Anvil Saga

About

In "Anvil Saga," players transform a struggling blacksmith shop into a thriving business, dealing with various characters while managing workers and facilities to create better merchandise. Players must also make decisions and deal with the consequences as they maintain relationships and reputation with various factions. The game offers endless variety with room construction, furniture, and décor to create the smithy of your dreams, while avoiding grave consequences such as being beheaded.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 705 reviews

story68 positive mentions

stability47 negative mentions

Charming pixel art and engaging story with humorous characters.
Interesting gameplay mechanics that involve managing resources and making impactful decisions.
Active developer support with regular updates and bug fixes.

Game is currently very short, with only about 2-3 hours of content in story mode.
Numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with saving and UI disappearing.
Lack of depth in gameplay mechanics, leading to repetitive tasks and limited replayability.

story
278 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
73%
3%
The story in the game is described as simple yet engaging, featuring branching decisions that impact gameplay and character interactions. However, many players report significant bugs that hinder quest progression, such as broken timers and incomplete objectives, leading to frustration and a sense of incompleteness in the narrative. While the initial story content is enjoyable and charming, it is often criticized for being short and repetitive, with players expressing hope for future updates to expand the storyline and fix existing issues.
- “The story is fun, gameplay is engaging.”
- “The arts are fun, the story is interesting to follow, and the character cameos are pretty funny.”
- “The story is simple yet touching and believable with an uplifting trajectory that goes surprisingly far above many others.”
- “The game swamps you with orders and timed story quests and doesn't give you enough time to do them, then punishes you severely for not completing them.”
- “Unfortunately hit two soft lock bugs, which locked progress in story mode.”
- “The game tops out of content and new stuff to do around 3 hours in, after that it is the same repeated monotonous special order cycle and every 30 minutes or so you get a major plot point which is underwhelming most of the time.”
gameplay
144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
55%
6%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the engaging core mechanics and charming atmosphere, while others criticize it for being repetitive and shallow, particularly as the game progresses. Some users noted that the upgrade system lacks depth and that bugs and balance issues detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game offers a satisfying progression loop and enjoyable resource management elements, making it a decent choice for those seeking a casual gaming experience.
- “Great game, amazing easter eggs, and once you get hold of the mechanics, it is very fast-paced and fun.”
- “The gameplay loop is fun and engaging.”
- “Overall, the gameplay is the important part of the game; you have a satisfying progression loop, and so far there have been meaningful choices for the player to make.”
- “I liked it at first, but the shallow upgrade system, one-note gameplay, the lack of balance, and the tedium all built up to the point where I couldn't be bothered to replay from about 2/3 of the way through the game to get the different endings.”
- “I reckon the life of an actual blacksmith wouldn't be that much more interesting than the life of the main character, making it a quite accurate blacksmith simulator, but man is the gameplay loop of this game boring and repetitive.”
- “My main gripe is that it is a story game disguised as a management game and, while the story was surprisingly decent, the gameplay was shallow, the mechanics were poorly explained and didn't really work together very much, like unconnected ideas, and there are still some bugs and UI annoyances that needed some ironing out.”
stability
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which significantly impact gameplay and often require players to restart or reload saves. While many users find the core gameplay enjoyable and see potential for improvement, the overall stability is described as poor, with many considering it unplayable in its current state. Despite some positive aspects, the consensus is that the game feels unfinished and requires substantial quality-of-life updates to address its stability issues.
- “The game is literally too buggy to be playable at this point, unfortunately.”
- “This game is a buggy mess.”
- “The actual game is nice, but it's so buggy right now, it's basically unplayable.”
graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
39%
8%
The graphics of the game have received positive feedback for their charming and cute art style, often described as colorful pixel art that evokes nostalgia. Many players appreciate the smooth visuals and how well they complement the gameplay and overall experience, although some note that the aesthetic may not align perfectly with the game's themes. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's enjoyable atmosphere, making it visually appealing to fans of similar titles.
- “The graphics are smooth and cute, the style is almost cartoonish but the subdued color palette adds a bit of a realistic feel anyway.”
- “The graphics are charming and contribute to an altogether enjoyable experience.”
- “Beautiful graphics, simple but interesting story.”
- “I would recommend that they do not tie progress to aesthetic elements in the game.”
- “The graphics are very cute but 'realistic' and it sounds alright too.”
- “+ gorgeous pixel graphics, but a little low resolution.”
music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
31%
9%
The music in the game is generally praised for its pleasant, relaxing, and atmospheric qualities, effectively complementing the medieval theme and enhancing the overall experience. However, many users note a lack of variety, leading to repetitiveness over time, which detracts from the enjoyment. Overall, while the soundtrack is catchy and enjoyable, players express a desire for more diverse musical options to maintain engagement throughout gameplay.
- “The soundtrack is catchy and has a great medieval feel to it; I've caught myself humming the tunes the last couple of days.”
- “Great relaxing game with chill music.”
- “With lovely music, a very captivating storyline, and characters whose personalities will warm your heart, Anvil Saga is definitely a game you need to add to your Steam wishlist.”
- “I'd like to see the zoom-out scale a little further, and I had to turn the music off by like day 30 just because of the lack of variety.”
- “After a point, you will get tired of hearing the same soundtrack.”
- “- There is only one song for gameplay, so it can get monotonous hearing the same music over and over again, even if it is pleasant.”
grinding
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
4%
93%
Reviews indicate that while the game starts off enjoyable, it quickly devolves into tedious grinding, particularly as players manage multiple characters and resources. Many players appreciate the busywork and find it engaging initially, but the lack of automation and repetitive tasks lead to frustration, especially in the later stages. Overall, the grinding aspect is a double-edged sword: it can enhance gameplay for some, but for others, it becomes a chore that detracts from the experience.
- “It's not too grindy, still enjoy it!”
- “Even though it started with a couple of enjoyable hours, the increasing tediousness stops you from progressing in the game.”
- “There is no automation at all; it gets tedious as soon as you hit 2 employees and have to tell them to go sleep or eat every time.”
- “Most of the time I felt like I was grinding to get the story moving, which, again, I'll admit was nicer than expected.”
humor
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the quirky characters, funny dialogues, and pop culture references that contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere. However, some reviewers feel that the humor can be heavy-handed or out of place, and the game's repetitive nature and technical issues detract from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the absurdist humor and charming aesthetics are often highlighted as standout features that enhance the gameplay.
- “The game is full of references, but also genuinely funny scenes; the devs have a good thing going with the absurdist humor and put their own spin on something.”
- “The characters are funny, the story is hilarious, there is very little to not love about this game.”
- “Everything from art style to the quirky characters that pop up during your saga adds a little humor and fun, showing that this team loves not only 'nerd culture' but also writing and working on this game.”
replayability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The game offers a decent level of replayability, primarily due to multiple endings, faction combinations, and a choice system that influences the story. While many players find the experience engaging and worth the price, some note that replaying after completing the main story can feel repetitive and less enjoyable. Overall, the potential for varied gameplay exists, but it may diminish after initial playthroughs.
- “There appear to be quite a few endings, so you have replayability as well.”
- “The choice system overall adds replayability and is a nice addition to the management simulator format.”
- “Replayability is there, as you can experiment with appeasing different combinations of available factions, and overall the game is quite catchy, despite the need for micro-managing literally every single thing.”
- “Repetitive and not much replayability after the main story and upgrades are done.”
- “Just too short and lacks replay value after a certain point.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
30%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charm, dynamic yet relaxing soundtrack, and immersive medieval backdrop, particularly set during the hundred years' war. Players appreciate the combination of delightful pixel art and unobtrusive music, which enhances the overall experience. Many reviewers note that while the atmosphere is already strong, there is potential for further improvement.
- “The atmosphere of the game is great, and the characters add a ton of charm to the game.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing and atmospheric.”
- “The game has a relaxing atmosphere and unobtrusive music; I was also very pleased with the pixel art.”
- “Like the atmosphere of Anvil Saga... a medieval young blacksmith with his own story.”
- “The backdrop of the Hundred Years' War makes for a solid atmosphere.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The optimization of the game is polarizing; while some users report smooth performance, others criticize it as "horrifically unoptimized," indicating significant technical issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “It runs smoothly and it could be everything you want from this genre of gaming.”
- “However, it's horrifically unoptimized.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its simple yet touching story that evokes strong emotions and nostalgia, enhanced by beautiful music, engaging gameplay, and charming graphics. Reviewers find it heartwarming and uplifting, noting its ability to resonate deeply with players.
- “The story is simple yet touching and believable, with an uplifting trajectory that goes surprisingly far above many others.”
- “Very heartwarming!”
- “This game took me back to my past, made me feel those pleasant emotions with beautiful music, exciting gameplay, cute graphics, and incredible work from the programmers and everyone involved.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
300%
Reviewers appreciate the game's straightforward monetization approach, highlighting its quality and complete experience without reliance on microtransactions or exploitative practices common in many modern titles. This focus on delivering a fulfilling game with a clear ending is seen as a refreshing change in the current gaming landscape.
- “In the age of 'games as a service', microtransactions and other abusive practices, a short, quality game like this with a concrete ending and a fun game loop is welcome.”
- “In the age of 'games as a service', microtransactions and other abusive practices are rampant, making a short, quality game like this with a concrete ending and a fun game loop feel refreshing.”
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend more money to enjoy the full experience.”
- “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to fully enjoy the game without spending extra.”