Dantalion (Eleanor Burns) Free
Game description: Dantalion is a single-player flip-screen action platformer set in a dark fantasy Transylvania, the story follows mercenary soldier Dantalion, whose mother has been killed by an undead creature traced back to the Scholomance — a hidden academy of black magic presided over by the demon prince Bael. Determined to destroy the curse at its source and lay his mother to rest in holy ground, Dantalion ventures into the Scholomance to find Bael and end his reign of terror. The game begins with Dantalion unarmed, and locating a weapon is an immediate priority. The castle may be explored freely, but progression is gated behind items and spells collected throughout the adventure, giving the game a Metroidvania-style structure.
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Production - 72%
72%
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Fun - 83%
83%
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Depth - 79%
79%
Summary
Dantalion is a genuinely impressive achievement for a SEUCK-based game, and Eleanor Burns deserves real credit for pushing that engine well beyond what most developers would attempt with it. The dark Transylvanian setting is a strong hook, and the Metroidvania-style structure — where collected items and spells steadily unlock previously inaccessible areas — delivers a satisfying sense of progression throughout. Crucially, the puzzle logic never feels arbitrary; every gated area has a clear solution once you have the right tool in hand, and that coherence keeps the exploration engaging rather than leaving you scratching your head wondering what you have missed.
Where things get shakier is in the platforming itself. The jump mechanic is floaty in a way that never quite feels intentional, a direct consequence of building a platform game on an engine designed for shooters. It is something you can adapt to over time, but the frustration compounds when blind jumps off screen edges and a tendency for Dantalion to clip into objects are thrown into the mix. Neither issue is a dealbreaker, but they are reminders that the foundation has been stretched about as far as it will go.
Enemy AI is another area where the game shows its limitations. The variety of creature types is genuinely commendable — zombies, skeleton warriors, wraiths, dragon wights, and the unsettling Nuckelavee all give the Scholomance a well-populated feel — but most of them follow fixed patterns that can be neutralised simply by waiting them out, and enemies will not turn to face you if you position yourself behind them. The combat never becomes the challenge it could be as a result. The overall difficulty is well balanced in other respects, but more responsive enemy behaviour would have lifted the game considerably.
Richard Bayliss’s SID soundtrack is, by any technical measure, very good — but it works against the game’s atmosphere rather than with it. Dantalion is a dark, brooding Gothic adventure, and the music simply does not match that brief. It is an enjoyable listen in isolation, but when your on-screen mercenary is stalking through an ancient demon academy, you want something that raises the hairs on the back of your neck rather than something that feels like it belongs in a livelier game entirely.
Visually, the game delivers well enough. The castle environments convey the Gothic setting with reasonable conviction, and there is enough variety in the backgrounds to sustain the atmosphere across the full run of the game without things feeling monotonous. It is not a showcase of graphical fireworks, but it does its job — and for a SEUCK title, it does it with more style than most.
Dantalion is well worth your time. Its flaws are real but forgivable, and the ambition behind it is hard not to admire. For a free release, it offers a surprisingly substantial and thoughtfully designed adventure that stands comfortably above the average homebrew offering.
Overall
78%User Review
( votes)Pros
Rewarding Metroidvania Progression: The item and spell-gating system works logically and cohesively, delivering a genuine sense of discovery as new areas of the Scholomance open up. Crucially, the puzzle design never feels unfair — each unlock follows naturally from what you have collected.
Impressive Enemy Variety: Zombies, skeleton warriors, wraiths, dragon wights, the Nuckelavee, and several others give the Scholomance a well-populated and thematically rich roster that keeps encounters feeling varied across the adventure.
Atmospheric Visual Presentation: The castle environments do a convincing job of conveying the Gothic setting, with enough background variety to sustain the atmosphere without the visuals becoming repetitive.
Cons
Floaty and Unreliable Jump Mechanics: The jump behaviour never feels natural, a predictable consequence of the SEUCK engine’s shooter origins. Blind jumps off screen edges and a tendency for the player character to get stuck in objects add further friction to what should be a core, trustworthy mechanic.
Passive Enemy AI: Despite the impressive variety of enemy types, most follow fixed movement patterns that can be overcome simply by waiting them out, and enemies will not turn to engage you if you get behind them. The combat never poses the challenge the creature roster suggests it should.
SID Score Fights the Atmosphere: Richard Bayliss delivers a technically accomplished soundtrack, but it is tonally mismatched to the dark Gothic world of the Scholomance. The music is enjoyable in its own right, but it never conjures the brooding, ominous mood the setting demands.
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