DarkStone Restoration
Paul Cuisset · 2026 · RPG, Action, Action RPG, Dungeon Crawler, Hack and Slash
PC
Positive98% · 40
This game is free to play. Get it on Steam →
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About DarkStone Restoration
The cult 1999 action RPG returns, restored by its own creator.
DarkStone Restoration brings Delphine Software's beloved 1999 action RPG back to modern PCs, rebuilt by Paul Cuisset, creator of the original. This isn't a remake. It's a restoration: the same merciless combat and hand-crafted gothic atmosphere, made to feel right on today's hardware without losing what made it special.A landmark, against the odds
Built by a core team of four, Darkstone arrived in 1999 as one of the first action RPGs to bring the genre fully into 3D. A quarter of a century later, its creator returns to rebuild it single-handedly, and give Darkstone the version it always deserved.The kingdom of Uma
Long ago, the corrupt monk Draak turned against Kaliba, goddess of life and nature, and reshaped himself into a dragon to drown the world in darkness. The only thing that can stop him is the Time Orb, forged from Kaliba's tears and shattered into seven crystals scattered across the four lands of Uma. Recover the crystals, rebuild the Orb, and descend into Draak's lair to end his reign.Eight heroes. One legend to write.
- Build your champion from eight characters across four classes : warrior, mage, thief and priest , each with its own strengths, combat style and feel.
- Grow your arsenal and spellbook as you adventure: dozens of weapons, spells and talents to discover.
- Dungeons, quests, monsters and loot are randomly generated, and five difficulty levels keep the challenge alive. No two descents are ever the same.
New in the Restoration
- Buddy mode. Darkstone always let you raise two heroes and switch between them. Now hold a single button to take direct control of your companion mid-fight, reposition them, aim their spells, chain a combo, then release to hand them straight back to the AI. Coordinate both heroes in the very same fight, something the original never allowed.
- Shared-world couch co-op. The original only offered networked play, with two separate worlds and two inventories. The Restoration adds brand-new couch co-op: one world, one save, two players on the same adventure. A second player drops in to control your companion whenever they like, and drops out just as easily. Playing remotely? Steam Remote Play Together has you covered.
- Legacy mode. A dedicated mode that restores the authentic 1999 look and feel for purists.
Restored and modernized for today
- Native 64-bit modern-Windows build with improved stability, modern displays and resolutions, borderless windowed mode and a configurable frame-rate cap.
- First-class controller support across every screen: auto-targeting, target cycling and lock, DualSense.
- Reworked spell system with a quick-access spell bar, plus deep inventory quality of life: automatic gold pickup, optional auto-sort, quick-equip, item gifting and more.
- Clearer fonts and HUD, readable quest journal and map, and modern lighting and effects: dynamic shadows, SSAO, bloom, procedural grass and tunable volumetric fog.
Early Access
DarkStone Restoration launches in Early Access with its restored single-player core fully playable. Guided by community feedback, the project aims to bring back more of Darkstone's legacy, including modernized network multiplayer and a new Quest Editor built in the spirit of the original tool. The full release will open the deeper lands of Uma, the final confrontation with Draak, along with Steam Achievements, leaderboards and stats.A legend worth saving
Wishlist DarkStone Restoration to be notified the moment it launches and follow the restoration as it grows.Sharpen your blade. Light a torch. The dungeons are waiting.What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
I Recommend it because it is Darkstone. With how it gets used, not a fan of AI-generated/upscaled, as that is what it feels like in some aspects here & there. If it isn't, glad to be wrong, just some UI feel 'off', for example, the blond fighter & the female thief look weird compared to the original in the UI aspect. Sincerely looking forward to when the cooperative / multiplayer implementation gets re-added, excited for that in particular. Will be watching how this game comes along; always been a fan of Darkstone & as such, already bought others the game too to support development.3 found this helpful
So funny enough I bought the original game for PC for nostalgia purposes as I played this as a kid on PS1. Playing it again on PC I couldn't do it without getting frustrated. there's guide to rewrite the configurations but I failed. HOWEVER, this version, I've played it with a controller and am appreciating everything this restoration has done. updated graphics, easy controls, I love it so freakin much. Thank yall so much for bring a childhood classic to life again2 found this helpful
You did an amazing job restoring my childhood. I loved the original and I can't wait to sink countless more hours of my life on this version! 27 years!!! It really blows my mind! Thank you Paul.1 found this helpful
Played this so much when I was younger. Great QOL updates and plays smoothly.1 found this helpful
This is an overwhelming positive post. Love it! Let's start with CONS: I have run into a lot of just the game kicking me out. It would be nice if the scrolls stacked in inventory. I wish the graphics got more of a boost. and....I will erase this the moment we have multiplayer. PROS: Small graphics boost. Holy smokes the inventory system self regulates, so I no longer have to find the tiny holes to move around to fit something in. the AI of my companion is great! he heals himself magic potions himself! what a relief! Bank has a stash! I no longer have to just throw things on the ground I want to save for later. So many things stack, I wish scrolls did but hey! food stacks! health and magic potions stack! gold stacks way beyond 10k praise God! the map doesn't obnoxiously cover the whole screen if you want to just make it a mini map and put it in the corner AND it has a percentage of places you have explored...wow! People that you need to interact with... I'll call this a pro, at the same time, it makes the game a bit too easy IMO. They have a ! above their head and tell you what they need. Now granted in the old game you could just scroll back all the dialog and find what item …
While I haven't played much of it yet, I do like what I have played. It feels very much like the original, but a little smoother and I think even a bit faster with combat movement and animations. It was bought on pure nostalgia, but it feels like they are trying to make the experience worthwhile.
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