Astrologaster

About

"Astrologaster" is a single-player historical visual novel game set in 16th century London during the plague. As unlicensed medical professional and astrologer Simon Forman, players will help him win a medical license by performing astrological readings for clients and making story choices based on the movements of the stars. With delightful visuals, amazing music, and hilarious dialogue, players will explore Forman's life and relationships, making decisions that have consequences and unpredictable side effects.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 707 reviews

humor380 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

Astrologaster features witty writing and excellent voice acting, making it a delightful and humorous experience.
The game's unique pop-up book aesthetic and musical interludes add charm and enhance the storytelling.
It offers an engaging narrative with well-developed characters, intertwining their stories in a way that keeps players invested.

The gameplay can become repetitive, with limited choices that often lead to similar outcomes, reducing replayability.
Some players may find the humor and references too niche, requiring prior knowledge of Elizabethan history to fully appreciate.
There is no manual save option, which can be frustrating for players wanting to explore different choices without replaying the entire game.

humor
380 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Astrologaster" is widely praised for its sharp wit, clever writing, and engaging character interactions, often drawing comparisons to British comedic styles like Monty Python and Blackadder. Players appreciate the game's unique blend of historical context and humor, with many finding themselves laughing out loud at the eccentric characters and amusing storylines. The incorporation of musical elements and witty dialogue enhances the overall comedic experience, making it a standout title for fans of narrative-driven games with a humorous twist.
- “The humor is sharp, the characters are wonderfully eccentric, and the story is full of clever twists.”
- “Laugh out loud funny, with numerous amusing storylines and wacky, memorable characters.”
- “Astrologaster is a unique game that combines humor, history, and astrology in a delightful package.”
story
232 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
60%
3%
The story of "Astrologaster" is a humorous and engaging interactive narrative set in the early 1600s, centered around the eccentric astrologer Simon Forman. Players navigate through clever twists and amusing character arcs, with choices that influence the outcome, although some reviewers noted limited replayability due to a somewhat linear progression. The game is praised for its excellent voice acting, charming art style reminiscent of a pop-up storybook, and a delightful soundtrack that enhances the storytelling experience.
- “The humor is sharp, the characters are wonderfully eccentric, and the story is full of clever twists.”
- “Astrologaster presents a very comical and immersive narrative (based on the true story of Simon Forman), which, beneath the surface, outlines the true nature of astrology and occult practices - unpredictable, circumstantial and most times, very ironical.”
- “I highly recommend Astrologaster to any gamer who thrives on narrative, does not mind passive gameplay, and enjoys an (almost) true story with hilarious moments.”
- “Whenever I resumed the game later, I struggled to recall the storyline and had to review the in-game patient notes.”
- “The story went nowhere and cut me off so quickly when it ended; I was left very confused.”
- “Only complaint is there is no replayability value as it's a one-and-done story.”
music
191 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
51%
2%
The music in the game is widely praised for its excellent composition, clever lyrics, and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, often described as humorous and engaging. Players appreciate the integration of choral and madrigal-style songs that introduce characters and scenes, contributing to a delightful, comedic experience reminiscent of Monty Python. Overall, the voice acting and musical elements are highlighted as standout features that significantly elevate the game's charm and entertainment value.
- “The music is my favorite part; it added so much life to the story.”
- “The voice acting and music alone make this game worth it.”
- “The original music and songs are fantastic, as well as the voice acting.”
- “The songs are short, so don’t worry, it’s all a musical :(”
- “I love it and I look forward to replaying it off stream. My only feedback on my experience is the subtitles since I have to click my mouse or have the text be in sync with the audio, and in my excessive clicking, sometimes I interrupt the songs (to my horror and dismay).”
- “It does help if you have a little familiarity with the history and the music of the period in which the game takes place, although the writing is funny enough to stand on its own even for players who are not acquainted with those things - but if you know where to look, the game is full of references both in the music and the writing.”
gameplay
140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
61%
9%
The gameplay of "Astrologaster" is primarily a text-based adventure that involves interpreting astrological charts and making choices to diagnose patients, which some players find engaging while others deem it repetitive and simplistic. While the mechanics are easy to grasp and the narrative is enriched by humor and historical context, the lack of depth and variation in gameplay may not appeal to those seeking more intricate challenges. Overall, it offers a unique concept with enjoyable storytelling, but players should be prepared for a more passive experience.
- “Overall, Astrologaster gets a big thumbs up from me for its unique concept, engaging gameplay, and positive vibes.”
- “The gameplay revolves around interpreting astrological charts to diagnose patients.”
- “The game mechanics offer you interesting choices and an intriguing mechanism for making them: interpreting sometimes contradictory indications from the heavens in a series of astrological readings.”
- “The actual gameplay becomes repetitive pretty quickly, but there's also not quite enough intrigue or depth to make it a compelling visual novel.”
- “The gameplay, what there is of it, is repetitive and consists of two to three choices per turn of the page.”
- “However, the gameplay on decisions gets too repetitive and making decisions at some points yields better results by just randomly choosing them.”
graphics
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
36%
3%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming pop-up book aesthetic, complemented by hand-drawn visuals that evoke a whimsical stage play atmosphere. While the art style is praised for its uniqueness and appeal, some reviewers noted that the graphics are relatively simple and may not push modern hardware, focusing more on the engaging voice acting and writing. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's charm, though they may become repetitive over time.
- “The art style is gorgeous, and the voice acting is top-notch, making the entire experience feel like a whimsical stage play.”
- “The hand-drawn art style brings the historical setting to life, and the peculiar characters add so much charm to the game.”
- “The pop-up book art style is unique and hilarious and highlights the bleakly absurd setting, while the Elizabethan-style songs never failed to make me laugh.”
- “Graphically, this game will not push your computer very hard.”
- “Graphics are... well, this could easily be a mobile game.”
- “The one minus I have to give is that the characters' portraits get cut off at the bottom, which is clearly a graphics error.”
replayability
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
65%
6%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the ability to explore different outcomes and character relationships, many feel that the lack of significant narrative branches and a linear storyline limits the incentive to replay. Although there are multiple dialogue options and choices that matter, the game is often seen as a one-and-done experience, with players satisfied after a single playthrough. The absence of save slots and the predictability of certain events further contribute to the perception of low replay value.
- “Making astrological decisions and navigating the challenges presented in each consultation kept me hooked, and the branching storylines added a layer of replayability that I appreciated.”
- “This game has high replayability if you want to see the different ends for the patients.”
- “I should also mention that because of the multiple dialogue options throughout, this game has replayability value, and that means a lot to me.”
- “The game isn't really replayable - different choices don't really open up narrative branches as much as they affect your scoring and relationship with characters.”
- “Only complaint is there is no replayability value as it's a one-and-done story.”
- “Unfortunately, I think its replayability is limited as it seems that character story arcs don't change much, only their reaction to your reading of the stars and their opinion of you that determines their likelihood of writing a letter of recommendation.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a delightful blend of Monty Python humor and Shakespearean wit, enhanced by appealing art and engaging music that creates a comical and lighthearted environment. The entertaining vocals and narration contribute significantly to the overall experience, although some players wish for multilingual subtitles to aid in decision-making without disrupting the game's "old England" vibe. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its fun and ridiculous storytelling.
- “The art is appealing and the music creates a comical atmosphere, which leads onto further ridiculous stories.”
- “Extremely entertaining, amazing vocals/music really adds to the game's atmosphere.”
- “The dialogue maintains a very lighthearted atmosphere, and after treating the first few clients as the doctor, Simon Forman, it becomes clear that the game doesn't take itself too seriously.”
- “Also wish the game had subtitles in dialogues in other languages; it would not break the 'old England' shy atmosphere, but would help to make some decisions.”
- “The art is appealing and the music creates a comical atmosphere, which leads to further ridiculous stories.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively balances humor and heartfelt moments, creating a compelling narrative that resonates emotionally with players. Users report developing strong attachments to characters, enhancing the overall experience, while the gameplay elicits a range of feelings from pride in clever deductions to humility in missteps. Overall, it is praised as a rare gem for those who appreciate emotionally rich text-based games.
- “A tale compelling, touching hearts.”
- “10/10 - a rare gem for those who love clever, heartfelt text games.”
- “You will see the same people coming back time and time again, and you start to develop a rapport and even an emotional attachment with them.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from several minor bugs, glitches, and typos, including instances where players are presented with two choices but can only select one. Overall, these stability issues detract from the gaming experience.
- “There are also a bunch of minor bugs, glitches, and typos left.”
- “There are sometimes glitches where the game shows you have two choices, but you can only pick one.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews do not specifically address the game's optimization, focusing instead on its engaging writing, vocal performances, art style, and music. As such, there is no clear consensus on the optimization aspect from the provided texts.
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players consistently express that the grinding required in the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it feels like a task that demands an unrealistic amount of effort, akin to needing a "second life" to manage it.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers appreciate the character development for its authentic design, which effectively captures the real-life portraits of the characters from their historical context, enhancing the overall immersion in the game.
- “The character design truly resembles what the real-life portrait side of the characters was back in their day; that's a plus.”