9 Years of Shadows

Fast-paced platformer rhythm meets sharp combat in 9 Years of Shadows, an Indie Action Adventure from Halberd Studios, released March 27, 2023. This Metroidvania blends tight movement, precise strikes, and route optimization, inviting solo mastery across a cursed world. As a fantasy quest unfolds, progression hinges on timing windows, evasive hops, and skill checks that challenge consistency and personal bests. Its layered map design rewards clean inputs, wall routes, and reset discipline familiar to fans of platformer games and action games like Devil May Cry speed segments. Boss patterns test reads, parries, and resource control more than raw stats, landing closer to fighting games fundamentals than grind. Controller or keyboard both feel responsive on Windows setups, while console-style play shines for weekend couch sessions. For readers browsing indie game recommendations, this stands out for deliberate difficulty spikes, satisfying upgrades, and a heartfelt narrative that hits after the final checkpoint.