Spark in the Dark Early Access Review – Off to a Great Start

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Dungeon crawlers were once a popular genre on their own, particularly in the 80s and 90s. Games like Might & Magic and Wizardry focused entirely on exploring dungeons, unlike games like The Legend of Zelda where it was just one element. While the genre has seen a recent revival with titles like Legend of Grimrock 2 and Operencia: The Stolen Sun, these often feel like nostalgic revisits to the past. Spark in the Dark aims to refresh the formula by blending classic dungeon crawling with the tension of survival horror and the challenging combat of Soulslike games.

In Spark in the Dark, you choose one of four heroes, each with special abilities, and try to escape a vast, dark dungeon. You’ll face dangerous enemies and tricky traps that can quickly end your game. Luckily, you can find new gear and helpful items like potions. The catch? You’ll need to figure out what those potions do through trial and error – you can drink them or throw them at enemies to see what happens!

Okay, so the story in Spark in the Dark isn’t super detailed. Honestly, it doesn’t spend a lot of time explaining the world. You basically wake up in a dungeon and that’s it – you just start playing! You get little bits and pieces about what’s happening outside, and some warnings about what’s deeper down, but that’s about it. It’s really a game where the gameplay takes center stage, not a big, involved story.

Let’s be clear: Spark in the Dark is a very challenging game. While it has three difficulty levels – easy, normal, and a hard mode with permanent death – you’ll often feel fragile when exploring the dungeon. This is because the game moves slowly, your movement is restricted, and enemies are tough. Your chosen starting class also impacts the difficulty, as it determines your initial stats, equipment, and abilities. For example, starting as a Fighter is generally easier than starting as a Blacksmith, who begins without a shield. Similarly, choosing Rogue or Ranger can make the game easier or harder, depending on your skill with dodging and attacking.

“Let’s get one thing out of the way: Spark in the Dark is an incredibly difficult game.”

In Spark in the Dark, the dungeons are created randomly and are very dark, fitting the game’s name. You only see a small area around your character. This darkness hides enemies like giant spiders, zombies, and skeletons of old soldiers. Watch out for traps too – they can deal a lot of damage and also slow you down or cause bleeding.

The weapon you choose greatly influences how you play each time you attempt the dungeon. Faster weapons like swords and daggers offer a different experience than slower ones like bows or hammers. You’ll discover many different weapons as you explore, encouraging you to try out various combinations. Progress in Spark in the Dark isn’t just about finding better loot; it also depends on how you play and the choices you make with your character. For example, consistently using a one-handed sword will improve related skills, while wearing and successfully defending against attacks in heavy armor will boost its protective qualities.

This is where the heroes really start to feel distinct. Beyond having different initial equipment and abilities, each character possesses unique skills. For instance, the Hunter can harvest materials from defeated monsters for crafting. The Blacksmith, however, begins with a crowbar, letting them open locked chests and repair gear more easily. These differences may seem small, but they significantly impact gameplay, making each character more enjoyable and encouraging strategic thinking during each playthrough.

Besides having different equipment and abilities at the beginning, each character also excels in their own specific areas.

Spark in the Dark features a distinctive healing system. While you can find traditional, one-time-use potions, you can also recover health by standing in certain light sources, as long as no enemies are around. Beds offer another way to heal, letting you rest briefly to recover from serious injuries or harmful effects. This encourages careful play – getting hit or mistiming your defenses will have significant consequences, even if you can still move forward.

In Spark in the Dark, when your character dies, you’ll return to your last save point. If you die before finding a bed, the run ends and you have to start from the beginning. You won’t keep any progress made during that run, so it’s similar to reloading a save file. Unlike some games, Spark in the Dark doesn’t have much long-term progression; each playthrough is separate, and you can’t carry over items or equipment between different characters or runs.

While promising, Spark in the Dark still feels rough around the edges as an Early Access title. Movement and combat can be awkward, particularly when dealing with groups of enemies. The game also doesn’t clearly explain key features, such as how weapon and armor durability works and how to fix broken equipment. Adding to this, the game lacks variety in its enemies – even later areas mostly feature tougher versions of foes you’ve already encountered.

While promising, the gameplay still feels unfinished, reminding players that Spark in the Dark is currently an Early Access title and needs further development.

Spark in the Dark uses simple graphics and sound to create a feeling of horror and loneliness. The game intentionally features minimal music, which helps keep you on edge and prevents you from being surprised by enemies like spiders. While the graphics aren’t high-tech, they’re consistent and help you navigate. The detailed environments, like pillars, hint at the dungeon’s history and what the structure once was.

The game’s low-fidelity graphics meant performance wasn’t a concern. On my system – an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor, Radeon RX 7800 XT graphics card, and 32GB of RAM – I consistently hit my target of 120 frames per second at a 2560×1440 resolution. I didn’t experience any noticeable slowdowns, which is good because precise timing is important in Spark in the Dark, and missed blocks can be severely punished.

Even though it’s still in development, Spark in the Dark shows a lot of potential. It’s not finished yet – it could use more enemy types, better tutorials, and smoother combat – but I found myself surprisingly hooked. I especially liked how the story is told – it’s minimalist, with lots of mysteries and hints about the world. The gameplay is really engaging, making you want to play ‘just one more run.’ Stellar Fish still has a lot of work to do during Early Access, but it’s off to a good start.

This game was reviewed on PC.

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2026-04-21 17:14