Shadwen is a very cool stealth action game that plays like a mix between SUPERHOT and Thief, with you sneaking and assassinating your way through a world where time only moves when you do.
In development by the creators of Trine, Shadwen puts you in the shoes of an assassin on a quest to kill the king. While on this quest you encounter a young orphan girl called Lilly – she tags along and you try to protect her, but will you kill in front of her? Your choices affect your relationship.
Although you do have some nifty abilities, traps and weapons at your disposal, Shadwen is very much a stealth game – staying out of sight is paramount, if a guard sees you before you have a knife at their throat, you’re pretty much dead. If you do get into trouble, all is not lost, as you can rewind time at the press of a button, allowing you to learn from your mistakes and re-adjust your tactics. The level design is satisfyingly open ended, allowing you to take them on in a variety of ways, and the SUPERHOT-style ‘time only moves when you do’ mechanic means you have plenty of time to plan your assault.
Shadwen impresses with its time-bending gameplay, allowing for a refreshingly lenient take on the stealth genre. It’s shaping up to be a well crafted and easily accessible stealth game that won’t punish you for your mistakes – it’ll allow you to learn from them and carry on. Stress-free stealth that allows for plenty of experimentation.
Download The Shadwen Beta Demo Here (Steam)