Parents' Guide to

Shovel Knight

By Mark Raby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Vintage-style adventure digs up the right dose of nostalgia.

Shovel Knight Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

age 8+

Based on 5 parent reviews

age 9+

Simple Perfection

This is the best game I've ever played (by far). Everything about it is perfect, I love the art style, I love the game play, and I love the story line. This is a must have for all gamers alike

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
age 8+

It's by far one of the greatest games I've ever played

This game is gold, and while it lacks a compelling story, only giving us the basic "damsel in distress" filler, the game play is what makes this title worth every cent they charge, and while the controls are a tad hard to learn, my younger brother (7) mastered them in about 4 hours, this game also has lots of extras and secrets in it. Giving it's replay value a huge boost, I got this game on the steam website and so far have logged almost 300 hours into it over the past year and a half, there's no violence, when you hit an enemy they disapear, and if it's a boss they run off screen like in mario, and there is no bad language at all, overall, while the game is a bit difficult, it's still a fun time for anyone who's hands are big enough for a controller

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (15):

Shovel Knight will easily strike a nostalgic chord with any gamer who remembers the days before high-definition graphics, surround sound, and cinematic story lines. Younger players may not relate to the dated visuals, but the fun factor, gameplay, and sense of accomplishment after beating a difficult level are timeless qualities for everyone.

What's unique about this game is that it uses several classic gameplay styles. It's not only a 2-D adventure game, run-from-point-A-to-point-B side-scrolling action game, or a mind-bending puzzle-solving game. Instead, it has elements of all these genres wrapped into a nice, cohesive package. Players of any age should be able to appreciate what it has to offer.

Game Details

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