Deal

In Nocturnal, players take on the role of Ardeshir, a soldier of the Enduring Flame. After years away, he returns to his homeland of Nahran, only to find the island devastated by a mysterious fog. Armed with a burning sword, he faces the creatures lurking in the mist and tries to uncover the source of the chaos.

The gameplay focuses on fast-paced 2D action platforming. Fire is not just a weapon, but the central mechanic: Ardeshir’s flame dispels the fog, burns obstacles, activates mechanisms and helps in combat. The game also features exploration, fast melee combat and upgrades unlocked by spending collected ash at phoenix statues.

PlayFront awarded Nocturnal a strong 8 out of 10, praising its atmospheric presentation, creative fire mechanics and challenging gameplay. Criticism was directed at the complete lack of tutorials and the rather understated story.

The Steam community has also been impressed: 91% of more than 700 user reviews are positive. On Metacritic, the action-adventure holds a Metascore of 81 and a User Score of 7.3.

Free on Steam

Nocturnal was developed by Swiss studio Sunnyside Games and published by Dear Villagers in June 2023. The game usually costs around $17 on Steam, but is available completely free of charge until April 26. On the Steam Deck, Nocturnal is rated “Verified” and should therefore run smoothly.

Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.