The Onyx Threat Descends on Mellunia

The peaceful, elemental world of Mellunia has a new darkness at its heart — and this time, you won’t just survive hordes of enemies. You’ll command, plan, and conquer. Shard Squad: Onyx Rising is the brand-new roguelike auto-battler from The Root Studios, set in the charming universe that players fell in love with when the original Shard Squad launched on Steam in November 2025. Where the first game was a fast-paced bullet heaven about survival and collection, Onyx Rising shifts the lens to tactical depth — putting squad composition, economy management, and high-stakes choices front and centre.

The premise is simple but gripping: corrupting Onyx Shards have appeared across the land, twisting creatures and warping the paths ahead. Your mission? Track them down, purge their influence, and uncover what — or who — is behind this spreading darkness. Every run takes you through a branching map of camps, merchants, battlefields, and mysterious encounters. No two journeys will ever be the same.

Build, Blend, and Battle — Your Squad, Your Strategy

At the core of everything are the Shards themselves — over 20 elemental companions spanning Fire, Electric, Water, Nature, and Crystal types — each with their own stats, abilities, and three unique traits. But in Onyx Rising, the synergy system goes deeper than ever before:

“Unity not only brings strength — it creates entirely new abilities.”

Stack the right elements and traits, and your squad unlocks devastating combo effects. Pair Water with Nature for healing-over-time fields, or overload Fire and Electric to trigger chain explosions. Experimentation isn’t just encouraged — it’s essential. You’ll recruit Shards between battles, balancing immediate power against long-term synergy. And yes — some Shards get along better than others, with friendships and rivalries that add subtle bonuses to your board.

Economy, Choices, and the Road Ahead

This isn’t a game where you just fight and move on. Onyx Rising introduces a full economy layer. Every battle rewards gold and resources — but gold is scarce. Do you spend it at the Merchant on powerful relics and temporary buffs? Save it to recruit a rare Shard you spotted earlier? Or invest in permanent upgrades that persist across runs? Every decision carries weight.

Between battles, you’ll choose your path forward on a branching roguelike map:

• Combat nodes — Standard and elite battles with steady rewards
• Merchants — Buy Shards, relics, and consumables
• Rest sites — Heal your squad or trade resources for a permanent boost
• Mystery events — Risky choices with huge payoffs or painful setbacks
• Onyx Shard locations — The climax of each zone, where corrupted bosses guard the darkness itself

One wrong turn, one underpowered squad composition, one mismanaged gold pool — and the Onyx consumes you. Permadeath means when your squad falls, the run ends. But your knowledge — and certain persistent unlocks — remain.

Familiar Beauty, Fresh Depth

The signature vibrant pixel art style returns, crisp and colourful as ever, making every elemental ability pop against Mellunia’s lush forests, glowing caves, and ashen Onyx-corrupted zones. But beneath that cute exterior lies a game that respects your intelligence. The auto-battler format means positioning matters, timing matters, and understanding how your Shards interact is more important than raw numbers. You set up your formation, equip relics that alter behaviour, then watch the chaos unfold — tweaking your setup between rounds to counter what’s coming next.

It’s a sweet spot for roguelike fans: accessible enough to pick up in 20 minutes, but deep enough to keep you mastering builds for dozens of hours.

The Verdict — Light Meets Shadow

Shard Squad: Onyx Rising feels like a natural evolution for The Root Studios’ universe. It takes what worked — charming creature design, satisfying synergy systems, and that “just one more run” roguelike pull — and layers on meaningful decision-making and strategic depth without overcomplicating things. Whether you’re returning to Mellunia or stepping through its gates for the first time, the Onyx Shards are waiting — and only a perfectly harmonised squad can banish the darkness.

Ready to hunt the Onyx?

Find out more here: Shard Squad Onyx Rising

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