Games with a fantasy theme are some of the most common and popular in the medium due to the setting offering a variety of inherent challenges for players to overcome. More interestingly, this also leads to game aimed at wildly different players of all ages. Dark Scrolls was recently announced, sporting action-heavy fantasy combat and monsters, but with a retro art style and child-friendly rating. Familiar naming conventions aside, the game also looks to build on its premise with elements from boss-heavy and even roguelite games.

Developed by doinksoft and published by Devolver Digital, Dark Scrolls revealed a trailer to coincide with the announcement of the game. The most immediate property gamers will see upon starting the trailer is the pixel-based art style, with cutscenes reminiscent of old school consoles. Players will progress either solo or with a friend through dungeons, leveraging the unique abilities of the various characters to clear enemies and challenges. The trailer also doesn’t shy away from its more satirical elements, referring to its own heroes as “a roster of weirdos”. The second half of the trailer turns to pure chaos as the characters stack buffs, sending objects flying into hordes of enemies and projectiles.

The game also features a unique group of bosses, which bring a small amount of clarity back into the closing moments of the reveal trailer. The game’s Steam page highlights that these bosses serve as a random final challenge at the end of a dungeon. The dungeons themselves will be made of up of random rooms that each offer different enemies or hazards. Players are encouraged to gather as many powerful buffs as possible to devastate their enemies.

Given what they are used to, players may expect that a game with the name “Dark Scrolls” would be very dark and serious. The satire involved with that name reversal seems to embody the spirit of the title. It is set to release in 2026 on PC and Switch.