Developer: Eldritch Sword Games
Publisher: Mad Mushroom
Platform: PC

I was overwhelmed.

Everywhere I turned, I was surrounded by monsters—big and small, but dangerous nonetheless. Each one was a shadow in the night that was pressing in on me. I swung my sword and eliminated a row of walking skeletons, the echo of their brittle bones shattering like fluffs of snow. Fire shot out of me, lighting up some monsters, pulverizing them to bits until only their bloody remains were strewn on the ground.

Despite all efforts to push them back, they kept coming, relentless as waves crashing onto shore. To my left, a pack of archers waited in silence, and on my right, sword-wielding behemoths advanced, their eyes empty yet focused. I swung my swords in an arc, steel cutting through flesh, lightning billowing from my shield—a brief flare of hope swallowed by the constant darkness.

And yet they still come. Their resolve is as unbreakable as the darkness itself. No matter how many you eliminate, they jut out from every corner, as if the world had turned against me and there was nowhere to run.

I'm surrounded. I'm overwhelmed. I'm dead. And in that final hush, I can finally exhale.

What you can see in Conquest Dark, if you look closely, is the beginning of a gaming franchise. This is the kind of game that points the way to an indefinite series of Conan Survivor type games — one that could even replace the coveted Vampire Survivors in the rogue-like genre.

Developed by indie studio Eldritch Sword Games, this title drops you into hours of arena brawls teeming with monsters, skeletons, scorpions, and, of course, the obligatory bosses that will have you running for your life. And believe me, you’ll have to, because this game doesn’t pull its punches. Oh, and by the way, there’s a nudity option. Not sure what it’s for, but heck, it’s there.

Who Needs a Story When You've Got Slaying

The story is light, bordering on skeletal, but honestly, who needs a deep narrative when your broadsword can rip flesh and bones apart, right?

From the start, you pick your class and origin, and each run throws you into a makeshift arena where your only goals are to outlast the timer and take down the bosses. Unlike other survivor games, you’re penned into a strict area, with invisible boundaries hemming you in. It’s a design choice that keeps the tension high, no wandering off here, just pure, relentless action.

Your character comes loaded with abilities based on your chosen origin and skill set. Some are masters of sword and heavy weapons, while others sling spells and curses with wild abandon.

The number of possible combinations is impressive, adding a welcome layer of depth. As you carve through enemies, they drop souls, glowing blue orbs that grant XP. Gather enough, and you can level up your skills, attributes, passive abilities, or even your character’s unique quirks. It’s a satisfying feedback loop, and one that kept me glued to the screen, always chasing that next upgrade.

Pushovers to Punishers

Bosses scale with your level, so while a few mini-bosses are pushovers, the real threats demand strategy and quick thinking. Defeating them nets you loot and runes, which can be used to imbue your weapons or skills. Here’s where the grind sets in- loot drops are random, and sometimes you’ll get runes you don’t need, which can be a little frustrating.

Still, the grind is the good kind, the sort that hooks you in, especially since your character grows stronger alongside the rising difficulty. Every new power-up feels earned, every victory a little sweeter.

At the end of each ritual, or run, you’re given the option to offer your soul at the altar, boosting your strength and effectiveness in specific areas. You can also upgrade passive, weapon, and damage stats here. But a word to the wise: don’t blow all your hard-earned resources on a single class or attribute.

The game rewards experimentation, and finding the right mix is key to becoming a walking engine of destruction, capable of dishing out more punishment than you thought possible.

The Brutal Bleed Mechanic

One caveat that stands out is the bleed mechanic. When your character takes a critical hit, the bleeding is constant-there’s no quick fix with a bandage or potion. Without stacking anti-bleed resistance, you’ll eventually bleed out, no matter how tough you think you are.

It’s a brutal touch that forces you to plan ahead. Buy honestly, I think the endless bleed can be done better. But alas, this is a video game, which means you have to absorb the design, not consider it.

Graphically, the game is a stunner; not because the game runs at a steady pace, but because the environments are gloomy and foreboding, like the pits of hell minus the fire and brimstone. The environment is outlined in dark browns and the absence of any type of greenery give it a vibe reminiscent of Diablo from a top-down perspective.

Special effects-lighting, sparks, the glow of dropped loot-make the game both standard and extraordinary at once. If you lose track of your character in the swirling mass of enemies and flashing lights, congratulations: you’re playing the game the right way.

Controls and soundtrack are spot-on. The music ebbs and flows with the action, making every moment of impending doom feel personal. There’s an auto-aim option, but I found myself playing it like a classic twin-stick shooter-left stick to move, right stick to aim. It just feels right.

Bleed, Baby, Bleed

Overall, I really enjoyed the game. It’s fast, chaotic, and dangerously addictive, tempting you to play “just one more round.” Before you know it, hours have slipped by and you’ve only scratched the surface.

If you’re after something fast-paced in the vein of Vampire Survivors, Conquest Dark is as good as it gets. When you finally stare down the last boss, you’ll find yourself whispering, “Bleed, baby, bleed.” And you’ll mean it.