Atari launched a brutally tough Metroidvania the same day as Silksong

When Team Cherry finally confirmed Hollow Knight: Silksong would launch on September 4, the indie scene scrambled. Games like Demonschool, Baby Steps, and Little Witch in the Woods all wisely shifted their release windows, not wanting to compete with one of the most anticipated sequels of the decade.

But not Atari. The publisher went ahead and released Adventure of Samsara, a Castlevania-inspired Metroidvania from Brazilian indie studio Ilex Games, on the very same day. Silksong soared to over half a million concurrent players within hours. Samsara?

Twelve. That’s right—at launch, its peak concurrent player count on Steam was just 12.

A tough break for a tough game

Here’s the thing: Adventure of Samsara doesn’t look bad at all. In fact, it’s stylish, weighty, and nails the “hard-but-fair” formula that Metroidvania fans usually adore. Its pixel art shines, the sword-swinging combat feels satisfying, and the difficulty curve hits that sweet spot of “easy enough to start, punishing when it matters.” The only real nitpick is that the player character might look a bit small on-screen. On almost any other release day, it could’ve been a cult hit with Soulslike enthusiasts.

Instead, releasing alongside Silksong meant being completely drowned out. Maybe the game sold more than its concurrent numbers suggest—perhaps buyers picked it up but chose to dive into Silksong first. But it’s hard not to see the timing as disastrous.

Poor promotion didn’t help

What makes matters worse is the lack of marketing support. Atari seems to have done little to promote the game: no real press release, minimal buzz, and barely a whisper on official channels. Samsara was announced just three months before launch, then quietly dropped across PC and consoles on the single worst day possible for a niche 2D platformer.

A hidden gem buried alive

Despite the rough start, Samsara has been warmly received by the handful who found it. Its 12 Steam reviews are glowing, with words like “wonderful” and “awesome.” It’s also picked up solid professional scores, including an 8/10 from Video Chums and a 7/10 from Nintendo Life.

In short, Adventure of Samsara may be a worthy Metroidvania that never got the spotlight it deserved—all thanks to one colossal scheduling mistake.