Ember Knights Reviews

really fun Roguelike, very reminiscent of Hades, but with a different art style. there's a lot of cool build choices, and the story is fun and interesting. I wish there was a little more enemy variety but overall it's a fun game. Oh and I gotta say the multiplayer is awesome. My two sons and I are having a great time playing together and there's no lag or bad net code to hold us back. With the multiplayer, you get to bring in your character, so you get all the progression too, which is great.

I started playing it not really knowing what to expect, and now I can’t stop thinking about it. Every time I stop playing, I find myself wanting to jump back in. It’s that good. The first thing that pulled me in was the combat. It just feels amazing. Every movement is sharp and responsive. Every weapon has its own personality. You can dash, strike, combo and it all flows so naturally that it becomes second nature fast. You start thinking with your hands instead of your head and that’s when the game really opens up. There’s this satisfying loop where you go on a run, grab upgrades, fight your way through waves of enemies and even when you die, you just want to try again. It never feels like a waste. You always learn something. You always want to get better. And when you finally beat a boss that wrecked you five times in a row, it feels incredible. That victory is yours and the game doesn’t hand it to you easily. What makes it more fun is with others. The game felt more alive when I was playing with my boyfriend. We were laughing, shouting, barely surviving by the skin of our teeth. It became a kind of beautiful chaos and those moments stuck with me. Even the failures are fun when you’re going down together. Visually, Ember Knights is beautiful in a very honest way. It’s not flashy or over the top. The worlds are colorful and alive. The enemies are expressive and interesting. You can tell there’s care behind every design choice. And the music fits perfectly, keeping the energy high without being distracting. This game clearly respects your time, challenges your skills and rewards your effort.

One of the best co-op games you can find out there + you can play it solo with same amount of fun.

Amazing game to play alone or even better with someone, in my case it was me and my boyfriend. We have spend all the 80h playing it on our sofa on a Split screen co-up and it had been a total blast. You can really see how much love devs have put in it, and it keeps just getting better and improving which is awesome!

Really great game, Im not a big fan of roguelites myself, but playing this with friends is really fun with with a lot to experiment with when it comes to your build

Fun and engaging. Same concept as Hades but smaller.

honestly one of the best games I've played. if you play with friends, then you could steal all their loot and just be a titan while your teammates become maggots. the only thing i don't like is the massive difficulty spike on the third world (me and my friends have wiped on world 3 too many times), the dlc is soul-crushingly hard if you don't have a good grasp of the game, but has a unique difficulty setting that defines it well. another fun thing is that any weapon can be almighty if you use the right toolkit (the hammer, suprisingly, is an excellent support role). 10/10, would play for the rest of my life.

Do you like Hades? Play this game. Do you not like Hades? Is there something wrong with you? Play this game either way. If you don't like this game, I don't like you.

There are basically no co-op mechanics in this co-op game. The most common way players will interact is by getting in each others way; interrupting combos, creating distracting effects, or stealing upgrade pickups from their team. All of these things are very common in co-op games, so I would normally be fine with them. However, that is essentially the ONLY way players interact with each other in this game. There is little you can do to help your team, other than performing well in combat, irrelevant of what anyone else is doing. You might as well just play alone, because then no one will get in your way. There are a frankly pathetic number of skills & artifacts that even interact with your team, a lot of which require the entire team to perform well individually to get any benefit whatsoever. Nothing sets this game apart from any other top-down action roguelite, & there are hundreds of those. Perhaps the co-op was meant to make it unique, but it so, it failed. Very disappointing.

Ember Knights is a fast-paced, action-heavy roguelite that blends slick hack-and-slash combat with tight co-op gameplay and vibrant pixel art visuals. Developed by Doom Turtle and published by Asmodee Digital, it throws players into a colorful yet chaotic fantasy world under siege, where they take on the role of powerful warriors known as Ember Knights. These heroes are summoned to restore balance to the multiverse, traveling through procedurally generated realms and battling a variety of imaginative foes. Though it adheres to many genre conventions, Ember Knights stands out for its incredibly polished combat, addictive gameplay loop, and cooperative design that emphasizes fun above all. Combat is the core attraction in Ember Knights, and it’s clear that the developers poured tremendous attention into making it feel tight, responsive, and satisfying. Attacks have weight and momentum, movement is snappy, and there’s a clear rhythm to dodging, striking, and unleashing special abilities. Each weapon—ranging from swords and axes to bows and orbs—feels unique and viable, with its own playstyle, moveset, and learning curve. Complementing the weapons are relics and skills that can be found or unlocked throughout a run, allowing for varied builds and moment-to-moment experimentation that keeps each run fresh and rewarding. The roguelite progression system balances randomness with meaningful choice. Each run presents new combinations of enemies, power-ups, and room layouts, but never feels unfair or overly punishing. The game offers meta-progression through permanent upgrades, unlocked relics, and weapons that expand the strategic options over time without completely eliminating the challenge. It strikes a sweet spot between player growth and skill-based mastery, rewarding those who take the time to learn attack patterns and make efficient build decisions. Visually, the game embraces a charming pixel art aesthetic with fluid animation and bold colors. The various biomes—from forests to volcanic realms and icy wastelands—are distinct and filled with visual flair. Enemy designs are memorable, and boss fights are both challenging and visually impressive, often requiring precise timing and coordination to survive. The sound design complements the visuals well, with punchy effects and an energetic soundtrack that drives the pace of the combat. One of the standout features is its multiplayer functionality. Up to four players can jump into local or online co-op, and the game truly shines in this mode. The chaos of battle becomes even more engaging when shared, with players combining skills, strategizing on the fly, and reviving each other mid-fight. Importantly, the game scales well with multiple players, maintaining the difficulty and intensity without overwhelming the screen. The cooperative focus never comes at the cost of individual performance, making each player feel empowered while encouraging teamwork. Despite all its strengths, Ember Knights does have a few minor drawbacks. The narrative is mostly a light framing device rather than a deep or emotionally resonant story. For players who crave rich worldbuilding or character development, this might feel lacking. Also, while the weapon variety is solid, some players may wish for more character customization or class differentiation beyond just gear and skills. However, these issues are minimal in a game where the emphasis is clearly on tight gameplay and replayability. In conclusion, Ember Knights is a shining example of how to deliver a high-quality roguelite experience with a strong focus on combat fluidity and co-op fun. It doesn’t try to reinvent the genre but instead refines it, offering a polished, exciting, and endlessly replayable adventure. Whether you’re diving into it solo or with a group of friends, the game delivers a satisfying blend of skill, strategy, and adrenaline-fueled action that makes each run feel rewarding. For fans of games like Hades, Dead Cells, or Enter the Gungeon, Ember Knights is absolutely worth your time. Rating: 9/10