The Best Games By Spiders Studios

It’s always disappointing to hear about a game studio closing its doors, and unfortunately, that’s happened with Spiders Studios. While many suspected it was coming, there was still a hope they could find a way to continue. Sadly, they recently announced they are closing down for good.

We’ll always cherish the delightfully quirky and charming games created by this developer. While known for RPGs, they constantly strived to create something unique within the genre, whether it was a classic turn-based experience or a challenging soulslike. Here’s a look back at some of their most memorable titles, all of which we highly recommend.

The games are listed in order of release.

Faery: Legends of Avalon

Play As A Fully Customizable Pixie

Okay, so imagine this game, Faery: Legends of Avalon – the basic idea is amazing. It’s got all this cool European folklore, it’s an RPG where your choices really matter, and you play as a tiny faery! Seriously, just that last bit should have made it a huge hit. But it wasn’t clunky graphics or little glitches that held it back, it was that the story just…felt unfinished. It’s a real shame, because the core concept was brilliant.

While it’s not a standout title, this game shows what Spiders was aiming for with stories shaped by player choices and complex moral dilemmas. It’s a good starting point if you want to see the beginnings of their distinctive style.

Mars: War Logs

A Shift Towards Space

In Mars: War Logs, Spiders took a step towards more complex and mature games. The game takes place on a Mars colony struggling with political issues and limited resources, and it uniquely combines cyberpunk elements with classic RPG gameplay.

I played as Roy Temperance in this game set in a world totally messed up, where water was worth more than anything. What was really cool was how the story changed depending on who you sided with – there were different factions, and quests that branched out in tons of directions. Plus, your choices actually mattered – how people reacted to you depended on whether you were ‘good’ or ‘bad’. And the fighting? It wasn’t just swords and guns; there was this awesome ‘technomancy’ thing where you used electricity as magic, which fit perfectly into the game’s world.

Mars: War Logs was a notably ambitious game, both in terms of its scope and storytelling. It also became known as a prime example of Spiders’ ability to create detailed and immersive worlds even with limited resources. Despite some technical problems and inconsistencies, the game successfully concluded its story and paved the way for a follow-up title.

Bound by Flame

Back To Fantasy, But Gritty

Following the success of their previous games, Spiders developed Bound by Flame, which embraced a classic dark fantasy style. The game puts players in the role of a mercenary who is possessed by a demon, and must decide whether to give in to the demon’s power or fight against it.

The core gameplay feature influenced both how the game was played and the story that unfolded, letting players make choices that changed their character’s skills, look, and the ending they received. Building relationships with companions – whether friendly, romantic, or competitive – gave players even more control over their experience.

The game unfortunately continued a pattern of issues, including technical problems, bugs, and imbalances in the later stages. While players uninterested in the story might consider this one of the developer’s weakest efforts, those who appreciate the game’s world and lore are likely to overlook these flaws. As with most games from this studio, it’s imperfect, but clearly made with a lot of enthusiasm.

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The Technomancer

Mars, Expanded

Building on the world established in Mars: War Logs, The Technomancer further developed the studio’s science fiction setting. The game returns to Mars and tells the story of Zachariah, a technomancer caught up in political schemes and searching for his place in a strict, controlling society.

The Technomancer built upon almost everything that made the previous game work. It featured a bigger world, quests that felt more connected, and companions who were more involved in both battles and the story. Players could also switch between different fighting styles mid-combat. Despite receiving negative reviews, the game was still fun to play.

Most notably, the game demonstrated a clear improvement in creating believable and detailed game worlds. The developers built a setting with unique groups, backstories, and conflicts, solidifying their standing as creators of engaging, though not flawless, role-playing game environments.

GreedFall

Spiders At Its Best

GreedFall is often seen as the game that really put the studio on the map. It’s set in a fantasy world reminiscent of 17th-century colonial exploration, and players take on the role of a diplomat trying to manage complex political situations on a newly found island.

This game gave players more freedom to make choices than any previous game from the developers. Those choices truly mattered, impacting relationships with different groups, how quests ended, and even the destiny of whole areas. It also looked and sounded better, with smoother animations, better voice acting, and more detailed environments.

The game features a dynamic combat system, letting you fight with swords, magic, and guns, so you can play however you like. What really sets it apart, though, is its story, which explores complex issues like colonialism, negotiations between groups, and clashes between cultures, making it a unique RPG.

Players who enjoy games with varied companions, such as Dragon Age: Origins, found GreedFall to be a welcoming experience. While not flawless, it brilliantly captured the feeling of discovering a new world and challenging your own beliefs.

Steelrising

The Soulslike One

In Steelrising, the developers at Spiders dared to create a challenging action RPG in the style of the Souls games. The game reimagines the French Revolution with a unique twist: you play as a mechanical being fighting against an army of robots controlled by a cruel king.

Steelrising kept the core RPG elements the studio was known for, but made the combat more difficult and action-packed. Players improve their character by finding resources to enhance skills and weapons, and the game uses a checkpoint system similar to those found in Soulslike games.

The game’s unique world was a highlight, cleverly combining historical characters with a steampunk style. It also demonstrated how much Spiders had improved technically, featuring richer environments and smoother, faster combat – all while respecting the player’s time.

Soulslike games are known for being challenging and demanding precise controls, which isn’t usually a strength of Spiders’ games. Despite this, their latest title found an audience and has been well-received by fans, proving to be another win for the studio.

GreedFall: The Dying World

Their Latest Title

The studio’s new game, GreedFall: The Dying World, is a prequel to GreedFall, telling the story of what happened before the first game. It expands on the world of Teer Fradee and adds fresh gameplay features and ways to experience the story.

Combat in the game now focuses more on strategy, with several different ways to play to suit your preferences. You’ll also have more options to customize your character and experience a richer story connected to the game’s different factions, all inspired by the best classic role-playing games.

Unfortunately, GreedFall: The Dying World didn’t prove very popular. Unlike previous games that built on existing worlds (such as The Technomancer), this one felt like a move in the wrong direction – and that wasn’t just because it was a prequel. Despite this, it was still a good game that demonstrated the studio’s willingness to try new things and develop their unique concepts.

2026-05-01 20:35