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

( 449 Reviews )

4.2

449 Reviews

English & 1 more
Offer ends on: 10/20/2025 09:59 EEST
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...
Genre:
Action - Adventure - Metroidvania
Tags:
Adventure, Action, Indie, Fantasy, Story Rich, show 8 more... Atmospheric, 2D, Exploration, Female Protagonist, Pixel Graphics, Platformer, Magic, Metroidvania
Critics reviews
64 %
Recommend
Softpedia
8.5/10
CGMagazine
7/10
User reviews

4.2/5

( 449 Reviews )

4.2

449 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
9.5 h Completionist
9 h All Styles

Game length provided by HowLongToBeat

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:
Recommended system requirements:
Recommended 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
9.5 h Completionist
9 h All Styles

Game length provided by HowLongToBeat

Game details
Genre:
Action - Adventure - Metroidvania
Tags:
Adventure, Action, Indie, Fantasy, Story Rich, show 8 more... Atmospheric, 2D, Exploration, Female Protagonist, Pixel Graphics, Platformer, Magic, Metroidvania
Works on:
Windows (10, 11)
Release date:
{{'2023-03-27T00:00:00+03:00' | date: 'longDate' : ' +0300 ' }}
Company:
Halberd Studios / indie.io
Size:
1.3 GB
Links:
Forum discussion
Game features
Cloud saves
Controller support
Overlay
Single-player
Languages
English
audio
text
Español (AL)
audio
text
Critics reviews
74
Top Critic Average
64 %
Critics Recommend
OpenCritic Rating
Softpediaby Andrei Dumitrescu
8.5/10
Nine Years of Shadows is a good Metroidvania with an impressive presentation and intriguing world. Gameplay mechanics will be instantly familiar to any genre fans and easy to understand for newcomers. There aren’t too many surprises in the narrative but it is imbued with a sense of optimism that kept me engaged.
Read full review »
CGMagazineby Philip Watson
7/10
9 Years of Shadows is a solid 2D action-adventure title that is very pretty to look at, and could be recommendable to those who don't focus on combat.
Read full review »
Reviews powered by OpenCritic
You may like these products
In library In cart Soon GOOD OLD GAME Wishlisted
In library In cart Soon GOOD OLD GAME Wishlisted
Free
Play for free Coming soon
Users also bought
In library In cart Soon GOOD OLD GAME Wishlisted
In library In cart Soon GOOD OLD GAME Wishlisted
Free
Play for free Coming soon
User reviews

Posted on: August 20, 2025

Gentilucci

Verified owner

Games: 52 Reviews: 1

Very good Metroidvania

A funny and simple metroidvania, not too long (big plus!) with enough mechanichs and power-ups to not get boring. Maybe the final boss is a little easy

Is this helpful to you?

Posted on: August 25, 2025

Sharckslz

Verified owner

Games: 288 Reviews: 2

Underrated gem

Its an excelent game, Beated it twice now, still hits hards. Cant say that happens frequently. Its an excelent title and cant wait for their new games.

Is this helpful to you?

Posted on: September 13, 2024

Veik0

Verified owner

Games: 90 Reviews: 1

NOICE

This game is great, i wasnt giving much to it but now iam palying 8h straight lmao.

Is this helpful to you?

Posted on: September 15, 2024

Laminboamorte

Verified owner

Games: 94 Reviews: 1

Great game, great story

The game has hard bosses, interesting characters, and amazing variety of powers, only problem for me was how much grinding u need to evolve the power level of your armors

Is this helpful to you?

Posted on: September 16, 2024

Kyunshogo

Verified owner

Games: 55 Reviews: 1

Amazing Metroidvania

Awesome Metroidvania. The armor's mechanics is a refreshing idea for the genre. 100% recommended.

Is this helpful to you?

1
...
...
7
8
9
10
11
...
...
54

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?
You cannot save your review due to the following reasons:
  • You need to select star rating
  • You need to enter review title
  • You need to enter the content of your review
Show: 5 on page 15 on page 30 on page 60 on page
Order by: Most helpful Most positive Most critical Most recent
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
View original
GOG Patrons who helped preserve this game
{{controller.patronsCount}} GOG Patrons

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

{{ patron.username }}

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.