Nice game and all but ... finished it in 15 mins.
It's a shame because it can be a very good game with more dungeons and weapons.

A reluctant recommendation here. The game is super cheap, but it's also literally only 20 minutes long. There's co-op, but with the tiny amount of content here, it's kinda pointless. Still, it's got a pleasant retro vibe, and the music isn't terrible. Basically, you can think of it as being classic Legend of Zelda, except with a tiny overworld, only one boss, and a lot easier. There are hardly any pickups, and while the life potion might come in handy, the bombs are essentially pointless, and... that's it.

This feels more like someone's project for a first year game design class than a full game. Like a proof of concept (not really enough here to even call it a demo), and I think that it should probably be free. But for only a buck, I can't complain.

I agree with what everyone else said about the length. To be honest, I like short games... but this one felt like it was promising much more than it ended up delivering. You pick up gold when you kill enemies, but I never ran into a place to spend it. You have a large inventory that ends up having two (?) items in it. There's a tease of a story - particularly in the manual - but I didn't see any sign of it other than the opening frame or two. There's one dungeon with one boss and then the game ends... you don't realize that you'll never return to the overworld once you wander through that front door. Aside from my complaints about the game's duration, the reach of the sword is so short that you're often running into enemies while trying to get close enough to hit them -- and on top of that they tend to surprise you by changing direction and charging you right as you're about to swing. I really enjoy the look and feel of this game (aside from the combat), but it does feel like they released a verrry unfinished product. Looking forward to any updates in the future if that's the plan, because I'd love to give the game another chance.

Can't get mad about a 20-min game being a whole dollar, but the game's interface and presentation implies something much greater. Interested to see if this project will ever evolve into something much more.

Solid short Zelda clone for less than a cup of coffee.

It's not about the price:duration ratio. It's about the game being so absurdly short, it's hardly a game experience. It's 3-4 screens walk to a dungeon and the extremely simplistic dungeon itself, down to a hilariously anticlimactic end screen.

I first started this game hesitant after reading all the reviews. After watching the trailer and seeing the screenshots I decided to pay the dollar for entry. I was greeted with a pretty amazing opening scene and UI which left me hopeful.

Furthermore after going through the opening dialogue I was greeted with a beautifully handcrafted Island complete with swimming mechanics, a variety of enemies and items to obtain. The combat was standard, as far as top down 2D Zelda clones go, but it didn't feel amazing. Still hopeful I eventually found the dungeon, which is where this game falls extremely short. It had the basic mechanics that you expect from Link to the Past. Lock doors, keys, compass and map.

Standard stuff really. It was about halfway through the dungeon where I realized what I didn't like about the sword combat. The main protagonist doesn't have the same cone of damage that link to the past has. The hitbox seems to be directly tied to the Sprite itself.

Still not a deal breaker, especially for a project someone obviously poured time and extreme effort into.

After exploring the dungeon to completion I did notice there were rooms that seemed to house nothing in them. I don't know why that bothered me but it's not usually something you experience. Dungeon rooms are usually only void of event when you are missing an item or it is deigned for back-tracking at a later time.

After slaying the Boss I felt relived to be done with the dungeon. Only to be presented with the end of the game. I get the feeling that this is a project someone wanted to see into fruition and wasn't able to do so. So instead of letting it die in a hard drive, they decided put it on Steam. I am grateful they did.

The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island is a short game to say the least. While I think that the developers efforts should have been focused more on creating additional content or revising the dungeon to make it flow better, instead of items that were not necessary to progress in the game, or local co-op.

I'm happy I played this game and I have no regrets with my purchase. It's a Bittersweet experience of what could have been. Thank you again Plow Games.

OK, I cannot decently ask for a refund of a game under 1€.
But I would be pleasantly surprised, should the game decide to grow in its shoes...
Godspeed!

As long as you go in with proper expectations this game is well worth its absurdly cheap price tag. It is short, about 30 - 45 minutes including the new second island. But it's well put together, has fun co-op, and shows great promise. I'm looking forward to Runelock Island once it comes out and am happy i could support this team during its development! Though maybe a longer weapon would be appreciated haha

not bad games way to short tho 1 dungeon