Face different creatures and powerful bosses with the power of light in Darklings, the unique and very enjoyable game from MildMania. Here, players will portray a ghost that has the ability to possess and blast away creatures, and the main goal is to dispatch as many demons as possible by drawing patterns that then appear on the screen. Get your fingers ready as you will be facing a real challenge with this game. Here’s our comprehensive guide for this title so that you can be better prepared to exorcise and clear the land of these evil creatures.
Gameplay
Darklings is an endless arcade game where in players must destroy enemies by drawing the patterns that appear on the screen. Most of the time, these patterns would appear on top of the enemies’ heads, while in some cases these patterns would be displayed in sequence on projectiles or across bosses’ bodies. Battle between basic enemies and bosses differ slightly, but the mechanics, which is to draw patterns, would basically remain the same all throughout.
The goal is to survive as many waves of enemies as possible, with the game ending either when the timer runs out, or if enemies get to touch your character. Currency earned can be used to upgrade your character as well as to purchase boosts, among other things.
Currency
Stars are the games main currency, and these can be acquired in a variety of ways. The main way to get stars is within the game, as destroying enemies would result in dropped stars that players must collect towards them before they float away. There are also big stars but their main function is to refill your timer and would not count towards your supply of stars. Stars may also be acquired by completing achievements or via in-app purchases.
Stars are used in the shop where in players can buy boosts, upgrades, companions, new characters, and even skip achievements that they are having a hard time completing. Stars may also be used to revive your character should they die, allowing you to continue the game without losing any progress.
Boosts
Boosts may be purchased at the store using stars, but when they would appear in-game and in what form they would appear as are completely random. There are several kinds of boosts available, including but not limited to a lightning boost that would destroy all creatures within range, a magnet boost which would draw all nearby stars to you, a freeze boost which would slow down all approaching enemies, and a shield boost that would protect you against damage. The effects of these boosts may also be upgraded by spending more stars.
Boosts are very important tools in order to prolong each playthrough, so make sure that you have a steady supply of these and that you are able to max out these items early on so that you would be able to make the best out of them whenever they appear.
Upgrades
Aside from boosts, players would also be able to purchase different kinds of upgrades that would improve how they perform during the game. These include the ability to collect more stars from enemies, as well as the chance to get more rewards from performing combos. There’s also the upgrade that will allow you to have more time in drawing and reacting to enemies, and many more. These upgrades, like boosts, are also upgradeable using stars, and players can also choose to focus on maxing these out for full benefits.
Companions
Companions are special allies that you can purchase so that they would be able to help you out during regular play. These companions will cost a lot of stars, but aside from being permanent purchases, they would be able to provide you with very distinct advantages as well. For example, the Grim Reaper would destroy an enemy for you every three seconds, while the Starhunter will collect stars for you. There are others available, and players can choose as to which ones would suit their style of play best.
Characters
New characters may also be unlocked, but they serve no other purpose than being cosmetic changes. Most of these characters would also cost a lot of stars, so make sure to use your precious stars on new characters last, such as when you have already acquired most of the boost and personal upgrades and if you simply want to have all available content for your collection.
Achievements
Achievements are special missions or objectives that players must meet. Some of these achievements must be done in one game only, while some would accumulate your progress across several games. Players can earn lots of stars upon completion of these achievements, although players also have the option to skip these in exchange for stars so that the next one would be made available.
Tips and Tricks
The most important tip when playing Darklings is to keep moving. Make drawing the main priority and only collect stars if you are confident that enemies wouldn’t get too close for comfort. There’s a lot of opportunity to collect floating stars, but all that would be for nothing if you die. The next thing that you would have to focus on is making combos. Make matches once there are multiple enemies on screen, and try and possess another creature while you are inside another one. The more chains you are able to do, the higher the rewards in the form of stars.
When facing multiple creatures, make it a point also to try and target enemies in such a way that surrounding enemies would be blasted a small distance away. This would provide you with more room to maneuver, as well as more time to either collect any stars or to target the next creature. A deviation of this tactic would be to target the one farthest away from you. This is important if you are being approached from both sides and would like to have one side free. This would help you limit your vision to just one side of the screen rather than focusing on not getting swamped. You will be given little time to react to these later on, so try and make them second nature so that you can adapt instantly based on the situation.
Lastly, make it a point to visit the souls section of the game. Not only will it allow you to see your collection of Lums as well as any new species of enemies that you may have unlocked previously, but you will also get the chance to see and try to acclimate yourself with the many symbols that would appear within the game. Once you are familiar with the patterns, drawing them will become much easier later on.