About This Demo

Embark on a classic top-down adventure in the fractured realm of Ethral. Once a land of harmony under King Thorne, it is now ravaged by the vengeful ghost of the Pirate King, executed years ago for his crimes.

This free demo begins in Tidehaven. Play as Alyyn, a blue-eyed orphan in the coastal port, as rumors of spectral pirates reach the town and the curse starts to spread.

Explore the port and the paths around it, fight ghostly foes, and use the Iron Sword to push through the opening of the adventure. Keyboard and controller are both supported. A controller is recommended.

Estimated playtime: the opening chapter, not the full 8–12 hour game. Gameplay style: top-down action-adventure. Player type: single-player. Supported input: keyboard and controller (controller recommended). Graphics style: retro pixel art, late 1980s inspired.

Overview

The Pirate King's spectral wrath has returned. The royal family — King Thorne, Queen Lira, and Princess Sera — and their closest advisors were imprisoned as souls in scattered pendant shards. In the demo, that threat reaches Tidehaven. Alyyn starts with humble errands that reveal it.

Key Features

Classic top-down adventure. Explore Tidehaven, find secrets, and progress through the opening areas.

Iron Sword. The demo includes the Iron Sword, the first weapon of the full arsenal.

Fluid combat. Slash, stun, and dodge the foes in the opening areas.

Retro pixel art. Late 1980s pixel art, with detailed sprites, animations, and a pirate-themed soundtrack.

Full controller support. Built for a controller, with a keyboard option.

The full game, planned for Q4 2026, continues past this opening: later weapons, the skill tree, 9+ dungeons, the wider biomes, the Driftwood Skiff, and the confrontation with the Pirate King. Wishlist Ethral to be notified at launch.

Sharpen your blade and step into Tidehaven. Ethral awaits its true hero.

Are you ready to fulfill your destiny?

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

Claude, Grok, ChatGPT, Suno, and PixelLab