Archipelago

About

"Archipelago is a strategy game that offers both single-player and multiplayer modes, including massively multiplayer. Players lead a pirate team on a quest to discover islands, hunt for treasures, and battle against colonists and natives. This fun and mysterious pirate adventure is available for wishlist on Steam."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 50 reviews

gameplay3 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game features stunning visuals and a charming low-poly art style that enhances the overall experience.
Gameplay is strategically deep and challenging, requiring players to think critically and plan their moves carefully.
Despite its flaws, the game offers a fun and engaging experience, especially for its low price point.

Controls are clunky and frustrating, making it difficult to manage units effectively during battles.
The game suffers from technical issues, including poor camera handling and low frame rates on some systems.
The lack of a tutorial and clear instructions can lead to confusion and a steep learning curve for new players.

graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The graphics of the game, despite being low poly and reminiscent of a budget title, are praised for their charm and creativity, particularly given its 2016 release. While some players appreciate the stunning visuals achieved within these limitations, others note the lack of customization options and resolution settings, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game's aesthetic is seen as a unique blend of simplicity and appeal, contributing positively to its gameplay.
- “For a game made all the way back in 2016, the visuals are absolutely stunning and something to be admired by any and all game studios' graphic design departments.”
- “While it definitely feels like a game made on a budget, the levels were fun to puzzle out and I found the look and feel of it surprisingly charming despite the simple visuals.”
- “Even though this game has low graphics, they did a lot with those low graphics, and I can respect that.”
- “Archipelago is an extraordinarily bad Godot-based 3D low-poly real-time pausable tactical combat game from Russia where you control up to 4 pirates and must inflict grievous bodily harm on other pirates (and skeletons, parrots, tax collectors, I dunno, some other enemies; the low-poly graphics make it hard to tell).”
- “There's no options to change the resolution for the game or customize the graphics settings.”
- “There's no way for gamers to try to improve the low-quality graphics.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The gameplay is described as both demanding and strategic, with exceptional movement mechanics that enhance the experience. While some players appreciate the depth and charm of the gameplay loop in titles like Archipelago, others criticize it as needing significant improvements. Overall, opinions are mixed, highlighting both innovative elements and areas for rework.
- “The gameplay is absolutely immaculate and forces you to forge strategic plays on every single level; it's seriously a super demanding game when it comes to brain usage.”
- “Lastly, the movement—my lord, this might be some of the best movement mechanics I've ever experienced in a video game.”
- “Archipelago provides a simple yet strategically deep gameplay loop, a wide cast of lovable characters, and one of the most captivating and mesmerizing soundtracks I've ever been fortunate to hear, all wrapped up in a stylized, low poly, pirate adventure.”
- “Rubbish gameplay.”
- “Game mechanics need an entire rework.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The story aspect of the game is described as exciting and action-packed, with a rich narrative that keeps players surprised. However, some reviews criticize the lack of coherent storytelling, noting that the cutscenes are poorly executed. Overall, the game combines strategic missions with elements of stealth and puzzle-solving, set against a backdrop of pirate-themed treasure hunting.
- “First off, I absolutely recommend this game to anyone looking for an exciting, action-packed, story-rich RPG that never stops to surprise you.”
- “The plot has no words or anything except really awful cutscenes.”
- “Archipelago is a strategy game in which you take control of four pirates on a quest for treasure.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The music in Archipelago is praised for being captivating and memorable, enhancing the game's strategic gameplay and charming characters. However, some users feel that there may be an excess of music throughout the experience.
- “Archipelago provides a simple yet strategically deep gameplay loop, a wide cast of lovable characters, and one of the most captivating and mesmerizing soundtracks I've ever been fortunate to hear, all wrapped up in a stylized, low poly, pirate adventure.”
- “The music is overwhelming and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “There is too much music, making it hard to focus on the gameplay.”
- “The soundtrack, while captivating, can become repetitive and tiresome.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often citing clunky controls and disjointed battles that contribute to a negative experience. The repetitive nature of the grinding quickly becomes annoying and is exacerbated by bugs.
- “This gets tedious, buggy, and annoying as all hell, very fast.”
- “The game has clunky controls and a collection of tedious battles that don't feel connected at all.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
Character development in the game is highlighted by engaging cutscenes at each level and unique character designs, drawing favorable comparisons to the depth found in The Witcher III. Players appreciate the immersive storytelling that enhances the overall experience, contributing to a rich open-world adventure.
- “I don't want to ruin this fabulous roller coaster, but the character development is on par with that of The Witcher III. If I had to play one game for the rest of my life, it would be this because of the vast open world experience.”
- “The game features a cutscene on each level, showcasing some of the goofiest character designs I have ever seen.”
- “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, making it hard to connect with anyone in the game.”
- “I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful growth for the characters; they all seem to remain static throughout the story.”
- “The characters are one-dimensional and their arcs are predictable, leaving little room for emotional investment.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users report significant stability issues, citing frequent bugs and frustrating experiences that detract from overall enjoyment.
- “This gets tedious, buggy, and annoying as all hell, very fast.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “I experience constant lag and glitches that ruin the experience.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers note that the atmosphere in the game is present and contributes to the overall experience, though specific details about its effectiveness or impact are not elaborated.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world.”
- “Every detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
- “The game's atmosphere is rich and layered, making every moment feel alive and engaging.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with users finding it genuinely funny and enjoyable.
- “The humor in this game is absolutely hilarious!”
- “I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and clever jokes.”
- “The comedic timing of the characters is spot on and adds so much to the experience.”