Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
Game
Game2019
Shovel Knight: King of Cards
Developer Yacht Club Games
Shovel Knight: King of Cards is a 2019 downloadable content (DLC) expansion for the 2014 platform game Shovel Knight, developed and published by Yacht Club Games. The player takes control of a dandy named King Knight as he goes on a quest to win a card game and be awarded the title "King of Cards". King Knight attacks enemies by charging towards them, and is flung into the air after making contact with a surface or… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
269 reactions from 4 sources (Bluesky, Steam reviews, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
86
LovedLoved
60 positive · 10 negative
95% range 76–92%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluesky * | 44 | 4 | 98 |
| Steam reviews | 60 | 10 | 0 |
| Lemmy * | 4 | 1 | 26 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 1 | 21 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
78 of 88 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
87% recommend · 62 yes, 9 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 71 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (189 of 211 positive).
Players praise the platforming and the addition of the Joustus card game as a fun extra. [1][2][3] Some reviewers find the card game unenjoyable or the platforming too difficult. [4][5][6] Many consider it a worthy addition to the Shovel Knight series with great value. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
Yeah, i was expacting a fun light-hearted game about a dumbass guy trying to win a card game. It's that but the card game is not very fun. Yeah you can skip it. But... ain't that the point of the game? Being the King of CARDS? But what about the platforming sections? They are really good! 'till they force me to not use the dash and then i just got bored. Out of my 1 hour of gameplay. 40 minutes was spent in the card …
- [1]
I think this might be the best of the Shovel Knight games. From a traditional gameplay sense, it's best better than Plague Of Shadows and Spectre Of Torment was too easy. Probably on a par with Shovel Of Hope, but then you add in the card game into the story and you've got an incredible package. Also huge props to the developers. I originally bought Shovel Knight on Wii U and still could have played this on Wii U …
- [2]
Shovel Knight: King of Cards is the unholy union of a platformer and a card game. If you have played any of the games in the Shovel Knight franchise, you know what to expect. Great pixel graphics, fantastic music, fun level design and precise gameplay. This time they also threw in an extremely enjoyable card game as an added bonus. While some of the levels were not my favourite, they are generally short enough that …
- [8]
More fun than Specter of Torment and Shovel of Hope in gameplay and in story in my opinion. The more stretched out maps and shorter levels is a fresh new experience that is very welcome. I didn't use the abilities very often but theyre mostly pretty cool. New enemy variants, bosses, minibosses, gameplay mechanics, areas, AN ENTIRE CARD GAME (which is great fun by itself) mix with a great, funny story to make a …
- [3]
A game that is worthy of the Yacht Club title. It feels different while still having the feel and style of the Shovel Knight universe. Additionally, it's 2 games in 1 since you have an optional card game competition called Joustus. 5 Golden Crowns out of 5 Golden Crowns
Summarised from 34 of the 232 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
Players who liked Shovel Knight: King of Cards talk about great platforming with precise controls and fun level design; those who didn't talk about the card game is not fun for those who dislike card games. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
According to the review aggregator website Metacritic, King of Cards received "generally favorable reviews". Some critics felt that the game was a worthy final expansion to Shovel Knight. Nintendo Life said that the game was of similar quality to its predecessors, while Shacknews felt that King of Cards was the most ambitious expansion in the entire franchise. Despite finding the game inferior to Plague of Shadows and Specter of Torment, USgamer said that King of Cards was still a competent game within the series. Reviewers highlighted the shorter levels. Nintendo World Report found the levels unique in how they deviated from the franchise's typical structure while remaining challenging,…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 269 · most liked firstNEW: Yacht Club Games needs a hit. In recent years the maker of Shovel Knight has had to lay off staff, pause a 3D project, and delay their next game indefinitely. The good news is that Mina the Hollower could be special. For Businessweek, this is their story: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
neutral · AI labelView post →I think it's worth pointing out that very few video-game companies are as transparent as Shovel Knight maker Yacht Club Games, and I appreciate that the studio was so candid about their story and why their next game, Mina the Hollower, has taken so long www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
positive · AI labelView post →Hey folks, how about a short thread of upcoming games I'm looking forward to? 1. Mina the Hollower The new game from Shovel Knight developers Yacht Club, I've been eagerly anticipating this one, it looks so good! Love that there's a few games lately that have that Gameboy colour vibe going on.
positive · AI labelView post →We’re doing a Reddit AMA on r/Games tomorrow at 11 AM Pacific! ⚓ Ask us about Mina the Hollower, Shovel Knight, game design, Kickstarter, staying independent, launch week, or Yacht Club Games in general. Bring your questions and we’ll see you there! 🐭🕯️ link below⬇️
neutral · AI labelView post →Fun Fact: Mina the Hollower is larger than ALL Shovel Knight titles in Treasure Trove combined... 😱 Total Game Screens Shovel of Hope/Plague of Shadows: 409 Specter of Torment: 433 King of Cards: 397 Mina the Hollower: 1246 ❗❗❗❗
neutral · AI labelView post →Current plan is to stream a new game, Mina the Hollower, tomorrow at noon CST. I was interested knowing it was by the Shovel Knight devs, but even better, I found out it's apparently an homage to old GameBoy era Zelda titles, and those were some of my favorite games growing up.
positive · AI labelView post →EXCITING NEWS!!! Shovel Knight Dig is OUT NOW on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Steam, & Apple Arcade! This release includes the full base game along with all expansions, including the Wicked Wishes update, which adds new bosses, quests, secrets, & game-changing upgrades. Delve in today!
neutral · AI labelView post →"If Shovel Knight is our Mario, Mina would become our Zelda" - Sean Velasco from Yacht Club Games on Mina the Hollower, seven new game plus modes, potential DLC, balancing difficulty & accessibility, the price point, and much more: www.rpgsite.net/interview/20...
neutral · AI labelView post →We played and discussed Pipistrello. Go play Pipistrello. This is an indie game every bit as good as the big ones being glazed this year. Pocket Trap released as good as something like a Shovel Knight or even Minish Cap itself. Yoko Shimomura did a song in this game! www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4JN...
positive · AI labelView post →It's 2026, I am 42 years old, and I've just finished my first playthrough of Shovel Knight What a game
positive · AI labelView post →People say “oh, the Shovel Knight devs only needed to kickstart THIS amount of money to make the game!”, ignoring that the money didn’t last and the developers were on the verge of being completely broke before release
neutral · AI labelView post →Today’s video game #RatOfTheDay is Propeller Rat from Shovel Knight
neutral · AI labelView post →13 years ago, I backed a game on Kickstarter for the first time -- Shovel Knight SK went on to be one of my top 5 games, all time Then, in 2022, I backed a second @yachtclubgames.bsky.social kickstarter I'm only 10 hrs into Mina, but I can tell you they've done it again! This game is a masterpiece
positive · AI labelView post →What if this was the game over screen for Shovel Knight? A recycled old doodle I had. #shovelknight #gay #bara #dasinart
neutral · AI labelView post →Anyone else get bored once they reach the final boss?. For some reason as soon as I get to the "end" of the game, I completely lose motivation to play. This happened with DOOM: Eternal, Sekiro, Bloodborne, Paper Mario TTYD, Cassette Beasts, Shovel Knight, Oblivion, Baldur's Gate, God of War, Mass Effect... Pretty much every game I've ever played. It's like the fun part was the journey, and I've seen everything the game has to offer, and I just don't really enjoy the ending process. Feels like a…
negative · AI labelView post →OMG PLAY THESE INDIE GAMES!! - I'll describe their vibe Gravity: - MegaMan X w/ fighting game polish Panzer: - Mega Man + Blaster Master + Shovel Knight Garbanzo: - SMB + Spitting Handsome: - fast arcade Mario + blem Axiom: - 10/10 masterpiece metroidvania Cyber: - cyborg ninja Gaiden!!
positive · AI labelView post →Ready your shovels! Shovel Knight Dig is tunneling onto Xbox & PS5 on 05/15. It'll include the base game & all expansions, including the upcoming DLC, Wicked Wishes. This final update adds new bosses, quests, secrets, & game-changing upgrades, making this the definitive version.
neutral · AI labelView post →Last night, I finished Mina the Hollower on Switch 2. I enjoyed that game quite a lot. Is it better than Shovel Knight? I would say personally, both are equally good. I highly recommend this game. #40 of 2026 #MinaTheHollower #NintendoSwitch2 #NintendoSwitch #Nintendo
positive · AI labelView post →Hey folks! Shovel Knight has told us that Mina the Hollower is out! 🐭 Congrats on the release @yachtclubgames.bsky.social, go grab the game now!
neutral · AI labelView post →Shovel Knight studio’s ‘make or break’ new game, Mina the Hollower, is now the highest-rated video game of the year. vgc.news/news/shovel-...
neutral · AI labelView post →Creator of Hit Game Shovel Knight Is at a ‘Make or Break’ Moment. Yacht Club Games needs its next title, Mina the Hollower, to be a success.
neutral · AI labelView post →Calling all pocketeers! We’re holding a very special Steam Free Weekend event for our puzzle-action roguelite, Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon! From July 10th to July 14th, players will be able to delve into the full game including all of the released DLC completely for free!
neutral · AI labelView post →DRAWING AN INDIE GAME CHARACTER EVERY DAY!!! Day 1: Shovel Knight Rts appreciated!!! #shovelknight #indie #fanart #artchallenge
neutral · AI labelView post →You fight monsters and play Gwent
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shovel Knight Dig is OUT NOW on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Switch, Steam, & Apple Arcade! This release includes the full base game along with all expansions, including the Wicked Wishes update, which adds new bosses, quests, secrets, & game-changing upgrades. Delve in today! ➡️ShovelKnightDig.com
neutral · AI labelView post →Good game. I think I liked this more than Shovel Knight, but at the same time I understand why this did not take off as hard as that
positive · AI labelView post →The co-founder of Shovel Knight developer Yacht Club Games says its next game Mina the Hollower will be "make or break" for the studio. www.videogameschronicle.com/news/shovel-...
neutral · AI labelView post →This Shovel Knight run on GDQ reminds me... I'm starting to worry about Yacht Club as a studio. Their last in-house game was Shovel Knight, released over a decade ago. Mina The Hollower missed Halloween and has no release date set now, and no mention of Shovel Knight Deluxe in ages. I'm concerned.
negative · AI labelView post →I'm very happy whenever a smaller studio (this game was developed by the Shovel Knight team) not just sees success, but becomes a stable small team able to put out multiple games. This structure of small, but relatively stable and established teams seems like a much healthier gaming ecosystem than the bloated quadruple-A studio with hundreds of developers and a focus on mind numbing photorealism over actual gameplay.
positive · AI labelView post →Shovel Knight Dig studio reveals Switch 2 game it gambled on making after hearing whispers of mouse controls www.eurogamer.net/shovel-knigh...
neutral · AI labelView post →I think this might be the best of the Shovel Knight games. From a traditional gameplay sense, it's best better than Plague Of Shadows and Spectre Of Torment was too easy. Probably on a par with Shovel Of Hope, but then you add in the card game into the story and you've got an incredible package. Also huge props to the developers. I originally bought Shovel Knight on Wii U and still could have played this on Wii U for free as a result, but they deserve the extra money.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ready your shovels Shovel Knight Dig is tunneling onto Xbox & PS5 TOMORROW! It'll include the base game & all expansions, including the upcoming DLC, Wicked Wishes. This final update adds new bosses, quests, secrets, & game-changing upgrades, making this the definitive version.
neutral · AI labelView post →Mina the Hollower – Release Date Trailer (Oct 31). I cannot wait for this game. Shovel Knight was one of my favorites.
neutral · AI labelView post →Mina the Hollower | Review Thread (92/100 OpenCritic). Game Information -------------------- **Game Title**: Mina the Hollower **Platforms**: - PC (May 29, 2026) - Nintendo Switch (May 29, 2026) - PlayStation 5 (May 29, 2026) - Xbox Series X/S (May 29, 2026) - Nintendo Switch 2 (May 29, 2026) **Publisher**: Yacht Club Games **Review Aggregator**: **[OpenCritic - 92 average - 97% recommended - 31…
neutral · AI labelView post →Animation done for @yachtclubgames.bsky.social's game Shovel Knight #Pixelart #animation #indiedev #indiegame
neutral · AI labelView post →Mina the Hollower - the next game from Shovel Knight studio Yacht Club Games - comes to Switch, Switch 2, PS5, XBS, and PC on May 29. The game will cost a low $19.99 at launch. (Mina the Hollower official site)
neutral · AI labelView post →Our game is for MEGA MAN & SHOVEL KNIGHT FANS, algorithm PLEASE FIND THEM! Our game is for MEGA MAN & SHOVEL KNIGHT FANS, algorithm PLEASE FIND THEM! Our game is for MEGA MAN & SHOVEL KNIGHT FANS, algorithm PLEASE FIND THEM! Our game is for MEGA MAN & SHOVEL KNIGHT FANS, algorithm PLEASE FIND THEM!
neutral · AI labelView post →Did you see a game at #AGDQ2026 that you just HAVE to play now? Check out the bundle from @humblebundle.com featuring runs from the stream like Shovel Knight: King of Cards, Jazzpunk, Minit, and more! bit.ly/HumbleAGDQ2026
neutral · AI labelView post →For years Shovel Knight was *the* indie game so this is wild to hear
neutral · AI labelView post →shovel knight cameod in like every indie game during the 2010s, so i thought itd be fun to imagine what it'd be like if that trend never died out { #omori #shovelknight }
neutral · AI labelView post →It was always retro in spirit but with its 10th anniversary today we can finally consider Shovel Knight a legit retro game.
neutral · AI labelView post →Count to ten with Shovel Knight, the Order of No Quarter, and friends. One for every year! Thank you to Yacht Club Games for making this game! It inspired so much of my art over the years and I wouldn't have met some of my closest friends if it weren't for Shovel Knight!
positive · AI labelView post →THIS IS HOW I FIND OUT THE SHOVEL KNIGHT GUYS JUST RELEASED A BRAND NEW GAME????
neutral · AI labelView post →Very Rough Shovel Knight Model from 2014 #ShovelKnight #Sculpture #fanart #artSKY #gaming #game
neutral · AI labelView post →On this day 7 years ago, "Shovel of Hope" Shovel Knight was released as a DLC playable guest character for Rivals of Aether. Shovel Knight was the initial final character distributed for the original game.
neutral · AI labelView post →I need to revisit Shovel Knight Dig, that game was tough but the spritework was gorgeous
neutral · AI labelView post →Loving these little platforming challenge levels in Shovel Knight. The pixel art is so gorgeous in this game man 💜 LOVING it so far!
positive · AI labelView post →Mina the Hollower – Launch Trailer. - **Price:** $19.99 (for both versions, upgrade pack is $0.00) - **Link:** https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/mina-the-hollower-switch - **Platform:** Nintendo Switch & Nintendo Switch 2 - **Description:** In a brand-new action-adventure from the developers of Shovel Knight, a renowned Hollower is called on a desperate mission to rescue a cursed island. Whip foes, burrow through the ground, and explore a world filled with darkness and secrets.
neutral · AI labelView post →Mina, Yacht Club Game’s follow up to Shovel Knight, is a delightful but very different game www.rogue.site/editorials/m...
neutral · AI labelView post →[It's sold through the European DRM-free-only store GOG](https://www.gog.com/en/game/mina_the_hollower) and it's by Yacht Club Games, the makers of Shovel Knight. I put it on the wishlist for now. The soundtrack is Pay What You Want starting from $0 through [Jake Kaufman's Bandcamp page](https://virt.bandcamp.com/album/mina-the-hollower-original-soundtrack). It won't appear in your GOG library unlike the Soundtrack Edition, but that's OK if you get the music free or support him.
neutral · AI labelView post →Shovel Knight is such a landmark for model pixel art games honestly, the whole game is so pretty (#205) #shovel #shovelknight #pixel_dailies @pixeldailies.bsky.social
positive · AI labelView post →Today’s Video Game Plush of the Day is: Shovel Knight by Symbiote Studios
neutral · AI labelView post →53. Mina the Hollower (What a damn GAME this is. Similar to Shovel Knight, you might think you know what to expect going in, but there's so much more to Mina than just a love letter to classic Zelda and Castlevania, bringing in a lot of modern depth and ingenuity. LOVED my time as a Hollower.)
neutral · AI labelView post →Shovel Knight studio’s ‘make or break’ new game, Mina the Hollower, is now the highest-rated video game of the year. vgc.news/news/shovel-...
neutral · AI labelView post →This is exactly as a I expected of it; a tight extremely fun platformer. ;)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →2D Platformer "Mina the Hollower" Early Reviews Top 2026 Review Ratings. > Mina the Hollower, a new retro action-adventure 2D platformer from the creators of Shovel Knight, is coming to Steam, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox on May 29, but ahead of the game's launch, it has been reviewed by a number of publications, who have consistently rated the game highly enough that it has reached the number-one spot in Metacritic's 2026 game rankings, beating out both Forza Horizon 6 and…
neutral · AI labelView post →> Strictly speaking this is probably more like retro-adjacent rather than truly retro gaming Thing is, this is literally what "retro" means. Like retrospective. It means looking back at old styles and modeling modern things after yesterday's trends. When people say "retro gaming", what they really mean is vintage gaming because they're playing vintage games from the 80s and 90s, etc. There's vintage clothing, vintage automobiles, vintage art, and then there are modern versions that emulate…
neutral · AI labelView post →Portraits done for @yachtclubgames.bsky.social's game Shovel Knight (unused) Additional help by @gabirchal.bsky.social #Pixelart #indiedev #indiegame
neutral · AI labelView post →Cardiaman Source: Cardia Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (Multiplatform) by Yacht Club Games #Cardia #ShovelKnight #YachtClubGames #Eggman #SonicTheHedgehog #EggmanPosting
neutral · AI labelView post →I was playing Shovel Knight yesterday, how the hell did Cooper slip past me? I might need to F̶i̶x̶ draw him later.
neutral · AI labelView post →
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