Dark Scrolls is an auto side-scrolling action game that shares DNA with a handful of 8-bit classics like Gauntlet, The Legend of Zelda, and Ghosts ‘N Goblins. Given that it’s a video game releasing in the year of our Lord 2026, you won’t be surprised to learn that it also incorporates rogue-like elements. With nine playable characters from a starting roster of three and both local and online co-op, there are some sound reasons to give this one a shot. However, the basic gameplay loop is fairly uninspired and rarely feels good given some awkward albeit novel conventions.

The game opens on an unskippable cutscene that yields background on what exactly your goal is: naturally, the titular dark scrolls, and the heroes who will be setting out to find them. To start with one of the annoying elements of Dark Scrolls, to ever secure one, you need to finish a run of the game and then start over with the object you acquire, essentially a key, so that you can then take a different path that will now be open to you. The map screen will be familiar to anyone who’s played Castlevania or Ghosts ‘N Goblins, but the procedurally generated stages lack the charm of those old school Konami and Capcom adventures. Having to replay the multiple stages in hopes of not dying once and ruining your run does not make for a very fun time.

I spent most of my time playing as the mage, who has exceptional range on their basic attack but deals less damage than the barbarian or thief. It wasn’t long before I unlocked a dog from a cage who became my fourth character, and added a nice bit of levity to the experience. The mage can perform a dash-type move to reach greater heights and damage enemies, but like the movement in general, it’s difficult to be precise; when you hit the top of the screen, you end up being pushed sharply to the side. Unlike developer Doinksoft’s earlier game, Gato Roboto, which was a smooth handling Metroidvania, Dark Scrolls feels clunky and unwieldy by comparison. I was intrigued by how different the unlockable characters are, but I wasn’t enjoying my time enough to want to acquire them.

Each character charges up a star meter by attacking enemies and bosses, with a full meter being able to activate a super move. The mage, for instance, gains a rotating shield of orbs that deflect projectiles and can deal continuous damage to nearby enemies; the thief can turn invisible to avoid detection for a short time. Coins dropped from defeated foes and treasure chests can be spent to purchase perks at the shop found within each stage, but the surprise comes from how the perks only activate as part of your star meter either being drained or filled, rather than at will. It’s an interesting system, but I found it hard to fully appreciate, especially how expensive the upgrades became in later stages.

While you only have a single life, certain mechanics do make it easier to make steady progress. For one, enemies sometimes drop hearts to refill your health, which you sorely need given how much damage you receive and how short your invincibility window after a hit. A third of the way into every level you encounter an enemy gauntlet where the stage stops autoscrolling and you need to clear the area of foes within a brief time limit. Surviving nets you precious coins, but wiping out all the enemies also opens up a cannon that lets you skip the middle third of that level, a fitting reward given the challenge inherent with a full clear.

However far your run goes, you also build up a score that gets translated into gems to spend in the sparsely populated hub town of Dark Scrolls. For a handful of gems, you can acquire new perks that get added to the in-stage shopkeeper’s pool, and let me tell you about just how crucial it is that you pick up game-changers like the heart fairy perk, which drops hearts periodically over a short period. You can save up 100 gems to purchase a new character, which is a tall task when a failed run might only net you three to five gems in total. A neat mechanic is that each character has their own achievements to work on, and finishing these tasks unlocks new optional upgrades just for them to use. I just wish these came with some kind of manual.

While there are multiple paths through the game, it does feel like an experience that's best enjoyed with a friend given that the minute-to-minute gameplay doesn't feel overly fresh or really pop aesthetically. It was never clear if what I had accomplished or spent coins on was going to carry over to the next run. A bit too much is left up to the player to figure out, and I would have welcomed a bit more transparency while I struggled through my first couple hours with the game. By the time I hit my stride, I was bored of fighting the same enemies and bosses over and over. Short bursts and co-op play feel like the best ways to enjoy Dark Scrolls. Even then, there's really not enough charm or polish to shine through an experience that references the classics without containing what gives them staying power.