Play Ariana and the Elder Codex on Windows PC

Ariana and the Elder Codex on PC is a 2D side-scrolling action RPG set inside a fantasy world where ancient books become living, corrupted novels. You play as Ariana Virellis, a powerful magical librarian who protects a vast library and can enter the stories contained within the world’s books. When the Seven Hero Codices are vandalized and magic disappears from the realm, Ariana must travel through these damaged tomes, defeat the monsters that have taken over their pages, repair the corruption, and restore magic to civilization. The game combines hand-drawn anime presentation with interconnected Metroidvania exploration, story-driven fantasy, and combat that asks you to think about elemental matchups rather than simply attack everything in front of you. Each world is both a setting and part of a larger restoration mission, with NPC interactions and library lore adding context to Ariana’s journey. Exploration is built around revisiting areas after gaining new abilities, turning previously unreachable paths into opportunities for discovery, upgrades, and progress toward repairing the codices. On PC, the larger display makes it easier to read the visual layout of side-scrolling stages, spot environmental hazards, and keep track of alternate routes when you return to earlier areas with new elemental mobility skills.

Combat is the center of Ariana’s moment-to-moment loop, blending fast hack-and-slash action with tactical JRPG-style spell choices. Ariana can wield Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind magic, exploiting elemental weaknesses and using spells to break an enemy’s posture. Once a foe is stunned, you can follow with explosive combos for heavy critical damage, while boss battles demand careful spell timing, quick dodges, and attention to enemy openings. Restoring each corrupted codex also unlocks an elemental form change, allowing Ariana to channel a chosen element for increased spell power, new navigation abilities, and bursts of elemental damage when she impacts enemies or the environment. The customization system gives the combat loop lasting flexibility: more than 30 spells and abilities can be mixed across six dynamic slots, supporting approaches such as a defensive tank build or an all-out elemental mage setup. Magic Items and accessories add another layer of preparation. You can unlock and craft equipment that reduces knockback, improves critical hit rates, accelerates health recovery, or greatly increases elemental stats, then equip up to five accessories while staying within the equipment cost limit. PC keyboard-and-mouse controls also provide practical advantages when switching between spells, managing a six-slot loadout, and reacting to posture breaks or elemental opportunities during busy encounters. Beyond regular stages and boss fights, Altered Points introduce specialized Repair Point challenges: technical time-attack platforming courses filled with traps that test precision movement and route planning. Clearing them efficiently earns permanent HP upgrades and other rewards, giving exploration and repeated practice a meaningful role in Ariana’s growth. Ariana and the Elder Codex is exclusive to Crunchyroll Mega and Ultimate Fan Memberships.