Astalon: Tears of the Earth

Lore & Background

The game is set in a world devastated by an epic war between Earthlings and Lunarians, leaving the land a post-apocalyptic desert scattered with ruins. Survivors gather in small villages, one of which lies in the shadow of a mysterious tower inhabited by monstrous Gorgons—gigantic creatures of flesh and stone that feed on Earth's inhabitants. A sinister cult within the village worships the Gorgons, offering sacrifices in exchange for protection. When the village's river is poisoned, causing gradual death among the people, the knight Arias, the archer Kyuli, and the wizard Algus decide to investigate. Their quest leads them into the tower, where they battle the Gorgons and uncover dark secrets, including the Dark Knight—once sacrificed by the villagers when he was just a baby. Raised by the Gorgons as their champion, he has now become their formidable weapon, ready to exact revenge on the village that abandoned him. Algus carries a heavy burden: he has made a pact with Epimetheus, the Titan of Death, gaining the ability to temporarily resurrect the dead in exchange for his soul.

Reader's Guide

Astalon: Tears of the Earth is notable for its character-switching mechanic, allowing players to freely switch between a warrior, archer, and wizard to explore a giant tower and defeat the Gorgons. Development began in 2016 but was restarted several times; art and game designer Matt Kap was joined in 2018 by programmer Jon Lepage, who worked on the game until completion. The first prototype featured room-by-room exploration with one character, the second introduced three characters, and the third was closer to the final game. Upon release, the PC and Nintendo Switch versions received generally favorable reviews from critics, and OpenCritic reported that 89% of critics recommended the game. On January 21, 2022, Limited Run Games released physical and collector editions for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, all of which sold out. The game's legacy includes being named the best Metroidvania of 2021 by PC Gamer.

Did You Know?

• The game was named the best Metroidvania game of 2021 by PC Gamer.
• Algus has made a pact with Epimetheus, the Titan of Death, to temporarily resurrect the dead.
• The Dark Knight was once a baby sacrificed by villagers and raised by the Gorgons.
• Physical and collector editions by Limited Run Games sold out completely.

Plot & World-Building

In the aftermath of a cataclysmic war between the Earthlings and the Lunarians, the world has been reduced to a barren, post-apocalyptic wasteland dotted with crumbling ruins. What remains of civilization huddles in scattered villages, struggling to survive. In one such settlement, a towering structure looms ominously over the landscape, harboring grotesque creatures and unsettling phenomena. Three residents—a brave knight named Arias, a mage called Algus, and a sharpshooter named Kyuli—find their community under mortal threat when the village's life-giving river is poisoned, slowly killing its people. A shadowy cult within the village worships the Gorgons, colossal beings of flesh and stone that prey upon the Earth's inhabitants, offering them human sacrifices in exchange for supposed protection. Driven to act, the trio ventures into the Tower of Serpents to trace the poison's source. Deep within, they face the Dark Knight, a child once abandoned by his own villagers and raised by the Gorgons as their vengeful champion. Meanwhile, Algus harbors a terrible secret: he has struck a bargain with Epimetheus, the Titan of Death, gaining the power to briefly bring the dead back to life at the cost of his own soul.

Gameplay & Character Switching

Astalon: Tears of the Earth blends action-platforming with the interconnected exploration that defines the Metroidvania genre. Rather than committing to a single protagonist, the game lets players swap seamlessly among three distinct characters at any moment, each bringing a different toolkit to the table. Arias the warrior handles close-quarters combat, Kyuli the archer strikes from a distance, and Algus the wizard wields arcane power. This rotation is not merely cosmetic; it is the core mechanic that unlocks progression through the game's enormous tower. Each character's unique abilities open new routes, solve environmental puzzles, and make different Gorgon encounters approachable in varied ways. The vertical, interconnected structure of the tower rewards backtracking with newly acquired skills, encouraging players to revisit earlier areas and discover hidden paths. The Gorgons themselves serve as both environmental hazards and combat challenges, their massive forms of flesh and stone creating a constant sense of threat as players navigate the tower's depths in search of answers.

Development & Creative Partnership

The road to Astalon: Tears of the Earth was anything but linear. Development kicked off in 2016 under the direction of art and game designer Matt Kap, but the project was scrapped and re-started multiple times before reaching a stable form. The first prototype featured a single playable character exploring the tower room by room—a far cry from the fluid, multi-character experience that would eventually ship. A second iteration introduced the three-character system, letting players switch between a warrior, an archer, and a wizard, which fundamentally reshaped how the tower could be designed and navigated. By the third prototype, the game was recognizable as the finished product. In 2018, game programmer Jon Lepage came aboard to work alongside Kap, and the two remained the core creative team through to the very end of production. Their small, dedicated partnership carried the project from its earliest experiments all the way to a polished release, a testament to how a tight-knit duo can shepherd a game through years of reinvention.

Reception & Collector Demand

Released on June 3, 2021, across Steam, GOG, Itch.io, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch, Astalon: Tears of the Earth quickly earned a reputation as one of the year's standout indie titles. PC Gamer crowned it the best Metroidvania of 2021, a distinction that highlighted how well the three-character switching system and the tower's interconnected design resonated with players and critics alike. Review aggregators confirmed the positive critical consensus: both the PC and Nintendo Switch versions drew generally favorable scores, while OpenCritic rated the game with a "mighty" approval rating, with 89 percent of critics recommending it. The demand extended well beyond digital storefronts. On January 21, 2022, Limited Run Games launched physical and collector editions for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, and every copy sold out, underscoring the game's passionate fanbase and its place in the broader Metroidvania community.

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