DarkMaus is a Soulsborne indie title produced by a single soul, Daniel Wright. Crafted as a solo project by Daniel, DarkMaus is a whimsical love letter to Dark Souls. I say whimsical because you play as a Maus knight, but really, the game is a true homage to the Souls series. So, how was DarkMaus?


The story in DarkMaus is pretty simple. You are a wanderer who crashes his boat on a lost and foreboding coast. As you progress, you find out that the land is cursed, and the dead come back to life as servants of a Necromancer. Only a handful of mice have held out against this evil. You save their leader, Anna, whose own father Victor went off with his remaining knights to stop the spread of this corruption.

Simple and yet effective. 8 out of 10


The gameplay in DarkMaus is similar to Souls games. So, you have four slots keyed to your D Pad (this game is gamepad recommended btw), which represent your shield and a selection of up to three weapons or pyromancy spell, which you will find along your journey. Each weapon, armor, shield and spell is upgrade-able via items found. All items equipped have a weight attached to them, and the more weight you have equipped, the more encumbrance you have, which affects your ability to dodge, move quickly, and also how quickly your stamina depletes. Noticing a theme here?

You find morsels of food which replace Estus, and bones that replace souls for the purposes of upgrading/leveling up. Your basic upgrade-able categories include Attributes: health, stamina, resilience, capacity, dexterity; and Weapon Skills: skill, strength, precision. These impact everything from movement speed and encumbrance to which weapons you can wield, how well you can wield them, and plenty between.

You can collect items along the way as well. These range from necklaces that will boost an ability to figurines that allow for ghosts (which are identical to you) to be summoned when you die to help you out until they are dispatched or you are. This is unlimited and will happen whenever you die as long as you have the figurines, and the more figurines you have, the more ghosts will be summoned to help you.

Armor and shields will also be found throughout the game and you will need to balance weight and strength against movement speed and encumbrance. Shield also have a deflection radius, which is the general area in front of you that they will be effective against projectiles. Also, holding up your shield incessantly and blocking attacks WILL drain stamina, so you will need to be mindful of that as well.

There are of course bonfires (campfires), where you rest, heal up, level up, and also serve as the checkpoint system in the game. Fortunately, dying also counts as saving since you are sent back to a campfire.

There are also abilities which unlock as you hit certain levels. You can choose amongst all of them and switch freely between them, so you don’t have to worry about making a choice you will regret later. These unlock special moves or buffs such as a charge attack, projectile deflection, stronger ghosts, and so on.

You map will play a key role in your adventure and is accessible at any time, although much like with Soulsborne games in general, going to the in game menu doesn’t actually pause the game, so be mindful of that while looking at your map. Don’t do it where you can see enemies (of course).

The key aspect to a Soulsborne game in my opinion is the necessity of a slower more cautious approach to exploration and quick but careful movements during combat. If you just rush around everywhere, you won’t get far in this game. If you take the time to be thorough, come up with strategies to each battle, and of course memorize enemy placement, you will get much further until the game becomes a seamless experience.

The enemies in DarkMaus are mostly cursed mice, former soldier or even simply peasants who were transformed by the Necromancer. There are a wide range of them, and they will utilize every weapon type available in the game depending on the specific type of Maus encountered. For example, the actual knights tend to be better armed and armored with more health and special movesets. Archers will try to stay back and fire their bows.

There is a special Hunter class of enemy that are the direct servants of the Necromancer. You will get a notice stating that you are now being hunted when you are about to encounter one. They are just about the toughest enemies in the game. If they kill you, they will also steal part of your health, which can only be recovered (slowly) by either killing the hunter (full recover) or other enemies (partial recover depending on the enemy strength).

Other enemy types are represented by other cursed animals such as crabs, spiders, bulls, and crows. They can be particularly challenging if you aren’t expecting them and typically have one special attack they can perform.

Boss fights are intense, as well they should be. Each boss is unique and has special moves that will probably give you fits until you sort out their move-sets. Every boss was memorable and some were just plain terrifying.

I’m sure I’m forgetting lots of other cool stuff to talk about, but I think you are starting to get a sense for things. The game did crash on me once, but other than that, I experienced no technical difficulties at all and the game ran consistently at about 30 frames per second on my rig.

10 out of 10


The graphics in DarkMaus look really cool. With the exception of the occasional splash of red or green illustrating specific events or areas, the entire game is black, yellow, and shades of the two. Lighting is important and torches factor into staving off the complete darkness and the color scheme along with the general setting depicted really create a dark and oppressive atmosphere that will keep you on edge. Incredibly effective use of minimal coloration to create mood. Additionally, while also a bit minimalist, the actual set and character designs are flawless and really just further enhance the overall setting of the game.

I also really appreciated the isometric view for this game. While most Soulsborne games feature third person gameplay, this one was perfect in isometric form.

9.5 out of 10


The audio in DarkMaus is all about setting atmosphere and mood as well. Music is keyed to specific events or areas, and I can easily tell you that at times, certain music started playing and I was immediately a bit scared to see what was ahead, lol. The music itself is orchestrated, mostly somber, and perfect as an enhancement. The ambient sounds in DarkMaus are there as well. Different enemy types might have their own sounds while others are silent. Combat sounds are done quite well also. Other than that, the almost all pervasive sound throughout the game is the sound of you flickering torch and, when near them, the campfires. This seems an intentional addition to provide a counter for the otherwise oppressive nature of the games atmosphere.

9 out of 10


DarkMaus is a game I considered buying for a while and finally ante’d up on recently. I was very glad that I did. I think Soulsborne might be my favorite genre of gaming and finding this gem of an Indie title that not only honored the Souls series, but also got everything right while still crafting its own identity was huge for me. This is a game that I will easily recommend to any FromSoft fans or fans of more challenging action adventure games of any sort. DarkMaus is a true joy and a somewhat hidden gem that deserves your notice.

[h1]The Adventure of a Soulsborne Mouse Knight[/h1] DarkMaus is a Soulsborne indie title produced by a single soul, Daniel Wright. Crafted as a solo project by Daniel, DarkMaus is a whimsical love letter to Dark Souls. I say whimsical because you play as a Maus knight, but really, the game is a true homage to the Souls series. So, how was DarkMaus? [h1]Story[/h1] The story in DarkMaus is pretty simple. You are a wanderer who crashes his boat on a lost and foreboding coast. As you progress, you find out that the land is cursed, and the dead come back to life as servants of a Necromancer. Only a handful of mice have held out against this evil. You save their leader, Anna, whose own father Victor went off with his remaining knights to stop the spread of this corruption. Simple and yet effective. 8 out of 10 [h1]Gameplay[/h1] The gameplay in DarkMaus is similar to Souls games. So, you have four slots keyed to your D Pad (this game is gamepad recommended btw), which represent your shield and a selection of up to three weapons or pyromancy spell, which you will find along your journey. Each weapon, armor, shield and spell is upgrade-able via items found. All items equipped have a weight attached to them, and the more weight you have equipped, the more encumbrance you have, which affects your ability to dodge, move quickly, and also how quickly your stamina depletes. Noticing a theme here? You find morsels of food which replace Estus, and bones that replace souls for the purposes of upgrading/leveling up. Your basic upgrade-able categories include Attributes: health, stamina, resilience, capacity, dexterity; and Weapon Skills: skill, strength, precision. These impact everything from movement speed and encumbrance to which weapons you can wield, how well you can wield them, and plenty between. You can collect items along the way as well. These range from necklaces that will boost an ability to figurines that allow for ghosts (which are identical to you) to be summoned when you die to help you out until they are dispatched or you are. This is unlimited and will happen whenever you die as long as you have the figurines, and the more figurines you have, the more ghosts will be summoned to help you. Armor and shields will also be found throughout the game and you will need to balance weight and strength against movement speed and encumbrance. Shield also have a deflection radius, which is the general area in front of you that they will be effective against projectiles. Also, holding up your shield incessantly and blocking attacks WILL drain stamina, so you will need to be mindful of that as well. There are of course bonfires (campfires), where you rest, heal up, level up, and also serve as the checkpoint system in the game. Fortunately, dying also counts as saving since you are sent back to a campfire. There are also abilities which unlock as you hit certain levels. You can choose amongst all of them and switch freely between them, so you don’t have to worry about making a choice you will regret later. These unlock special moves or buffs such as a charge attack, projectile deflection, stronger ghosts, and so on. You map will play a key role in your adventure and is accessible at any time, although much like with Soulsborne games in general, going to the in game menu doesn’t actually pause the game, so be mindful of that while looking at your map. Don’t do it where you can see enemies (of course). The key aspect to a Soulsborne game in my opinion is the necessity of a slower more cautious approach to exploration and quick but careful movements during combat. If you just rush around everywhere, you won’t get far in this game. If you take the time to be thorough, come up with strategies to each battle, and of course memorize enemy placement, you will get much further until the game becomes a seamless experience. The enemies in DarkMaus are mostly cursed mice, former soldier or even simply peasants who were transformed by the Necromancer. There are a wide range of them, and they will utilize every weapon type available in the game depending on the specific type of Maus encountered. For example, the actual knights tend to be better armed and armored with more health and special movesets. Archers will try to stay back and fire their bows. There is a special Hunter class of enemy that are the direct servants of the Necromancer. You will get a notice stating that you are now being hunted when you are about to encounter one. They are just about the toughest enemies in the game. If they kill you, they will also steal part of your health, which can only be recovered (slowly) by either killing the hunter (full recover) or other enemies (partial recover depending on the enemy strength). Other enemy types are represented by other cursed animals such as crabs, spiders, bulls, and crows. They can be particularly challenging if you aren’t expecting them and typically have one special attack they can perform. Boss fights are intense, as well they should be. Each boss is unique and has special moves that will probably give you fits until you sort out their move-sets. Every boss was memorable and some were just plain terrifying. I’m sure I’m forgetting lots of other cool stuff to talk about, but I think you are starting to get a sense for things. The game did crash on me once, but other than that, I experienced no technical difficulties at all and the game ran consistently at about 30 frames per second on my rig. 10 out of 10 [h1]Graphics[/h1] The graphics in DarkMaus look really cool. With the exception of the occasional splash of red or green illustrating specific events or areas, the entire game is black, yellow, and shades of the two. Lighting is important and torches factor into staving off the complete darkness and the color scheme along with the general setting depicted really create a dark and oppressive atmosphere that will keep you on edge. Incredibly effective use of minimal coloration to create mood. Additionally, while also a bit minimalist, the actual set and character designs are flawless and really just further enhance the overall setting of the game. I also really appreciated the isometric view for this game. While most Soulsborne games feature third person gameplay, this one was perfect in isometric form. 9.5 out of 10 [h1]Audio[/h1] The audio in DarkMaus is all about setting atmosphere and mood as well. Music is keyed to specific events or areas, and I can easily tell you that at times, certain music started playing and I was immediately a bit scared to see what was ahead, lol. The music itself is orchestrated, mostly somber, and perfect as an enhancement. The ambient sounds in DarkMaus are there as well. Different enemy types might have their own sounds while others are silent. Combat sounds are done quite well also. Other than that, the almost all pervasive sound throughout the game is the sound of you flickering torch and, when near them, the campfires. This seems an intentional addition to provide a counter for the otherwise oppressive nature of the games atmosphere. 9 out of 10 [h1]Verdict[/h1] DarkMaus is a game I considered buying for a while and finally ante’d up on recently. I was very glad that I did. I think Soulsborne might be my favorite genre of gaming and finding this gem of an Indie title that not only honored the Souls series, but also got everything right while still crafting its own identity was huge for me. This is a game that I will easily recommend to any FromSoft fans or fans of more challenging action adventure games of any sort. DarkMaus is a true joy and a somewhat hidden gem that deserves your notice. [code]If you found this review helpful and would be interested in supporting my Curator group, it would be appreciated. Cheers. https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32549618/[/code]