WARDOGS
WARDOGS
Game
Game2021
Archvale
Developer idoz & phops
Take up your weapon in this RPG bullet-hell world and embark on a journey to right wrongs from long ago. Only you can defeat the evil forces of the Undying guardians and reunite the world with the fabled Archvale. From the Steam store page
185 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Oct 31, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
86
LovedLoved
134 positive · 21 negative
95% range 80–91%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 134 | 21 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
1,411 of 1,557 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
86% recommend · 135 yes, 22 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 157 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (2,144 of 2,414 positive).
Players praise Archvale as a fun, charming bullet-hell adventure with great art and smooth gameplay. [1][2][3] Some reviewers note the game is short but satisfying, with a rewarding 100% completion. [3][4][5] Several players warn that hard mode is unbalanced and frustrating, especially the final boss. [6][7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [15]
Archvale is an incredibly shallow game that fails as both an RPG and a bullet-hell game, and I don't think it should be at the $15 price point. As a bullet-hell: many fights are simply too chaotic. Enemies and bullets move too fast, and there's just too much on screen (and too much that happens off-screen that can come at you fast). This works ok on easy and normal difficulties as the RPG elements allow you to take …
- [1]
Honesty an amazing game, almost no complaints, such a breath of fresh air from the current gaming industry, lovley art, great gamplay and captivating story 10/10, also really cheap.
- [3]
Archvale is perfect for the Steam Deck, the controls feel great and it’s easy to pick up and play. The game is nice and short, making it very satisfying to 100%. There’s a surprising amount of build variety without the difficulty ever becoming frustrating, and the fun, colourful art style ties it all together. A great, compact bullet hell experience.
- [6]
Please do not play this game on hard mode this is a warning. Seriously I cannot recommend the game if you intend on playing it on the hardest difficulty it's just not fun enough for all of the suffering. Skill issue warning out of the way, the game is pretty fun outside of the very last bit of the journey with lots of weapon variety and some interesting builds. The environments and enemies are pretty well done, …
- [2]
9/10 | incredibly underrated, one of the best bullet hells I've ever played
Summarised from 34 of the 188 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Archvale talk about great art direction and enemy design; those who didn't talk about hard mode is unbalanced and frustrating. Which matters more to you?
Reactions
60 of 185 · most liked firstNEO TITAN is the new game by the developers of Archvale, one of my favorite bullet-hell adventures! Wishlist it here: store.steampowered.com/app/2401440/...
positive · AI labelView post →NEO TITAN is a bullet hell metroidvania that learned all the right lessons from the dev's last game, Archvale. I tried an exclusive demo and walked away confident that this is shaping up to be their greatest achievement yet.
positive · AI labelView post →[Humble Bundle] Awesome Indies from Humble Games Bundle (Pay $5 or more). Pay $5 or more - Fae Tactics - Ikenfell - Ring of Pain (EGS Freebie) Pay $10 or more - Archvale - Flynn: Son of Crimson - Unsighted - Void Bastards (EGS Freebie) Pay $14 or more - Dodgeball Academia - Moonscars - The Wild At Heart
neutral · AI labelView post →Honesty an amazing game, almost no complaints, such a breath of fresh air from the current gaming industry, lovley art, great gamplay and captivating story 10/10, also really cheap.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The games I love: - Enter the Gungeon - Realm of the Mad God - Archvale The game I’m making… #indiegame #gamedev
positive · AI labelView post →9/10 | incredibly underrated, one of the best bullet hells I've ever played
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Archvale was a wonderful little game, a bit zelda, a bit bullet hell, a bit action rpg. This is their follow-up, I'll be playing Neo Titan the moment it drops. Check the vid! #neotitan #indiegames #metroidvania #twinstick #bullethell
positive · AI labelView post →It was a fun and smooth experience. Handcrafted rooms were significantly better than random ones as the latter often just spam you with whatever biome has. There’s some variety in gear to create a build suited for your preferred playstyle but I’m not sure there’s a significant difference between weapons. You can freely swap things so there’s no commitment to a class or anything. You can be a “warrior” for the first half of the game and “mage” for the second half. Game has nice difficulty curve…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Archvale is perfect for the Steam Deck, the controls feel great and it’s easy to pick up and play. The game is nice and short, making it very satisfying to 100%. There’s a surprising amount of build variety without the difficulty ever becoming frustrating, and the fun, colourful art style ties it all together. A great, compact bullet hell experience.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My fave of all time? :o Archvale Lil gator game Baba is you Season A letter to the future Dordogne Chicory Harold Halibut Dungeons of Hinterberg Many more but those I remember.
positive · AI labelView post →New title(s) added to "Stream your own game" on #XboxCloudGaming - A Memoir Blue - Airborne Kingdom - Amnesia: Rebirth - Archvale - Astria Ascending - Bassmaster® Fishing - Beacon Pines - Choo-Choo Charles - DEEEER Simulator - DEMON'S TILT - Dodgeball Academia - Dreamscaper
neutral · AI labelView post →Archvale is an incredibly shallow game that fails as both an RPG and a bullet-hell game, and I don't think it should be at the $15 price point. As a bullet-hell: many fights are simply too chaotic. Enemies and bullets move too fast, and there's just too much on screen (and too much that happens off-screen that can come at you fast). This works ok on easy and normal difficulties as the RPG elements allow you to take a hit, but it doesn't feel like you're getting better at the game -- your…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →extremely underrated, 100% the game on hard mode and I did not get bored of it a single time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Chose to play this game on hard mode because I generally do quite well with these types of games and was looking for a challenge. Turns out that once you get to endgame every single enemy three shots you and the lack of I-frames means that bosses kill you in about 3 seconds if you make one mistake. Took me a very long time to get through the last two dungeons ~6 hours of slamming my head against the wall, but I wanted to keep going because the game is otherwise very fun. Then I got to the final…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is amazing! I just wish there was much more to play. I reached 100% (Beat Game + All Achievements) in 9 hours. The badge system, the weapons, the enemies.. This game was so well done. I seriously want a sequel, or a dlc add-on, cause this game needs more content.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Incredibly unbalanced. There is no joy in playing hard mode whatsoever. There is no invincibility window after being hit allowing you to die faster than you can even react when the screen is filled with projectiles. Having a limited number of dodges makes this even more annoying. Enemies do too much damage and/or player does not have enough health/defense. Using a health flask takes way too long since you always have projectiles heading right for you, immediately taking away all the health you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've actually played Archvale many times before my playthrough on pc and throughout my many playthroughs I must say I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend it! This game is really charming in its bosses and general mechanics and features. This is just simply a really good and fun game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game got me out of a gaming rut that had me scrolling my library for hours per day not knowing what to play, super fun, amazingly paced, cool weapons, pretty much if I were to ever make a game it would be a lot like this. Very, very solid.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Worth it. Had a great time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →roguelikes are my favorite genre, this ones up there with the binding of isaac, not as replayable, but the first playthru has been amazing, finished it on my series x, now to do it on steam.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty good game, I played it in 2022 and now have very little to say about it, but I very vividly remember enjoying the game. I'll update when/if I replay
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hard mode sucks
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love this game. Wished there were a sequel or more content to it though
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There's a really fun bullet-hell Zelda-like on the eShop called Archvale. Not sure if you're one for bullet-hells, but that game absolutely ENGROSSED me. Can't tell you the last time I played 8 hours of a game in one sitting 😭
positive · AI labelView post →It's a fun game. But could be improved. I don't understand why the ability to sell gear wasn't added to the game. You end up with a ton of gear to just delete repeatedly. Aside from that, I enjoyed the game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →a quick, fairly easy bullet hell RPG-lite adventure. Easily worth it on sale if you are a fan of bullet hells with decent difficulty. its a mostly linear game, with some leeway to explore higher level areas sometimes. However, on normal, I didn't die once (but came real close a few times). Magic is busted, and melee feels awful. Play a mage or archer, and have a good time. Beat the game, then put it in the shelf. I am tired of Rogue-likes these days and this game isn't one, and i…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is very fun. It was like a great book you couldn't put down. If I didn't need to sleep, I would have finished it in one day.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I absolutely recommend this game to anybody curious-it scratches a very particular itch that I didn't even know I had! An easy comparison would be that this game is a lot like Enter The Gungeon, but scrap the rogulike elements in exchange for an exploration/kind of metroidvania style gameplay, It's hard to find experiences in the bullet-hell genre that deviate from the standard, but this game is quite fun if you're looking for a more story-based, action exploration experience. Combat is simple…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Please do not play this game on hard mode this is a warning. Seriously I cannot recommend the game if you intend on playing it on the hardest difficulty it's just not fun enough for all of the suffering. Skill issue warning out of the way, the game is pretty fun outside of the very last bit of the journey with lots of weapon variety and some interesting builds. The environments and enemies are pretty well done, making exploring the entire map a rewarding endeavor. If you plan on playing this…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I only got 3 hours into the game before having a bug that makes the game crash at the menu every single time I open it. Steam wont refund me because its over 2 hours, and the devs wont reply to me. This isn't a new bug, they said they would fix it about 3 years ago, but they never have. Edit: I won't remove the negative review but I did manage to fix it. https://steamcommunity.com/app/1296360/discussions/0/3198115500348445977/?ctp=2 The dev talks about the issue and ways to fix it here. If you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like the game and it has an extremely good art direction and enemy attack design and patterns. The idea to make the game a sort of procedural generated RPG, where the map will never be the same on 2 different playthroughs is exceptionally cool. Although I do have an extremely big issue with the game. I genuinely don't think the final boss is possible on hard mode. I have the best magic build with the most effective badge build, weapon, and armor, yet the final boss is nearly impossible to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wanted to like this game, but my god is it undercooked. I vaguely remember playing the demo many years ago, and I got it on sale, but even then I'd actually say do not buy this game. The balancing is frankly hot garbage in my opinion. Why should I use a sword, which seems to do less damage than an axe or bow of the same tier and doesn't have nearly the reach? In fact, why should I even use a bow over many of the same tier axes, which pretty much have the same DPS but happen to pierce and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I personally really enjoyed the world building. I like the open world aspect the fast paced shooting the game offers. I really enjoyed the fact that there are a wide variety of weapons in the game that you can choose from and the many mechanics in the game. The only thing I could dislike about this game is that it takes less than a day to finish. Best purchase so far this year
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A fun action game with plenty of different loot and a metroidvania-like map system where you can go for the harder areas first if you want to rather than the easier ones. I think it has a bit of a balancing issue where fully upgraded magic is just incredibly strong compared to the other options and the dash puzzles can be a bit annoying sometimes but overall it's a fun game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Phenomenal underrated indie game that needs more publicity and attention. second time i have completed it first time being on xbox 3 years ago.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →GREAT game. Like Zelda Links Awakening with a great Bullet Hell twist. Surprised it doesn't have more popularity. Need a sequel ASAP.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is a plain, empty and boring game. Extremely repetitive.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My first game that i ever finished to 100% and i didnt regret a single second of it , this games really fun and even addicting at some point . If ur a fan of bullet hells then this games a great pick for u! 9/10 would recommend :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Harold Halibut Dungeons of Hinterberg Superhot Lil gator game Return to Grace Superliminal Archvale Chained Echoes Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
positive · AI labelView post →---{ ? / 10 }--- ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐ 6 ☐ 7 ☑ 8 ☐ 9 ☐ 10 ---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☐ Beautiful ☑ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☑ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☑ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →really great and underrated indie bullet hell rpg game. greatly recommended.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Here's some I love on Xbox that you can take a look and decide to give a try! Archvale The Artful Escape Planet of Lana Harold Halibut Lil gator game Return to Grace Firewatch Superliminal Superhot Dungeons of Hinterberg Enjoy!
positive · AI labelView post →Pretty short but enjoyable. You should definitely give it a try if you like Terraria and top down view type of games. It has a basic story yet it keeps you engaged all the way through making you think about it as you play. The soundtrack is nice and gives off a calm vibe most of the time. You can also choose how you want to play and how you want to progress which makes the game feel flexible and non-restrictive.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game re-inspired my love for video games. Wish there were more games like this! I found myself getting addicted to wanting to see what ever item does, and the different biomes. I highly recommend this game if you are into action RPG/Bullet Hell games.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I initially bought this game because I saw a lot of people comparing it to Minishoot Adventures (which is an awesome game), but this is... Wow... An unbalanced mess. The fundation is pretty solid, but there is so many flaws that I just can't recommend it. Personally got about half through the game and decided to give up on a boss that has one attack pattern which you can't avoid because you don't have enough dashes... If I bashed my head enough I would eventually get lucky when he dosen't…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Poorly balanced in terms of damage numbers to and from the player, i-frames, and gameplay that felt more frustrating than difficult (especially with constantly getting stuck on walls going a pixel or two in or out). A game that could be really good if it were balanced better.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very worth your time. Fun bosses and areas, easy to 100%
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amazing game, great solo but absolutely fantastic for couch co-op. I wish more games played so well with a friend on the couch. The only nitpick would be that in some rooms when two players are going in opposite directions the camera does not zoom out enough to see what is happening to both players at the same time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Scratches the Original Zelda itch very well. Up there with Tunic and Minishoot Adventures.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →new game in the works by @idozandphops.com, the dev of Archvale!!!! I'm super excited because I followed Archvale's developement, and it was very fun mechanically but art-wise and lore-wise it was just pretty good - but this looks like it takes a step up in all 3 of those categories. Can't wait <3
neutral · AI labelView post →Hey Jake! I'm such a big fan of Archvale and haven't stopped posting about it since I played it on Game Pass in 2021. Excited for NEO TITAN. bsky.app/profile/andr...
positive · AI labelView post →Archvale - A student group is using this as an inspiration so I played a bit. It's a dungeon slash kind of game but really leans into the bullet hell enemy design. That requires a slightly different playstyle which makes it feel fresh store.steampowered.com/app/1296360/...
positive · AI labelView post →Well made quick little adventure game for fans of similar titles.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't know how, but the gameplay loop of bullet-hell + looter/crafter all in an RPG package (that ISN'T a roguelike) is so good but I can't really think of any other game like it. This game is so good. Tight controls, awesome weapons akin to Terraria's weapons, awesome sense of progression, and a good mix of cool boss fights with basic enemy fights. There's a lot to like and I want more.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Could play this for hours...evidently
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game is amazing if your looking at this just buy it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very fun gem of a game, deserves wayyy more players than it currently has
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Undodgeable bullet hell game.. many mobs with high health and random spam bullets
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →im sorry but game is just too hard. and enemy mobs have high health. i wish there was atleast easy mode but game itself is nice
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very addictive game, it just makes you want to play more and more! :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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