9 Years of Shadows

Name: 9 Years of Shadows
Rating: 6 (3380 reviews)

Developer: Halberd Studios

Publisher: Freedom Games

Mar 27, 2023

Visual

pixel
side scroll

Structure

ability gated
exploration
boss gated
fast travel
discrete levels
linear

Combat

combo combat
contact damage

Features

companion combat
equipment

Themes

fantasy

Summary

Fight to bring beautiful colors back to a hand-crafted world of darkness and discover the story of Europa, a young warrior, and her ghostly childhood companion, Apino.

Last updated September 28, 2026

Where to play

- Windows
- Steam Deck
- Steam
Nintendo
- Switch
PlayStation
- PS4
Xbox
- Series X|S
- One

Resources

Links

Maps

Demajen

Mombo Combo Legacy

Developer / Publisher: Orube Game Studio

2024

MV Temperature
- Similarities
- pixel
- side scroll
- boss gated
- companion combat
- fantasy
- discrete levels
- linear
- Differences
- Demo Available
- cosmetics
The Darkest Tales: Into the Nightmare

Developer: Trinity Team

Publisher: 101XP

2021

85%

Very Positive

1,867 reviews

MV Temperature
- Similarities
- exploration
- side scroll
- boss gated
- combo combat
- contact damage
- equipment
- fantasy
- discrete levels
- linear
- Differences
- Free on Steam
- 2.5D
- action
- difficulty options
- gothic
- skill tree
- RPG
- MV Lite / Adjacent
Golden Knight

Developer / Publisher: Guará Studios

2025

92%

Positive

24 reviews

MV Temperature
- Similarities
- pixel
- side scroll
- boss gated
- discrete levels
- linear
Paint My World

Developer: Adrian Nock, Ashley Bates

MV Temperature
- Similarities
- pixel
- side scroll
- boss gated
- contact damage
- discrete levels
- linear
- Differences
- action
- relaxed
- puzzle heavy
Ebenezer and the Invisible World

Developer: Orbit Studio, Play on Worlds

Publisher: Play on Worlds

2023

77%

Mostly Positive

132 reviews

MV Temperature
- Similarities
- exploration
- side scroll
- fast travel
- contact damage
- companion combat
- equipment
- fantasy
- Differences
- interconnected map
- hand drawn
- Semi-Linear
Gleam of Fire

Developer / Publisher: Snow Games

2018

MV Temperature
- Similarities
- exploration
- side scroll
- combo combat
- fantasy
- discrete levels
- linear
- Differences
- action
- Ranged Combat
- MV Lite / Adjacent
Astalon: Tears of the Earth

Developer: LABS Works

Publisher: DANGEN Entertainment

2021

90%

Very Positive

1,571 reviews

MV Temperature
- Similarities
- exploration
- pixel
- side scroll
- boss gated
- fast travel
- contact damage
- equipment
- fantasy
- Differences
- interconnected map
- non linear
- multiple characters
- post apocalyptic
Profana

Developer / Publisher: Pyromaniky

Sep 30, 2026

MV Temperature
- Similarities
- ability gated
- exploration
- pixel
- side scroll
- fast travel
- combo combat
- equipment
- fantasy
- Differences
- new releases
- Demo Available
- interconnected map
- non linear
- action
Strider

Developer: Capcom Osaka, Double Helix Games

Publisher: Capcom

2014

81%

Very Positive

4,252 reviews

MV Temperature
- Similarities
- exploration
- side scroll
- equipment
- discrete levels
- linear
- Differences
- 2.5D
- action
- Sci-Fi
Arwinia

Developer / Publisher: Three Spot Games

2020

MV Temperature
- Similarities
- pixel
- side scroll
- boss gated
- equipment
- fantasy
- discrete levels
- linear
- Differences
- 8-Bit
- action
- difficulty options
- leveling
- medieval
- speedrun mode
Joy the Pug

Developer / Publisher: Charon Games

2021

MV Temperature
- Similarities
- side scroll
- boss gated
- contact damage
- discrete levels
- linear
- Differences
- Demo Available
- hand drawn
- action
- Ranged Combat
- cat
- difficulty options
- Sci-Fi
- MV Lite / Adjacent
Project Blue

Developer: toggleSwitch

Publisher: Mega Cat Studios, toggleSwitch

2020

MV Temperature
- Similarities
- pixel
- side scroll
- boss gated
- discrete levels
- linear
- Differences
- 8-Bit
- action
- difficulty options
- post apocalyptic
- Sci-Fi

9 Years of Shadows

Summary

Where to play

Resources

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