The Siege and the Sandfox

Juego con mucho potencial, y lo disfrute. El problema es que tiene muchos bugs y no lo andan parcheando. Así que a mi pesar por ahora no puedo recomendarlo.

I never thought I'd play a stealth metroidvania before but I really loved this game. There's no combat beyond sneaking up behind guards and knocking them out. This is strictly a stealth based game and it does a good job at it. There are certainly some faults that I want to discuss though. The controls can be a bit frustrating at times. There were plenty of times I missed a jump because the controls felt a bit finnicky. Fortunately, for the most part, checkpoints were pretty frequent so it never felt that punishing, just frustrating when it happened. There are a lot of negative reviews about guards bugging out. It happened sometimes but it was pretty rare for me. I assume the bugs got patched out at some point since release. Occasionally, I would run into a guard that would be stuck in alert mode, enough to make note of it, but not enough for it to really worsen my experience with the game. The game also focuses a lot on exploration. There comes a mission about 2/3 of the game where you have to gather evidence and some of it doesn't have any quest markers on the map. I ended up looking up a guide for them after I couldn't figure out where to go for some help but if I didn't, I felt like I would have helplessly been exploring the whole map. Those are some issues of mine that I think should be addressed but overall, I still had an absolute blast with the game. There aren't many 2D stealth games out there and this one does a good job. The story's decent enough and the voice acting is surprisingly good, even if it's just one person narrating the whole thing. The pixel art is beautiful as well. It's a great first effort from a new team and I hope they make something similar, fixing what they've learned from this game.

This game is overflowing with charm. I love the stealth system, its an floor is lava game. The narrator is fun to listen to as well. I think the gameplay movement is a lot of fun and the visuals are gorgeous.

Honestly between the distracting narration, poor exploration, limited mechanics, and inane sidequests, this was a case of needed more time in the oven. Don't feel like sticking around to see all the bugs everyone is struggling with since the devs abandoned the game.

Got stuck in the wall when using the elevator, checkpoint put me back a long way. Shame, cause it could be decent.

The Siege and the Sandfox is an ambitious 2D action-adventure that sets itself apart by fully committing to stealth within a Metroidvania framework, a combination the developers at Cardboard Sword describe as a “stealthvania.” Published by PLAION, the game transports players to a sun-scorched desert kingdom inspired by Middle Eastern aesthetics and folklore. You assume the role of the Sandfox, a legendary guardian and master assassin who is betrayed, falsely accused of regicide, and thrown into the labyrinthine depths beneath a palace city under siege. From the outset, the tone is somber and deliberate, with a focus on atmosphere, political intrigue, and the creeping threat of an ancient evil spreading through the sands. Rather than relying on bombastic spectacle, the game leans into quiet tension and methodical exploration, allowing its world to gradually unfold through environmental storytelling and carefully placed narrative beats. One of the most immediately striking elements is the visual presentation. The game’s pixel art is painstakingly animated frame by frame, and the use of modern lighting techniques gives it a distinct identity that bridges retro aesthetics with contemporary production values. Warm torchlight flickers against sandstone walls, shadows stretch dynamically across prison corridors, and distant backgrounds shimmer with heat and dust. The environments are diverse yet cohesive, ranging from ornate palace interiors and crumbling mausoleums to underground aqueducts and fungal-lit caverns. Each region feels interconnected, reinforcing the genre’s hallmark of a continuous map that loops back on itself in clever ways. The art direction does more than simply look attractive; it reinforces the stealth focus, as darkness, line of sight, and spatial awareness become tangible aspects of the experience. Gameplay revolves around fluid traversal and avoidance rather than direct confrontation. The Sandfox is agile and highly mobile, capable of sprinting, wall-jumping, sliding through tight passages, vaulting over obstacles, and clinging to ledges with acrobatic precision. Movement is not merely a means of getting from point A to point B but the core of the challenge itself. Guards patrol corridors with defined sightlines, and many encounters are structured like environmental puzzles where timing and positioning matter more than reflexive combat skills. While there are moments where enemies can be silently dispatched, the design consistently nudges players toward evasion and careful planning. This emphasis creates a slower, more deliberate rhythm than many combat-heavy Metroidvanias, rewarding patience and observation over aggression. As with most games in the genre, progression is tied to the gradual acquisition of new abilities that open previously inaccessible routes. However, in this case, upgrades tend to enhance mobility and stealth options rather than expand a combat arsenal. Gaining a new movement technique often recontextualizes earlier areas, encouraging backtracking with fresh possibilities in mind. The map design frequently interlocks in satisfying ways, though this interconnectedness can also lead to extended stretches of retracing steps. For players who relish methodical exploration and memorizing spatial layouts, this structure feels rewarding and cohesive. For others, especially those expecting frequent combat encounters or fast-paced power escalation, the pacing may feel restrained. The narrative unfolds in a restrained and atmospheric manner, relying heavily on voiceover, environmental cues, and subtle worldbuilding rather than lengthy exposition. Themes of betrayal, duty, and decay permeate the experience, and the looming presence of a mysterious sand-borne corruption adds a layer of dark fantasy intrigue. The world feels ancient and burdened by history, with ruins and forgotten chambers hinting at events long past. While the story does not overwhelm the player with dialogue, it provides enough context to make the Sandfox’s journey feel purposeful and personal. The understated approach may leave some players wishing for deeper character development, but it also reinforces the sense of isolation and quiet determination that defines the protagonist. Technically, the game demonstrates clear ambition. The blend of detailed sprite work with dynamic lighting systems creates a distinct visual signature, and the sound design enhances immersion through ambient echoes, distant alarms, and subtle musical cues that swell during moments of tension. That said, the experience is not without occasional rough edges. Certain segments can feel trial-and-error heavy, and the reliance on stealth means that a single misstep may require repeating a sequence. Depending on one’s tolerance for repetition and precise timing, this can either heighten suspense or become a source of frustration. Ultimately, the game stands as a bold interpretation of the Metroidvania formula, one that prioritizes atmosphere, traversal, and stealth over combat spectacle. It is a focused and stylistically cohesive experience that knows what it wants to be, even if that vision diverges from mainstream expectations of the genre. For players who appreciate intricate level design, meticulous movement systems, and a strong sense of place, it offers a memorable and visually arresting journey through a kingdom crumbling beneath siege. While it may not convert those seeking relentless action, it succeeds in carving out a distinctive niche, proving that the familiar structure of a Metroidvania can still feel fresh when approached from a different design philosophy. Rating: 6/10

I held off playing the siege and the sandfox for about a year after the poor reception, hoping for a patch to smooth things ou. That patch never came so i figured i might as well get it over with and clear it off my backlog. Turns out the game was much better than the ratings had led me to believe. Doesn't mean this game is flawless though, it has many issues that no doubt contributed to its mixed reviews. It's just that for me it does a few things very well, particularly the 2 things that i adore in metroidvania's; exploration and level design. All while bringing something completely new to the table in the form of stealth rather than combat. This is the siege and the sandfox's flagship feature which makes it stand out among its peers. The stealth gameplay is very unique and at times kinda fun, depending on your patience levels. Stealth gameplay has always needed some degree of patience but that's especially the case here. I won't proclaim that it's the deepest stealth system i've seen, especially without throwable distractions. There is a few other unique mechanics though that i appreciated such as peeking through keyholes, closing and opening doors to break LoS and torches that can be doused for the cover of darkness. These mechanics are pretty cool but most often obsolete as the AI is kind of dumb, which does make it feel less rewarding. There's also a few rather challenging sections that are a bit frustrating at times by design. Isolated enemies are almost never a challenge but as soon as they come in duo taking them out becomes a lot harder with them watching eachother's backs. Not every enemy type is equal in this regard though but there aren't too many varients for this anyways. However there were some suprises here and they all had their gimmick to make them different. What made the encounters more pleasant though was your options to deal with them. Taking them out one by one is a viable strategy if their numbers aren't too great but if you were quick on your feet you could also run past them. The most fun and consistent though was platforming above/underneath them in the cracks & crevices of the world without being noticed. Here the level design really shone with every room giving you multiple routes past your enemies, there were quick routes with high risk or slower and safer options. I personally prefered these as it made me engage with the platforming more which was a mostly smooth experience with some asterisks. The jump height itself was the real contributor to the controls feeling a bit akward sometimes since you jump higher when you stand still which some parts of the level design rely on. But doing that while being chased can lead to some early game-overs since you're oneshot when caught. The glide, which you unlock very late into the game, is also rather clunky. If you're falling from up high you can only start gliding early as it'll refuse to open once you reach critical velocity. Light control quirks aside though the platforming is really cool, the way you scale walls and swing poles feels properly badass like a thief in the night. The level design is excellent because it allows multiple paths in each room as mentioned before but even on a larger scale the map allows for so many paths to progress with an INCREDIBLY dense map that's fully interconnected. It starts of sorta linear in the early game but by midgame it blows wide open with a super nonlinear approach that lets you unlock movement upgrades in the order you chose. I also love how the rooms are seamless, so no room transitions that fade the screen to black and break immersion. Just non stop uninterrupted exploration of a rich and varied world. Said world is absolutely gorgeous with some of the best pixel art i've seen, maybe even top 10 for me personally. There's a nice variety in environments ranging from great caverns, grimey cisterns and dungeons to opulent palaces, dusty tombs and lush gardens What i especially love is how the level design and the visuals work in tandem. Each platform and wall feels like it's actually a part of the world instead of a random floating platform sitting there because of video game logic. No, every single thing is attached in the background or foreground which makes the game super immersive paired with the realistic platforming. This immersive atmosphere is further boosted with great sound design, ambient SFX and music that make this world a joy to explore. Said world also lots of puzzles to spice things up a bit and add some variety on top off lots of quests and a handfull of collectibles. Most of these have to be backtracked for which leads me to a nitpick regarding QoL. You can only have two map markers at the same time which is ridiculous for how insanely big the map is. At least quests get marked automatically but the tracking system for their completion is also bugged and thus hard to know if you missed any. It's a pretty hard game to 100% since there's no maps or guides online and the game's completionist tools are basic and inaccurate. I also think that some achievements are bugged because i found every collectible (the tracker said as much) and still it didn't pop. I wish that's where it ended with the bugs but there were many more than that, especially related to the AI which sometimes spazzed in place. I also got stuck inside the actual terrain once but this and every other bug i encountered was fixed on a reload which takes you back to one of the plentifull save points that activated automatically when you run past them. Loading back in goes pretty fast and framerates were smooth although i think i did crash once. So on a technical level the game isn't quite there yet but you can beat it to credits at least. If i had a list of things i'd want the devs to fix it'd be these bugs first, followed by QoL for the map and completionist experience. The tolerance for this type of stuff varies between people though but i can live with it. Finally then there's the narrative which is despite some unresolved plot points still pretty good as well. I was an especially big fan of the narration which was done by a singular female narrator whose voice fit the setting perfectly. Both the writing and delivery were excellent and it made me engrossed in the game's world. There were cool lore snippets found in the collectible scrolls as well as lots of environmental story telling but the ending did leave me a bit bewildered. Also despite having siege in its name the game never feels like it takes place in a city under siege. All of this to say that the narrative and worldbuilding were also pretty cool, so despite some QoL, bug and control issues i liked everything else this game had to offer but that's because exploration and level design are so important to me which this game excelled at.

It's a good metroidvania based around stealth, with superb music and sound design. Nice, agile character and great pixel graphics. The only problems are: * Lots of backtracking. The map makes it seem like you can get through some paths but you actually can't and need to take the long way around. * Lots of bugs. Most are just to do with animation, visual glitches, scripting of AI (looping, invisible characters etc), but in one case I am pretty sure an elevator platform refused to come down to where I was (the buttons to call it remained depressed after it had risen), which prevented me from continuing the game.