Shovel Knight key art
Shovel Knight cover art

Shovel Knight

June 26, 2014PlatformerESRB E

Overview

About Shovel Knight

Shovel Knight is a sweeping classic action adventure game with awesome gameplay, memorable characters, and an 8-bit retro aesthetic. It's a hot mashup of new and old! You play as the eponymous Shovel Knight, a small knight with a huge quest. Shovel Knight has come to this land with two goals: to defeat the evil Enchantress and quest for his lost beloved. He wields a Shovel Blade: a multipurpose weapon whose techniques have now been lost to the ages. Always honest and helpful, Shovel Knight is a shining example of the code of Shovelry: Slash Mercilessly and Dig Tirelessly! But, between Shovel Knight and his beloved stands a cadre of villainous knights. These terrible foes, known as The Order of No Quarter, have been dispatched to prevent Shovel Knight from reaching the Enchantress, and will pursue their mission at any cost. If you love games with perfect platforming, beautiful art, infectious music, crazy bosses, humor and levity, and real heart… Shovel Knight is for you!
Story setup
Shovel Knight and his partner Shield Knight are renowned adventurers, but during an expedition into the Tower of Fate a cursed amulet strikes Shield Knight down and seals the tower, leaving Shovel Knight stranded outside. Grieving the loss of his companion, he gives up adventuring and withdraws into exile. In his absence a powerful figure called the Enchantress rises and spreads evil across the land, eventually unsealing the Tower of Fate. Learning this, Shovel Knight sets out to return to the tower in the hope of finding and rescuing Shield Knight, facing the Enchantress and her Order of No Quarter along the way.
Reference

At a glance

Released
June 26, 2014
Platforms
Nintendo Switch, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, macOS
Genres
Platformer, Adventure, Indie, Action
Play modes
Single Player, Multiplayer, Co-op
Age rating
ESRB E
Time to beat
~8 hours
Media

Screenshots

Click any screenshot to view it full size.

Playtime

How long to beat

Player-reported completion times for Shovel Knight.

Rushed
3hoursMain story only
Typical
8hoursStory plus some extras
Completionist
10hoursEvery side objective too

Estimated from 7 player reports — a small sample, so treat these as approximate.

Playing together

Multiplayer & game modes

Shovel Knight offers various play modes for different gaming experiences.

Play Modes

Single PlayerMultiplayerCo-op

Content

Age ratings

How rating boards around the world have classified Shovel Knight. Open a board for its content descriptors.

ACBPG

Mild fantasy violence, online interactivity

CEROA
CLASS_INDL
ESRBE
  • Mild Fantasy Violence
PEGI7
  • Violence

The content of this game is suitable for persons aged 7 years and over only. It contains: Non realistic looking violence towards fantasy characters - Non realistic looking violence towards characters which although human are not very detailed

USK6
Also in our guides

Often listed alongside Shovel Knight

Titles that appear in the same guides on this site. Grouped by where they show up, not by recommendation.

Game data and imagery provided by IGDB.com