A Crown of Sorcery and Steel

About

In "A Crown of Sorcery and Steel," become an adventurer in a war-torn fantasy realm, deciding your path as an elf, orc, dwarf, or human. Fight against the tyrannical queen and her army of iron constructs, or make your living through plundering dungeons and helping people. Your choices determine the outcome in this 450,000-word interactive novel by Josh Labelle.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

53%

Audience ScoreBased on 15 reviews

The game offers a good standard adventure with a lot of freedom to shape your character's personality and choices.
The romance options, particularly with the queen and the elf mage, are engaging and add depth to the story.
The game has a satisfying ending that ties up loose ends and features an entertaining cast of characters.

The writing lacks depth, with many conversations feeling rushed and characters being easily forgettable.
The game suffers from railroading, limiting player choices to binary options that can feel uninteresting and forced.
Technical issues and bugs can disrupt gameplay, making it feel unpolished and frustrating at times.

story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
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25%
The game's story is described as mediocre, lacking depth and coherence, with choices that feel forced and irrelevant. While it features multiple character arcs and faction narratives, the overall plot is criticized for being linear and unengaging, leaving players wanting a more compelling and meaningful experience.
- “Each character has their own plot going on.”
- “One, although the game seems to pressure you into solving all the factions' problems each game, you are rewarded by concentrating on completing your faction story first.”
- “The story is nice.”
- “In a story where you end up being the main hero/villain, it sure doesn't feel like it when the NPCs have their own main character moments happening constantly.”
- “There is no story here, it's just a railroaded action adventure, and not a terribly interesting one at that.”
- “Other parts of the story just make no sense.”
gameplay
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
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Players appreciate the "tabletop RPG" mechanic, which provides clear feedback on how decisions impact relationships and story progression, enhancing their ability to navigate choices and pursue specific paths or romances effectively.
- “I played using the 'tabletop RPG' mechanic, which shows how your decisions will be viewed by others in the game. This makes it much easier to stick to your chosen path or romance.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly immersive, allowing for deep character development and meaningful choices that impact the story.”
- “I love how the mechanics encourage strategic thinking and collaboration, making every session feel unique and engaging.”
- “The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I found the controls to be clunky and unresponsive, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
- “The pacing of the game is off, with long stretches of downtime that make it difficult to maintain interest.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
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Users indicate that while the game may not inherently encourage replayability, some players feel motivated to replay it to explore its potential value in that aspect.
- “I pushed myself to replay it to see the replayability value.”
- “The game offers so many different paths and choices that I found myself wanting to play it again and again.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the dynamic events and character interactions.”
- “I pushed myself to replay it just to see if there was any replayability value.”
- “After finishing the game once, I found no incentive to play it again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices made replaying the game feel pointless.”
graphics
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
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The graphics feature a mix of styles, notably with NPC portraits that diverge significantly from the game's thumbnail art, creating a visually inconsistent experience.
- “The game features beautifully crafted portraits of various NPCs, showcasing a wildly different art style from the thumbnail.”
- “The graphics are stunning, with vibrant colors and intricate details that bring the world to life.”
- “The character designs are impressive, blending unique art styles that enhance the overall visual experience.”
- “The writer included portraits of some NPCs, which have a wildly different art style from the thumbnail.”
- “The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
- “Character models are poorly designed and lack detail, making them look lifeless.”