Lost Castle
Lost Castle is a super cute, super hard action RPG with roguelike elements and randomized dungeons. Brimming with a host of hand drawn, humorous characters and environments that embrace retro action with modern twists. Prologue: In its glory days, Castle Harwood was the heart of a happy land governed by wise and virtuous nobles. But those days are long gone now. Calamity has befallen these lands, and wicked magics corrupt the castle and all that surrounds it. Demons have claimed this rotten place for their domain and even the might of the empire is thwarted by their dark army… and slowly, the corruption is spreading. Castle Harwood is lost. Yet at the heart of this nightmare, something bright glimmers and fills the hearts of the mighty with the courage needed to invade the castle. The Lost Castle is filled with the treasure of the defeated Earl and it is the promise of riches that calls you. And maybe you can do some good, too.
Steam User 6
Lost Castle is a side-scroller hack 'n' slash dungeon-crawler that allows for both solo and online/local co-op play (up to four players).
I think this game is likely to be the most fun for casual-ish gamers; I suspect more experienced gamers will be frustrated with the RNG of the game, the inability to move while attacking, and the cheesiness of some of the monsters/mobs/bosses. Some bosses (e.g. the endgame boss in nightmare mode) are borderline impossible to beat if you're not using the right weapon/armor (which of course is random, as are the bosses you face) and/or not playing co-op. Some of the enemy's attacks have extremely short telegraphs meaning you can't dodge properly if you don't have enough movement speed, which is tied to your weapon/armor. Achievement hunting can be quite grind-heavy, as some of the later bosses require near full-runs to get to and you're not guaranteed to get them in that particular run (let alone beat them). The game also has a number of small bugs, but most aren't game-breaking.
All that being said, Lost Castle has a cute aesthetic, is generally fun if you're looking for something to play for an hour or so, and don't mind dealing with the negatives listed above (which are less of a big deal if you're just going for fun vs. beating the entire game or achievement hunting). I'm shelving this game with ~76 hours of play and 96/98 achievements - one of the remaining achievements is strictly RNG-based (Master of Spirits) and the other is to beat the entire game on nightmare mode. While I have beaten the first phase of the end-game boss on nightmare mode, beating the second phase seems too Herculean a task given the inability to practise doing so. This means that it requires a full run just to get the chance to beat it (~60-75 minutes) and if you don't get lucky with your weapons/armor, you're out of luck for that run.
I'd sum it up by saying that Lost Castle is fun, but not without some significant flaws for my preferences. I enjoy the general look of the game, but some of the combat can be incredibly frustrating. The variation/RNG in the game can keep it fresh for more casual players, but will likely annoy those looking to achievement-hunt or see everything in the game.
Steam User 5
Imagine a video game, yeah? It's like a beat'em up, roguelike RPG on steroids, but with combat so simple even a goldfish could get the hang of it. Some daft wizard releases demons, everything goes tits up, and now it's on the shoulders of treasure hunters to sort it out and snag some sweet loot. Dead easy, innit?
You kick off in a damp cell, doors swinging open like it's a wizard-shaped coincidence. Time for a bit of a scrap. Five areas, each with nastier baddies. From crazy goblins to demon mayhem, it's a proper rollercoaster.
What sets Lost Castle apart? It's idiot-proof. You don't need a brain the size of a planet to dive in. Plus, it's co-op heaven. Grab a mate; you're in for a wild, soul-crushing ride.
The game's all about beefing up against a monster onslaught. You bite the dust, no biggie. Hit the soul tree, splash some points, get beefier. Dying's like a power-up, not a chuck-your-controller-out-the-window moment.
Weapons? Mate, we've got a weapon variety feast. Swords, bows, muskets, staffs—you name it. They're not just weapons; they're weapons with attitude. Holy light swords, blunderbusses creating black holes—variety is the spice of demon-slaying life.
Potions and armor? Random as a monkey with a typewriter. Planning? Good luck. It's a roguelike, so you wing it, adapt as you go. Room variations? Not much impact, just where your enemies catch some Zs.
Bosses? More than your worst work meeting. The game keeps it fresh with a slow drip-feed of boss fights. Quick sessions, but unlocking content takes patience. Hardcore mode cranks up the difficulty, gives you a real challenge. Still unbeaten? Join the club.
Art-wise, Lost Castle nails it. Cartoony, yet demonically faithful. It's like Rogue Legacy on a sugar high. Typos? Yeah, they're there, but demons aren't English professors.
Music's forgettable, but sound effects are ear candy. Magic spells crackle, battle axes cleave—your ears will thank you.
In a nutshell, Lost Castle ain't reinventing the gaming wheel, but it's got some slick rims. If you fancy chaos, randomness, and have a pal to share it with, grab this game. It's gaming crack, and you won't regret the addiction.
Steam User 5
unplayable. wtf happened to this game?
edit: just saw I had a very very bad timing. coming back to this game after years just a few hours after it got a gamebreaking buggy update. I also found a fix for the actual problems: you can just roll back the game version in the gameoptions in steam library. it is a great game and everyone should be hyped for part two which is already in play test.
Steam User 3
Me and my GF love this game been grinding hella. Mix of Castle Crashers and Hades. Great difficulty. Challenging and not easy but you will progress by just playing. Bosses are hard but can be beaten 9.5/10. i want to cutomize my character lol
Steam User 4
Local multiplayer is amazing, addictive.
Steam User 2
While the controls aren't my favorite, especially when comparing to similar games, I would definitely recommend this to anyone into the roguelike/dungeon-crawler genre - particularly for a co-op option!
Steam User 2
AMAZING MASTERPIECE MUST PLAY