Twirlbound’s The Knightling arrives as a whimsical yet ambitious open-world action-adventure, released on August 28, 2025, and published by Saber Interactive. At its heart lies a familiar fantasy premise with a unique twist: instead of wielding a mighty sword or enchanted staff, you’re armed with nothing but a legendary shield.
You play as the Knightling, an eager apprentice tasked with finding your missing mentor, Sir Lionstone, protector of the realm. With his shield in hand and Clesseia in peril, you’re thrust into a journey of exploration, discovery, and proving your worth.
“Venture through Clesseia as a shield-wielding hero on a quest for truth. The Knightling offers a fresh take on the classic knight’s journey, blending action and adventure seamlessly.”
Shields Up – Combat That’s More Than Blocking
The decision to make the shield your primary weapon is what immediately sets The Knightling apart. At first, combat feels defensive, even timid—blocking, parrying, and timing your strikes carefully. But as you unlock new abilities, the shield becomes a multi-purpose tool:
- Defensive core: Block projectiles, parry enemies, and open up opportunities for counterattacks.
- Offensive surprise: Charge forward with shield bashes, chain combos, and use Callyrium-powered slams to crush foes.
- Movement mastery: The shield also doubles as a traversal device, letting you slide down hills, platform across gaps, and glide over obstacles.
Combat difficulty ramps up significantly after the early stages. While it keeps battles engaging, some players found later encounters overwhelming—especially with waves of enemies and environmental hazards piling up. Even with upgrades, your shield can only absorb so much punishment before things get hectic.
Still, there’s no denying the creativity of making defense the foundation of offense. When it clicks, fights feel rewarding, tactical, and distinct from the typical hack-and-slash.
Exploring Clesseia – Whimsy Meets Challenge
Clesseia is presented as a compact but lively open world. From sunlit meadows to gloomy ruins, each region offers its own enemies, puzzles, and lore. The art style is bright and stylized, lending the world a storybook quality. Loading screens are decorated with playful doodles of the Knightling, and even the game’s credits include sketches of the dev team’s pets—a charming, personal touch that makes the world feel more heartfelt.
Exploration is a highlight. The game rewards curiosity with side quests, puzzles, and collectibles scattered throughout the land. Sliding across the landscape with your shield is downright joyful, and platforming challenges—while occasionally tricky—are satisfying to overcome.
Some players wished the game leaned even harder into exploration, noting that side quests dry up in the later regions, leaving the main quest to carry most of the pacing. That said, the first half of the game captures the joy of discovery in a way reminiscent of Zelda’s smaller-scale adventures.
Story and Characters
The plot is straightforward but effective: Sir Lionstone is missing, and it’s up to you to uncover the truth behind his disappearance and the power of the shield. Along the way, you’ll meet NPCs who need help, uncover scraps of lore about Clesseia’s history, and—most memorably—deal with a shield that has quite a bit of personality.
The Knightling themselves is portrayed as loyal, determined, and—true to the game’s tone—endearingly scrappy. While the narrative doesn’t reach the emotional highs of larger RPGs, its lighthearted storytelling and occasional humor perfectly fit the game’s whimsical aesthetic.
Performance and Accessibility
On a technical level, The Knightling runs decently even on lower-end hardware, with its stylized art style smoothing over reduced settings. On minimum specs, you can expect around 40–60 fps, though there are occasional dips.
Where the game stumbles is accessibility:
- No key rebinding (a major frustration, especially for those struggling with awkward default inputs like dodge on Left Alt).
- Lack of a minimap leaves some players wandering aimlessly, which can either feel adventurous or frustrating, depending on your patience.
- A handful of bugs persist, from disappearing items to stamps not counting toward objectives.
While not game-breaking, these issues add friction to an otherwise smooth adventure.
Strengths That Shine
- Unique shield-based gameplay that sets combat and traversal apart.
- Charming art style and presentation, including doodles, vibrant colors, and whimsical touches.
- Engaging exploration and puzzles that balance challenge with reward.
- A heartfelt indie feel with ambition that lands more often than it misses.
- Compact playtime (12–18 hours) that avoids overstaying its welcome.
Weaknesses Worth Noting
- Combat difficulty spikes later in the game, sometimes leaning into frustration over fun.
- Side quests taper off after the opening areas, making the world feel less alive as you progress.
- Technical quirks like bugs, missing keybinding options, and occasional performance dips.
- Some players felt the final act lost the whimsical charm of the earlier portions, leaning more on overwhelming combat.
The Knightling: The Knightling is a delightful surprise in 2025’s action-adventure lineup. It’s not perfect—bugs, difficulty spikes, and limited side content keep it from true greatness—but it more than makes up for those flaws with heart, creativity, and sheer charm. Sliding through Clesseia on a shield, uncovering whimsical details, and gradually growing from trainee to hero is an adventure worth taking. For fans of Zelda-inspired worlds, indie action games, or simply anyone craving a fresh spin on the classic knight’s tale, The Knightling delivers a fun, heartfelt, and memorable journey. – ColdMoon