Death's Door

Incredibly fun game. Don't let the tag confuse you like it did me, this is by no way shape or form a souls-like game. There is no stamina to manage, you don't lose anything when you die and the overall game is on the easier side.

Biggest issue I had with it (which is a non-issue really) is that there is a LOT of backtracking if you want to complete it 100% with the true ending, especially since there is no map. Also, the NPCs who give advice will only appear on day cycle which require you to go all the way to the bell and back, and that is really tedious but I had something running on my 2nd screen so I was fine for the most part.

Other than that, it's an easy recommend. Simple yet awesome gameplay with a cool OST.

A great 2D Zelda-like marred by being too souls-like.

I know some people really enjoy souls-like games, I do not, and Death’s Door is the perfect reason why. Everything else about it, makes it a game I should love, a very 2D Zelda like game. The problem with Death’s Door is even when you take the time to go on the side quests to improve you character to hopefully give you an edge in later battles it never really makes a difference, You never really feel like your character has gotten more powerful, battles are just a matter of ‘get good’ and slogging it out, In short, my game time becomes work, and that is not why I play games.

Really liked this game!! Nice atmospheric world and characters when you explore the game. Puzzles not that hard but kinda perfect level for a game like this. I would have wanted a map, especially when coming back to the game after a bit. Also the combat in my opinion could have been more fun, not bad by any means but also not great.

A fun and cozy Metroidvania that is a bit challenging ( but not Souls-like as it says in the tags above, it is WAY easier than you think ), cool story with some twists here and there ( i suggest finishing it 100% ).

hope they make Death's Door 2 at some point :)

The game is great in every aspect. I can only find a few downsides - it does not teach you the falling attack that is required to open sewer entries, and I constantly encountered an annoying visual glitch with death screen black pixels stuck on the screen after resurrection. Besides that, this was a pleasant and engrossing experience, I lost the entire Sunday with no regrets.

This started a little slow for me but quickly became a lot of fun to play. The controls are smooth, the graphics are beautiful, and the dev team has a fantastic sense of humor. Will definitely give it another play through at some point.

Honestly have no real complaints about this game other than it needs a map of some sort. The regions are not overly complicated to remember how to get around, but some sort of map that also keeps track of collectibles would be a very nice quality of life update to add. Other than that, it's a really fun game. Combat was enjoyable including the bosses which are not terribly difficult after you learn their attack patterns. It scratches that Zelda itch. After you get about an hour into the game and the plot starts to show itself, it sucks you in until you finish.

Death's Door has excellent presentation and starts strong with engaging gameplay. However, it fails to be memorable.

The game hits its peak early and the campaign lacks creativity. Backtracking offers a slight break from the gameplay loop, while puzzles feel shallow and add little to the experience.

Death's Door still deserves a positive review for its solid foundation and presentation. It's a noticeable improvement over their first game. Although the direction has still room for growth.

Short and sweet game that I recommend on sale. Game wasn't very hard to be called a souls-like, but it was very enjoyable while it lasted. Music was amazing

Been a long time since I enjoyed a game as much as I did Death's Door, highly recommend!

Great game from start to finish. The developers deserve special praise for making an ice level where sliding about is actually fun and not just an irritation.

Amazing game! Super cute art style, exceptional music, fun but not too difficult, a nice story, enjoyable to 100%. Definitely recommend :)

i really liked this game, i saw one guy saying that the game is super eazy and made him dont finish the game, but for me, that was a really good thing, bc i dont want to play the next dark souls or something like that, i just wanted to play because a liked the visual of the game

the animations and soundtrack is really good, btw i caught me whistling the soundtrack along the day sometimes

Solid combat mechanics and great writing humor. The exploration part can feel a bit tedious because the game likes to take it's time with the presentation but it's well worth playing

Death's Door

Gameplay [10/10]

Presentation [9/10]

• Graphics & Atmosphere: The visuals are stunning and stylised, perfectly complementing the isometric perspective. Each area boasts clever design and a distinct theme, creating a cohesive yet differing world.
  
• Soundtrack: The music, composed by David Fenn, is nothing short of magnificent. Every track fits its area perfectly, enhancing the atmosphere. My personal favourites are "The Old Watchtowers" and "Flooded Fortress."
  
• Performance: Completely flawless. No stuttering, screen tearing, frame drops, or bugs to be found. It's a seamless experience from start to finish.
  

Narrative [9/10]

Longevity & Replayability [10/10]

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Engaging, polished & fluid gameplay mechanics.
  
• Memorable and unique boss fights.
  
• Beautiful graphics and world design.
  
• Outstanding soundtrack that elevates the atmosphere.
  
• Well-written story and characters.
  
• High replayability due to flexible difficulty and achievements.
  
• Flawless technical performance.
  
• Balanced amount of collectibles
  

Cons:

• Lack of a sequel or additional content.
  
[*] Single difficulty mode (though weapon choice compensates for this).

Final Verdict

I'm enjoying so much this game, challenging, well balanced, lovely designs and it has crows!

The game was fantastic! Was so great played the umbrella run and 100% on both play throughs. would recommend to any and everyone who likes a souls-lite!

The game is a bit too slow for my liking, never quite scratched the 2d 'dark souls' type itch for me in terms of difficulty, but the visual and story are nice. I will likely not unlock the true ending. 6/10

This game is very very good. The music, the gameplay, even the stories was good. you don't have to be so good to in this game, the mechanism was easy to learn. This game is amazing, i wish i can play this game for the first time again

I just 100% completed the game, and am blown away by the amount of effort and care poured in.

This game is centered around uncovering secrets, solving puzzles, and overcoming the occasional challenging enemy. The characters are charming and memorable, and the plot had me invested very early on. There is a very basic upgrade system and a small handful of weapons to play with. The combat itself feels very polished once you understand it.

My only real complaint is that it is pretty easy, enemies' attacks are very telegraphed and only 2 bosses took me more than one try. I am also a tryhard with much souls-like experience, so results may vary in that department.

Death's Door is a fabulous game that I'd recommend to anyone who's a fan of tight combat, narrative, and visuals. The entire game is extremely well polished and it's honestly a breath of fresh air to play something so... finished.

D+. Walked away with a negative impression with few very positive to justify my experience.

Pros:

• Soundtrack and sound: Doesn't feature an extensive sound library but I actually enjoyed what is available, within the setting of the game. Has a nice, almost classical soundtrack to accompany the black and white landscape relying on intense melodies (mostly piano) to accentuate gameplay beats. Sound effects are similarly bare but it works with nice impact to the hits and movement.
  
  
• Writing: The plot is fairly limited but I actually find it enjoyable since this feels reminiscent of older Zelda games. Gives you just enough to get started, while adequately balancing world/lore building with more expository plot. The pace at which new events and information is uncovered felt about right and I was pretty satisfied with the way the game concluded. Dialogue is whimsical enough to carry most of the conversations.
  
  

• Level design: Mixed in the sense that there are some good and bad decisions here. The good aspect is that the levels do a good job of using verticality to flesh out the world. In addition to the generous unlockable shortcuts available it gives the level a feeling of realness to it that other top down games often lack. Subjectively though I felt like they did too good of a job, as retracing steps became frustrating due to the open endness of the level design after the shortcuts open everything up. Would possibly have been alleviated with a map system which is unfortunately absent. The downsides to the level design have to do with the gameplay aspects of it. As you are playing through the game most areas are linear, boring sections to navigate. Typically some enemies in a room that are easily avoidable and areas with no distinct features. There are some light puzzle sections available but they are some the simplest I've seen in recent memory, so simple that I wish they were removed because they slow gameplay while contributing absolutely nothing. The areas are also a tad too big given how slow movement is, which I'll touch on later.
  
  
• UI/UX: Keeping it short the features here are mostly adequate if bare, though I'm sure this is a deliberate decision given the game feel.
  
  
  
  

• Gameplay: Objectively I could see an argument made for this game but for me the game fails at nearly every turn. Going to forego a comprehensive look at the system and list my gripes instead:
  [list]
• The game's primary use of currency is through upgrades that enhance various aspects of speed and power. In many games this type of progression system would feel rewarding for the player. Instead the game's initial core gameplay feels kneecapped instead. Primarily in the movement that starts off with abysmally slow walking speed and high animation lock. Damage doesn't feel great at first either and enemies can feel like damage sponges which wouldn't be an issue if most enemies didn't have a laughably boring moveset. What results is that you start the game as a severely underpowered character where you have to make progression choices between moving sluggishly or having flimsy hits. It doesn't help that most enemies in the game will give you 1 or 2 currency when upgrades are mades in the hundreds, and later thousands. By the end of the game (not true ending), I was just shy of 3/4 of the way through upgrades, having exhausted most of the discoverable currency caches that help speed progression.
  
• On that same topic, movement feels too slow for a game that relies so heavily on backtracking. And not just a little, but the entire game feels designed in a way to maximize gametime for arbitrary stats. It felt like I was consistently retreading ground for no reason other than to unlock shortcuts that, while satisfying to unlock, are ultimately rarely useful. Compounded with the dungeon gameplay aspects it makes it feel extremely tedious just to walk around (and no new movement is unlocked at any point).
  
• Enemies attack patterns are range between either easily dodgeable and reactable, to nearly borderline instantaneous. But either way it didn't matter due to the lack of player control due to slow movement. Essentially, instead of being able to have an offensive based mindset I felt it necessary to just memorize the single basic enemy attack pattern, then preemptively dodge to avoid an attack I may or may not have been able to react to but can't either way if I lead with an attack. The end result is usually just dodge then slash in a circle around an enemy until they die (or for the easier enemies just spamming attack would often do the trick). This sounds like the gameplay loop for most games, but in this case it feels like I'm playing solitaire- the same dodge attack pattern would work on most enemies and I could probably close my eyes and kill enemies because they never change up their attacks or behavior. Outside of bosses this results in really unengaging gameplay with the enemies of the world.
  
• I'll tack it on here, but again the simplistic level gameplay setup leaves a lot to be desired and I often ended up just ignoring nearly every mob in a new area and just keep walking until I hit a mandated enemy encounter.
  
• Lack of any meaningful gameplay changes on a strength build: You get up to 3 different ranged attacks as the game progresses but since you're not leveling into "magic" (which encompasses all three) then they're basically useless in real combat. You don't even get a charm/relic like system here where you could diversify the experience. Old school zelda games aren't known for incredibly diverse gameplay options but the difference is that in those game it rarely felt like your avatar was severely underdeveloped as they are here, and I swear enemy AI from Zelda games is more interesting.
  

Primeiramente gostaria de elogiar Death's Door por ser um jogo muito divertido e bom pra passar um tempo, nesse jogo você é um corvo ceifador de almas e seu objetivo é explorar o mundo em busca daqueles que não querem morrer apesar de já ter chego sua hora.

O Game tem uma mistura de zelda em questão de exploração e também metroidvania (com muitas áreas secretas), o seu combate é similar aos jogos souls(bater e dar dodge) não que seja necessariamente um souls-like.

Pros:
-divertido
-combate fluído
-level design, explorar aqui é bem satisfatório
-trilha sonora maravilhosa

Cons:
-poucas mecânicas novas após primeira área
-muita repetição de inimigos (a última área só aparece 1 inimigo novo por exemplo)
-dificuldade desbalanceada (a dificuldade dos bosses conforme você progride não aumenta)

Disto isso, o jogo vale muito a pena ser jogado, você com certeza vai se divertir muito conhecendo o mundo de Death's Door

Great game! Super pretty and the mechanics are fun as well as the puzzles and bosses! Would totally recommend! 9/10

I’ve started playing indies few months ago with my new steam deck oled and I must say that for what it costs, this game is absolutely a must have, unless you hate a bit of soulslike mechanics (some backtracking, shortcuts to open to avoid long walks between deaths etc). It’s super beautiful to see and runs like a charm on the steam deck (I’ve played at fixed 60fps).

Very fun game. Cool bosses, enemies and combat. Fun progression with intersting puzzles. make sure to get the true ending because its cool.

Cute with a hard punchline

Intuitive gameplay. Lets you figure things out on your own without being too cryptic. Zelda meets Hollow Knight vibes.

I would rather give a neutral recommendation, but steam doesnt do that.

I "enjoyed" the game enough to finish it. But im not that much into exploring or backtracking, so i did not find a single health shrine and i found 2 spell-shrines, but you need 4 to get the upgrade... so i basically played the game without upgrading my health or spell stat. I did level up Strenght and Speed with the souls tho.

Since health is so limited and you cant heal in combat (at least i couldnt figure out how) it was sometimes really frustrating cause i got punished everytime i creeded an attack. So basically, perfect play to kill mobs/bosses necessary.

Just beat it. Pretty fun, decent length, good music and an all-around good time.

Nice little game with good rpg aspects. Good for a weekend

Second to last boss fight is dumb, everything else is okay. Not really rewarded for exploring, which is pretty lame. Why have all these little side routes when they lead nowhere?

Took a little while to get into, but the music is beautiful. It is a solid challenge at pretty much all stages of the game.

Absolutely brilliant game. Very fluid combat, just enough difficulty, and cool puzzles with a lot of exploration. I loved this game, probably a top 10 game for me. Definitely worth it.

Decent game. Combat system is a bit dull. Lack of a map can be problematic if you haven't played for a while and try to navigate through the world or try to 100% it. Animations and characters are well designed

A friend suggested Death’s Door, and after 100%-ing the achievements, I can say it’s a solid game. The combat is fun, and the art style is great. The story is well-done, and I think most people will like it, but it didn’t really click with me.

My only complaints are some enemies having bad hitboxes, sometimes their animations don’t match their attacks, and the dodge could’ve been a bit better.

If you like action-adventure games, it’s definitely worth playing!

Really well written story with smooth mechanics when you progress.

This game is an excellent balance of unique art style, cool character concepts, solid storyline, fun puzzles, simple combat, and irritating difficulty!

Seems heavily influenced by Ocarina of Time, which is not at all a bad thing, and with an interesting twist. I quite enjoyed the story. At first, the combat was tricky to the point of being frustrating, but that is also reminiscent of older games, including the various Legend of Zelda stories. Definitely recommend.

The game is a solid relatively-easy hack'n'slash with a good amount of content. The maps are large, with a lot of shortcuts that help you return to where you died, and a lot of little rewards for back-tracking as you gain new abilities. The game also has a fair number of small puzzles so it's not just endlessly training your reflexes. The game mechanics are pretty straight forward and mostly linear, not much surprising or worrying. The upgrades are pretty mild.

Other notes on the game:

* The starting hours are oddly empty enemy-wise. Be prepared to wander through basically empty locations for a bit. The atmosphere is a nice distraction from this, but this game would definitely benefit from throwing a few weak enemies around to give the player something to interact with. This becomes less of an issue as the game progresses.
* This game's main way of increasing difficulty is giving you more enemies to handle simultaneously (rather than giving a few beefy enemies to focus on). So be ready to start splitting your attention more as the game progresses.
* The non-boss enemies in the game are pretty standard fare. The bosses are generally pretty good. I liked some of them to the point where I wanted them to have more health so I could fight them for longer (which isn't a thought I often have in games).
* Bosses usually don't have much back-tracking to get to them. So you don't have to waste time to get right back into the action.
* The only enemies that I found irritating were the green ones. They have AoE attacks that can blanket large parts of the fighting arena, making them significantly harder to manage than pretty much any other enemy. Luckily they're pretty rare.
* Another minor gripe is that the visuals aren't always easy to read. Some enemies big enough that it becomes hard to see where you (or your enemies) are when you're near them. A few rooms have corners that are just pitch black. Some sort of always-visible outline around the player and the enemies would go a long way toward combating some of these rare unfair circumstances.
* Enemies can block your movement. I'm not a fan of this generally, though it didn't annoy me too much in this case.
* The game would really benefit from having a map you can pull up and annotate. The game world is a bit too big to easily memorize. And there are a lot of little rewards scattered about that are easy to forget. That said, missing those isn't a huge deal.
* There also isn't much reason to back-track to get rewards you couldn't initially access. The game doesn't really give you a reason to return to areas once you beat them.
* The player's upgrades don't feel very substantial. I didn't really notice them changing how I played as I progressed through the game. Letting them unbalance the game a bit could've made things a bit more exciting.
* Game mechanic spoiler: The ranged attacks felt too slow to be useful in combat, so I basically never used them for that.
* The game's story is passable. It's not too dramatic or surprising. At times it's a bit understated (i.e. I didn't really get the full context of what was going on until after it was resolved).

A fantastic and superbly-crafted game. Challenging but not very hard, simple but not too straightforward, serious and sad in tone but also hilarious. This is a game that is the result of solid game design fundamentals, polished and iterated on to be just right. It may not be cutting edge, but it's absolutely a great time. Personally, a game like this should be studied by game devs so that we can have more great games.

Game is so good i just had to 100% it. I enjoyed it most on my Umbrella run!

Would absolutely recommend

I still havent finished the game 100%, but nonetheless the art, music, map design, and combat/abilities are so well thought you dont want to stop trying again and again! It's wonderful to learn the mechanics without any direct tips, and the secrets are really satisfying to find!

Fun and addictive, every death brings a little rage and a whole lot of need to try again. I don't love the lack of health bar for enemies but with bigger enemies you learn how "cracked" they need to be right before they die and the smaller enemies you learn how many hits it takes to kill them pretty quickly. All in all a fun game that takes a while to grind through but is fun from the very beginning

A Darkly Charming Action-Adventure with a Touch of Whimsy

Death’s Door is a standout indie game that combines the dark, melancholic atmosphere of a soulslike experience with the whimsical charm of a Studio Ghibli film. Developed by Acid Nerve and published by Devolver Digital, this action-adventure title offers a unique blend of tight combat mechanics, a captivating story, and stunning visuals. While it may not reinvent the wheel in terms of gameplay, Death’s Door delivers a memorable experience that resonates with players long after the credits roll.
Strengths of Death’s Door
Beautiful Art Style and Atmosphere
Death’s Door’s art style is a visual feast, blending dark, moody environments with vibrant, colorful characters and enemies. The game’s world is filled with intricate details, from the eerie forests to the surreal dungeons, each with its own distinct personality. The lighting and particle effects add to the atmosphere, creating a sense of wonder and unease that perfectly complements the story.

Engaging Combat System
The combat in Death’s Door is fast-paced and satisfying, with a mix of melee and ranged attacks. Players control a small crow reaper armed with a scythe, and the game rewards precision and timing with well-designed enemy patterns and boss fights. Upgrades to weapons and abilities add depth to the combat, allowing players to tailor their playstyle to their preferences.

Heartfelt Story with Emotional Depth
At its core, Death’s Door is a story about purpose, identity, and the nature of life and death. The game’s narrative is subtle yet impactful, with themes that resonate deeply. The protagonist’s journey to reclaim stolen souls is both a personal quest and a reflection on the meaning of existence. The writing is clever and often humorous, with a dry wit that adds charm to the otherwise somber tone.

Exploration and World Design
The game’s world is interconnected and encourages exploration. Hidden paths, secret areas, and optional challenges reward players with upgrades and lore, making exploration feel rewarding. The level design is clever, with environmental puzzles and platforming sections that add variety to the gameplay.

Memorable Boss Fights
Death’s Door features some of the most creative and memorable boss fights in recent memory. Each boss is unique, with its own mechanics, backstory, and personality. The fights are challenging but fair, requiring players to learn patterns and adapt their strategies. The bosses’ designs are imaginative, ranging from giant spiders to sentient trees, and each encounter feels like a highlight of the game.

Weaknesses of Death’s Door
Short Playtime
Death’s Door is relatively short, with a full playthrough taking around 8-10 hours. While the game’s pacing is excellent, some players may feel that the experience is over too quickly. The lack of additional content or side quests means that the game doesn’t offer much replayability beyond speedrunning or collecting achievements.

Repetitive Enemy Design
While the boss fights are exceptional, the regular enemies can feel repetitive. Many of the smaller enemies are variations of the same few types, and their attack patterns become predictable after a while. This can make the early-game grind feel tedious, especially when compared to the creativity of the bosses.

Limited Narrative Depth
While the story is emotionally resonant, it doesn’t delve deeply into its themes. The game’s narrative is more about atmosphere and tone than complex storytelling. For players looking for a deeply layered plot, Death’s Door may feel a bit simplistic.

Platforming Can Be Frustrating
The platforming sections, while not a major part of the game, can be frustrating at times. The small crow protagonist can feel imprecise, and some of the jumps require pixel-perfect accuracy. This can lead to unnecessary deaths, breaking the flow of the gameplay.

Conclusion
Death’s Door is a masterclass in blending dark themes with whimsical charm. Its stunning visuals, engaging combat, and heartfelt story make it one of the best indie games of recent years. While it has its flaws, such as a short playtime and repetitive enemy design, these are minor drawbacks in an otherwise exceptional experience.

For fans of action-adventure games, Death’s Door is a must-play. Its unique blend of melancholic storytelling and whimsical design creates a world that’s both haunting and endearing. Whether you’re exploring its beautifully crafted environments, battling imaginative bosses, or pondering the game’s themes, Death’s Door will leave a lasting impression.

Rating: 9/10
A darkly charming adventure that’s as beautiful as it is challenging.

Loved the challenge of this game and the beautiful art style, the music was also wonderful. I’m not a soul-like player, but this felt like a good paced game and enemies/boss fights weren’t too difficult as that was my biggest worry. Great on steam deck

This game brings such a unique sense of adventure into a fantastical world. The story is fascinating and based on an interesting premise, but doesn't revolutionize anything and elements of the story can feel familiar. However, the game makes up for it. The details of the environment and surroundings, the characters, and level design build up to make the world seem alive, dangerous, and twisted; despite all the ridiculous characters and magic, the feel of the story as a real problem in a real world is rock solid. The characters feel like familiar archetypes that show up in fiction, but are enhanced with fun animations, attacks that scream their different personalities, and extra creativity present in their design.

The music is spectacular and unforgettable. The controls are for the most part extremely tight, though some attacks in the later boss fights can feel unfair and some attacks feel as though not enough visual cue was given. Some segments of the map wind and circle back into each other, making it relatively easy to get lost or stuck. Mechanics are never outright explained to you, so some of the more complicated puzzles and secrets can remain hidden for a while. However, help and hints are given with certain lines of dialogue. So if you tend to get lost or lose the plot, I recommend playing with a friend or having some extra patience.

Great game and very much enjoyed my experience.

Its an ok little indie game, i felt the last fight was very lack luster and disappointing, don't feel playing anymore to get the final ending.

The game is good, I'll give it 6/10. Don't have super high expectations, just chill and you'll have good time.

+ Bosses are alright, combat is fluid and feels good
+ Short enough to not get boring, long enough to tell a story
+ Several characters are goofy in a fun way
- Low amount of bosses
- Level design and exploration is mediocre
- True ending is locked behind tedious activities and is not rewarding at all

Gameplay was very fun and smooth with tasteful graphics and music. Found myself never wanting to put the game down.

Wish it was a bit longer of a game