Shadwen

Some games stay with you not because of cutting-edge graphics or massive budgets — but because they got everything that matters absolutely right. Shadwen is one of those games. A medieval stealth game where you play as an elven assassin on a revenge mission to kill the king who wronged her. Simple premise, perfectly executed. Along the way you pick up an orphan girl named Lily — and that's where the magic happens. The stealth mechanics are creative and forgiving — time only moves when YOU move, meaning you can freeze, plan, and execute without the usual stealth game frustration. No cheap deaths. No unfair detections. Just pure creative problem solving. The companion dynamic with Lily adds genuine emotional weight. She reacts to what she witnesses — kill guards in front of her and she sees you as a monster. Protect her innocence and the relationship grows. It sounds simple but it makes every decision feel meaningful. It's a short game — don't go in expecting 50 hours. But what it delivers in that time is focused, polished and emotionally satisfying. Revenge story ✅ Stealth sandbox ✅ Companion with genuine heart ✅ Medieval atmosphere ✅ Forgiving mechanics ✅ Pure gold.

Fine for what it is, though due to the lenght of a single playthrough, I cannot recommend it for full price. At the time of writing, I've finished one stealth run of the main quest and am sitting at 6.7 hours, without playing the unlocked escape chapters. I'll return to it one day and go full aggro route, but for now this is getting shelved. Gameplay is okay, I had fun. I'd recommend this but only on sale.

Shadwen is a stealth-action adventure developed and published by Frozenbyte that places a strong emphasis on patience, observation, and creative problem-solving. Rather than relying on fast-paced combat or direct confrontation, the game encourages players to embrace the role of a silent assassin navigating dangerous environments while avoiding detection. Set within a dark medieval world, the story follows the mysterious assassin Shadwen as she embarks on a mission to eliminate a tyrannical king. Along the way, she is unexpectedly joined by a young girl named Lily, whose presence adds emotional depth and moral complexity to an otherwise straightforward revenge tale. One of the most distinctive aspects of the game is its unique time-control system. Time advances only when the player moves, transforming traditional stealth gameplay into a more strategic and deliberate experience. This mechanic removes much of the pressure commonly associated with stealth games and allows players to carefully analyze enemy patrols, study environmental hazards, and plan their actions without feeling rushed. The ability to rewind time further supports experimentation, making mistakes less punishing and …

Took me a while to get my feelings straight, at the end of the day Shadwen is a game with a lot of potential that was squandered. It has interesting mechanics, as each level is a puzzle for a well designed escort system. The story is told through background dialogue and the game gives concequences for killing or sparing people, and more interesting if your ward sees the bodies or not matters more. But with all that said: its yanky, and rough, not quite executing any of these things that well, ending up feeling a bit incomplete.

Unedited Gameplay Here: https://youtu.be/eoQgD3vaXvs Shadwen is a pretty underated unique stealth game that for sure has some indie jank, but if you can look past that there's a really good time here! You have 2 interesting mechanics to play with, a Rewind system that lets you rewind time as much as you want, completely unrestricted, and a girl named Lily that you need to help navigate through the levels, the catch is that you can't let her see you kill anyone. It's an interesting take on the Dishonored method for not allowing you to kill just everyone. You have to think outside of the box quite a bit and if you do chose to kill, you have to quickly hide the bodies so she doesn't see. The game also has a fully voice acted story (which admittedly is pretty weak), and guards that chatter amongst themselves providing lore into the world. I was honestly surprised how immersed I was getting in some of these levels. The game isn't perfect, it definitely has an indie feel to it at times, and the story is almost non-existent, but considering it often goes on sale for less than $5, I think it's a no-brainer if you like stealth games. I'd guess based on my current progression the game is…

Sort of... its ok even with a lot of whys in the game. A little more story would have spiced up the sneaky time control mechanics. Some parts require a lot of patience because the kid does not find the way. But some parts and the overall atmosphere are cool. 3 of 5 points for people who like stealth games.