The Harrowed is a charming and fantastical adventure in an immersive, rich setting. Best elements of the game are the character interactions, and how their personal stories are deeply embedded in the setting (and in each other's stories). The writer(s) get a 5-star on this one. Combat is fast-paced and true-to-style. Each enemy is unique, and character abilities are diverse and iconic of the archetypes. I found the frequency of encounters was just right- just enough to force decisions to use resources, but not too many as to slow down the progression of the story. The plot taps into a rich history that comes to the foreground as events of the past, present, and future collide. I greatly look forward to the next chapter in the story.
The Harrowed
- Release Date:
- May 14, 2020
- Developer:
- Salmon Raws, LLC.
- Publisher:
- Salmon Raws, LLC.
- Platforms:
- Windows Mac
Game Tags
About This Game

Explore the dying world of Ulm in The Harrowed, a new story-driven RPG from Salmon Raws, LLC. In a land torn asunder by magic, six adventurers find themselves embroiled in the endless dance of order and chaos.
The backwater village of Elkshire is beset by dark forces from all sides. 300 years after the cataclysmic Harrowing ravaged Ulm, rumors of witch's magic, vengeful spirits, and man-eating Worgen haunt this quaint logging town. Six outsiders find the survival of this community thrust upon their shoulders. It is up to you to guide these heroes as they strive to overcome the arcane horrors lurking in every shadow.
Characters
The party is led by Orena, a young nun of the Grand Church of the Allmother. Raised among other orphans by the Church, she has been tasked by the Clerics to hunt a renegade mage accused of murder. She is escorted by Sergeant Clive Beckett, a gruff career military man unable to escape past deeds, and Hargon Buckfield, the snarky footsoldier.
Along their journey, they are joined by Farryn Greatstalker, a pragmatic Half-Elven scout contracted to lead them through the dreaded Wightwood. The party is rounded out by Vlastok the pensive tribesman from the northern plains, and Suntori, one of the few remaining Elves left alive on Ulm.

With distrustful survivors, shape-shifting fiends, and arcane mischief around every shadowy corner, will you live to see another dawn in this Harrowed World?

- Experience a 4-6 hour story-driven RPG exploring the arcane-ravaged world of Ulm.
- Defeat vicious enemies in a battle system which juggles ability cooldowns and spell mana.
- Master the abilities and strengths of 6 different heroes striving to uncover the mystery of the dark forces assaulting Ulm.
- Collect Harrowed Shards to craft powerful Shardborne Artifacts.
- All enemies can be seen on the map. With no random battles, you can pick and choose your fights.
- Original pixel art gives life to Ulm's menacing creatures and haunted heroes.
Screenshots
User Reviews
I've been really enjoying The Harrowed so far. It's a super classic RPG with a really interesting world and very compelling characters. A couple of things that really stand out to me are the music - they've done a great job building the right atmosphere for the different areas you explore and the character building. You really get to know the characters - I'm partial to Vlastok myself. Another thing that I really appreciate about this game is it moves along at a nice steady clip. It doesn't belabor any areas or make you feel like you're slugging through to the next encounter or plot bit. Definitely recommend it to others.
Fun throwback RPG game. Great balance of combat and world exploration. Pacing is crisp and the interplay between the characters is fun. Love the story and looking forward to any future chapters. Took me about five hours to complete and the price is right for sure. Definitely recommend.
What so many RPGs get wrong is the combat. It feels like most developers use turn-based battles to fill time. They make you use the same commands over and over, whittling down creatures until they're dead. Fill health bars back up when they're low. Repeat. What I really want is a set of tools that I can use to address a given problem. I want interesting encounters that make me do clever things. I want to feel like I'm a freaking genius because I pulled off a W. And I want to feel like I'm getting stronger as I do it all. In the Harrowed, every fight plays like a miniature puzzle. You have a multitude of tools on a multitude of characters. The cooldown-based moves add an interesting angle and the balancing is top notch. Leveling up slowly brings new playstyles and strategies, but the whole thing never feels like it's too much or totally impossible. The Harrowed is a 6 hour game that reuses a few tileset assets from the standard RPGM suite, but at 3 bucks it scratches the RPG itch a...
Quick and fun tale in JRPG-form. Took me like 6 hours to beat. $3 well spent in my book. Story: good...and then great (really loved the ending section of the game) Characters: one of the characters, Hargon, is a perpetual troll and I love it. Music: cool. I especially liked the ending section Combat: meh. i'm not a huge old-school JRPG guy. I was mostly in it to get to the next bit of plot
The Harrowed is a short and sweet game built on the classic RPG formula! Come for the wonderful pixel art and stay for the world building, engaging story, and well written characters. Over the course of the campaign I explored a variety of diverse biomes all while watching the bonds between the characters grow. Combat was simple to understand and provided just enough spice to make the story beats feel earned. I particularly liked how the cooldown system added a rhythm to the battles. If you're looking for an adventure in a dark and captivating world, The Harrowed is for you.
Only negative is that I had to write this review myself. All the makings of a classic.
Fun romp through a true-to-form D&D inspired world with RPG mechanics in the vein of Final Fantasy 1-3. Great attention to detail in terms of characters and motivations. Especially appreciated a number of optional secrets/"easter eggs" for those who enjoy exploring every bit of the environment. Pros: - Comprehensive world with relatable characters and a story that will keep you interested in progressing - No random battles! I really appreciate being able to avoid enemies while looking for secrets/exploring areas - Story is partly told through menu items and descriptions (similar to Dark Souls) - Short (4-6 hr) runtime means you can experience the whole story in one or two sittings Cons: - Short (4-6 hr) runtime means the whole story is over in one or two sittings - Difficulty not adjustable - would like to see easy/hardcore modes available for replay - Seems like this only touches on the full expanse of the lore and world of Ulm - maybe more of it will be shown in another chapters...
Fun and engaging romp through a well thought out fantasy world. Immersive, simple and clear graphics are well combined with high quality, detailed pixel art. Great feel. The game has progressed a lot since the beta, good work from this dev team.
Fun short fantasy game. Good characters and their dialogue. Monsters are well imagined. Looking forward to the next levels.
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System Requirements
Minimum
- OS *: Microsoft® Windows® 7/8/8.1/10 (32bit/64bit)
- Processor: Intel Core2 Duo or better
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 9/OpenGL 4.1 capable GPU
- Storage: 2 GB available space
FAQ
How much does The Harrowed cost?
The Harrowed costs $2.99.
What are the system requirements for The Harrowed?
Minimum: Minimum: OS *: Microsoft® Windows® 7/8/8.1/10 (32bit/64bit) Processor: Intel Core2 Duo or better Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: DirectX 9/OpenGL 4.1 capable GPU Storage: 2 GB available space
What platforms is The Harrowed available on?
The Harrowed is available on Windows PC, macOS.
Is The Harrowed worth buying?
The Harrowed has 100% positive reviews from 17 players.
When was The Harrowed released?
The Harrowed was released on May 14, 2020.
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