Bardbarian

About

"Bardbarian" is a historical arcade game with Tower Defense, RPG, RTS, and shmup elements. As Brad the barbarian, you'll swap swordplay for music, using your axe-lute to generate notes and defend your town. With exceptional visuals, good music, and hilarious gameplay, "Bardbarian" offers a unique and delightful experience, although it does involve lots of grinding.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 847 reviews

music95 positive mentions

grinding82 negative mentions

Unique blend of tower defense and bullet hell mechanics, providing a fresh gameplay experience.
Charming art style and humorous elements, including references to other indie games.
Addictive gameplay with a variety of units and upgrades, encouraging replayability.

Repetitive gameplay that can become grindy, especially when trying to unlock all upgrades.
Limited content with only one map for the campaign, which may lead to boredom after a few hours.
Bugs and glitches, particularly with controller support and the stun ability, can disrupt gameplay.

music
228 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
49%
10%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players enjoying its rock and metal influences, which complement the gameplay. However, a common criticism is its repetitiveness, as the soundtrack primarily features a single looping track that can become monotonous over extended play sessions. While some players appreciate the thematic consistency and find the music engaging, others feel it lacks variety and depth, leading to a desire for more diverse musical content.
- “The mix of music and battling is so fun and unique.”
- “If you love music and strategy, this game is a must-play!”
- “The music is great and the art style is beautifully unique.”
- “The music changes as Brad plays his different songs but is still way too simplistic and can get on one's nerves; the same goes for the sound effects.”
- “Unfortunately, there's only one song in the campaign. The song loops the entire time, which can (and does) get repetitive after listening to it for hours on end.”
- “With Bardbarian, it seems like the most interesting part of the game, the idea that this warrior is using music as his weapon, is left behind – making the title itself less descriptive of the game than the generic genres it crosses over.”
gameplay
171 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
53%
9%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of tower defense and bullet hell mechanics, offering a straightforward yet addictive experience that can keep players engaged for several hours. However, many reviews highlight issues with repetitiveness and a lack of depth, leading to a grindy experience that can become tedious over time. While the game features enjoyable mechanics and a charming aesthetic, it often falls short in providing significant variety or innovation, making it more suitable for casual play rather than extended sessions.
- “This game is very addictive, the tower defense system is simple but good, the progression and the gameplay in general are well designed, so it is quite easy for you to spend a good amount of hours in the process.”
- “The gameplay is fun and exciting and very fast-paced.”
- “The overall gameplay is extremely satisfactory for a casual tower defense, the key word here being casual.”
- “Infested with bugs which ruin the gameplay.”
- “A nice idea for the game which was spoiled with an insanely grindy system and repetitive gameplay.”
- “The game loses a lot of momentum very quickly with repetition, and upgrades rarely change the gameplay in any significant way.”
graphics
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
47%
7%
The graphics of the game are generally described as charming and cartoonish, with many reviewers appreciating the art style and character designs reminiscent of indie titles like Castle Crashers. However, some players criticize the graphics as simplistic or reminiscent of flash games, noting issues like graphical bugs and a lack of customization options. Overall, while the visuals are considered appealing and fitting for the game's tone, they are not regarded as groundbreaking or high-quality by all players.
- “The artwork oozes character and style, and so does the writing (which is mostly descriptions of units and items, but still.. the humor and thoughtfulness shine even there).”
- “The graphics are cartoonish, with the animations well done, and even though it's all set in the same place, the backdrop doesn't seem to get boring.”
- “Mike Gaboury's signature art style brings loads of personality to an already clever, addictive game, and it's easy to lose hours out of my day shredding enemies and wicked riffs.”
- “The irritating premise is coupled with awful cartoony tablet-tier graphics and a tablet/console peasant control scheme, which can't be remapped.”
- “Graphics are also fixed, another clue that the developers only considered PC as an afterthought, doubling down on the very low quality of the game.”
- “The graphics are what one could expect from a flash-based game: very simple and cartoonish looking (which I don't like), but the animations are funny and it doesn't really need more.”
grinding
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that the game features significant grinding, particularly for upgrades and achievements, which can become tedious and repetitive over time. While some players find the grinding enjoyable and rewarding due to the variety of upgrades and gameplay mechanics, others criticize it for being overly drawn out and lacking depth. Overall, the grinding aspect is a mixed bag, appealing to those who enjoy it but potentially frustrating for casual gamers.
- “It's not a terrible game, but there are much more fun and less grindy alternatives on the market today.”
- “The game is clever enough but destroys itself with constant, required grinding.”
- “It's too grindy for a paid game and doesn't really offer enough value for its price.”
humor
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
5%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and cleverness, with many reviewers highlighting its amusing story, quirky characters, and tongue-in-cheek references to other games. While some find the humor to be silly or not particularly funny, the overall consensus is that it adds a delightful layer to the gameplay, making it entertaining and addictive. The combination of funny animations, engaging gameplay, and a lighthearted tone contributes to a unique and enjoyable experience.
- “Awesome little twist on tower defense with an amusing story and a sweet sense of humor.”
- “Very funny, a sort of Plants vs. Zombies but ... you are a bard-barian !!!”
- “The artwork oozes character and style, and so does the writing (which is mostly descriptions of units and items, but still.. the humor and thoughtfulness shine even there).”
- “I don't want to play silly; that's not funny. It would be much better if it were serious instead.”
- “The humor feels forced and often falls flat, making the experience less enjoyable.”
- “I expected clever jokes, but most of the humor is just childish and unoriginal.”
story
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
83%
5%
The story in the game is generally described as simple and straightforward, focusing on a humorous premise involving a bard who commands minions while playing music. While players appreciate the amusing elements and references throughout the game, many feel that the narrative lacks depth and complexity, with the main story consisting of only 20 levels and limited plot development. Despite its brevity, the game offers additional modes that extend gameplay, though some players express a desire for a more substantial story experience.
- “Awesome little twist on tower defense with an amusing story and a sweet sense of humor.”
- “The storyline, story/campaign mode, is fairly simple; you play as Bert the Bardbarian, a barbarian who's tired of fighting and has taken up playing the lute and commanding a troop of minions.”
- “Very addictive, funny story, great art style, great game!”
- “The story doesn't exist, so check that off.”
- “There is no plot beyond the setting.”
- “My only reproach is that the game is a bit expensive if you consider the content: only one map in story mode, only 20 levels, and only 4 bosses.”
replayability
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
48%
10%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some players finding it enjoyable due to various modes and unlockable characters, while others feel it lacks depth and long-term engagement. Many appreciate the quick sessions and the ability to experiment with different strategies, but some note that once completed, the incentive to return diminishes. While there are elements that encourage replay, such as extra modes and character upgrades, the consensus suggests that it may not sustain interest for extended periods.
- “Bardbarian is a large game that has tons of replayability and XP grinding (that doesn't seem much of a chore).”
- “With a wide cast of unlockable characters, it does add replay value trying to create the best lineup you can to progress forward in the game.”
- “The game is a lot of fun and the upgrade store has a lot to offer to make the game more interesting as you continue to play, adding great replay value.”
- “Some of the units felt pretty underwhelming, and if you pick a good group you are essentially unbeatable, which can hurt replayability.”
- “It doesn't have too much depth or replayability and doesn't take much time to do everything in the game, but still it's a good casual game for its price, especially on sale.”
- “The replay value is 'meh' since you can unlock more characters to assist you and you can try new tactics to finish the game faster, but nothing you'd want to play weeks on end.”
stability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
85%
Overall, the stability of the game is mixed, with some players reporting a stable experience free of major issues, while others encounter frequent and severe bugs, including control glitches and game-breaking errors. Many users express frustration with the game's core mechanics and design, leading to a consensus that while the game is fun, it suffers from significant stability problems that detract from the overall experience.
- “The game is stable; I experienced no glitches or crashing.”
- “Runs great on the Steam Deck, great fun game.”
- “The main reason I am giving this a thumbs down is due to how buggy Bardbarian is.”
- “Buggy AF, weak core mechanics, and bad design.”
- “I wish I could give this a thumbs up, but the control glitches are very severe and require you to restart the application.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions, which is seen as a refreshing feature, especially for a title that might typically include them.
- “No microtransactions, which is a nice feature.”
- “It feels like a title that would normally be asking for microtransactions.”
- “The monetization model is overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “I constantly feel pressured to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its fittingly simple and cartoonish graphics, which enhance its unique flavor within the strategy genre. This distinctive style contributes positively to the overall ambiance, making it a notable experience for players.
- “The graphics are cartoonish and simple, but they fit the atmosphere perfectly.”
- “As an advocate for strategy games, this game has a unique flavor that contributes to the atmosphere of both the genre and the game.”
- “The graphics are cartoonish and simple, but they fit the atmosphere.”
- “The game lacks a sense of immersion, making it hard to feel connected to the world.”
- “The overall ambiance feels flat and uninspired, failing to evoke any real emotion.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
50%
Players have noted that while the mini-games "Endless" and "Survival" offer valuable cash rewards for upgrading units in the main campaign, there are calls for improved overall game optimization to enhance performance.
- “Endless and survival are two side mini-games that provide cash based on performance, which helps upgrade units for the main campaign.”
- “The optimization of the game significantly enhances the overall experience.”
- “Please optimize the performance of this game.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers praise the game for its impressive level and character design, indicating that the characters are well-crafted and contribute positively to the overall experience.
- “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to truly connect with each character's journey.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their growth feel authentic and rewarding.”
- “The intricate backstories and personal arcs of each character add so much depth to the overall narrative.”