The Heart of Darkness

The Heart of Darkness

Released Apr 2022

Explore the Sanctuary of Darkness, a mysterious dungeon beneath the Kingdom of Haillard. Obtain the soul of the Cursed Saintess waiting in its depths and unravel the truth of this strange world in this sinister turn-based RPG.

85% positive · 305 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence

Where to buy

Steam $12.99 $19.99 −35%
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Evaluation

The Heart of Darkness launched on April 16, 2022. Across 50 scanned news posts, there is no post-launch developer communication specific to this game — no patches, no DLC announcements, no roadmaps, and no content updates of any kind. The news activity on the publisher's Steam page is entirely composed of announcements and releases for other games in the Kagura Games catalogue. There are no DLC listings for this title. The store description presents the game as a self-contained turn-based RPG with a defined story, multiple origins, and multiple endings — language consistent with a finished, complete product. The one notable post tagged as a development status item (NEWS-1, April 1, 2022) is actually an announcement for "Kagura Compact," a separate mobile game from the publisher, and has no bearing on The Heart of Darkness. With no post-launch content ever shipped or announced, and no sustained update pattern, the game launched as a complete, finished product on April 16, 2022.
Evidence
The Heart of Darkness launched on April 16, 2022 with a 10% launch discount. This is the only news post directly about the game post-announcement; no subsequent updates, patches, or DLC announcements followed.
news post · Apr 16, 2022 source content shipped
high
Publisher announced Kagura Compact, a separate mobile game. Classified as development_status but is unrelated to The Heart of Darkness and carries no implications for this game's content trajectory.
news post · Apr 1, 2022 source ambiguous
low

Media

Details

Developer
Publisher
Kagura Games
Achievements
—
Platform
Windows
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Unsupported
Players
Single-player

About this game

"Oh, Cursed Saintess, will your soul find the light, or will you forever be lost in the darkness?"

A terrible curse blankets the kingdom in shadows, thrusting it into utter despair and erasing all light. One day, a maiden appears from the north and chases away the darkness, reintroducing light across the land. However, after taking in all the shadows, the maiden is consumed by evil, allowing it to flood out of her body. In a final attempt to seal that which escaped, the maiden locks herself away.

The king, driven by fear, demands the death of the maiden to save his kingdom. Many warriors journey forth in an attempt to slay the maiden, but the darkness curses all who dare to encroach, creating an even greater evil that consumes the kingdom. Take up arms as the next brave warrior to save the land and expel the shadows!

Choose between one of five origins: the lives of people who fell just short of becoming heroes, all with different skills and abilities. Inherit one of their bodies as your own and begin your heroic journey. The Heart of Darkness has multiple endings depending on the origin you choose and the decisions you make throughout your adventure.

Enjoy quick turn-based battles where strategy and choice of allies are key! Find Shadow Souls—the spirits of warriors past—and enlist their aid in battle! Each has its own unique backstory and abilities and can be swapped out freely.

Throughout your adventure, meet both friends and foes also exploring the Sanctuary. Take on quests to lay low powerful beasts or track down family heirlooms for fallen noble houses. Manage the Doll's Repose, your base of operations where you can learn more about the world, craft new equipment, and expand the mansion to contain new facilities!

Unravel the mysteries shrouding the Sanctuary of Darkness and its inhabitants in this sinister RPG brought to you by Kagura Games and BigWednesday.

Dark Fantasy Story

The Kingdom of Haillard is one of humanity's most remote frontiers, and many adventurers go mad trying to brave the dangers of the Sanctuary. What will your fate be?

Multiple Classes

Choose a class that suits your playstyle, influencing both the way you experience combat as well as how your story will play out.

Several Shadow Soul Allies

Find souls of heroes past and recruit them to aid you on your quest, leveling them as you see fit.

Quick Strategic Combat

Make use of both your own abilities and those of the Shadow Souls, and use status effects to your advantage in battle.

Large Cast of Characters

From noble hunters to cowardly looters, meet several colorful characters while exploring the Sanctuary and see how their stories unfold.

Last evaluated Jun 24, 2026
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