Anvil Saga
- November 16, 2023
- Pirozhok Studio
- 6h median play time
Get on SteamIn "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.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Charming pixel art and engaging story with humorous characters.
- Fun gameplay loop that combines resource management and decision-making.
- Active developer support with quick bug fixes and updates.
- Game is currently very short, with only 2-3 hours of content in story mode.
- Numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and cause frustration.
- Lack of clarity in mechanics and UI, making it difficult to manage tasks effectively.
- story454 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players enjoying its charm and humor but criticizing its brevity and repetitiveness. While the narrative offers engaging choices that impact gameplay, it often feels incomplete, with bugs and pacing issues detracting from the experience. Overall, players express hope for future content and improvements, as the foundation of the story shows potential but currently lacks depth and polish.
“The story is fun and there are so many options to choose from and they all make an impact on what happens next.”
“The story is simple yet touching and believable with an uplifting trajectory that goes surprisingly far above many others.”
“I really enjoyed what was available of the story and I am excited to play more of it going forward.”
“Every upgrade has been purchased, everything is unlocked, there's no more progression and no story elements other than a random side quest once in a while.”
“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.”
“Unfortunately hit two soft lock bugs, which locked progress in story mode.”
- gameplay204 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been described as a mix of engaging mechanics and repetitive tasks, with many players enjoying the core loop but expressing frustration over bugs and a lack of depth. While the game offers a fun and simple management experience, it suffers from issues like unclear mechanics and limited content, leading to a feeling of monotony after a few hours. Overall, the foundation is solid, but players are eager for more content and improvements to enhance the experience.
“Great game, amazing easter eggs, and once you get hold of the mechanics, it is very fast-paced and fun.”
“The story is fun, and the gameplay is engaging.”
“Gameplay loop is fun and addicting; I just wish there was more to do :) I need the full version!”
“Another developer that mistakes grind for gameplay.”
“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.”
- stability86 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, making it feel unpolished and unfinished, with many players experiencing game-breaking issues that hinder gameplay. While some users find the game enjoyable despite these problems, the overall consensus is that it requires significant quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes before it can be recommended. Many reviewers express disappointment that the game was marketed as a complete product when it still feels like an early access title.
“Unfortunately, the game is still incredibly buggy for something marketed as 1.0.”
“The actual game is nice, but it's so buggy right now, it's basically unplayable.”
“This game is cute and has a truly enjoyable concept, but in its current state with all the game-breaking bugs and glitches, I cannot recommend it.”
- graphics66 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their charming pixel art style, smooth visuals, and cute character designs, which contribute to an enjoyable gaming experience. Many players appreciate the colorful and cartoonish aesthetic, noting that it fits well with the game's mechanics and overall theme. However, some users have mentioned that while the graphics are solid, they feel the game is still in a beta state, with occasional bugs and low resolution issues.
“The graphics are smooth and cute, the style is almost cartoonish but the subdued color palette adds a bit of 'realistic' feel anyway.”
“Beautiful graphics, simple but interesting story.”
“This game took me back to my past, made me feel those pleasant emotions with beautiful music, exciting gameplay, cute graphics and incredible work of programmers and everyone involved.”
“I would recommend that they do not tie progress to aesthetic elements in the game.”
“🔲 Graphics doesn’t matter in this game.”
“+ gorgeous pixel graphics, but a little low resolution.”
- music54 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its catchy, medieval-inspired tunes that enhance the atmosphere. However, there are frequent mentions of a lack of variety, leading some players to find the soundtrack repetitive over time. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's relaxing and charming vibe, there is a strong desire for additional tracks to maintain engagement.
“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.”
“The music, art, and story are all great, and the gameplay is unique (and quite enjoyable).”
“I had to turn the music off by day 30 just because of the lack of variety.”
“After a point, you will get tired of hearing the same soundtrack.”
“On a final note, I really hope there's a plan for some sound rework and more background music added.”
- grinding42 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the busywork and time management it offers, many find it becomes tedious and repetitive, especially as micromanagement increases with more characters. The lack of automation and the necessity to constantly manage character needs can detract from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of grinding for progress rather than fun. Despite these criticisms, some players still enjoy the grind as part of the gameplay experience.
“It's not too grindy, still enjoy it!”
“This starts out as a fantastic and fun game, but then it adds unnecessary carpentry and wood carving just to make the micromanagement more tedious.”
“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.”
“This all said, while fun for the first few hours, it becomes increasingly tedious in the not-fun sense.”
- humor40 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the dry wit, quirky characters, and absurdist references that contribute to its charm. However, some feel that the humor can be heavy-handed or out of place, and that taking humorous options seriously can lead to negative consequences in the story. Overall, while the game offers genuinely funny moments and a cute narrative, its execution may leave some players wanting more refinement.
“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.”
- replayability32 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the multiple endings and choices that encourage different playthroughs, others find the experience repetitive and lacking depth after the main story. Overall, it offers solid entertainment value, but its long-term replayability may diminish as players exhaust the available content. Future updates could enhance the replay experience, particularly with the addition of a sandbox mode.
“There appears to be quite a few endings, so you have replayability as well.”
“The story is simple, and they push you to make choices that can have consequences on your game, which adds to the replayability if you want to see different sides of the story.”
“High replayability and variable challenge makes this a keeper.”
“Yes, it is a replayable game, but replaying it is not that fun.”
“Repetitive and not much replayability after the main story and upgrades are done.”
“Just too short and lacks replay value after a certain point.”
- atmosphere18 mentions
- 78 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charm, enhanced by a dynamic yet relaxing soundtrack that complements the gameplay. Players appreciate the pixel art and the immersive setting, which together create a delightful and breathtaking experience. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, with potential for further enhancement.
“The atmosphere of the game is great and the characters add a ton of charm to the game.”
“It has a faster pace, making the game feel dynamic, yet it doesn't disturb the relaxed atmosphere - a masterpiece!”
“The game has a relaxing atmosphere and unobtrusive music; I was also very pleased with the pixel art.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while some players 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.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
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 at that!”
“This game took me back to my past, made me feel those pleasant emotions with beautiful music, exciting gameplay, cute graphics, and incredible work of programmers and everyone involved.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the game's straightforward monetization approach, highlighting its lack of microtransactions and focus on delivering a complete experience with a definitive ending. This stands in contrast to the prevalent 'games as a service' model, making it a refreshing choice for players seeking quality over ongoing monetization.
“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 becoming increasingly prevalent, making a short, quality game like this with a concrete ending and a fun game loop a refreshing change.”
