Code provided with thanks to MyACG Studio.
Cinderia – A Dark Fairytale Worth Exploring
Roguelites are certainly not in short supply these days. Every few weeks another appears, making it increasingly difficult for a new game to stand out.
Cinderia doesn’t completely reinvent the genre, but after spending time with its Early Access build, I came away enjoying it far more than I expected. It ticks nearly every box you’d want from an action roguelite. Fast combat? Absolutely. Randomised runs? Of course. Permanent upgrades? Plenty. Ridiculous builds that eventually become hilariously powerful? Those are here too. While I wouldn’t say it’s doing anything dramatically new just yet, what it already has is polished, enjoyable and leaves a strong first impression.
A Kingdom Covered In Ash
The opening immediately caught my attention. Rather than throwing you straight into combat, Cinderia opens with a surprisingly effective fairytale-style introduction. An ancient evil is defeated, leaving behind a mysterious baby who is raised within the kingdom. Just as everything seems destined for a happy ending, that child grows into the Ash Witch and plunges the land into chaos yet again. It’s a simple premise, but it works well.
You step into this ruined kingdom as a young heroine determined to fight through the corruption, rescue survivors, and restore hope to a world that’s rapidly falling apart. It’s dark, gloomy and just a little bit tragic, yet it still carries that fantasy charm throughout. I quite liked the overall setup, even if the general idea feels familiar for the genre.
Fast Combat That Feels Great
The highlight of Cinderia is undoubtedly its combat. Everything feels incredibly responsive. Your attacks come out instantly, dodging is smooth, movement feels precise, and abilities recharge quickly enough that you’re constantly doing something rather than waiting around.
The starting character focuses on close-range sword attacks but also has ranged abilities, giving you plenty of flexibility. I particularly liked how frequently ranged attacks can be used, making combat feel energetic instead of restrictive. Dodging behind enemies rewards you with stronger attacks, encouraging you to stay mobile rather than simply standing still and swinging away. It creates a satisfying rhythm. Attack. Dodge. Counter. Repeat. It’s exactly the kind of fluid gameplay that keeps encouraging “just one more run.”
Builds That Keep Things Interesting
Like any good roguelite, progression revolves around improving your character throughout each run. After clearing rooms, you’ll regularly choose new upgrades, passive abilities and powerful bonuses that gradually transform your playstyle. One mechanic I particularly enjoyed is the corruption system. Many passive upgrades also increase your corruption meter. Once that reaches its limit, your character suffers a negative effect. Perhaps you’ll lose a little health over time, or another handicap will appear to complicate the run. It’s a clever little risk-versus-reward system. Do you keep grabbing every powerful upgrade you see, knowing corruption is slowly building? Or do you play more cautiously? It’s a nice twist that gives your upgrade choices a little more thought than simply grabbing every shiny icon available.
Outside of runs, there’s also a growing hub area where collected resources permanently strengthen future attempts. You’ll also rescue survivors who unlock additional playable characters. The second character already feels noticeably different from the first, relying much more heavily on ranged combat, which gives each run a fresh feel.
Familiar, But Very Polished
If there’s one criticism I kept coming back to while playing, it’s simply how familiar everything feels. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Cinderia does the formula extremely well. But it is still the familiar roguelite loop we’ve all seen many times before: Fight. Collect upgrades. Die. Spend resources. Try again (not before making yourself another coffee though). If you’ve played Hades, Curse of the Dead Gods, Ravenswatch or countless others, you’ll recognise the structure immediately. Whether that’s a problem really depends on how much you still enjoy this genre.
Personally, I’m starting to feel a little fatigued after so many similar games over the years. That isn’t Cinderia’s fault, but it does make it harder for a new entry to completely wow me. For newcomers, however, this could easily become one of the stronger introductions to action roguelites.
Bosses Can Feel A Little Overwhelming
My biggest gameplay issue came during the boss encounters. The first few attempts actually went surprisingly well. Then things became considerably tougher. Bosses have enormous health pools, relentless attack patterns and can quickly overwhelm the screen with effects. As runs progress, fights become increasingly frantic, sometimes making it difficult to clearly read everything happening around you.
Some players will absolutely love that intensity. Personally, I found it a little exhausting after longer sessions. Perhaps that’s simply age catching up with my reflexes, but I wouldn’t complain if later bosses became just slightly less of a marathon.
Presentation Fits The Mood
Visually, Cinderia looks ace. The world is dark, gloomy and full of ruined fantasy landscapes that reinforce the fairytale atmosphere. Character artwork has plenty of personality, enemies are varied enough to stay interesting, and the overall presentation feels polished. The music complements everything nicely too. Nothing particularly stole the show, but it creates the right atmosphere without becoming distracting.
Final Thoughts
For an Early Access title, Cinderia already feels impressively complete. The combat is excellent, the progression systems are enjoyable, and the build variety gives plenty of reasons to keep experimenting.
My biggest reservation isn’t really about the quality of the game itself. It’s that the action roguelite genre has become incredibly crowded. If you’re already feeling burnt out on this style of game, Cinderia probably won’t completely change your mind. However, if you still enjoy fast-paced roguelites, or you’re looking for your first one, there’s already a lot here to like. The foundations are very strong, the gameplay feels fantastic, and with continued development there’s every chance Cinderia could become another excellent addition to the genre.
For now, it’s an Early Access game that’s already doing many things right, and I’m certainly interested to see how it evolves over the coming months.
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