From Press Release:
Larkspur, Calif. (May 20, 2025) – Publisher PLAION and Cardboard Sword have officially released The Siege and the Sandfox, a richly crafted 2D stealthvania, out today on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG and Humble for $14.99.
The Siege and the Sandfox is an innovative 2D stealth Metroidvania game with parkour platforming. Players will explore the palace and cavernous depths below an ancient desert city, under siege by its neighboring kingdom. Master dynamic parkour abilities and use cunning and stealth to discover the true threat lurking within. Evade guards, befriend allies, and improve skills to foil the evil plot before it’s too late.
“We’ve created a uniquely rich pixel art style that feels warm and nostalgic, though distinctly our own. We wanted to create a visually stunning indie pixel-art game, while standing out from what’s already available. Our artists have hand-painted everything from frame-by-frame animations to normal maps on textures, and adding extra details, effects and finishing touches. Our code and design teams have worked tirelessly to achieve 2D in Unreal, giving us its excellent lighting and features to really show off that work. We hope players appreciate the passion and determination rooted into creating The Siege and the Sandfox,” explains Olly Bennett, CEO, Cardboard Sword.
From their art-led approach to their wealth of technical expertise and proprietary tools, Cardboard Sword has created a fresh take on the Metroidvania formula, designing a game that immerses players in a richly atmospheric world and a story packed with gripping intrigue.
Cardboard Sword CEO, Olly Bennett went on to say, “Our priority for The Siege and the Sandfox was to create an evocative and meaningful 2D stealth game. It’s been a huge challenge being restricted to those two dimensions, and especially without the ability to kill enemies; we’ve had to play with verticality and clever platforming abilities, to turn each encounter into essentially its own puzzle for players to solve. We cannot wait to see how they navigate through our parkour platformer, especially for our enthusiastic and supportive fans who have come along the development journey with us.”
Features:
- 2D stealth Metroidvania with parkour exploration
- Rich, retro-style pixel art, hand animated frame-by-frame, with modern effects from Unreal Engine
- Immersive and dynamic audio builds tension and highlights danger
- An eclectic range of characters to discover and aid
- Smooth controls and fluid animations
- Several options to deal with threats while avoiding enemies and evading capture
The Siege and the Sandfox is out now on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, and Humble.
About The Siege and the Sandfox:
A shining city lies besieged in the heart of a vast desert. As the moon rises over the royal palace, a notorious assassin watches the king die to a traitor’s hand. Discovered, falsely accused, and thrown into the labyrinthine dungeons below, they must escape to tell the tale – else the city will fall.
Master dynamic parkour abilities to explore the cavernous depths of an ancient underground prison, evading detection and avoiding certain death from a sand-borne evil. Fight for your city. Foil the enemy’s attempt to strike from within the heart of the kingdom.
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