Bard's Gold

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 53 reviews
  • music
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Bard's Gold Game Cover
A scrappy but accomplished take on the whole Metroidvania shtick, Bard’s Gold marries tactical platforming action with great progression systems to create an effort that is highly worthwhile for fans of the genre.
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Bard's Gold is a challenging platformer inspired by 90's classics, where players explore eerie worlds to retrieve stolen gold from a goblin. With permadeath and procedurally generated levels, players must learn to avoid numerous enemies, traps, and projectiles. The game features rogue-lite elements, including character progression and the acquisition of new weapons and gear.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 53 reviews
music5 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions
  • Bard's Gold offers a nostalgic platforming experience reminiscent of 90s games, with solid mechanics and enjoyable gameplay.
  • The game features a variety of power-ups and hidden secrets, enhancing replayability and providing a rewarding challenge.
  • The pixel art style and music contribute to an engaging atmosphere, making it a fun experience for fans of retro-inspired platformers.
  • The game suffers from an inverse difficulty curve, becoming too easy once upgrades are acquired, which diminishes replay value.
  • Controls can feel stiff and unresponsive at times, leading to frustrating moments, especially with certain enemy interactions and traps.
  • The game lacks sufficient content and depth, with some weapons being overwhelmingly stronger than others and a short overall playtime.
  • music13 mentions

    The music in the game is generally described as catchy and enjoyable, with a charming start, though some players find the later tracks slightly annoying and repetitive. While the music is appreciated for its nice feel and unintrusive nature, it may lack atmospheric immersion for some. Overall, it contributes positively to the game's aesthetic, despite some subjective criticisms regarding its repetitiveness and relaxing qualities.

    • “It's pixel art is spot on and its music is enjoyable to listen to.”
    • “Great style and music as well.”
    • “Music had a nice feel to it, and the sounds were unintrusive.”
    • “The music starts catchy and charming, but the last two worlds have slightly annoying songs.”
    • “Music taste is quite subjective, though if you ask me if it's atmospheric or immersive, not really.”
    • “The only criticisms I have for this game are the difficulty (too easy compared to other games in the genre) and repetitive music.”
  • gameplay12 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by responsive mechanics focused on platform hopping and trap dodging, reminiscent of retro platformers but with a modern polish. While the basic gameplay is solid and addictive, some players may find it simplistic and occasionally frustrating due to its grueling nature. Overall, it offers a fun experience, especially for fans of classic-style games.

    • “The mechanics are incredibly responsive and you get the hang of avoiding traps and stuff like that really quickly.”
    • “If you play recent, retro-influenced platformers inspired by older games but with polished modern gameplay in a pixel art casing, you might want something else for this one; you'll likely find it too raw.”
    • “Gameplay is predominantly platform hopping and trap dodging while killing mostly harmless but inconveniently positioned enemies.”
    • “But it is solid enough in its own right, proving to be fun, addictive, and rewarding, despite its somewhat simplistic concept and the often grueling gameplay that can lead to some frustrating moments.”
  • graphics7 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally considered adequate for its retro style, with some users noting that they are not a primary focus of enjoyment. While the visuals are described as "meh" and occasionally blend into the background, they effectively support the gameplay without detracting from the overall experience.

    • “[cute visuals, rogue elements]”
    • “[retro gameplay and graphics, easy controls, simple AI design]”
    • “But hey, I assume that if you play retro games, you're probably not looking for fine-looking graphics, so that didn't have much bearing on my enjoyment.”
    • “Nothing to write home about, but not nearly as bad as the graphics.”
    • “The graphics worked well for the game, with a few minor exceptions where I would miss an enemy because he would be blending into the background.”
  • story6 mentions

    The story in this roguelike game is minimal, primarily revolving around the quest to retrieve a stolen family treasure, which some players appreciate given the genre's focus on gameplay over narrative. However, there are criticisms regarding the lack of depth, particularly with bosses that do not contribute to the story, leading some to feel that the narrative aspect is underwhelming. Overall, while the story serves its purpose, it is not a significant draw for players seeking a rich narrative experience.

    • “As the title itself states, your family treasure has been stolen, forcing you to embark on a quest to get it back.”
    • “The downside is that bosses (including secret ones) don't have a story to tell.”
    • “I'm ignoring the story because this is meant to be a roguelike, which I expect to have little or no story. This game meets that expectation, and I am not disappointed since this is not the main selling factor for a roguelike.”
    • “[Lack of story, too slow-paced, repetitive sound]”
  • replayability3 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while it offers varied enemy strategies that require players to adapt their tactics, the inverse difficulty curve and lack of additional achievements limit long-term engagement. Players appreciate the game's value for its price, but many feel that enhancements could further boost replay potential.

    • “Enemies have different ways of attacking you, causing you to change your strategy all the time. Even as you progress further through the game, it keeps getting harder, adding more replay value.”
    • “I do think that this game could use some extra achievements to improve its replayability; it's definitely a great game for its price.”
    • “Scratches the platformer itch for a while, but the inverse difficulty curve means that the replay value isn't great.”
    • “Enemies have different ways of attacking you, causing you to change your strategy all the time. However, as you progress further through the game, it keeps getting harder, which diminishes the replay value.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is perceived as lacking in immersion, with music being a subjective element that does not significantly enhance the overall experience.

  • grinding1 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite excessive, indicating that it requires a significant time investment to progress.

    • “It's extremely grindy, as expected.”
    • “The grinding aspect is just too much to handle.”
    • “I found the game to be excessively grindy.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Players express frustration with the emotional impact of the game, noting that deaths can feel unfair and disconnected from the gameplay, leading to a sense of frustration rather than engagement.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

62% average critic score

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Play time

4hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
3-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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