Take Hades, smash it into Arthurian myth, throw in a full co-op mode, and you’ve got SWORN—a frenetic, rogue-lite action game developed by Windwalk Games and published by Team17. It’s a 1–4 player descent into a twisted version of Camelot where the Knights of the Round Table are no longer noble legends, but corrupted titans guarding the ruins of a fallen world.
What makes SWORN hit harder than most Hades-likes isn’t just its visual flair or its cooperative chaos—it’s the sheer versatility in how you build your character and the moment-to-moment flow of its tightly tuned combat system. It’s an ambitious Early Access title, but one that already feels dangerously close to greatness.
⚔️ Camelot in Ruins, Combat in Sync
In SWORN, you’re a Soulforged knight fighting back against the spreading darkness under King Arthur’s corrupted reign. You can run solo or group up with up to three other players, mixing builds, blessings, and weapons in a way that turns every run into its own mini-campaign.
Each class (of which there are four) comes with four unique weapons, each with two alternate moveset twists, and a pool of spells. That’s 16 loadout options per class before you factor in over 200 blessings from the Fae Lords. Then there’s the wild card of Duo blessings—combos between two different gods that offer potent synergies if you’re lucky or smart enough to enable them.
The combat? Snappy. Meaty. Responsive. Hits land with satisfying weight, enemies clearly telegraph their attacks, and the moment-to-moment feels like a mash-up between Dead Cells speed and Diablo chaos—especially when played in co-op with a team that knows how to synergize spells and crowd control.
💥 Co-Op That’s More Than Just Extra Bodies
The 4-player co-op is more than just multiplayer slapped on a solo game. There’s genuine build interaction and room for strategy. Some blessings allow players to exchange power-ups, letting your buddy trade you a blessing that fits your setup better. Others unlock teamwide boosts, making coordination key—especially on harder difficulty runs.
Even in solo, the game holds up. Enemies scale well, and the action never feels like it’s designed only for group play. That said, the thrill of playing as a squad of knights, each with wildly different playstyles, makes this a rare roguelike that truly thrives in multiplayer.
🧱 Structure, Progression, and Early Access Gaps
SWORN is still in Early Access, and that means some systems aren’t fully fleshed out yet. The early hub progression feels good—unlocking new blessings, weapons, and characters happens at a solid clip—but it does taper off. Once you’ve unlocked everything in the hub, currencies pile up without much use, and replay incentives lean entirely on experimentation and mastery.
The variety in bosses and rooms could also use some love. Each act has only two mini-boss variants and a single Act boss, meaning repetition sets in fast. There are rooms that feel phoned in—like a trap gauntlet in Act 1 that shows up too often and adds little but frustration.
Fortunately, SWORN’s roadmap is transparent and ambitious. Major updates promise a fifth biome, new shrines, bosses, and alternate encounter types. More importantly, the devs have already made major improvements, like WASD rebinding and shop UI tweaks, and continue rolling out quality-of-life patches.
🎨 Comic Book Carnage
Visually, SWORN is striking. The art direction channels Mike Mignola (Hellboy) through a fantasy apocalypse lens. It’s gritty, stylized, and atmospheric without ever feeling overdesigned. You know where you are, what’s happening, and what’s trying to kill you—even when the screen is packed with effects.
The soundtrack follows suit: tense, grim, but not overwhelming. It does the job of keeping the blood pumping without pulling focus.
✅ What Works
🔹 Deep Buildcrafting
Each run feels unique thanks to layered blessings, god synergies, weapon/spell loadouts, and node-flipping skill trees.
🔹 Tight Combat, Responsive Controls
Dodges feel crisp. Hits land hard. Movement is smooth. Whether you’re solo or in co-op, gameplay never fights you.
🔹 Cooperative Depth
Not just shared combat, but real systems that encourage coordination, teamwork, and smart blessing trades.
🔹 Fast Unlocks, Good Progression Curve (Early On)
Early runs constantly reward you with new tools, making the first hours deeply satisfying.
🔹 Stunning Art Direction
Hand-drawn and stylish. The dark fantasy Camelot vibe stands out in a sea of roguelike sameness.
❌ What Doesn’t
🔻 Boss Variety is Thin
Acts have limited boss options. You’ll memorize mechanics way too fast, especially in repeat runs.
🔻 Lock-On Targeting Is Clunky
In big fights, switching targets is unreliable and sometimes actively works against you.
🔻 Endgame Content is Sparse
Once you’ve unlocked the hub, there’s not much left to grind for—just leaderboards and perfect builds.
🔻 Blessing Clarity Needs Work
The in-game compendium lacks prerequisite info for advanced blessings, making theorycrafting frustrating.
🔻 Early Access Rough Edges
Balance is inconsistent across mini-bosses, and some map elements (like trap-only rooms) feel underdeveloped or unfairly punishing.
🧪 Should You Play It?
If you loved Hades and wished it had four-player co-op, this is your game. If you enjoy experimentation, fast-paced combat, and a unique fantasy aesthetic, SWORN will hook you early and hard.
💸 Should You Buy It?
At full price, SWORN already delivers more than enough for roguelike fans. Just know it’s not finished yet. If you want polished perfection, wait for the 1.0 launch. But if you’re down to support a game that’s already fun and getting better fast, jump in now—especially if you’ve got friends to bring along.
SWORN: It’s Hades, if Hades had four players, corrupted Arthurian lore, and a dark comic book soul. Early Access rarely feels this confident. Co-op roguelike fans, your quest has arrived. – Flare
