Skul: The Hero Slayer

 PC
Skul: The Hero Slayer Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 41 Ratings

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  • Summary: The human race attacking the Demon King's castle is nothing new and has happened countless times before. What makes this time different though, is that the Adventurers decided to join forces with the Imperial Army and the 'Hero of Caerleon' to finally succeed in the total destruction of theThe human race attacking the Demon King's castle is nothing new and has happened countless times before. What makes this time different though, is that the Adventurers decided to join forces with the Imperial Army and the 'Hero of Caerleon' to finally succeed in the total destruction of the Demon stronghold. All of the demons in the castle were taken prisoner except for one lone skeleton named 'Skul'.

    Skul is no ordinary skeleton. In addition to his formidable fighting skills, he can gain new and exciting abilities depending on which skull he's wearing.Use up to 2 skulls at a time, each of which has its own unique attack range, speed and power. So choose ones that match your playing style and switch them in the heat of battle to bring your enemies to their knees. The power is in your hands!

    Skul has crossed paths with a party of Adventurers! They are powerful foes that hunt Demons for sport. But while Skul may be small, he still packs quite a punch. So just see who really is the hunter and who is the hunted...    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. GameGrin
    Feb 16, 2021
    90
    Simple enough to draw you in, yet complex enough to keep you interested for the long haul. Skull: The Hero Slayer expertly balances risk-and-reward elements with player skill to make a wholly engaging action platformer.
  2. GameSkinny
    Feb 4, 2021
    90
    As endearing as it is challenging, Skul takes the rogue-lite mechanics you know and adds some flair of its own and a unique take on the fantasy narrative. If you’re looking for a game to scratch your rogue-lite itch with a few fun twists, Skul is a fantastic choice.
  3. KeenGamer
    Jan 25, 2021
    87
    SouthPAW have done a great job of making a really solid roguelike with interesting mechanics, a surprising amount of depth and a ton of visual charm. The balance still needs a little work and the text could use a little more proof-reading, but with plenty more updates planned well into 2021, this is certainly a game to keep an eye on.
  4. IGN Italia
    Jan 25, 2021
    82
    A great new take in the roguelite world. Skul: The Hero Slayer is a must-have for all roguelite lovers, with so many balanced builds and combinations. Suffers from an high difficulty spike in the first hours and a not so great level design, but it's surely worth a try.
  5. TheSixthAxis
    Feb 8, 2021
    80
    It isn’t without its rough edges, but Skul is a really compelling experience, and definitely scratches the itch left by the button-mashing brawling of Hades and Dead Cells. If you’ve played those games to completion, or if you want a game with decadent pixel art and a wealth of characterful play options, then it’s an easy recommendation - just don’t lose your head during those challenging final stages.
  6. Hey Poor Player
    Jan 27, 2021
    80
    Skul: The Hero Slayer is a fun little title whose cute graphics belie the tough challenges and grinds that lie within. Dying is all part of the appeal, and never once is it frustrating or unfair. You’ll want to keep returning again and again in order to get just a little bit further, or to perhaps secure a new type of outfit or skill. It deserves a place on your playlist if you have any sort of affection for old 16-bit RPG-brawlers.
  7. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Apr 12, 2021
    60
    Fast and original, sometimes complicated. The retro action with a skeleton in the lead role has its own opinion on the roguelike genre. [Issue#309]
    All this publication's reviews

See all 23 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 20
  3. Negative: 9 out of 20
  1. Zer0TheHer0
    Jan 23, 2021
    10
    This is really fun, great game with excellent controls and beautiful pixel art! Recommended!
  2. RenTen
    Jan 28, 2021
    10
    Это просто супер, давно не получал такого удовольствия от игр!
  4. Gohax
    Jan 31, 2021
    9
    skul the hero slayer is such a fun rouge lite i spent hours just playing the game because of the addicting gameplay and to see which skullskul the hero slayer is such a fun rouge lite i spent hours just playing the game because of the addicting gameplay and to see which skull will i get this time all the enemies and bosses are super awesome and difficult and everything about this game is so much fun the only problem that i have with this game is the sequel baiting it felt like some content was missing because reason ?? i guess ?? plus the story was kind of meh but except for that i don't have anything bad to say about this game in conclusion i wont even do a pro and con list just because this game is a super awesome indie that does almost everything perfectly which bring me to my final score and its a 9 out of 10… Expand
  5. RobPlaysGames
    Mar 13, 2022
    6
    Wonderful sprite art/animation aside, Skul's fatal flaw is that your enjoyment hinges entirely on random drops. It's not a case of challenge:Wonderful sprite art/animation aside, Skul's fatal flaw is that your enjoyment hinges entirely on random drops. It's not a case of challenge: Certain skulls are simply not fun to use, and the complete lack of choice in starting skulls means it's usually better to just quit out and re-roll til you get one you actually want to play as.

    This high-RNG dependency spoils the game as a whole, really. Unlike its peers such as Dead Cells or Risk of Rain 2, where any build is not only viable but fun, your success in Skul feels entirely dependent on getting the right drops for whatever skull you get saddled with. I appreciate this is the appeal of the genre to some, but for me it kills my will to keep playing when success is dependent less on skill/planning and more on luck.

    Perhaps balance changes will fix the game in future, but as it stands currently Skul is a relatively fun game with little lasting appeal; less than ideal for the roguelite genre.    … Expand
  6. Dexter991
    Nov 27, 2021
    4
    This game difficulty is a joke the last part of the game is unreasonably extremely hard and the rng in the game is just too much it was superThis game difficulty is a joke the last part of the game is unreasonably extremely hard and the rng in the game is just too much it was super fun for the first 20 hrs or so after that when you reach the end it gets insanly hard… Expand
  7. bxrxsxtx
    Sep 15, 2021
    3
    A well reviewed game with attractive art and screenshots can make it seem like what could go wrong? This is a rogue like (or whatever you wantA well reviewed game with attractive art and screenshots can make it seem like what could go wrong? This is a rogue like (or whatever you want to call it) where you go through semi random areas having to kill everything (you cant run through). Death means starting from the beginning but there are some resources you can carry over after death.

    The gameplay loop is terrible. You enter each room and slowly fight uninteresting battles trying to loose as little life as possible. The boring war of attrition eventually leads you to a boss battle, which you will lose (or not, if you're gud) without knowing the mechanics. Winning relies heavily on getting lucky on the skull upgrades you find and just not losing life as I said.

    Abilities and items seemed pretty bad. Even if you love games like this there are hundreds of other ones to play that probably have a better version of everything in "Skul".    … Expand
  8. Remen
    May 5, 2021
    0
    It's worth playing again, the developers regularly update so the game always has something new to play

See all 20 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

80
#80 Best PC Game of 2021
92
#92 Most Discussed PC Game of 2021

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