too much.
    The duration of the story mode is pretty short (5-7 hours), be aware of that. Still totally worth the money in my opinion.    … Expand
  21. sh4dow
    Oct 4, 2015
    10
    Wow, I think this is the first time that I agree more with the critics than the users on this site. By now, thanks to the free DLC, I've now sunk over 20 hours into this game and it is still a blast. I don't get what's not to like about it. The controls are spot-on, the gameplay is retro yet modern (check points, automatic saving) and similar things go for the visuals (it's 8 bit style butWow, I think this is the first time that I agree more with the critics than the users on this site. By now, thanks to the free DLC, I've now sunk over 20 hours into this game and it is still a blast. I don't get what's not to like about it. The controls are spot-on, the gameplay is retro yet modern (check points, automatic saving) and similar things go for the visuals (it's 8 bit style but animations usually weren't as refined back then and the color palette not as varied). Also lots of content and unlockables. This is probably in my Top 3 of the last few years.… Expand
  22. mg96
    Sep 17, 2015
    9
    Some people say it's a retro game, it looks old bla bla bla... . shovel knight is one of the best indie games ever and there is no reason to hate this game. great boss fight, great humor, great music and great graphic.
    some games like shovel knight are much better in 8-bit because for someone like me it brings childhood memories and for someone who never played old school games, shovel    Some people say it's a retro game, it looks old bla bla bla... . shovel knight is one of the best indie games ever and there is no reason to hate this game. great boss fight, great humor, great music and great graphic.
    some games like shovel knight are much better in 8-bit because for someone like me it brings childhood memories and for someone who never played old school games, shovel knight is something new. with great and challenging gameplay and unforgettable musics it's stupid to hate this game just because of the old school style of the game.    … Expand
  23. the_Slugman
    Aug 24, 2015
    9
    Awesome. Super fun from start to finish. The game as long as it needs to be without overstaying its welcome and proves to be difficult without becoming frustrating. The Dark Souls-esque gold recovery system is solid and the multitude of special abilities you gain are interesting and diverse. On top of all of this, the graphics and music are straight out of the NES era – many games try toAwesome. Super fun from start to finish. The game as long as it needs to be without overstaying its welcome and proves to be difficult without becoming frustrating. The Dark Souls-esque gold recovery system is solid and the multitude of special abilities you gain are interesting and diverse. On top of all of this, the graphics and music are straight out of the NES era – many games try to nail this down but only a select few get it right.

    A charming, hilarious, and challenging adventure worth adding to your library.    … Expand
  24. gogetaxvegeto
    Aug 6, 2015
    9
    One of the best retro graphics game out there. The combat system is good, the platforming feels fun, soundtrack is catchy and the sprites looks gorgeous. It's really great to play it. Truly a modern day platforming gem.
  25. pwp20
    Aug 2, 2015
    9
    Overall impression: An excellent ode to the retro era. A must play for anyone who grew up with late 80s/ early 90s video games.

    This game is beautiful, fun, excellent to handle, catchy, and fair (people who played old games will know what I mean). My only problem was that is was too short (yep! in other words it was so great I wanted more).
  26. albanshqiptar
    Jun 30, 2015
    8
    This game has the best level design i have ever seen. The music is so good it is worth to download the soundtrack and the 8 bit gaming features are on point. One of the best platformers that has challenge and charm. My only complaint is that its a bit on the short side. (For me it only took 3 hours). But at least every minute I enjoyed.
  27. Makaveli
    May 21, 2015
    8
    This game reminds me alot of Megaman, only with Megaman you had to defeat robot masters, with Shovel Knight you defeat different types of knights. Which Megaman you have Doctor Wilys castle and in this you have the same thing but not with Wily..

    It's a good game, it's not perfect but it really took me back to the days of the NES.

    8.5
  28. AVdE
    May 13, 2015
    9
    Shovel Knight is a great game, both for gamers attracted by the '80s nostalgia, and for people who want a taste of what made '80s games so great. The difficulty is just right: very challenging ('80s style), but not offputtingly frustrating. The art style of this game is top notch, and the Mega Man-ish music just really hypes you up for the level. Seriously, the 8-bit styled atmosphere andShovel Knight is a great game, both for gamers attracted by the '80s nostalgia, and for people who want a taste of what made '80s games so great. The difficulty is just right: very challenging ('80s style), but not offputtingly frustrating. The art style of this game is top notch, and the Mega Man-ish music just really hypes you up for the level. Seriously, the 8-bit styled atmosphere and music shows off real love towards all the classics this game was inspired by. And if you play with a controller, the controls are excellent. Level design is fantastic, boss battles are great, there are lots of collectibles in hidden areas. Also, the destroy-the-checkpoints-and-get-goodies-idea is genius.

    All that being said, the game might be a little bit over-hyped. Don't get me wrong, I had a blast playing it, but I don't think I enjoyed it as much as some other people did.

    Nevertheless, this is a really original and fun game you absolutely need to have in your library. 8.5/10    … Expand
  29. SuperkenGaming
    Apr 30, 2015
    10
    Shovel Knight
    A must Play For all
    Shovel Knight is a beautifully charming action platforming game. Shovel Knights art style screams nostalgia sale, but I was happy to find that this game isn’t just here to pull money out of your pockets with heart strings, Shovel Knight is it’s own game, an instant classic. Shovel knight consists of 12 main levels all with their own boss battles, each    Shovel Knight
    A must Play For all
    Shovel Knight is a beautifully charming action platforming game.
    Shovel Knights art style screams nostalgia sale, but I was happy to find that this game isn’t just here to pull money out of your pockets with heart strings, Shovel Knight is it’s own game, an instant classic.
    Shovel knight consists of 12 main levels all with their own boss battles, each level and stage getting progressively more challenging.
    The pacing is really some of the best ive ever seen in gaming.
    Every level has checkpoints, this may annoy the hardcore gamers at first, but you really come to appreciate them, platforming can get really trick for those of us that are impatient.
    These type of gamers are who the checkpoints are for, they are essentially training wheels.
    Shovel Knight is really more than just a flat forming game, it truly is an experience, and im happy these checkpoints exist so all can experience and guess what… checkpoints are COMPLETELY optional.
    Don’t like them?
    Break them, they drop cash so now you have nothing to complain about.
    I wouldn’t recommend doing such a thing your first time through as again, shovel knight gets increasingly challenging.
    Enemies will start throwing projectiles, youll have to dodge lava and spikes and look out for enemies while you seek out secrets.
    There are tons of secrets to be found in shovel knight that I wont spoil, but they add such a great deal of wonder to the game, you never know what youre going to find in a room you just uncovered from an exploding rat.
    It could be a music page for you to sell in the villiage, or a new relic waiting for you to grab to help you out through the rest of the game.
    I wasn’t expecting relics, but im so happy they exist, these relics all cost magic to use so cant really be spammed, but they are all varied and make you look at levels for better, more efficient ways to traverse them.
    You can also save your gold for armour and shovel upgrades, maybe increased magic or meal tickets to increase your health, the choice is yours, but unless youre completely confident in your skills walking into an unknown area you better make that choice before going back out, because every time you die you drop 3 pouches of gold much like in the souls series.
    If you want that gold back youre going to have to go grab it, if you die on your way back then its gone forever..
    The risk reward makes traversing these gorgeous levels even more enjoyable.
    Not only did this development team due a great job with level design and enemies, but also with bosses.
    Each boss has its own attack style, so no 2 relics will be equally handy in these encounters, gratefully though, they all die the same way, hit them an x amount of times.
    Games can get in the habit of making bosses a little too unique, what shovel knight does so great is make the encounters similar enough to give you a sense of pride and feeling like you used skill to defeat a new enemy rather than you just got completely lucky.
    It isn’t common to die during your first encounter with a new boss and that is so refreshing.
    I wont get into story all too much, but I will say that it is there, there is reason to the madness and it, at least to me is beautiful.
    After you’ve completed the game and have picked every level apart for its secrets and treasures, you have the option to start a new game +.
    New game plus lets you start from the beginning with everything you collected in your previous play through, but this time levels are a little tougher as youll notice some checkpoints are missing, enemies do double damage, and there are no health pick ups.
    There are tons of challenging feats to accomplish in shovel knight.
    Totally worth the playthrough just to experience, a highly recommended game title to both casual and hardcore gamers alike.
    I truly believe that everyone can find something to love about shovel knight.
    For what it is
    Action platformer 10/10
    and as an overall game my first ever 10/10    … Expand
  30. Amaerlyn
    Mar 21, 2015
    10
    There's no doubt where inspiration came from when making this game and I love it. There isn't much that I want different with this game and that feeling of playing a brand new game that feels like it is part of something old really comes through.

    There isn't really much to say but O. M. G. !
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

19
#19 Best PC Game of 2014
60
#60 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
48
#48 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 46
  3. Negative: 0 out of 46
  1. Gamer.nl
    Nov 13, 2014
    85
    Shovel Knight is a beautiful tribute to the era that used to be. With it's graphics and gameplay it refers to 8-bit games, but it does have a unique touch of its own. It might be a bit short, but it sure has a strong personality.
    Read full review
  2. GameStar
    Nov 1, 2014
    82
    A modern retro platformer that plays in the same league as the classics.
    Read full review
  3. CD-Action
    Oct 22, 2014
    90
    If you spent your childhood playing DuckTales, Super Marios Bros. or Contra on your NES, no one can convince you that a pixel art indie game can bring that feeling back. Except for Shovel Knight. Shovel Knight can. [Sept 2014, p.68]
See all critic reviews »