Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream Reviews
Beautiful and stacked with excellent performances, but Eriksholm's stealth feels too much like being led around by the nose to reach greatness.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream offers luxurious cutscenes and a focused twist on stealth by remaining intentionally inflexible, but doesn't quite pull it all together.
Eriksholm, for the most part, avoids the critical error of stealth puzzles that grow beyond complex into frustrating, and turns in a series of challenges that are almost always fun and, in the final handful of hours, brilliant. I just wish the rest of the game matched its later heights.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is not just one of the best stealth games of recent years; it's an artistic statement about what the genre can achieve when deep narrative, exceptional technical design, and refined mechanics are combined to perfection. River End Games has created something that honors the legacy of the classics while establishing new standards for the future. It's the type of game that makes you remember why you fell in love with tactical stealth in the first place, but with an emotional depth that the genre rarely reaches. For anyone who has enjoyed Commandos, Shadow Tactics, or Desperados, Eriksholm represents the natural evolution of the genre. For new players, it's the perfect introduction to what stealth can offer when executed with absolute mastery.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream deserves to go down as a landmark stealth game. The finely-honed sneaking mechanics are an absolute joy to experience, whilst the absorbing story and immersive world will keep you creeping from beginning to end. The fact that this is River End Games' first release makes their accomplishment all the more impressive. Quite frankly, I can't wait to see what the team do next and I'll be eagerly awaiting the chance to visit Eriksholm again.
While Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream won't win any awards in terms of its challenge or implementation of stealth mechanics, I absolutely fell in love with its opulent setting, excellently heartfelt performances, gripping story and linear stealth adventure goodness that did just enough to satisfy my stealth hunger. Though some may rightly decry its lack of challenge relative to other entries in the stealth genre, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is nonetheless a stunning debut for Swedish based studio River End Games and I can't wait to see what comes next.
Eriksholm - The Stolen Dream was a bright debut by the new studio. It offered an interesting world with intense gameplay and a captivating plot.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream è uno stealth isometrico narrativo ambientato in un Paese nordico dei primi del '900, che si distingue sul piano artistico per l'ottima recitazione dei personaggi e una grandiosa rappresentazione degli ambienti. Il gameplay ruota attorno a infiltrazione, gestione del rumore ambientale e cooperazione tra tre personaggi con abilità uniche. L'assenza dei classici coni di visione rende l'approccio più realistico, ma l'instadeath penalizza l'improvvisazione. Il level design è verticale e labirintico, con percorsi spesso lineari ma ricchi di segreti e micro enigmi ambientali.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Every element feels purposeful, from the thoughtful storytelling to the smart use of puzzles and stealth mechanics. Together, these pieces come together to create something truly special.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is the debut work of a promising studio, demonstrating clear vision in terms of art direction, writing, and worldbuilding.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream wants to spin a grand Dickensian tale centered on the familial bond of a street urchin and her brother, but this ambition is betrayed by its lack of emotional stakes. And while its stealth puzzles can be intriguing and challenging at times, thanks to the ability to swap among multiple characters, these largely fail to deviate from the genre's long-held conventions.
In fact, we enjoyed Eriksholm so much that we wish the game had one or two more chapters. Alternatively, we would have appreciated some optional additional challenges, perhaps through a higher difficulty level. So, in terms of scope, the title doesn't have much to offer.
Review in German | Read full review
If you’re still asking yourself: should I play Eriksholm, hear me out – it is definitely worth it. Even if stealth games are not your cup of tea, the cut-scenes alone (all the way to a very satisfying finale) are worth the price of admission. And we will definitely hear more about the talented crew at River End Games.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream won't offer anything that stealth aficionados haven't seen before, but its world-building and gameplay execution make it worth a look.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a fun, narrative-led stealth game that doesn't demand too much of you. Stealth game veterans are unlikely to find a challenge in these common mechanics, but the beautiful details built into the world of Rosmark make up for it. The character-driven story is supported by great vocal performances and cutscenes that would fit in alongside any modern triple-A.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a quietly powerful stealth adventure that combines incredible aesthetic craftsmanship with intuitive mechanics and heartfelt performances. While the narrative never fully catches fire, and while it occasionally leans too heavily on safe, guided design, its vision and execution are so compelling that it barely matters. River End Games has delivered one of the most memorable stealth titles in years. Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is poised, poignant, and absolutely worth experiencing.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream sets an impressively high bar from the opening moments and consistently maintains it throughout the experience. It perfectly caters to fans of both stealth mechanics and narrative-driven games, delivering exceptional quality in both aspects. The deeply personal story hooks players with its compelling mysteries and shocking twists, while the tense, challenging gameplay keeps you engaged session after session. What makes this adventure truly memorable is its emotional alchemy - endearing characters, subtle humor, and dark motivations blend together to create something special.
The main character, Hanna, with her friends is doing well in the town of Eriksholm and, thanks to her cleverness and stealth techniques, she will win you over.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
A stealth game played from an isometric viewpoint, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is likely to win you over thanks to its stunning visuals, engaging narrative and rewarding scenarios that are best approached like puzzles.