The Knightling

“The Knightling is quite reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in terms of game flow: you have your main quest line and a vast world to explore, with plenty of side quests to help improve your abilities. The only sticking point I had was that combat can be a bit rough when multiple enemies are involved, and enemies have a habit of popping up behind you without warning. Aside from that, The Knightling definitely helped me scratch my open-world adventure itch.”

“The Knightling has its charming moments and gives the impression of a world brimming with potential, but it fails to fully realize it due to clumsy combat, repetitive challenges, and disorganized design.”

“The Knightling is a solid game that fails to stand out due to its simplistic combat system and reliance on side quests that never prove memorable.”

“The Knightling is a delightful surprise in 2025’s action-adventure lineup. It’s not perfect—bugs, difficulty spikes, and limited side content keep it from true greatness—but it more than makes up for those flaws with heart, creativity, and sheer charm. Sliding through Clesseia on a shield, uncovering whimsical details, and gradually growing from trainee to hero is an adventure worth taking. For fans of Zelda-inspired worlds, indie action games, or simply anyone craving a fresh spin on the classic knight’s tale, The Knightling delivers a fun, heartfelt, and memorable journey.”

“All these technical limitations are compensated for by a design that is very much in keeping with the story. Friendly characters and lots of dialogue and subplots that have nothing to do with the main story but enrich the folklore...”

“The Knightling, from Twirlbound, is a simple yet captivating game with an engaging story, fun combat, an epic soundtrack, and interesting exploration. Despite its minor flaws, its qualities outweigh the negatives. Portuguese subtitles would be a great addition in the future.”

“If The Knightling smoothed its annoying aspects out while making its gameplay feel more distinct, it would be a pretty good game for sure. 🛡️”

“Indie action-adventure game The Knightling soars with its traversal and vibes, but sinks with its combat and narrative design.”

“Putting up a brave effort despite all odds, The Knightling is a valiant effort and is far more endearing that you might think. Like the protagonist itself, The Knightling is a small open-world adventure, but it is packed with meaningful quests, bouncy platforming and simple-yet-satisfying combat. Yes, The Knightling lacks new ideas and could be seen as too short and insignificant - but for a fleeting five or so hours, The Knightling is a small delight that deserves your attention.”

“The Knightling is a wholesome and beautiful action platformer that hearkens back to the PlayStation 2 era. Great humour, amazing movement controls, and fun combat make this a title you won't want to miss, though there is still room for a few QoL updates and patches.”

“The Knightling is one of the most characterful adventures of the year, with Twirlbound crafting a large, bright, engaging fantasy world, and giving you the tools to truly enjoy it. You won't regret picking this one up.”

“The parry-based combat style isn't going to be for everyone, but The Knightling has plenty more to offer to make up for it. This whimsical adventure has won me over thanks to its clever puzzles and its seriously enjoyable traversal — sledging down a big hill on the back of a big shield has no right being this much fun.”

“I like this team's heart, and I am looking forward to seeing them grow from here. For me, The Knightling sadly just wasn't all the way there yet.”

“Much like the hero himself, The Knightling might seem small and unimportant, but it can produce great results when it needs to.”

“It’s a fun, cheerful platformer with plenty of personality and ideas, but perhaps doesn’t achieve all its goals as intended. I’ve walked away thinking Knightling is a solid effort, one that could be iterated upon into something special in the future.”

“In a year already filled with sleeper hits, I truly believe The Knightling can be another one on this growing list. Not only does it pack everything you’d want from an RPG into a condensed package, but it borrows from other genres to make a game that will appeal to a massive audience if they’re willing to give it a chance.”

“You can see the love poured into The Knightling. It has lovely visuals and a great family-friendly story, complete with Zelda-like vibes. The shield riding is a great touch, as are the other abilities you gain. The combat is fine too, and you’ll enjoy taking in the multitude of quests present.”

“As a whole, The Knightling is an enjoyable romp. The lighthearted storyline and tone complement an adventure that feels open and engaging at almost every opportunity. The use of a shield as your only weapon and pseudo multitool is novel but very enjoyable, and the presentation is good overall. It needs a little more polish and bug fixing for the game to be considered solid. For adventure fans who are looking for something that doesn't follow the Souls-like trend, The Knightling is worth checking out.”