Minoria

Lore & Background

The game revolves around two nuns, the main character Sister Semilla and her companion Sister Fran, who serve the church known as the Sacred Office. They are sent into the ruins of the Kingdom of Ramezia to stop a group of witches led by Princess Poeme, who has betrayed her sister, Princess Amelia Soliette. As they defeat the witches, they uncover written evidence that the Church and its Saints are heavily corrupt, and that the Sacred Office is trying to destroy the witches to ensure theological supremacy, driving the nature-worshiping witches to fight for survival. This causes Sister Fran to begin losing faith in their mission. They finally catch up to Poeme, who has summoned a tremendous Ceremonial Forest to bring power to the witches. Semilla battles and defeats Poeme, and Amelia subsequently orders Semilla to kill her. If Semilla follows through, both Semilla and Fran are elevated to Sainthood and the witches are persecuted indefinitely, while Fran questions the morality of their decision. If Semilla refuses, a second ending results in which Fran attempts to convince Amelia of the church's evil; Amelia becomes enraged and murders both Fran and Poeme, while Semilla is excommunicated. However, the Church is forced to make a truce with the witches, suggesting the world is slowly moving towards peace.

Reader's Guide

Minoria is notable as a spiritual sequel to the Momodora series, retaining the gothic horror tone of Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight while shifting to 2.5D graphics. Critics praised its combat mechanics—Ollie Reynolds of Nintendo Life called the combat 'impressive' and better than games such as Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, with battles against witches being the most exciting. Elizabeth Henges of RPG Site rated the PC version 7/10, calling the game 'solid' but criticizing the lack of hit stun compared to Momodora 4. Chris Carter of Destructoid rated it 6/10, calling the combat 'very smooth' but criticizing the 'wonkier' spell system and the map system having no room for manual marking. The game received an aggregate score of 73/100 on Metacritic for the PC version, indicating 'mixed or average' reviews, and OpenCritic assessed it as receiving fair approval, recommended by 61% of critics. Its short length and uneven quality were common criticisms, though reviewers acknowledged it showed the talent of Bombservice. The game's dual endings and moral ambiguity regarding the church's corruption add narrative depth, though environmental design was criticized as 'rather samey' and easy to get lost in.

Did You Know?

• The game features 2.5D graphics and a gothic horror tone similar to Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight.
• It was released on Windows on August 27, 2019, and on consoles on September 10, 2020.
• The game has two endings depending on whether the player kills Princess Amelia Soliette or refuses.

Origins & Creative Identity

Minoria emerged from the Brazilian indie studio Bombservice, reaching players through publisher DANGEN Entertainment. The title launched on Windows in late August 2019 before expanding to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch roughly a year later in September 2020. As a spiritual successor to the Momodora franchise, it carries forward the gothic horror atmosphere that defined Reverie Under the Moonlight while presenting its own distinct identity through a 2.5D visual presentation. The game positions itself firmly within the Metroidvania genre, offering players a sprawling interconnected world to explore. What sets Minoria apart from many of its peers is its narrative ambition: rather than a simple rescue quest, it weaves a story of institutional corruption, theological conflict, and moral ambiguity. The central cast of warrior nuns dispatched into the crumbling Kingdom of Ramezia to liberate kidnapped Princesses from heretical witches provides a framework for exploring questions about faith, power, and the cost of obedience. Bombservice crafted a title that, while modest in scope, aspired to thematic depth uncommon in the indie Metroidvania space.

A Story of Faith and Fracture

The narrative of Minoria centers on two sisters of the Sacred Office: Sister Semilla, the player's protagonist, and her companion Sister Fran. Their mission seems straightforward—venture into the ruins of the Kingdom of Ramezia and rescue Princess Amelia Soliette, taken by a coven of witches commanded by her own sister, Princess Poeme. Yet as the pair progresses, written evidence surfaces revealing that the Church and its Saints are deeply corrupt. The Sacred Office's true goal is not salvation but the eradication of the witches to preserve theological dominance, forcing the nature-worshiping coven into a desperate fight for survival. This revelation fractures Fran's faith in their cause. The climax sees Semilla confronting Poeme, who has conjured a vast Ceremonial Forest to empower the witches. After Semilla's victory, Amelia demands her own execution. The player's choice branches the story into two radically different conclusions: one where Semilla complies, earning Sainthood while Fran wrestles with the immorality of endless persecution, and another where she defies the order, leading to Fran's and Poeme's deaths at Amelia's hands, Semilla's excommunication, and ultimately a fragile truce between Church and witches—a tentative step toward peace.

Critical Response & the Question of Polish

Minoria's critical reception painted a picture of genuine talent hampered by inconsistent execution. The PC version settled at 73 out of 100 on Metacritic, landing squarely in mixed or average territory, while OpenCritic's data showed 61 percent of critics recommending the title. Reviewers consistently highlighted the combat as a standout element, with several calling it smooth and impressive. Ollie Reynolds of Nintendo Life went so far as to rate the Switch version eight out of ten, declaring he would hate to see the game slip under the radar and even comparing its battle systems favorably to Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. However, the same reviewer found the environmental design repetitive and disorienting. Elizabeth Henges of RPG Site called the experience solid but noted the absence of hit stun that had characterized Momodora 4, while Chris Carter of Destructoid praised the fluid combat yet flagged the spell system as awkward and the map as lacking manual marking. The recurring criticism across all reviews was the game's short length and uneven quality, with multiple critics expressing hope that a future sequel would address these shortcomings.

Bombservice's Place in the Indie Landscape

As a spiritual successor to the Momodora series, Minoria occupies a specific niche in the indie Metroidvania landscape. Bombservice, a Brazilian development studio, demonstrated that a small team could craft a gothic horror experience with genuine thematic weight, rivaling larger productions in narrative ambition. Critics repeatedly acknowledged the studio's raw talent, with one Destructoid reviewer explicitly noting that the game shows the world how talented Bombservice really is despite its flaws. The title's 2.5D visual style and its focus on warrior nuns battling heretical witches in a crumbling kingdom gave it a distinct identity separate from its Momodora roots while still honoring that lineage. The game also found itself in conversation with other major Metroidvania titles; Nintendo Life's reviewer drew direct comparisons to Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, finding Minoria's combat superior in certain respects. Multiple critics expressed anticipation for a follow-up that would refine the spell system, improve level variety, and expand the runtime. In the broader context of 2019–2020 indie releases, Minoria stood as a reminder that ambitious storytelling and tight combat design could emerge from studios far outside the industry's traditional centers.

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