Baladins
- March 22, 2022
- Seed by Seed
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Baladins" is a local multi-player Role Playing Game for 1-2 players, offering both single-player and co-op modes. As one of the legendary Baladins, embark on a choose-your-own-story adventure, filled with entertainment, problem-solving, and character development, all in a vibrant world called Gatherac. Inspired by tabletop campaigns, this game caters to players of all ages and experience levels.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features an adorable art style and charming characters that enhance the overall experience.
- It's a fun and engaging game, especially when played with friends, offering a unique blend of humor and clever quests.
- The gameplay encourages exploration and experimentation, making each playthrough feel fresh and enjoyable.
- The game suffers from significant technical issues, including bugs and connectivity problems that can disrupt gameplay.
- Solo play is heavily penalized, as the game is designed primarily for multiplayer, making it frustrating for those without multiple controllers.
- Quest instructions can be vague, leading to confusion about objectives and making progress feel aimless at times.
- story42 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized by its lighthearted and charming narrative, featuring engaging characters and a variety of quests that encourage exploration and experimentation through a time loop mechanic. While the overarching plot provides direction, the reliance on random events for quest progression can lead to frustration, particularly for solo players. Overall, the story is enjoyable and offers high replayability, though some players find the quest system and item management lacking clarity.
“I love the story so far!!”
“The story has a good message that I wholeheartedly approve of, although some aspects of the presentation of that message seem kind of counter-intuitive to me.”
“Early on, you have a ton of new places to go, people to meet, and quests to pursue, and there's a main story quest that lasts for the first 6 or 7 loops that provides some direction for the player.”
“The only problem is the quest guide/description now is a bit vague.”
“Some quests you only get one single shot per run to solve, and any attempts at repeating it are a waste of time... but others are infinitely repeatable, and there's no indication which quests are which kind.”
“The other problem is that many quests are triggered by finding certain random events (either gossip events or map events), or require said events to progress towards one or more endings.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their cute and charming art style, reminiscent of traditional RPGs and pop-up storybooks, which many players find delightful and engaging. While some appreciate the aesthetic and its contribution to the overall experience, a few users noted minor issues, such as a lack of animations in certain scenes. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, enhancing the laid-back co-op adventure gameplay.
“The art style is fantastic but that's not all about this game: characters make me smile, quests make me think, ...”
“The art style and the gameplay is phenomenal, you can tell it was made with a lot of love.”
“Pros: attractive graphics reminiscent of traditional RPG board games and pop-up storybooks, a curious tale, and simple controls.”
“My only complaint for this game is way minor and it is that scenes do not really have animations. For example, in the cave when gathering water past the salamander, you don't get any visuals of what the scene may look like, and I think it would be a lovely touch.”
“Personally, I don't care much for the art style.”
“Graphics: decent”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its charming art style and accessible mechanics that evoke a tabletop RPG feel, making it enjoyable for casual players. While some find the experience pleasant and fun, particularly in co-op mode, others note that it lacks depth and can suffer from mechanical inconsistencies that may hinder replayability. Overall, it offers a lighthearted and engaging experience, though opinions vary on its long-term appeal.
“The game's cutesy art style and gameplay is lovely for those who want to grind something out but have it not feeling like you are doing exactly the same thing each time.”
“The characters are charming and well-designed, the mechanics are easy to learn and effectively mimic the feel of a tabletop RPG or board game, and overall it was a very pleasant experience.”
“I think the gameplay with friends would be even more fun with some little minigame additions, but as it stands, it's absolutely a wonderful experience and worth the buy for co-op play!”
“Cute art and such, but gameplay falls flat.”
“The game introduces a mechanic that lets you keep items between runs, but every time you do a run, every player loses the items they have saved.”
“Mechanical weirdness that can invalidate a run.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for being clever, cute, and entertaining, with many funny moments and engaging stories. Players enjoy the lighthearted, cottage-core vibe and appreciate the amusing NPCs and decent writing, making it a delightful experience in both single-player and co-op modes. Overall, the game is described as adorable and hilarious, providing a fun escape for players.
“It's funny, clever, and very cute.”
“Funny NPCs and decent writing!”
“What an adorable and hilarious game!”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, especially in solo play, where it can feel frustrating and overly time-consuming. While some enjoy the exploration and humor, many agree that completing the main story alone requires significant patience and effort.
“Maybe this game is worth it if you play with others, but as a solo-only player, this game was frustrating and tedious.”
“The way things are now, just finishing the main story as a single player seems super grindy, and I've had some frustrations.”
“In single player, you're fine with just randomly exploring funny and cute stories for a couple of hours or have the patience for grinding your way to the end of the main story.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for being catchy and enjoyable, enhancing the overall experience alongside satisfying sound effects. Reviewers appreciate how the delightful soundtrack complements the game's design, characters, and setting, making it a fun experience, especially when played with friends.
“The art style has grown on me, and I've got to say the music is catchy and the sound effects are satisfying.”
“I loved this game; its design, music, characters, story, and setting are so delightful.”
“It's cute, it's fun with friends, and the amazing music in the background.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its well-crafted writing, which elicits both laughter and heartfelt moments, creating a unique and wholesome experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to deliver a heartwarming adventure, often finding it more satisfying than larger AAA titles, and express a desire to support the indie studio behind it.
“I am happy to say that the writing is fairly good; it got plenty of laughs out of us, and the touching moments made us smile.”
“I don't regret buying the game at its current price because I appreciate the unique and wholesome experience, and I want to support studios with good working conditions (Seed by Seed is a cooperative!) in the crucial period just after release.”
“Baladins is yet another indie experience destined to become beloved, and it continues the long-held tradition of indies delivering more heartwarming, satisfying adventures than their AAA counterparts.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development is characterized by adorable designs and endearing writing, creating a charming atmosphere populated by lovable characters. While the writing is simple, it effectively enhances the overall enjoyment of the game.
“The character designs are adorable, the writing is generally endearing, and the world is populated with squishy little guys.”
“It's cute; the character designs are cute; the writing is simple but still enjoyable.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with them.”
“I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; there was no real growth or change.”
“The characters seem one-dimensional, and their motivations are often unclear, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Baladins is praised for its high replayability, thanks to its Paper Mario-inspired RPG mechanics and choose-your-own-adventure storytelling, which encourages players to explore different choices and outcomes. Reviewers consistently rate its replayability highly, with one giving it a score of 9/10.
“The Paper Mario-esque styled RPG with choose-your-own-adventure storytelling makes Baladins a game with high replayability.”
“I love the replayability! 9/10”
