Spears 'n' Spades is an action Platformer released on Steam in 2017, with art and design by LeatherIceCream, programming by LazyTomato and Madvertiz0r, and music by mudeth and Mixdown Media.
You play as the knight Isabella Rosenschwarz, who must rescue her husband Harvey from King Nick, a demonic overlord who has gathered an army of zombies and demons to stop her journey to the church he has occupied, as well as corrupt the land he now rules.
Our heroine has accessed to a wide range of weapons that she can only hold one at any time, each having a different playstyle attached to it. Isabella wears a suit of armour that acts as a one-time hit absorber when picked up; otherwise, she has a single hit-point. She can also buy necklaces with different effects from a helpful shop-keeper.
The game, heavily inspired by Ghosts 'n Goblins, is divided into eight levels, each ending with a unique boss.
Spears 'n' Spades provides examples of:
- Abandoned Hospital: The second to last level, "The hospital", although it is full of enemies.
- Airborne Mook: A demon and a cloud.
- All There in the Manual: Some of the enemies' names can only be found in the manual.
- Body Armor As Hitpoints: Isabella's knight armour acts as a single hit-point before shattering.
- Boss Battle: Each level ends with one. They are very varied in attack patterns and strategies to defeat.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: In the manual, Isabella mentions that she does not know how to use a controller.
- Creepy Cathedral: The final level.
- Dem Bones: A jumping skeleton enemy, replete with a
DOOT sound effect. - Distressed Dude: Isabella's husband, Harvey. He becomes playable after beating the dark world.
- Double Jump: Harvey's special ability.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: The level names: "The hospital", "The cathedral" etc.
- Final Boss: The cathedral's giant demon.
- Improbable Weapon User: One of the weapons Isabella can use is a short-ranged giant can opener.
- Intrepid Merchant: The merchant who sells you useful necklaces can always be found before a boss room, or next to a checkpoint.
- Invincible Minor Minion: A floating cloud enemy that only temporarily disappears when hit, only to form again.
- Limited Loadout: Isabella can only carry one weapon at any time. She can use axes, bombs, maces, knives, a giant can opener etc.
- Mirror Universe: After beating the game once, you unlock a dark world, grey and blood-red with glitchy music, bloodied undead enemies that are stronger, faster, and with more hit-points, and tougher undead bosses. The world is inspired by old Video Game Creepypastas.
- Mooks: Several. There are walking people, skeletons, a "thing" with a wooden mask and scar that jumps around, bomb and axe-throwers etc.
- New Game Plus: Upon completing the eight stages you will unlock an entire dark world, inspired by old Video Game Creepypastas, where all of the enemies became bloodied and much more resilient and deadly. After beating it as well, you will unlock Harvey, Isabella's husband, who has a double-jump, at the price of less damage.
- Nintendo Hard: Like its inspiration, the game can be quite challenging at times, with each weapon having situations where it is less than ideal. Exaggerated with the dark word New Game Plus, where enemies all have their hit-points increased.
- One-Hit-Point Wonder: Isabella and her husband.
- Our Zombies Are Different: The "walkers" come out of the ground looking very much alive. Not the case for every single enemy in the dark world.
- Overdrawn at the Blood Bank: The entire dark world chapters and its enemies. They are all undead and splattered with blood.
- Secret Character: Harvey, Isabella's husband, who is unlocked after beating the dark world. He has a double jump, but deals half of Isabella's damage.
- Secret Level: Occasionally, through clipping, you can enter a coded-in "Glitch room", with its own achievement. It is empty, and exiting it will bring you back to the initial level. It does have some amazing music
, however. - Single-Use Shield: Isabella's armour. Thankfully, she can pick others up when she does not have one on her. If she already does, the extra armour is converted into coins.
- One of the necklaces has a similar function.
- Under the Sea: Two of the stages are underwater levels.
