7 Grand Steps: What Ancients Begat
- June 7, 2013
- Mousechief
- 16h median play time
Get on Steam"7 Grand Steps: What Ancients Begat" is a narrative-driven game that follows the journey of a family over generations as they survive and navigate the rise of western civilization. Gameplay involves spending tokens to traverse the wheel of life and earn tokens by taking risks, with strategies evolving over time to create a unique family story. The game explores ancient western culture through family strategy, drama, and various challenges.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of board game mechanics and storytelling, allowing players to guide a family through generations in ancient times.
- It has a compelling narrative that evolves with each generation, creating emotional investment in the characters and their fates.
- The gameplay is addictive, with a 'just one more turn' feel that keeps players engaged for hours.
- The game can become repetitive and grindy, with many players feeling that the mechanics lack depth after a few hours.
- Random events can feel unfair and lead to frustrating outcomes, often punishing players for decisions that seem out of their control.
- The lack of a sequel or continuation leaves players feeling unsatisfied, as the game ends abruptly without a proper conclusion.
- gameplay84 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mix of engaging storytelling and board game mechanics, allowing players to navigate through the complexities of family life and social status over generations. However, many reviewers noted that it can become repetitive and lacks depth, with mechanics often feeling random and poorly explained. While some appreciate the unique approach and narrative focus, others find the gameplay confusing and lacking in strategic engagement, leading to a mixed reception overall.
“But the gameplay is well balanced and it has a fascinating story to tell.”
“I was particularly impressed with the way the game models relationships, demonstrates a person's lifetime growth, and represents interpersonal conflict through mechanics.”
“It's a game of chance where you build the story of your family over time and it has a few interesting mechanics.”
“Gameplay is boring and repetitive.”
“Unfortunately, the gameplay is very boring and simplistic and therefore did not make me want to continue playing.”
“The lives of the characters in the game feel beyond any meaningful influence, and each turn eventually feels mechanical.”
- story78 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is a central focus, offering a unique narrative experience that spans generations and evolves with the player's choices, though it can become convoluted and repetitive at times. While the writing is praised for its charm and ability to evoke historical contexts, some players find it lacking in depth and clarity, leading to mixed feelings about the overall storytelling quality. Despite these criticisms, the game is recommended for those who appreciate intricate storytelling intertwined with gameplay mechanics, particularly in a board game format.
“It is a story-focused game with a unique and well-realized flavor.”
“The culture does evolve over the game, so the time period actually spans from a hunter-gatherer era to agrarianism, and the in-game events, technology options, and story events change over the course of the game to match the time period.”
“It's an interesting concept, with compelling storytelling, and a decent single-player board game-like experience.”
“But, bottom line, because of the writing style of the story events, the narrative isn't always clear.”
“Only to realize I didn't care at all about the family, their story, or even what I was doing in terms of gameplay.”
“While the various storylines you'll encounter are somewhat engaging, they are often hopelessly vague.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the simple yet satisfying "animated boardgame" style and well-done art assets, while others criticize the overall aesthetic as uninspired and plagued by serious issues, including crashes and UI problems. The visuals are described as lightweight and fitting for the game's mechanics, but not appealing to those seeking high-quality graphics. Overall, the game's graphical presentation seems to align with its unique concept, though it may not satisfy all players.
“The graphics are in a simple but satisfying 'animated boardgame' style, and key 'events' in the lives of family members are played out as a series of choices in a narrative.”
“I loved the concept of this game, fun gameplay, awesome aesthetics, and good unobtrusive music.”
“Beautiful graphics, immersive music, and innovative gameplay!”
“Graphics are bad, gameplay is confusing and music gets old so fast.”
“The game is not for those who crave action and slick graphics, obviously.”
“The mechanics are there but the graphics, play engine, UI, etc. are so not there.”
- grinding11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious, repetitive, and reliant on random events, leading to a lack of player agency and immersion. While some players appreciate the charm of interactive story events and the innovative concept, many find the experience becomes a slog after a few hours, with little sense of progression or victory. Overall, the game struggles to balance engaging gameplay with the grind, often leaving players feeling frustrated.
“The game is tedious, long, and relies upon random events that you have very little control over.”
“It just lacked immersion, and the mechanics can become repetitive, resulting in a grinding slog.”
“I was really excited when I read about this game, but after just 10 hours of play, it's become unbearably tedious.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it immersive and well-suited to the game's atmosphere, others feel it becomes tiresome quickly. Overall, the music is praised for enhancing the ambience, but there are criticisms regarding its repetitiveness and the need for variety.
“I loved the concept of this game, fun gameplay, awesome aesthetics, and good unobtrusive music.”
“Beautiful graphics, immersive music, and innovative gameplay!”
“The music and sounds in What Ancients Begat are superb and really add a lot to the overall ambience and immersion of the game.”
“The music gets tiresome and it sucks having to go back to previous class/age.”
“Graphics are bad, gameplay is confusing, and music gets old so fast.”
“7 Grand Steps: What Ancients Begat is a game made essentially by one man (he outsourced music and art assets, I believe).”
- replayability5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its multiple divergent storylines and choices that affect the narrative, encouraging players to explore different family paths. While some players noted a lack of closure with the ending, the overall storytelling quality enhances the desire to replay the game.
“Still, the storytelling is lovely, and it's a game that is highly replayable.”
“And it has a lot of built-in replayability, as you could play through multiple times to see the divergent stories of different families.”
“Plenty of replay value, simply based on choices in story events.”
“[i]Replayability[/i]: there is a bit of replayability in this game.”
- stability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed; while some players report a smooth experience with minimal glitches, others encounter increasing bugs and issues, particularly in the later stages of the game. Notably, certain events can lead to game-breaking situations, affecting progression. Overall, the stability varies significantly among users.
“It definitely loses the plot somewhere in the second act, gets increasingly buggy as the game progresses, and I'm not honestly sure if there's an actual conclusion, but it's still a very interesting game to play.”
“Aside from a couple of glitches, I found this game to be a very engaging representation of what are essentially board game mechanics.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is profoundly impactful, as it explores themes of loss and the challenges of providing for future generations. Players feel a deep connection to the characters through their struggles, making the experience resonate on a personal level unlike any other strategy game.
“Having your only child die is heartbreaking.”
“The struggle to find the best way to provide for your children's future has real emotional weight.”
“It's deceptively simple, and it is simple, but the stories and the work it takes to raise many generations, one after the other, emotionally invest you in the characters like no other strategy game I've played.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is cleverly integrated, masking its superficiality while providing a comedic experience that becomes more apparent as players progress. It blends historical and strategic elements with casual gameplay, resulting in a funny and engaging atmosphere.
“It hides its shallowness well, and while it’s hilariously easy to game the system at later stages, it’s not particularly obvious at first.”
“Funny game, a sort of historical/strategic/casual/sim game...”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization aspect of the game involves selecting a child to undertake rites of passage, which directly influences their performance and the titles and attributes they gain, impacting overall gameplay progression.
“The optimization of character attributes through the rites of passage system adds a strategic layer to gameplay, making each choice impactful.”
“I love how the optimization process allows for unique character builds, giving players the freedom to tailor their experience.”
“The way optimization is integrated into the game encourages thoughtful decision-making, enhancing the overall depth of the gameplay.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a pleasing atmospheric interface that enhances the overall experience, complemented by straightforward mouse click gameplay.
“The atmospheric interface is beautifully designed, making the gameplay feel immersive and engaging.”
“The game creates a captivating atmosphere that draws you in and keeps you hooked.”
“The combination of sound and visuals creates a rich atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
