Abalon

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 248 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • replayability
Abalon Game Cover
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"Abalon is a single-player, open world fantasy game with exceptional mechanics and good graphics, blending real-time exploration and turn-based combat inspired by tabletop classics like Hero Quest and Magic: The Gathering. Embark on perilous quests, discover secrets, and engage in tactical battles with unit positioning, cards, and the roll of a D20, meeting unique characters, solving mysteries, and encountering mutated rabbits and goblin parties."

  • PC
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 248 reviews
gameplay21 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • The game offers a great blend of strategy and deck-building mechanics, providing a unique gameplay experience that captures the essence of tabletop RPGs.
  • The developer is highly responsive to community feedback, regularly updating the game and addressing player concerns, which enhances the overall experience.
  • There is a significant amount of variation in gameplay due to the diverse summoners, cards, and tactical options available, leading to high replayability.
  • The graphics and overall presentation may feel simplistic or reminiscent of mobile games, which could deter some players.
  • Some players have reported issues with balance, particularly regarding certain summoners being underpowered or encounters feeling unbalanced.
  • The game can become repetitive over time, especially if players feel they have exhausted the available content or strategies.
  • gameplay80 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a unique blend of tactical turn-based mechanics and deck-building elements, allowing for strategic depth and engaging combat. Players appreciate the variety of summoner classes, card interactions, and the ongoing development that introduces new content, although some mechanics can be unclear and require time to master. Overall, the game offers a satisfying and addictive gameplay loop, despite some initial learning curves and repetitive map layouts.

    • “Exploring the maps is fun, the battles are strategic, and the card mechanics are refreshingly different. The game mostly focuses on summons.”
    • “Fun and engaging strategic gameplay with a game loop that makes you want to play again and again to find new interesting card interactions.”
    • “The gameplay is very easy and intuitive, the characters are fun, the abilities are interesting, and you keep unlocking new stuff and finding new combos every time you play.”
    • “It's this type of uneven gameplay that keeps me from continuing to play or recommend it strongly.”
    • “The mechanics, storytelling, map design, encounter design, and the art are all weak.”
    • “The discard mechanic (which is pretty important) is never explained in the tutorial, but is mentioned in the lore that you might get if you're searching for it.”
  • graphics33 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed feedback, with some players initially finding the cartoon-like art style off-putting, while others appreciate its charm and unique top-down perspective. Many reviewers highlight the high quality of the pixel art and the attention to detail, noting that the visuals grow on you over time and effectively convey gameplay information. Overall, while the graphics may not be immediately impressive, they are considered well-executed and contribute positively to the game's appeal.

    • “The art style and unique top-down perspective, while at first glance may seem off-putting with its cartoon-like quality, is clearly an artistic decision and is extremely well done.”
    • “It's a game with surprisingly high quality graphical fidelity and a level of detail that you would never expect from an indie game.”
    • “Gorgeous graphics, excellent tutorial, and compelling gameplay that makes you want to stay in for just one more battle!”
    • “The only con would be the graphics - overall it feels more like a mobile game.”
    • “The graphics were a turn-off for me years ago when I tried the demo of Summoner's Fate.”
    • “It's not going to wow you with its story, and its graphics are the sort that grow on you rather than immediately enrapturing you, but the gameplay is tight, neat, and mentally stimulating.”
  • replayability13 mentions

    The game boasts high replayability due to its extensive variety of unlockable characters, cards, and modes, alongside dynamic maps and encounters that change with each playthrough. Players appreciate the flexibility in gameplay and the different strategies that can be employed, making each session feel fresh and engaging. However, some feel it could benefit from additional features to enhance its replay value further.

    • “Overall amazing game worth the price and has a lot of replayability with so many different characters, cards, and random dungeons.”
    • “The flexibility of the system, as well as the sheer variation in characters and cards, makes this game incredibly replayable. Not to mention there's now different modes you can play, like survival or skirmish modes.”
    • “The variety of enemies, cards, and creatures, as well as interactive objects on the battle map, ensure that you have some solid replay value.”
    • “The flexibility of the system, as well as the sheer variation in characters and cards, makes this game incredibly replayable (not to mention there's now different modes you can play, like survival or skirmish modes).”
    • “In addition, an element of randomness is introduced as the map and encounters change during each adventure dive, so yeah...there is replayability.”
    • “The variety of enemies, cards and creatures, as well as interactive objects on the battle map ensure that you have some solid replay value.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its cleverness and integration into gameplay and storytelling. Many highlight the fun scripted encounters and the variety of humorous elements, though some feel there could be more comedic content. Overall, the humor complements the game's engaging mechanics and artwork, contributing to a positive player experience.

    • “I love the humor, I love the gameplay, and I look forward to the next iteration of this game and hopefully the many more games you release.”
    • “The game has some fun scripted encounters and a pleasant sense of humor.”
    • “Every card has its own 3D forms and it has many random events, and some of them are funny!”
  • story8 mentions

    The game's story is not its primary focus, as it is a roguelike that emphasizes gameplay over narrative depth. While the storytelling and map design are considered weak, some players appreciate the humor and well-written lore pieces that enhance the experience. Overall, the story is engaging enough to support the gameplay but is unlikely to leave a lasting impression.

    • “I also like the artwork, and the slightly humorous without being overkill story.”
    • “It's not going to wow you with its story, and its graphics are the sort that grow on you rather than immediately enrapturing you, but the gameplay is tight, neat, and mentally stimulating.”
    • “- Lore pieces are well written with seemingly little to no grammatical or spelling errors and all contribute to the story.”
    • “This is a roguelike and not a story-driven game - you progress through stages, ultimately fighting the boss to move on to the next stage and get as far as you can.”
    • “The mechanics, storytelling, map design, encounter design, and the art are all weak.”
    • “It's not going to wow you with its story, and its graphics are the sort that grow on you rather than immediately enrapturing you, but the gameplay is tight, neat, and mentally stimulating.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players appreciate that the game avoids the typical grind associated with roguelites, maintaining strategic depth and variety in gameplay. However, some find the world exploration and certain tasks, like unlocking decks in battle mode, can become tedious and time-consuming, requiring significant farming hours. Overall, while the game offers engaging mechanics, it can still lead to repetitive elements that detract from the experience.

    • “While the map layout/events can eventually get repetitive and destroying crates is tedious as all hell, Abalon's gameplay loop and strategic depth makes this a must-play for me.”
    • “Great variety of decks, cards, and heroes, but the world exploration gets a little tedious after a while.”
    • “It takes a long time to unlock some of the decks in battle mode, which can be approximately 20+ hours of farming.”
  • music5 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its quality and suitability, enhancing the overall experience. However, some users find it forgettable, indicating a mixed reception. Overall, the sound design, including music and sound effects, contributes positively to the game's atmosphere.

    • “It's also worth mentioning that the music and overall sound quality of the game is very good.”
    • “The animations are great, the card choices add depth, and the music is perfect.”
    • “Both the graphics and music are pleasant; I like it.”
    • “The music is forgettable.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The game is highly praised for its optimization, running smoothly even on low-end hardware without causing the fan to activate, indicating efficient performance management. Users report no performance issues, highlighting a well-optimized experience.

    • “I must praise the performance optimizations: the fan doesn't go on on my potato laptop.”
    • “The game runs smoothly and I have not had performance issues.”
    • “No performance issues.”
    • “I must praise the performance optimizations: the fan doesn't go on on my potato laptop.”
    • “No performance issues.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be highly engaging, noting that the music effectively enhances the atmosphere and immerses them in the experience, unlike other games with less compelling narratives. The emotional tone set by the soundtrack contributes significantly to the overall enjoyment and connection to the game world.

    • “Each track makes you really feel the environment you're in, or sets an emotional tone that helps immerse you in the world.”
    • “The storylines are deeply moving, leaving a lasting impact that resonates long after the game is over.”
    • “The character development is so rich and relatable that you can't help but form emotional connections with them.”
    • “The emotional depth of the characters felt shallow and unconvincing, leaving me disconnected from their struggles.”
    • “I expected a gripping narrative, but the emotional moments fell flat and lacked the impact I was hoping for.”
    • “The game tried to evoke feelings, but the execution was so poor that it ended up feeling forced and artificial.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect is generally viewed positively, with users appreciating the game's value for money despite initial impressions from its advertisement graphics, which may resemble a mobile game. The clean and crisp pixel art further enhances the perception of worth.

    • “The monetization model feels overly aggressive, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
    • “It's frustrating that essential features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending extra.”
    • “The constant prompts to purchase in-game currency detract from the overall experience and make it feel more like a cash grab.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report a smooth experience with no glitches, others note that it remains buggy in early access. However, the developers are actively addressing issues and implementing fixes, which is encouraging for future updates.

    • “Very easy to get lost in this game; still buggy, but it's early access and the dev is super responsive to the bugs and implementing fixes.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development is praised for its engaging design and cultural references, which enhance the overall experience and often provide humorous moments, contributing to a satisfying gameplay atmosphere.

    • “The character development is incredibly rich, with each character having a unique backstory that adds depth to the overall narrative.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game; their growth feels organic and meaningful, making me truly invested in their journeys.”
    • “The attention to detail in character design and animations enhances the emotional connection I feel with each character, making their development all the more satisfying.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a blend of turn-based tactics and deck-building elements, infused with a distinct Dungeons & Dragons flair, creating an immersive and engaging experience for players.

    • “Combines turn-based tactics with deck-building elements and an atmospheric D&D flair.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

30hMedian play time
38hAverage play time
15-69hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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