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About Hardcore Knight!
Hardcore Knight! is a 2D platformer that pits you against hordes of monsters in a pixelated medieval world. As a knight with limited abilities, your mission is to rescue a princess by leaping over traps, dodging enemies, and using basic combat moves. Developed by Pud3l and released in 2025, it’s a no-frills game focused on pure platforming skill and fast reflexes. The single-player campaign is straightforward, with levels designed to punish missteps. If you enjoy tight controls and punishing difficulty, this game leans hard into those mechanics. No open worlds or complex systems here, just a princess, a sword, and a lot of dying.
Gameplay
Each level is a gauntlet of enemies and environmental hazards that test your timing and precision. You have a basic sword slash, a shield block, and a jump, simple tools that require mastery to survive. Combat is quick and unforgiving, with enemies respawning if you backtrack, adding pressure to avoid mistakes. The platforming sections demand pixel-perfect jumps, especially in later stages where traps and gaps narrow your path. Boss fights mix platforming and combat, often requiring you to memorize patterns while dodging projectiles. There’s no save function, so progress resets every time you die, pushing you to learn levels through repetition. Sessions feel short and punchy, with most runs lasting 5, 10 minutes before a fatal slip or misaimed strike.
What Players Think
With a release date in late 2025, community data is currently unavailable. However, based on similar indie platformers, expectations suggest a polarized reception, fans of the genre will praise its difficulty and simplicity, while others may find it repetitive. No critic reviews or player stats exist yet. If past trends hold, average playtime could hit 10, 15 hours to complete, with a 60, 70% completion rate among dedicated players. Achievements are likely focused on speedruns or perfect clears, though specifics remain unconfirmed. Early interest appears niche, with most chatter centered on whether the challenge is worth the frustration.
PlayPile's Take
Hardcore Knight! is for players who thrive on punishment and precision. It’s a love letter to 90s-style platformers, but with modern pixel art. If you’ve enjoyed games like Celeste or Dead Cells and don’t mind restarts, it could be your cup of tea. No price or achievement data is available yet, but given its indie pedigree, expect a modest cost. It’s not impressive, but it does one thing very deliberately: make you work for every inch of progress. Play it if you want to test your reflexes, but don’t expect anything beyond a tough, minimalist experience.
Game Modes
Single player
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