Souldiers
Souldiers
Game
Game2023
Bleak Sword DX
Developer more8bit
Bleak Sword is a 2019 action role-playing video game developed by Spanish studio more8bit and published by Devolver Digital. The game was originally released on September 19, 2019 for iOS, macOS and tvOS through Apple Arcade, with an updated version, Bleak Sword DX, releasing on June 8, 2023 for Nintendo Switch and Windows. The game continues to build on the core elements of the original game, offering expanded… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
199 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Oct 22, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
71
Fresh
124 positive · 51 negative
95% range 64–77%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 124 | 51 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 8 | 0 | 4 |
| Lemmy * | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 4 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
231 of 302 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
71% recommend · 129 yes, 52 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 181 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (552 of 712 positive).
Players praise the game's unique aesthetic and tight combat. [1][2][3] Some find the gameplay repetitive and the difficulty punishing. [4][5][6] Several note it is not a roguelike despite the tag. [1][7]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
Oh boy I have some things to say about this game. Frankly put, Bleak Sword is really aesthetic—the random flashes of thunder, the eerie sway of the camera over the hand-crafted diorama below, the 3D/pixel mix, the satisfying kill animations and the music (done by Jim Guthrie!) all add to make an immersive grimdark fantasy setting where the hero must surmount impossible odds to rid the world of the evil which plagues …
- [1]
It's not a rogue-lite, it's a souls-like I’m not sure why the roguelike tag is used in the game info. There’s no meta-progression, and you don’t get new weapons or upgrades during a run. I wouldn’t count the basic stat choice (+1 HP, +1 damage, or +1 defense per level) as meaningful progression. When you die, you lose all your XP and items - but if you beat the level on your next attempt, you can retrieve them. Fail …
- [12]
If you respect yourself as a Action Roguelike gamer... You HAVE to play this game! One of the BEST titles in AGES! DON'T BELIEVE THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS! It is ALL skill based! You just have to "GET GUD"... Sorry you all suck so hard at HARD GAMES! I have beaten the game and TRULY enjoyed it! It is certainly hard as nails but its worth it! Learn the enemy patterns... Learn ALL the moves: Dodge Role / Charge Attack / …
- [2]
The combat is great and precise, just take some breaks, it can get intense. But the art, the art is just perfect. I could recommend this game just for the vibes.
- [3]
A lot of heart in just a few pixels. Twelve maps with ten levels each filled with deadly encounters, gorgeous scenery, and sick beats. Cannot recommend this one enough. Gem of a game.
Summarised from 34 of the 209 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 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
71% of the 181 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Bleak Sword DX. The complaint that keeps coming up: gameplay becomes repetitive quickly. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Upon release, Bleak Sword received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its distinctive art style, responsive controls, and challenging gameplay. It was commended for its smart use of touch-based combat mechanics, which brought a refreshing take to the action RPG genre. The game was recognized for its art style, which fused minimalist pixel art with rich atmospheric effects to deliver a unique aesthetic.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 199 · most liked firstOh boy I have some things to say about this game. Frankly put, Bleak Sword is really aesthetic—the random flashes of thunder, the eerie sway of the camera over the hand-crafted diorama below, the 3D/pixel mix, the satisfying kill animations and the music (done by Jim Guthrie!) all add to make an immersive grimdark fantasy setting where the hero must surmount impossible odds to rid the world of the evil which plagues it. That being said when I finished the game, that immersion I had when…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The level up mechanic is straight unfair... When you die, you lose your items and all the XP you earned. But that's not the worst part: Souls-like as expected. The thing is, you only have one chance to retrieve both, by beating the stage you just failed. This becomes extremely problematic in later stages, because they naturally get harder and you probably won't succeed the first or second time. This means that if you constantly fail to beat a stage on your second try, you basically can't level…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's not a rogue-lite, it's a souls-like I’m not sure why the roguelike tag is used in the game info. There’s no meta-progression, and you don’t get new weapons or upgrades during a run. I wouldn’t count the basic stat choice (+1 HP, +1 damage, or +1 defense per level) as meaningful progression. When you die, you lose all your XP and items - but if you beat the level on your next attempt, you can retrieve them. Fail again, and they’re gone for good. Overall, the game is absolutely worth it -…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What are you playing this weekend? (2023.08.11). So I beat Stray and Venba this week. I had played most of Stray before and could have sworn I beat it, but apparently I never finished it. I can't even remember why tbh. Anyway, decided to start from scratch and loved every bit of it. Even the ending was fantastic. I know a lot of people want a sequel from this, but honestly, I think it was perfect as-is. Unless the team has a great idea for a sequel, I wouldn't want them to just churn out…
neutral · AI labelView post →Neutral but closer to Do Not Recommend. Bleak Sword DX is a game that is trying to be more than it should be. It's a basic top-down 2D minimalist game that has been extruded into a pointless 3D presentation, and has an array of poor and baffling design decisions. You have Dodge, Parry, Attack and Strong Attack. The basic gist of the game is to bait/wait for an opponent to attack, then you parry or dodge and counterattack until it is dead. It is largely about being patient and timing your…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →cool aesthetic, but extremely repetitive
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall, the game is more boring than interesting, but I think the diorama aesthetic has potential for a more fleshed out game. At 144 levels, it does get tedious fast - especially since all of the enemies have standard counters you can use to quickly beat them down and they all enter the level one at a time. As long as you're quick, you can easily keep yourself from getting overwhelmed. The game just doesn't have much going on in terms of gameplay. If you're looking for a simple, beat-em-up…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're gonna do SFX with you mouth, I'm gonna leave a glowing review. Seems only fair
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is an interesting "sitcom" game from Devolver Digital: sit down, play for 30 minutes, enjoy the art design and tight mechanics, and get out. This is how you can get the most enjoyment out of this game's satisfying and simple gameplay. HOWEVER, the longer you play it for a single setting, the more it all mushes and blends in. You will see everything new in a world within the first half of the levels; the level up system elicits no sense of gratification beyond a flash of light and a cool…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really want to like this game Bleak Sword DX nails the minimalist aesthetic and eerie atmosphere. The Visuals really bring me back to my childhood, with similarities to gems like Castle Crashers, and the Binding of Issac, while also applying a unique flavor to it's level design. However the gameplay loop is Mildly infuriating. What starts as a tense, strategic experience quickly devolves into repetitive trial and error, with cheap enemy attacks feeling more like bad luck than player…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I beat this game. It was not fun. A frustrating slog from start to finish. The Hitboxes felt off, attacking felt sluggish and generally, everything felt very mashy. It was especially annoying when every enemy seemed like that would kill you in two hits. Beyond that, the Drop Rates for items felt extremely low. 4/10 overall, I feel that I wasted an afternoon out of spiteful stubborness.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has a ton of wasted potential to sum it up in a single word. When I first played the demo, I was super excited to play the full game and after finishing the main campaign I can't explain my feelings with a better word than disappointment. To understand of why I feel that way you need to know two main things: 1-The game core mechanic is parrying 2-The game "Tries" to encourage aggressive play style but the problem is that the game after the first 2-3 worlds and at each boss fight…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love this game. Difficult, depressing, and yet ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. All it needs now is obscure lore for me to rant about.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →YET ANOTHER DEVOLVER BANGER
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For its price it's half decent. There really isn't much to the game other than unique visuals, the gameplay gets old pretty quick. I'd recommend it on sale, no more than 5€ in total probably.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I found out that this game is great in making you think that it's simple, which made me, at least, to underestimate it at first. After a playing it for a few good hours, I was truly impressed and immersed in the subtle factors that were carefully inserted for me to discover and enjoy. The gameplay is easy to understand and hard to master, and the game itself is not to easy and not impossible, and I would recommend people to buy it for a nice, challenging 5-7 hours of gameplay.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is amazing overall. I love what it has to offer in terms of combat and simple yet effective artstyle, plus the stage progression that dictates how the game moves forward like a retro console game. It's not too complicated in its mechanics and it feels so good to jump right into a stage, parry enemies, and counterattack them afterwards to wipe the floor with the whole stage. It offers a significant challenge at certain points, so if you're not careful, you can find yourself stuck on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What are you playing this weekend? (2023.08.18). This past week I found myself with some unexpected extra gaming time and boy did I take advantage of it. I finally beat **Uncharted: Lost Legacy**, I beat **The Pathless**, and I beat **Bleak Sword DX** (on PC). ### Uncharted: Lost Legacy (PS5 upgrade) #### Pros: * Outstanding environmental details * Great character chemistry and backstory * More Uncharted #### Cons: * Gameplay is a bit dated with what we have come to expect from Naughty Dog *…
positive · AI labelView post →I liked the game. Finished on normal difficulty with pleasure. Yes, the plot is simple, and the whole game is essentially separate fights in small arenas, but that's what I liked. You don't have to follow the story and characters, but just chop enemies with a big sword using the balance between defense, attack and stamina. A great game that makes you feel like a hero in the dark dungeons.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Looks like every negative review screams "I am bad at this game". I remember seeing this game originally on a mobile that required you to subscribe only. No game is worth subscribing and I patiently waited for steam release. Here we are and this game is a simple Hack and Slash and a Souls like game. Satisfying
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Way too hard of a game. Playing this is punishment. The wiping out of progress + any weapons you might find is like starting an RPG from scratch every time you play it, but the enemies just keep getting harder. With 540 deaths and 20 hours, completing this game became a slow, frustrating grind, with little to no reward. Brutal, millisecond-reaction button mashing, playing the same level over and over again, and no re-spec system made me regret not investing all my rare level-up points in…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →To be frank i like this games combat and how it feels and after beating the game and no hitting each boss i can say that parry is not a useful mechanic in this game. The combat does get frustrating as all you are fighting are the same enemies but they are stronger now. I want to recommend this game but its feel like the gameplay was never tested. If looking for the main points here they are: HP and defense stat barely matter dump into attack stat Losing XP and gaining XP feel like a chore…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game became a mixed bag half way through due to your counter, one of two defensive moves you have, becoming null and void due to eighty percent of enemies having unblockable attacks. On top of being the most common foe regardless of sprite changes. You dodge the double or triple unblockable swing, and mash light or hold for a heavy before your meager stamina bar makes you stand still. Then, rinse and repeat in the most basic of forms. Which sucks since counters completely refill your…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The first 15 minutes will be learning how to parry and roll, after that you will never learn any new mechanics or strategies again. The rest of the game will just be doing the same thing again and again for about 5 hours. Most of the time you are fighting the same monsters again and and again - just each time there are more of them and their health/damage has been increased. There will be a sprinkling of new monsters as well, but after you fight them the first time you will learn their move set…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you respect yourself as a Action Roguelike gamer... You HAVE to play this game! One of the BEST titles in AGES! DON'T BELIEVE THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS! It is ALL skill based! You just have to "GET GUD"... Sorry you all suck so hard at HARD GAMES! I have beaten the game and TRULY enjoyed it! It is certainly hard as nails but its worth it! Learn the enemy patterns... Learn ALL the moves: Dodge Role / Charge Attack / Dash Attack / Parry It is SUPER FAIR and SUPER REWARDING if you put in the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a simplified and stripped down soulslike with pixel graphics. It looks like a diorama, and even with the lo-fi graphics it has some neat tricks like depth of field blur and light bloom. There aren’t very many moves at your disposal: regular attack, strong attack, roll dodge, parry, and counter attack off that parry. Most of the challenge comes from learning the enemy’s attack patterns, and you have to play aggressively because they can overwhelm your character quickly. It gets pretty…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Experienced on the Meta Quest 3. VR Review Only! You can view my VR gameplay & quick tutorial here: https://youtu.be/FKrdSFantAk Yes, you can play Bleak Sword DX in VR using the UUVR mod by Raicuparta. The VR mod is easy to install with Raipal (search for it). You basically click install then click play after installing Raipal. In case that's confusing, I went ahead and did a video with a quick tutorial, showing VR gameplay from Bleak Sword DX. This game looks amazing in VR. It's like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The combat is great and precise, just take some breaks, it can get intense. But the art, the art is just perfect. I could recommend this game just for the vibes.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →pretty fun game, I got it on sale for $2. I can see why some found it to be repetitive, it's pure hack and slash combat with nothing else, but sometimes I like when a game just focuses on a simple concept instead of getting bogged down in complexity. something to note, despite the top tag being "Action Roguelike" this game is NOT a roguelike in any shape or form. Each level is pre-defined layout and enemies will spawn in the same exact order every single time. EDIT: I realized there is a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is only about 4-5 hours long yet it still overstays its welcome. While the start of the game feels very fresh and enjoyable, the charm fades when you realize most bosses and enemies have recycled movesets. The hitboxes are also atrocious, which makes many encounters extremely frustrating rather than feeling challenging in a fair and enjoyable way. I see the vision for the game, and the bones of what could be good are there, but it fails to deliver anything meaningful.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a lovingly crafted dark fantasy hack and slash roguelite. Just beat the DX campaign on Doom difficulty as my first playthrough and I gotta say it's been a very challenging yet rewarding journey. Despite the repetitiveness and insane difficulty spikes, I think it's really worth both the money and your time. Considering the repetitiveness, I think the game would have been much more enjoyable had the regions been even shorter in Normal. You could have easily fought 3 levels in 1 with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You cannot have more fun with less pixels than this! Abolutely S-tier minimalsit souls like with an epic isometric perspective. Short but impactful stages. Great suff.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This was so much fun, @darrenhupke.bsky.social is a phenomenal host. Please have a listen as we talk about a few games that are just right, including Bleak Sword DX (which I time warped on and for some reason said it came out in 2013 lmao). God what a game
positive · AI labelView post →super and fun adventure. short byte sized levels. love the art style. recommend without regret.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can’t imagine you’re struggling to find an amazing video game to play right now, but I was just thinking back to a game that I absolutely adore and think you might, too. It’s Bleak Sword DX and I think it’s the best. Ten bucks gets you one of my favorite games of the decade. No big deal
positive · AI labelView post →A lot of heart in just a few pixels. Twelve maps with ten levels each filled with deadly encounters, gorgeous scenery, and sick beats. Cannot recommend this one enough. Gem of a game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a fun diversion for a few hours, Bleak Sword DX delivers on a simple but well-tuned combat system and a unique aesthetic. I appreciated the progression as it introduced new enemies, with many of the levels ending in a climatic sword fight against stronger enemies. Occasionally new areas add new mechanics like mine carts to avoid or wind that blows you, but most of the time you're just fighting in a room with pretty window dressing. If the game was longer, I'd expect more, but for its length…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tough-as-nails diorama Soulslike. Dig it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a guy with over 20 hours on this game on phone and pc i can gladly say that if your looking for something with a challenge or a kinda good story this game is for u. As a Dark Souls fan i love this game as it brings the retro style along with the new kinda look. I recommend this game for u if you enjoy fast pace and heart pounding games. PS: The change between the mobile/apple arcade version. The difference is how they attack and how much XP you get.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Too "hardcore". I like the style, but the game mechanics assumes that I don't have a life. I had some time to play the game. This didn't change my opinion. The end of the classic campaign is absolutely disbalanced in comparison to the rest of the game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A really fun small arcade-y arena combat game that feels really responsive and juicy, but yeah. Currently playing Bleak Sword DX. AND YOU CAN GET IT FOR LESS THAN 3$ THIS WEEKEND!!! Easy recommend. store.steampowered.com/app/2193050/...
positive · AI labelView post →Visuals are good, gameplay feels good but gets stale pretty quick. You keep killing the same monster types over and over again. Even if the game introduces new ones, how you fight doesn't change at all. Hate the level loss system. Losing items is not a big deal but xp? No thanks. As a side note, the lightning effect is quite disturbing and can make you lose fights by itself. The game literally throws flashbang to your screen during fights, even some bossfights.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I guess I recommend this game.. can't really go wrong getting it on sale. Fun bite-sized game that knew what it wanted to accomplish and didn't overstay its welcome. The dark pixel art style combined with the sound design and lighting makes the game very immersive, although there isn't much of a story here that can help with the immersion. With how crucial timing is to the combat, I can imagine a sequel game being rhythm-based would work incredibly well. Combat and its mechanics did get…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I liked this game--for the most part. The pixel art isn't too shabby, although relatively simplistic compared to virtually any other pixel game. In terms of difficulty, I got through the main game on normal in a little under 3 hours, but I've got a decent amount of Souls game experience. There's very little story, but I wasn't expecting much on that front so that's fine. With the extremely limited arena spaces, which I was a little concerned about, it turned out alright for the most part.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A solid atmospheric hack n' slash with a truly idiotic implementation of bare bones soulslike and rpg systems.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game rocks my socks
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In a time when we're fed so many shallow attempts to cash in on nostalgia this game stands as a triumph in paying homage without feeling patronizing. A creative blend of retro aesthetics and contemporary design that seduces you with addictive combat and surprises with every level. I don't expect to ever uninstall it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →extremely pretty. I can't recommend tho since most levels are just the same enemies over and over again, which gets boring pretty quick. most enemies have very similar/very basic attack patterns as well which doesn't help.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I managed to get halfway through the third world, unlocking some rare achievements along the way. How did I manage that? Well, this game is pretty repetitive and boring, with the addition of weird and unforgiving block-counter timing - so I just managed to endure this longer than most of the players. I spent half of my playing time trying to figure out the controls so that I would get hit less when trying to block or dodge. Not to mention the lack of visual clarity while playing most of the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you could distill something like Dark Souls to it's bare bones and package it on a sweet 80s videogame aesthetic, you'll probably end up with Bleak Sword DX, a fantastic game that's 100% focused on a single idea and executes it awesomely. Got it on switch 2, but it's on Steam and GOG, get it!
positive · AI labelView post →Amazed nobody talks about how good this game is. Bit repetitive, but decently and satisfyingly challenging.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In my opinion this game is underrated. What it offers is bite-sized, hack-n-slash levels that last one or two minutes each. How I've played through the game is in small chunks at a time, a handful of levels here and there, and it's been a fun little time killer. The combat (roll and parry) are satisfying, levelling up your stats make a noticeable difference, and some boss fights feel like Souls bosses. I would recommend this as a casual time killer.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game frequently relies on unblockable attacks and tight spaces, leaving almost no room for error. other than this game isnt difficult. level system is also useless in every new biome stats of enemies scales with you. trial and error nature can shift from "challenging" to "tedious" once the initial novelty of the art style wears off.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unique and cool aesthetic, but combat (which is the entirety of the gameplay) is just horribly repetitive and boring, Not worth your time.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →really cool, but i wish i weren't such a freaking loser skill issue chud
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Do not waste your time with this one. If you love punishing difficulty spikes paired with incredibly shallow and uninspired gameplay than this is the game for you.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →✔️ The Good • Diorama-like art style: The miniature look is instantly recognizable, and the grim fantasy vibe fits the game perfectly. • Tight, deliberate combat: Every swing matters. You can’t just mash — you’re reading tells, timing strikes, and committing to your choices. • Bite-sized encounters: The short “arena” fights keep the pacing sharp, and it’s easy to play in quick sessions without losing momentum. • Strong atmosphere: Between the lighting, sound, and overall tone,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TL;DR A stylish, bite-sized action game with tight combat and a distinct visual identity. Fun while it lasts, though it leaves you wishing it had pushed a bit further in depth and design variety. What Worked Striking minimalist aesthetic – The unique blend of 2D sprites and diorama-style 3D stages gives the game a gritty, memorable look. Responsive, tight controls – Especially with a controller, the combat feels sharp and satisfying. Short and sweet – Easy to pick up and finish…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Solid game design all around, worth the price
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The gameplay loop doesn't feel satisfying as well as item choices.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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