Age of Fear: The Free World

About

Age of Fear is a seven-year old turn-based strategy series that marries a tabletop wargame with elements of RPG. Age of Fear: The Free World serves as introduction to the series. You can roam the Open World realm, develop their party, find powerful relics and participate in a variety of quests!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 294 reviews

gameplay16 positive mentions

story12 negative mentions

The game offers a nostalgic turn-based strategy experience reminiscent of classic tabletop RPGs, with engaging mechanics and a variety of units to choose from.
It's completely free, providing a substantial amount of content and replayability without any microtransactions or ads, making it a great introduction to the Age of Fear series.
The necromancer class allows players to raise fallen enemies as allies, adding a unique and enjoyable twist to gameplay.

The game lacks a cohesive story or campaign, which can make the gameplay feel repetitive and aimless over time.
There are technical issues, such as freezing during battles and a clunky user interface that can detract from the overall experience.
Some players find the difficulty scaling frustrating, as enemies can become disproportionately challenging despite player upgrades.

gameplay
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
5%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of fun and addictive mechanics, particularly in combat and army management, though it lacks the depth found in more established titles. Players appreciate the nostalgic feel and the variety of strategies available, but some criticize the clunky user interface and outdated graphics. Overall, while the game offers enjoyable mechanics and a solid experience, it may not satisfy those seeking a rich narrative or polished presentation.
- “It's got fun and addictive gameplay with dice-based RNG and lots of power options for you and your troops as you level up.”
- “The gameplay is the strength of this series, and I found the battles here to be as enjoyable as ever.”
- “Fun turn-based gameplay with a fun map overlay, had a Mount and Blade feel to it.”
- “I didn't like the game mechanics.”
- “I tried playing this game for a little while and, though it looks like it has potential, the user interface and basic game mechanics, which should be intuitive, reminded me of a clunky game from the 90s.”
- “The gameplay itself is dry and although the artwork in the game is well done.”
story
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
68%
21%
The game lacks a cohesive story, with many players noting that it primarily focuses on combat mechanics and random encounters rather than a structured narrative. While some enjoy the freedom and randomness of gameplay, others find the absence of a compelling storyline disappointing, suggesting that those seeking a rich narrative should explore other titles in the series. Overall, the game offers minimal storytelling elements, leaving players to engage in battles without a clear overarching objective.
- “I like how you unlock more lore and more story situations as you keep playing.”
- “This, in my opinion, is storytelling done right: you don't have to actively seek out the finer details; instead, they naturally come to you as you progress in the game doing what you enjoy (fighting).”
- “Age of Fear is an interesting series that takes structured storytelling with some mild roguelike elements and RNG; units can permanently die, and your hero units or what collections of units you both bring and level can change.”
- “There's not much story other than side-quests and encounters with slight narrative but nothing to an end it seems.”
- “The campaign map is just a set of scaling missions that you can do in any order, without any interesting dynamics to it as you'd expect from other strategy-RPG games.”
- “Unlike the previous three games, the free world doesn't have a story mode, as such - after you select your faction, you are taken to the map screen and left to your own devices, picking your battles and dealing with random encounters however you best see fit.”
graphics
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
61%
13%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users criticizing the outdated 2D visuals that resemble old flash games or early 90s titles. While some appreciate the sharpness and cartoonish art style, others find the overall aesthetic mediocre and hard to parse, suggesting it lacks the polish expected from modern games. Despite the graphical shortcomings, several players noted that the gameplay remains enjoyable and addictive, indicating that graphics may not be the primary focus for all players.
- “The graphics are sharp, but the UI takes a minute to get used to: scrolling is not edge-scroll, but grab-and-pan, and for a while I was lost as to why things were off the map!”
- “Good graphics and wonderful art style.”
- “I enjoyed the artwork and the effort.”
- “The advert features really lackluster 2D visuals (does the developer not know 3D graphics became mainstream in the mid-1990s?).”
- “I still love the game, it's still like a better version of Battle for Wesnoth... but the graphics, mechanics, and UI are something I'd expect from browser-based flash games, PlayStation 1, or an old 32-bit Windows 7 game... not a 2015-2020 game.”
- “The visual elements don't do it for me, even if usually graphics are not a big concern to me (16-bit era graphics are more than fine in my book), but here it's just ugly and hard to parse.”
monetization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
The monetization of "Age of Fear: The Free World" is primarily criticized for being a thinly veiled advertisement for overpriced retro RPGs, with the cheapest titles starting at $25 and a total potential cost exceeding $230. While the game itself is free to download, it is described as lacking depth and polish, functioning more as a promotional tool than a standalone experience, with minimal pop-up ads and no microtransactions. Overall, players feel misled by its presentation, as it does not deliver the gameplay depth expected from a full game.
- “There are no ads, only the occasional popup (I saw 3-4 in 14 hours) to visit Steam to check out their games.”
- “No microtransactions or anything like this, no ads.”
- “The cheapest of the games this is advertising starts at an eye-watering $25 USD, and this 'advert' keeps throwing popups at you to try to get you to shell out for these stupidly overpriced games.”
- “You can't make this up, the products that this is advertising add up to an insane two hundred and thirty United States dollars... and that's before DLC.”
- “This is only free in the same way that adverts on YouTube and banner ads in your browser are.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
78%
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while some players experience frequent freezes and glitches that render it unplayable, others report a smooth experience, particularly on Linux. Despite the bugs, the developers are noted for their responsiveness and regular updates, which may improve the situation over time. Overall, the game's stability issues significantly impact the experience for many users.
- “Runs great under Linux.”
- “It also runs great on Linux!”
- “Freezes so frequently, it's utterly unplayable.”
- “In full screen mode, it bricks your computer when it freezes.”
- “The game is buggy in places and is missing a lot of quality of life aspects.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the forest soundtracks and joyful battle music, others find the overall sound design lacking, with specific criticisms aimed at repetitive tracks and certain sound effects. Overall, the music enhances the aesthetic experience but could benefit from more variety and refinement.
- “Also love the music, especially the forest soundtracks!”
- “Music, sound effects, aesthetics, and graphics are all there.”
- “I love the background music, the units, and how the different battlegrounds look like.”
- “The team building can be fun, but with the lack of music changes, maintained difficulty, and finalized death sequences, the game can get rather tedious and frustrating.”
- “Sound and music need work, especially the godawful laugh of the spider woman. Anyone who's played the other games will understand.”
- “Music: it's just there.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game boasts high replayability, with players praising the variety of factions and roles that offer unique gameplay experiences. Many users express excitement about exploring different champions and strategies, indicating that the game encourages multiple playthroughs. Overall, the diverse options available contribute to a strong sense of replay value.
- “So right from the start I was excited to choose a faction and then getting to choose a specific hero; I knew I was in for some good replay value.”
- “Each race (and role) is different enough that the replay value remains high.”
- “This game is really replayable, as you can select 5 different factions, each one unique and extensive, and soon there will be six.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating, noting that while team building can be enjoyable, the lack of engaging music, consistent difficulty, and repetitive death sequences contribute to a monotonous experience. Many feel that the grind becomes overwhelming, especially as they progress from easy enemies to challenging foes, leading to a sense of boredom rather than fun.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
- “I love how the grinding mechanics allow for character progression and skill development.”
- “The team building can be fun, but with the lack of music changes, maintained difficulty, and finalized death sequences, the game can get rather tedious and frustrating.”
- “Start off bullying a couple of push-over goblins, and end up grinding against armies of giant monsters.”
- “This game is tedious and has a serious lack of any type of fun to it, and thankfully I got the free download version so I can escape this monotonous game where the only thing it cost me was some data charges.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted as funny and engaging, contributing to a fair and flavorful experience. Players appreciate the lighthearted elements that enhance the overall enjoyment.
- “Funny and engaging.”
- “The RNG feels fair, with lots of flavor and even some humor.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight that the game features significant character development, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and challenges that contribute to the growth of characters throughout the experience.
- “It has a lot of challenge, a lot of team building, and a lot of character development.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is generally well-received, but players have noted significant issues with optimization, impacting overall performance.
- “A very good game but poorly optimized.”
- “The game has great potential, but the optimization issues make it frustrating to play.”
- “Despite its interesting mechanics, the optimization is lacking and leads to frequent performance drops.”

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Age of Fear: The Free World
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7h Median play time

5h Average play time

2-8h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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