After a month-long delay, reportedly to avoid a clash with Mina the Hollower, I’ve finally got my hands on Darks Scrolls.
Developed by Gato Roboto and Gunbrella creator Doinksoft and published by Devolver Digital, it blends platforming, shmup action, and co-op chaos into a fast-moving retro-inspired package. On the surface, it absolutely nails the aesthetic, with pixel art that echoes the polished retro style often associated with Yacht Club Games.
But while it certainly looks the part, it never quite reaches the same level of polish or cohesion found in that studio’s work.
What is Dark Scrolls?
The game that perhaps serves as the closest point of comparison to Darks Scrolls is Ghosts ’n Goblins. Like the classic arcade series, players are pushed steadily from left to right while firing endless projectiles at enemies that flood the screen and continually respawn. Things quickly become chaotic as you dodge attacks, avoid fresh enemy spawns, and scramble to collect fallen coins that can later be spent on upgrades.
There are only a handful of main levels, but they are randomised on each run, creating a highly replayable experience. Despite this variation, the game relies on handcrafted rooms and layouts, so nothing ever feels truly procedural or auto-generated. Alongside gunning down foes, your focus is also on navigating these spaces, bouncing on springs to reach higher platforms, choosing between branching pathways, and smashing through destructible blocks as you push forward.
Playable characters and upgrades
Three heroes are available from the get-go with a further six characters unlockable as you progress your journey. These three I thought represented a great range of strengths and weaknesses and it was fun experimenting with different combinations in co-op.
The muscular, bearded Griz is my personal go-to, armed with throwing axes and a ground-pound attack that can send foes crashing into oblivion. Alongside him in the starter trio is Pigeon, the game’s cover star, who offers a faster, lighter alternative built around speed and agility. Rounding out the selection is Emerys, a wizard who can rapidly dash in any direction and attack from a safer distance with ranged projectiles.
You can purchase upgrades for each character mid-run at Bruce & Goose’s Shoppe using the coins you collect, while permanent meta upgrades are also available that apply across all characters. These meta upgrades are purchased with crystals earned from completing runs and gaining XP, allowing you to return stronger with each attempt.
A little help from my friends
One of Darks Scrolls’ biggest strengths is its support for both online and couch co-op, rather than limiting players to a single option. You can either set up a session with friends or host a game and recruit help from other players online.
While Darks Scrolls is perfectly playable in single-player, it’s far from the optimal way to experience it. Playing solo, I often found myself easily overwhelmed by enemies, whereas having a friend along for the ride makes it much easier to divide and conquer.
I’ll admit that I’ve always struggled with games like Ghost n’ Goblins, as they are intended to be difficult to suck up coins. Dark Scrolls was a similarly brutal experience for me during my first few hours until something finally clicked and I managed to get into its rhythm.
The Verdict
Darks Scrolls might not be finding its way onto any of our top lists any time soon, but it’s still a stylish co-op platformer that can be fun in short bursts. Its handcrafted, randomised levels and varied character roster give each run a sense of unpredictability, while its upgrade systems provide steady long-term progression.
The experience has cleared been developed, however, with multiplayer in mind. Solo play can feel overwhelming and uneven. As a result, while there’s plenty of charm and ambition here, Darks Scrolls is ultimately at its best when shared with others rather than played alone.
Dark Scrolls is out now on PC (Win), PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox, and we played via access kindly provided by the developers and their PR sidekicks.
