- Challenging, fast-paced gameplay
- Your health is also your ammo
- Vivid enviornments
Forest spirits in the form of arrows, an ancient demon, and a risen skeletal hero await you in A Kindling Forest. From solo developer Dennis Berndtsson, this auto-runner roguelike features vivid environments and surprisingly challenging gameplay.
The plot of A Kindling Forest is rather simple. Long ago, a great hero thwarted a terrible demon. Now the demon has returned, and the only one who can stop him is the now-deceased hero. Luckily, the forest spirits revived the now skeletal hero to stop the demon once and for all. The sparse narrative really works for the action-focused title, giving you enough purpose to go on without becoming distracting.
Controlling your hero is simple. Tap the left side of the screen to jump, and slide your finger across the right side of the screen to aim, and release to shoot. However, just because the controls are simple doesn’t mean you’ll be able to breeze your way through levels. Rather, the constant obstacles, perilous pits, and creepy enemies will keep you on your toes.
A Kindling Forest: A Quiver of Spirits
What really makes A Kindling Forest challenging is the fact that your health and ammo are one and the same. Your character was resurrected by forest spirits, so you’ll need to have at least one spirit with you in order to stay up and running. However, these spirits also act as your arrows, meaning you need to make every shot count if you want to stay alive. This clever dynamic makes every shot meaningful.
Whenever you see white dots, be sure to collect them, as these are forest spirits. You can also gain a few forest spirits each time you hit a bullseye target. Targets will appear hanging above you, on the path, and flat against the ground. While the hanging targets are usually fairly easy to hit, you’ll need to aim well to hit the ones on the ground. Keep an eye on your forest spirit supply so you don’t waste the last of your life on a challenging target.
Look out For Shards in A Kindling Forest
Your old nemesis, the ancient demon, has dropped rock shards all along your path to hinder your progress. Coming into contact with these nasty red shards costs you some health. Considering your health and ammo are one and the same, it’s vital that you avoid them as much as possible. 
You can break shards by firing at their weak spots. Bear in mind that when a shard breaks into small pieces, each piece is still toxic to the touch. Use jump strategically to dodge any shard pieces you can’t destroy in time. Of course, you’ll face fearsome foes as you progress through the forest. The same shade of red as the shards, enemies are quick to deal damage if given the chance.
While your first instinct might be to shoot enemies on sight, remember your arrows are precious, and some foes can be avoided with a nicely timed jump. From winged skulls to creepy spiders and even an ancient dragon, you’ll come across various baddies as you journey through the woods.
A Kindling Forest is a rather enchanting roguelike auto-runner with vibrant, cartoony graphics and fast-paced action. Your ammo doubling as your health is an ingenious little mechanic that offers a significant challenge. Despite its simple premise, A Kindling Forest is an epic title that is more than worth checking out if you’re itching for a challenge.
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