
User reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive (1,604 reviews)
Release Date: Feb 28, 2014


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"A unique Japanese roguelike with a twist. Unlock new perks and classes as you play."
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Recent updates View all (2)

August 29

8/29/2014 Ver. 1.75 Update

The Version 1.75 update to One Way Heroics includes the following changes:

  • Fixed a bug where if multiple spear attacks occurred, two additional attacks would follow each one.

  • Increased the drop rate for Slender Spear by 1.5x.

  • Increased the chance that Slender Spear will appear in shops by 1.2x.

  • The “My First Vault” and “My First Perk” achievements will now automatically be obtained upon starting the game if you meet the prerequisites. This was done because if you copied save data from other DRM-free versions for instance, there was a chance that these two achievements would become unobtainable.

  • Added a little more content to Fairy Iris’ guide.

  • Added content to the Readme; now includes some of the FAQ.

21 comments Read more

About This Game







Infinite permutations. Infinite worlds. Infinite adventure.


System Requirements

    • Processor: Pentium III 1.0 GHz or better
    • Memory: 256 MB RAM
    • Graphics: 800x600 resolution or higher
    • DirectX: Version 9.0
    • Hard Drive: 50 MB available space
Helpful customer reviews
98 of 105 people (93%) found this review helpful
25.9 hrs on record
Posted: July 6
Being a big fan of Anime, turn based RPG's and rogue-like games, I was very curious with One Way Heroics, having an accessible price, I decided to risk buying it and check it out, truth be told I would never thought I'd love this game so much as I do, it completely caught me by surprise.





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64 of 68 people (94%) found this review helpful
51.2 hrs on record
Posted: October 29
It is hard to sum up One Way Heroics into just a few words, so let me give you a couple paragraphs. (If you're the sort that likes to go "tl;dr" then just scroll to the bottom, but I mean, then why are you even reading reviews to begin with?)

I picked this game up for <$0.60 when it was sale during the summer. I have to say, those were the best $0.60 I have ever spent. One Way Heroics doesn't appeal to you with stunning graphics, rich storytelling, or intricate gameplay. Instead, it is more retro gaming, silly short tales, and an easy to pick-up set of controls. Now you might be wondering, why would I want something like that? Arguably everything but simplicity of the controls could be considered negative or at least niche. One Way Heroics doesn't offer high spec gaming while emptying your wallet - what you're buying is meaningless fun and entertainment.

When I first opened this game and started an adventure, I found myself with my silly little 2D character talking to a "Naughty King Victor" about the darkness at the left of my screen that would attempt to eat me until I killed the Demon Lord. Yes, clearly the storyline could use some work, but as I struggled to kill weak mobs and then stronger demons I found myself falling for this game. Everything was fairly straightforward and the desire to complete achievements, "save the world," and become a true hero compels you to play over and over again. It doesn't take several hours to do a run through like a quest in some RPG, just 30 minutes or so if you're short on time. Yet, you can play longer sessions that go for tens of hours depending completely on what you want to do and how much time you have - and those hours? They were some fun hours.

I won't try to tell you that you'll be so entranced with One Way Heroics that you'll spend thousands of hours playing it - you probably won't. But it's easy to lose 10, 20, maybe even 100 hours of your life having fun by sending your hero towards the right of your screen. Was that worth my 60 cents while it was on sale? Definitely. Is it worth the full $3.49? Absolutely. Most of us play games to have fun - and One Way Heroics delivers.


If you're a hardcore gamer looking for a game with brilliant graphics and intricate/competitive gameplay to drop thousands of hours on, I think you're better off somewhere else.
If you're someone looking to spend 10-100 hours having fun in your spare time? Buy One Way Heroics.
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19 of 19 people (100%) found this review helpful
48.1 hrs on record
Posted: November 21
One Way Heroics is like potato chips: you eat one, and you can't help but go for another.

For those moments where a player wants to pop open an RPG, but doesn't quite want to start a 40 hour time investment, OWH is perfect; simple combat, roguelike gameplay, and varied challenge levels depending on one's mood. Whether for a 20 minute stroll or an epic 2-hour odyssey with perma-death waiting around every corner, this game aims to suit itself to multiple tastes.

Finishing a game, whether winning or losing, awards points used to boost one's future playthroughs (with wins awarding more). Whether it be unlocking new perks or opening new slots in the Dimensional Vault to transfer items from one playthrough to the next, every run feels like it progresses the player. That being said, while there are technically save areas, losing concludes the run and records the player's performance right there - no going back to try and get more points, but it will allow you to conclude a run 'just for funsies'. Maniac Mode, the game's 'hardcore' setting also prevents players from importing items from previous games, though depositing new items is still possible. Save points and dimensional vaults make the game friendly for casual runs, but the true hero wins on Maniac Mode with no takesies backsies (the greatest scores are only counted upon no deaths).

More than that, the game is also surprisingly colorful. Dialogue and narrative is sparse, but sweet and entertaining. Furthermore, there are hidden secrets everywhere: the various characters you meet may have hidden dialogue, items may have unexpected purposes, and the non-restrictive nature of weapons gives a lot of freedom in designing 'builds'. There are even secret ways to win - it is recommended you do not go in with a guide, and simple explore yourself, as reading the wiki ruins a lot of the surprises this game has to offer (don't even look up those secret ways to win).

This reviewer's only criticism is that, after clocking a couple dozen hours, I'm ready for more! The weapons do resemble each other a bit too much, there's a hard limit on the available spells/abilities, dungeons resemble each other, and the charming character dialogues do eventually run dry.

For $3.50, this game was absolutely and totally worth it. It's creative, it's original, it's got high replayability, it suits people looking for various challenge levels, and it deserves to be recognized for what it is: a small but great roguelike RPG.
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10 of 10 people (100%) found this review helpful
3.0 hrs on record
Posted: November 20
Great little game. I have no idea what I am doing, and I suck at it, but I keep playing. Really nice.

It's a fast paced RPG type game. You have to keep traveling to the right because "Darkness" is moving in that direction. If the darkness catches up to you, the game is over. You have to keep building up your character by leveling up and gaining better equipment. This is complicated by having to face enemies and fighting. All the while the "Darkness" keeps approaching. This is all leading up to the battle with the final boss. You gain points that you can use to unlock more classes and perks. The game is quick and you can play several times within an hour. Great little time killer and really well done.
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10 of 10 people (100%) found this review helpful
17.9 hrs on record
Posted: July 16
Rating 9/10

What is it?

This is a turn based rogue game that has an isometric perspective. You have to constantly keep moving to the right because a darkness keeps creeping in from the left.

The Good

+ 8 Classes to fit your play style. Knight, sword master, hunter etc. Obviously each one has their own unique strengths and weakness along with their own stat growth rate.

+ Different modes offer players interesting new dynamics to the world. I.e Better weapons but harder enemies

+Different levels of difficulty. The easiest difficulty level stops at a certain distance, however the later difficulties can be much longer.

+ Lots of secrets to find out, giving the game a lot more depth than it appears to

+ Randomized Levels

The Bad

- The game can be frustrating, especially if you get a bad world generated.


This game is surprisingly addicting. At first it doesn't look like much but the more you play it the more it grows on you. You quickly realize that strategy is involved depending on the class your playing. The fact that you are forced to keep moving means you are going to have to make some tough decisions. Given the price point, this is probably one of the better deals you will find.
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14 of 18 people (78%) found this review helpful
52.2 hrs on record
Posted: August 7
An excellent game indeed. It was definitely that what i expected for a rpg game, but it is still very good. Every time you move, the shadow behind you moves, if you touch the shadow you die. Seems simple nuff. well while you are trying to run away from a shadow, you must also kills enemies, find loot bags and dungeons/villages. Overall i would give the game 9/10 for its simplicity, easy controls and fun game. Altho i do not recomend this game for people who cant beat a challenge.

Enjoy ^-^
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9 of 9 people (100%) found this review helpful
9.1 hrs on record
Posted: October 18
This game. This game has a lot of fun things to do. It's a simplistic but still very hard game.
YOU WILL DIE! But it won't be that bad since you can keep the stuff you like and then go on and use it on the next character...or not. You could keep leveling that piece of equipment to the best there is so that you can beat the big bad dude.

This game also has an interesting plot that isn't shoehorned in your face. You have to find it, and to do some you must* Goes on to ramble about how long it might take one to find and also why* But after that it's smooth sailing.

The classes are very varied. I mean yeah you could change them to your will sure but their core mechanics is one thing you can't remove thus it (The game) reccomends you to play with that class strengths.

It's a simplistic yet very fun game.
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10 of 11 people (91%) found this review helpful
21.5 hrs on record
Posted: November 25
Roguelikes are my favorite type of game. Since the old days of Rogue and Hack, indie developers from all over have taken the basic ideas of roguelike games (procedurally developed worlds, blistering difficulty and permadeath, for example) and ran with it.

One Way Heroics literally "runs with it" by providing a game that forces you to keep running forward until you reach your destination: your final battle with the Demon Lord threatening the world. The parts of the world you leave behind are gradually consumed by a darkness that will devour you, too, if you wait too long or try to backtrack. So, in order to survive your encounter with the Demon Lord, you have to prepare yourself by gathering items and equipment and gaining levels on the way.

Replayability is high due to the fact you can use Hero Points gained from a previous playthrough to help your next incarnation succeed better or faster than before. There's the Dimensional Vault, where you can leave your best items behind for the next play-through. You can also unlock new advantages or even new classes, for greater variety and strategy. You may also choose to run through the same world next time, rather than generating a new one, meaning that you can remember where towns, dungeons, merchants and particularly dangerous enemies are on the map, and approach or flee from them accordingly.

The game itself is a short one, which is good for those of us busy folks who want gaming in small bites. You can sit and finish a play-through in less than an hour. But there are multiple worlds (including multiplayer ones hosted online) and modes if you get bored of the standard game. I suspect there is more depth and content in this game than I have begun to scratch the surface of, because it requires many playthroughs to get to.

Would definitely play again (and again)!
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8 of 8 people (100%) found this review helpful
4.5 hrs on record
Posted: August 30
One Way Heroics is a decidedly different and refreshing take on the rogue genre. Simply put, every decision you make causes the world to end just a little bit more. An existence-destroying void is following you, and the only solution is to constantly push to the right. You'll have to make detours, whether it's shopping for supplies, exploring for dungeons, or going after some great treasure.

As with most other Rogue titles, death is permanent...and expected. Your first game might last several minutes, your second might last a few seconds. Dying tends to result in rewards such as new perks, classes, and the ability to store useful items in a vault for future games. This is all dependent on your hero points, a score received at the end of the game. Surviving as long as possible is just one of many ways to accrue points. The character classes and perks offer a good bit of variety in how you approach the game. There are other awards depending on your in-game actions, so it's always worth trying new things and exploring as much as that rapidly expanding void will allow.

Adding to the replay value is the infinite number of randomly-generated worlds. One Way Heroics has numerous online functions, so it's possible for multiple players to explore the same world. While playing, you'll see the status of other heroes and get a sense of their trials and tribulations. When they die, their cause of death will be displayed. You might even happen upon their remains, and score a nice item for yourself. Despite the game's cheap price, it's still receiving great support by the developer. In fact as of this writing there was an update issued just yesterday. Multiple difficulty settings further add to the replay value.

Really though, the main reason I recommend this game is because staying from the void is such a valuable design-decision. Typical rogue games, with their insistence on dark dungeons, tend to bore me. One Way Heroics is very focused, it's linear, but it retains all of the depth that is consistent with the genre. Every decision in the game carries weight, since the void is never far behind. I never get the sense that I'm just meandering around a dungeon looking for a key or a sword or a set of stairs. Every step is essentially proof of life, and it feels like very real progress(though death remains a very real setback).

All in all, One Way Heroics is an unexpected surprise. I look forward to putting more time into it.
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7 of 7 people (100%) found this review helpful
1.5 hrs on record
Posted: September 23
Bought this game on a whim when it costed less than a euro during a steam sale. Had I known it was this good, I'd have bought the game at full price on release. One Way Heroics is a roguelike in a more traditional sense of the phrase, while taking massive hints from FTL's style of one-way travel and resource managment.

What's especially surprising is how addictive and fun the online elements of this game are, as there is an option to join a world with multiple people already in it. The special seeded levels that rotate on a daily basis add some serious life to the game as well.
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7 of 8 people (88%) found this review helpful
26.4 hrs on record
Posted: November 14
This game is worth the price. It has a good application of turn-based combat that can still go by fast enough to feel like an action game. The plot is simple but engaging enough to keep you interested in it.

The game can challenging in the beginning but wanes in difficulty once you get the hang of it, unlock perks, and make use of the dimensional vault.
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7 of 8 people (88%) found this review helpful
14.7 hrs on record
Posted: November 1
Charming little cofee-break roguelike with a lot of depth and replayability.

Game sets nice atmosphere with music and visuals (if you don't mind the style) and pays homage to older jrpgs. No grinding though as darkness always lurks on the left side. Prepare for lots of suprises and interesting characters on the way.

Can only reccomend, you get A LOT for the price.
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5 of 5 people (100%) found this review helpful
6.7 hrs on record
Posted: September 30
An amazing game, where to start...

You choose your hero, and start in one of the many maps. Embarking on your own epic adventure to escape the never ending darkness that pursues yourself. Mistakes will be made, tough decision lay at every town and dungeon in this race against time. Will you Defeat the demon lord? or will you just keep on running?

For its prices its a steal, a unique take on classic rpg genre. With plenty of replay value, it will keep you coming back to this causle game to unlock every character, characted skin and perks.

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5 of 5 people (100%) found this review helpful
24.0 hrs on record
Posted: October 21
OWH is a mixture between dungeon crawlers, JRPGs and exploration games. The story is surprisingly deep, but the combat is very simple. As soon as you unlock the hero class and combine it with the brawler feat, the game gets really easy. But it still is a lot of fun. Somehow it left my wishing for more.
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5 of 5 people (100%) found this review helpful
26.1 hrs on record
Posted: July 4
Oh look, it's another RPGm-

No. I know that most of you out there hate the "usual" RPGmaker games, but i'd just like to say that this game is not a RPGmaker game, and yet - some of you just don't appreciate the hard work and decide to judge the game based on store page screenshots.

That only begs for a more important question - Why can't you love One Way Heroics?

Library, New start, gameplay and the end. The cycle of a steam game and the end of playtime. Though we mostly have unplayed games in our library, we want to give each and every one of them at least a try. It is in such desperate times we find ourselves caught between playing League of Legends or playing a few minutes on Steam, as we don't have enough time for all the games we own. However, this one is a very important game you must try.

Although One Way Heroics is like a piece of artwork, even the most popular one might not be suited for everyone. It's for that I spend so much time writing these great reviews. Despite how much we bare ourselves, no matter the cost, no matter the repercussions, there is always something more to say about a good game... but sometimes it is best to not say anything and just let the game communicate it's strengths and weaknesses, and take the gameplay over reviews.

This is one of those unique games. I highly recommend it even if it is sometimes very unforgiving (example: playing force user and not finding a single energy item for 800 turns).

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17 of 28 people (61%) found this review helpful
18.8 hrs on record
Posted: November 29
I've thrown my clothes at the Demon Lord and killed him with that as a Swordmaster maid.

10/10, this is a masterpiece
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6 of 7 people (86%) found this review helpful
20.7 hrs on record
Posted: September 24
Too many dirty jokes. 1/0.1
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4 of 4 people (100%) found this review helpful
9.9 hrs on record
Posted: December 7
To be perfectly honest, I didn't expect that much for the $3.50 full price of the game. I was pleasantly surprised. The number of hours of gameplay to price has proven to be a solid purchase.

I do not wish to oversell. This is a solid game. It has both pros and cons. However, at this price point, it's a very high return on price.

The Pros are that it's a 2d sidescrolling, roguelike, fantasy style game that contains elements of progression post rogue-like death. The unique aspect of the game is that the world is constantly scrolling to the right, and that if the hero is trapped on the far left of the screen, it's game over. The game offers a few classes, with more unlocked as you continue to play through, and the ability to carry forward items (how many items can be expanded as well). It's a typical 2d fantasy style throwback game.

The Cons of this game is the seemingly random difficulty at times. Experiencing impossible creatures right outside the starting castle, and random event demons that you can't avoid. This can be painful if you're trying to clear with a particular class and have dedicated some game clearing items towards your hero! As mentioned in other reviews, there's also random map loading, which can hurt continuity of the game, but is overall relatively minor.

With all of this in mind, I believe buyers will experience a good playtime/cost ratio with this game.
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4 of 4 people (100%) found this review helpful
44.0 hrs on record
Posted: December 21
By this point, we all know what a roguelike is, even if the exact distinctions have become muddled. Perhaps many of you play roguelikes fanatically. I am not talking games like Binding of Isaac or FTL. I am talking ADOM, Nethack, Dungeon Crawl, those sorts.

Those of you who do play those games may feel at times that their greatest strengths, their vast complexity and length, can often become overbearing and intimidating. By the end of any roguelike, the game becomes exhaustive. You've been at that game for days just for that one playthrough. And how many times did you have to die just to learn every special situation, and figure out every monster along the way to victory? These games require a lot of cognitive overhead and rote memorization.

Doesn't it seem counterintuitive that I write a gripe about roguelikes in a recommendation for a roguelike? Yes, sure, but this is exactly what One Way Heroics tries to shy away from. It is a true roguelike, but it shies away from the issues I stated before. It plays fast and simple. You could expect to complete a full game within a few hours, and it provides enough of a challenge that it isn't a pushover for it. The wall of death to your left also rids you of the tedium of stashes and grinding.

Your perspective of the game may be different from mine, but this is the most important aspect to me. This is how I sum up the game and why I play it.

I play roguelikes for their nuanced and complex gameplay.
I play One Way Heroics for its simplicity and short length per playthrough.
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5 of 6 people (83%) found this review helpful
10.8 hrs on record
Posted: August 22
Ratings-based on genre
Overall: 7
Gameplay: 9
Addictiveness: 9
Play Time: 9
Plot: 5
Characters: 6
Graphics: 6
Audio: 7
Music: 8

One Way Heroics is a refreshingly unique spin on a classic genre. This game has countless hours of playtime and hardly any diminishing returns over time. The gameplay is technically turn based, but as long as you are moving it doesn't feel that way. Several classes and perks as well as the ability to slowly upgrade each consecutive character provides for a really unique, enjoyable experience. At $3.49, this game is a steal!
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