I’m excited to talk about LIZARDS MUST DIE by the Bratans and published by Smola Game Studio. User reviews rave about quick battles and a fun upgrade system. One player said the warriors shout funny lines in fights. That humor pairs well with the deep combat I love. The game’s combo system feels tight, like For Honor but with more speed. I see this title pushing action into new territory by blending Slavic lore with fast strikes.
I dug into every side quest around Baikal and Tyva. The SteosVoice acting shines in both Russian and English. I found hidden scrolls by the forests that quote real Slavic texts. One reviewer wished the game was longer. True, it lacks extra missions now. But the developers hinted on their blog they plan more free updates. That news gives me hope to fill every corner soon.
I felt like a true explorer in Hyperborea. The map opens up after you clear holy sites. I chased secret camps of lizards behind ice cliffs. The dev team at Smola said they built the world with real geography in mind. That makes each valley feel alive. I compared it to Ghost of Tsushima’s roaming feel but with low-poly art. It’s wild and fresh.
I timed my first run at twenty-eight minutes. The “Thunderclaps of Perun” skill helps me skip long fights. I talk about quick routes through enemy camps in my streams. The game’s speed focus matches my style. I saw a review note the game feels short. I spin that into a plus for speedrunners—short and fun.
Let’s dive into controls. The dual‑sword stance of Vseslav the Sorcerer feels snappy and responsive, with each blade swing landing exactly where you aim. You chain light and heavy attacks with fluid timing, seamlessly weaving in dodge rolls and overhead strikes. According to the devs, they drew inspiration from classic beat‑’em‑ups like Streets of Rage to nail that satisfying rhythm, even incorporating frame‑perfect combo windows. I love how the shield parry ties into perks from drinking Baikal water—land a well‑timed block, and the next heavy attack gains a burst of frost damage, perfectly reinforcing the cold‑water lore.
I found an environmental trick in the frost‑clad forest: you can push fallen logs to block lizard chargers before they pounce, creating makeshift ramparts. It fits the push‑pull puzzles I adore, where momentum and weight feel believable. No other Slavic war game I know has this level of tactile world interaction. It even reminds me of the simple yet clever traps in Senua’s Saga, but here it’s stripped down to a pure, physics‑driven moment of strategy.
The story hooked me fast. We fight a green plague that invades holy Rus, corrupting villages and war camps alike—simple but epic in scale. The lore pops up in whispered dialogue by wandering monks and carved wall runes you can decipher to unlock side quests. I truly felt my hero’s duty to honor his ancestors, especially during the mid‑chapter feast sequence where ancestral visions guide your path. Best of all, pacing stays smooth—there are no big lulls, just a steady rise in stakes with each new region you clear.
Audio builds tension. The drum beats in “Fraternal Onslaught of the Slavs” ramp up before boss fights. Voice acting sometimes stumbles, but jokes land. I mute some lines for speedruns.
Visually, the color palette for LIZARDS MUST DIE uses cold blues for frozen marshes and fiery reds for blood‑soaked battlegrounds, creating stark contrast that feels vivid even on low‑end PCs. I ran it on a GTX 1050 at stable 60 fps with medium settings, and on my older laptop I saw only minor slowdowns during huge siege battles—proof of solid optimization by Smola Game Studio.
Characters stand out from the start. Radislav Bagirov wields sword and shield with a tank‑like stance, specializing in heavy guard breaks, while Drocheslav son of Sergeus feels almost immortal with his life‑steal perks and relentless skirmish style. Each comes with unique skill trees—Radislav’s branching defense upgrades complement Drocheslav’s aggressive crit‑chance builds. I like how you pick your hero at the start, instantly shaping how you’ll approach every encounter.
The game levels up in waves of enemy incursions. You begin with simple foot soldiers, then gradually face archers, cavalry, and finally pure chaos at wave ten—complete with plague‑spawned champions and environmental hazards. That difficulty curve feels fair, rewarding you for learning parry timing and environmental control before everything goes haywire.
For replayability, you can switch heroes and test out new combo chains or shield‑bash rush builds. I plan runs on all three archetypes and can’t wait to find the hidden shrine near that waterfall in the northern hills—rumor says it grants a secret ice‑enhanced glaive. Achievements also unlock fun secrets, like a secret co‑op arena where two Sorcerers join forces against mythic bosses.
Smola Game Studio said they will add new heroes soon, with plans for a stealth‑focused ranger and a berserker clan warrior in the next free update—boosting replay value even more.
Final thoughts—LIZARDS MUST DIE brings fresh Slavic action. It stands out with raw art, fast fights, and homegrown lore. It may feel short now, but updates loom. If you love tight combat and epic roots, give it a go.
Similar games you might like include Valheim, For Honor, Ghost of Tsushima, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and Hades. Each title blends unique strengths: Valheim offers Norse survival, crafting, and co‑op against mythic beasts; For Honor delivers feudal sword‑and‑shield combat; Ghost of Tsushima invites you to roam a vibrant samurai open world; Hellblade immerses you in a dark Celtic tale with powerful voice acting; and Hades thrills with fast-paced underworld runs ideal for speedrunners.
