RATING / ESRB / A Created with Sketch. RATING / ESRB / E Created with Sketch. RATING / ESRB / E10 Created with Sketch. RATING / ESRB / M Created with Sketch. RATING / ESRB / T Created with Sketch.
RATING / PEGI / 12 Created with Sketch. RATING / PEGI / 16 Created with Sketch. RATING / PEGI / 18 Created with Sketch. RATING / PEGI / 3 Created with Sketch. RATING / PEGI / 7 Created with Sketch. icon_pin Created with Sketch.

9 Years of Shadows

in library

4.2/5

( 477 Reviews )

4.2

477 Reviews

English & 1 more
Offer ends on: 12/11/2025 15:59 EET
Offer ends in: d h m s
19.997.99
Lowest price in the last 30 days before discount: 7.99
Why buy on GOG.COM?
DRM FREE. No activation or online connection required to play.
Safety and satisfaction. Stellar support 24/7 and full refunds up to 30 days.
9 Years of Shadows
Description
A fateful night of sorrow and ancient magic changed the life of a young child forever, and with it, everything else as mankind knew it. For 9 long years, the world has been submerged in the deepest of shadows, robbing every object and living creature of their color, their joy, and most impor...
Critics reviews
64 %
Recommend
Softpedia
8.5/10
CGMagazine
7/10
User reviews

4.2/5

( 477 Reviews )

4.2

477 Reviews

{{ review.content.title }}
Product details
2023, Halberd Studios, ...
System requirements
Windows 10, Intel Core i3-9100F, 8 GB RAM, GT 730, Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system...
Time to beat
6.5 hMain
9 h Main + Sides
10 h Completionist
9 h All Styles
Description




A fateful night of sorrow and ancient magic changed the life of a young child forever, and with it, everything else as mankind knew it. For 9 long years, the world has been submerged in the deepest of shadows, robbing every object and living creature of their color, their joy, and most importantly, hope.


Many brave souls have tried to venture inside the corrupting depths of Talos Castle, a long-abandoned orphanage from which the curse stemmed. All have failed, except for one. Armed with little other than her halberd and sheer nerve, Europa’s daunting quest is clear: enter the castle, find the source of darkness, and return color to the lands before it is too late.



However, this adventure is not for Europa to face alone. In her most desperate hour, Europa encounters Apino, a cute magical bear with the ability to heal, cleanse the corruption and protect his allies.


While exploring the castle, Apino can shoot powerful projectiles at enemies, open locked doors and shield Europa from ranged attacks.




Enhance your battle prowess by acquiring elemental armors. Master the might of lightning, water, earth and fire to defeat a vast assortment of enemies.


Use the elements to your advantage to travel the map dynamically, surprise bosses while you change armors on the fly and perform strong combos. Obtain special abilities to swim against waterfalls, travel underground tunnels or glide through warm air currents to access hidden locations and uncover their secrets.





Meet enigmatic composers that will aid you in your mission. With the special appearance of Michiru Yamane and Norihiko Hibino, both as NPCs and composers of several tracks tuned to 432hz, a soothing frequency used in what’s known as healing music. And there is more to music than meets the eye. Hidden bosses with musical attack patterns lurk in the shadows ready to strike. In fact, music is the binding thread that brings gameplay and storytelling together; from collecting musical notes, to performing a healing lullaby to restore your health, music is all but the soul of the game.

© Halberd Studios & Freedom Games. All Rights Reserved.

System requirements
Minimum system requirements:
Why buy on GOG.COM?
DRM FREE. No activation or online connection required to play.
Safety and satisfaction. Stellar support 24/7 and full refunds up to 30 days.
Time to beat
6.5 hMain
9 h Main + Sides
10 h Completionist
9 h All Styles
Game details
Works on:
Windows (10, 11)
Release date:
{{'2023-03-27T00:00:00+03:00' | date: 'longDate' : ' +0300 ' }}
Size:
1.3 GB

Game features

Languages
English
audio
text
Español (AL)
audio
text
You may like these products
Users also bought
User reviews

Posted on: June 20, 2025

spider3zx

Games: 203 Reviews: 1

A pretty decent game

The game was pretty standard for a Metroidvania. I did enjoy the variety of colored upgrades so it was pretty easy to figure out what the environmental puzzles demand from you. The difficulty of the monsters are usually contigent on the color of the armour you are currently wearing, and the boss fights were pretty fun. It took me less than 11 hours to 100% the game, and that was after wasting time just playing around in the endgame. Overall, this game was fun and I recommend it if you have an afternoon or two to kill.


Is this helpful to you?

Posted on: July 25, 2025

Zenperor

Verified owner

Games: 461 Reviews: 13

Almost Perfect!

I had a very pleasant experience with this game, the story is captivating, the pixel art is magnificent, I think for the first time in my life I played an aquatic section that I really liked. The cutscenes animation reminiscent of Blasphemous, the armors that instantly refers to the Saint Seiya anime, so the artistic part of this game is in fact 10/10 and the gameplay design was also juicy. However, the game as a whole does not deserve a score of 10/10 for 2 reasons. Lack of Achievements here in GOG version and bugs. Look, I'm the kind that doesn't care about bugs if it's not critical. But the map screen overlapped my game several times and I had to close and open the game to return to normal. My character also died after some key events and I missed progression made previously for no reason. There was also a moment in the flame section that one of the sounds simply entered loop. The technical side fell short of expectations.


Is this helpful to you?

Posted on: July 31, 2025

PolishJerry

Verified owner

Games: 22 Reviews: 4

short but enjoyable

i bought this randomly and it was a good idea. This game offers around 10 hours of gameplay that were well spent. Imagine it a metroidvania with Hollow knight gameplay, not as advanced tho


Is this helpful to you?

Posted on: August 2, 2025

istudedinre

Verified owner

Games: 361 Reviews: 5

Good short romp

This is what a good Metroidvania should be if it's not the next blockbuster hit: short and fun, without a lot of unnecessary backtracking or sidequests. About 10 hours of play, and I enjoyed myself. Thanks, devs!


Is this helpful to you?

Posted on: August 19, 2025

digomalap_6481

Verified owner

Games: 77 Reviews: 2

awesome game

its a very good game like metroidvania


Is this helpful to you?

Something went wrong. Try refresh page.

This game is waiting for a review. Take the first shot!
{{ item.rating }}
{{ item.percentage }}%
Awaiting more reviews
An error occurred. Please try again later.

Other ratings

Awaiting more reviews

Add a review

Edit a review

Your rating:
Stars and all fields are required
Not sure what to say? Start with this:
  • What kept you playing?
  • What kind of gamer would enjoy this?
  • Was the game fair, tough, or just right?
  • What’s one feature that really stood out?
  • Did the game run well on your setup?
Inappropriate content. Your reviews contain bad language. Inappropriate content. Links are not allowed. Inappropriate content. Content contains gibberish. Review title is too short. Review title is too long. Review description is too short. Review description is too long.
Not sure what to write?
Filters:

No reviews matching your criteria

Written in
English Deutsch polski français русский 中文(简体) Others
Written by
Verified ownersOthers
Added
Last 30 daysLast 90 daysLast 6 monthsWheneverAfter releaseDuring Early Access

GOG Patrons who helped preserve this game

Error loading patrons. Please refresh the page and try again.

Delete this review?

Are you sure you want to permanently delete your review for 9 Years of Shadows? This action cannot be undone.
Are you sure you want to permanently delete your rating for 9 Years of Shadows? This action cannot be undone.

Report this review

If you believe this review contains inappropriate content or violates our community guidelines, please let us know why.

Additional Details (required):

Please provide at least characters.
Please limit your details to characters.
Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later.

Report this review

Report has been submitted successfully.
Thank you for helping us maintain a respectful and safe community.