Aragami arrived in the middle of 2016, when stealth seemed relegated to secondary elements within the big AAA titles. Barcelona-based studio Lince Works—a university-born team, then almost unknown—released on October 4th a game reminiscent of Tenchu in its ambition and of certain indie games of the time in its minimalism. Its premise was captivating: embody a vengeful spirit who can only survive in the shadows and who turns darkness into raw material to navigate through environments inspired by feudal Japan. In a time of fireworks, that simple and pure approach felt like a breath of fresh air.

The core mechanic consists of instant teleportation between dark areas, fueled by an "essence" bar that recharges only when the character remains motionless in the darkness. Everything revolves around that restriction: light burns, shadow gives life. The player ends up reading the map like a chess game of spotlights and darkness, calculating routes that allow them to connect the ledge, the roof, and the lamppost before the power runs out. There's no direct combat—a mistake means instant death—so every step feels measured. This slow, almost tactical pace will delight genre purists and may irritate those seeking immediate action.

The level design reinforces the idea. Each chapter is a vertical, relatively open diorama that offers alternative paths, strategic heights, and dangerous shortcuts; the cel-shading palette uses saturated reds and ochres so that the light/shadow contrast also functions as a visual language, intelligible at a glance. The downside is the artificial intelligence: the guards comply, but their patterns are quickly memorized and they rarely improvise, so the sense of hunting can fade after the first few attempts.

In narrative terms, the adventure draws on Japanese folklore of spirits, clans, and oaths that serves as a guiding thread without stealth ... The Nightfall expansion, included in the Shadow Edition released on June 5, 2018, added a roughly three-hour prologue and revamped powers that enrich the package without distorting its essence.

The saga's commercial lifespan was enough to fund a sequel in 2021, although the studio's journey ended abruptly: on March 7, 2023, Lince Works announced the cessation of all activity and the cancellation of future projects, although it promised to keep the servers and digital sales of both titles operational.

This closure gives Aragami—and its sequel—an almost posthumous legacy within Spanish development.

Nine years after its release, the game retains its virtues intact: the clarity of its gameplay core, an unmistakable artistic direction, and a balance between challenge and accessibility that few indie stealth games have achieved. Its limitations—conservative AI, difficulty spikes on certain bosses, and a functional narrative—are still there, but they rarely detract from the experience. If you're into planning down to the last detail, slipping unseen, and turning every bluff into a puzzle, Aragami remains a must-have; for players who prefer head-on action, it may be a bit rough, but even then its aesthetic identity is well worth a try.