Be My Horde

About

Be My Horde is a single player casual simulation game with fantasy, comedy and dark fantasy themes. It was developed by Polished Games and was released on June 18, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Be My Horde is a roguelite survivor where your minions fight for you. Become a formidable necromancer and turn your enemies into a resource! Raise fallen foes, build massive undead hordes, enhance your skills with devoured souls, and conquer the world – you’re the villain in this story.

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,275 reviews

gameplay99 positive mentions

grinding51 negative mentions

Addictive and satisfying horde-building gameplay where you raise defeated enemies to strengthen your army.
Excellent voice acting, especially for the main character Moriana, enhancing the game's charm and personality.
Fairly priced with smooth performance and promising ongoing development and updates.

Gameplay can feel slow and repetitive, especially the early stages where progress is tedious and movement sluggish.
Current limited content and upgrades result in low replayability and balance issues, particularly between difficulty levels.
Minions' AI and control are lacking, leading to frustration as many minions do not actively engage enemies effectively.

gameplay
254 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
54%
7%
The gameplay is centered around a novel and addictive necromancer mechanic of raising fallen enemies as minions, blending simple controls with strategic horde management and roguelite progression. While praised for its fun, engaging, and satisfying core loop, smooth pacing, and unique twist within the genre, some critiques highlight repetitiveness, balance issues, and a need for more content and variety to sustain long-term replayability. Overall, it offers a compelling and accessible experience, especially for fans of fast-paced, strategic roguelikes, though still feels somewhat rough and underdeveloped in places.
- “It does so many things right: the rate of progression is very smooth, there are a myriad of strategies to pursue, the mechanics are simple enough for a child to grasp, and the humor is fun and campy - the kid in me who watched Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, in the 80s definitely approves.”
- “"Be My Horde" is a vibrant and inventive entry into the roguelike twin-stick shooter genre that stands out through its unique mechanic of recruiting and commanding hordes of allies. Set in a quirky, colorful world, the game masterfully blends fast-paced action with strategic troop management, creating a gameplay experience that feels both chaotic and deeply rewarding. Players will find themselves constantly adapting, switching between direct combat and tactical command, which creates a satisfying gameplay rhythm that evolves as the horde grows. The procedurally generated levels, coupled with a wide range of recruitable units and evolving hordes, keep the gameplay loop engaging and dynamic.”
- “The gameplay is a satisfying mix of strategy and chaos; watching your screen fill with minions is just pure fun. The gameplay loop itself is fun, engaging, and pleasingly difficult, with upgrade systems that give good options to make gameplay easier. The core mechanic of raising every fallen foe never stops being satisfying, and the game features addictive, engaging, and rewarding progression with an evolving gameplay loop.”
- “Upgrades and progression don't feel meaningful, and the gameplay consists of moving towards enemy groups and crossing your fingers that your little army is strong enough to kill them so you can hold space and resurrect them, until you unlock an upgrade that just does it automatically.”
- “The gameplay is tedious grinding during runs, and learning to determine when to tackle the next tier minions.”
- “There are power-ups, however they have little effect on the gameplay and are extremely RNG dependent.”
graphics
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
53%
3%
The game features a distinctive, hand-drawn 2D art style that blends dark fantasy and cartoonish elements, creating a visually striking yet sometimes inconsistent aesthetic. Players appreciate the detailed, vibrant graphics, especially the thematic touches like the protagonist’s progressive decay, though some note a disparity between promotional and in-game visuals. Overall, the graphics are praised for their charm and personality, contributing well to the game's immersive atmosphere despite occasional roughness and simplicity.
- “From the very first moments, its aesthetic sets the tone: cartoonishly grim, drenched in shadow, and painted with exaggerated strokes of blood and decay.”
- “Visually, the game sports a polished pixel-art style bursting with vivid colors and playful animations.”
- “✅ Distinctive art style – the visuals are bold and memorable, with a nice mix of cartoonish style and dark fantasy flair that gives the game a strong personality.”
- “It is still worth mentioning that I was a bit disappointed with the very realistic art style on the front page transitioning to cartoonish/minimalistic art in the game.”
- “- The visual changes from the thumbnail/waiting screen to actual in-game art style is disheartening.”
- “A fairly boring and uninspired art style that looks like any flash game from 15 years ago which could be forgiven with great gameplay or mechanics.”
story
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
81%
5%
The story in the game is generally seen as simple, quirky, and humorous, often providing charm and personality rather than deep narrative engagement. While some appreciate the dark humor and unique villain protagonist, others find the plot underdeveloped, repetitive, and lacking in meaningful character development or mission variety. Many players look forward to future updates that could expand and polish the storyline, adding more lore and a clearer progression.
- “✅ Charming, quirky story – playing as the bad guy is a fun twist, and the writing leans into the humour without overdoing it.”
- “Every run becomes a story of growth, corruption, and eventual downfall—until the next one begins.”
- “Yet it has an addicting gameplay loop and the story is surprisingly well written and voiced.”
- “It's not very engaging, and the story seems very simplistic.”
- “Not exactly sure where the game is going in terms of its dialog and story.”
- “Confusion about the story - you get thrown into the game, which I like - but then the lich starts addressing the player as her minion that follows her orders - this is confusing because she is there during every run, seemingly commanding this horde, but then who is the player in this story?”
grinding
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
2%
96%
Grinding in the game is widely criticized as slow, tedious, and repetitively requiring long hours for minimal incremental rewards, leading to a monotonous experience. Progression often feels unrewarding and slow, with late-game upgrades and difficulty spikes intensifying the grind, making it less enjoyable for many players despite some appreciating the challenge. Overall, the grind detracts from the game's pacing and sense of meaningful progression.
- “The progression system is really rewarding too and not too grindy at all.”
- “The late game is very boring, grinding for hours just for a skin doesn’t seem worth it at all.”
- “- Atrociously slow progression - you literally collect 1 soul for every monster you kill, whether it's an easy mob or the hardest hell-level enemy. If you like grinding where every mob gives 1 XP, you might enjoy it; otherwise, it feels like filling a swimming pool by dripping water with a coffee spoon.”
- “The gameplay involves tedious grinding during runs and learning when to tackle the next tier of minions; upgrades can be slow and tedious, making it difficult to win without a built advantage.”
music
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
38%
6%
The game's soundtrack receives widespread praise for its dynamic fusion of heavy metal, synth, and classical elements that intensify with gameplay, enhancing the immersive and energetic atmosphere. Voice acting is also highlighted as a strong complement to the music. While the music is generally lauded as excellent and engaging, some note limited variety and occasional mismatches in tone in specific stages.
- “The way the music dynamically grows and adds more instruments as you progress into the game is just *chef's kiss* — it has no right to go so hard.”
- “The game's charming cartoon-style graphics and a dynamic soundtrack that fuses heavy metal with classical music enhance the immersive atmosphere.”
- “✅ Kingdom level music is excellent – this stage features gothic-inspired heavy metal with orchestral vocals that build in intensity as the action ramps up.”
- “Hell level music feels out of place – compared to the kingdom level, which nails its tone, the hell stage features an off-beat, jazzy piano track that doesn't match the intensity or vibe of the gameplay.”
- “Only one song for the lobby and one for the game, getting repetitive.”
- “The music becomes more intense as things get busier on screen, though it isn't particularly inspiring and it's just the same loop, but it didn't get annoying while I was playing.”
humor
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game’s humor is widely praised for its fun, campy, and tongue-in-cheek style featuring snappy, witty dialogue and dark, grotesque comedy. Players enjoy the lighthearted tone, clever character banter, and occasional hilarious moments, though some find the humor repetitive or overly quirky. Overall, the humor enhances the engaging and entertaining experience without overshadowing gameplay.
- “The humor is light, the gameplay is easy to get into, and the whole vibe is just enjoyable.”
- “The tongue-in-cheek humor throughout the game is a nice touch, as well.”
- “The humor and writing is on point, I love the soundtrack swelling as the battle goes on really helps keep things fresh and even with all of those positive points there's honestly more.”
replayability
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
Replayability is generally praised due to novel gameplay, fun mechanics, and unlockables, making the game engaging and replayable especially in early access. However, several reviews note that runs can become repetitive over time, with limited variety in skills and strategies, leading to diminished long-term replay value compared to other games in the genre. Overall, while the game offers a solid replay experience initially, it could benefit from more depth, progression, and content to sustain lasting replayability.
- “Really fun game with great replayability, good amount of unlockables and a whole lot of attitude.”
- “This minimalist approach suits the roguelike formula, where the emphasis is on replayability, experimentation, and player-driven moments.”
- “Replayability is a major strength of the game.”
- “There isn't much replayability once you reach the end; there's maybe eight hours of enjoyment if you're taking your time.”
- “It gets mindless pretty fast after leveling some meta upgrades and offers no to low replayability as all runs are basically the same.”
- “Not giving bad review, but replayability is basically null without more interactive gameplay.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's optimization is generally solid, providing good performance even on lower-end hardware, though there are occasional slowdowns when handling large hordes or extended play sessions. Developers have been responsive in addressing issues, improving the overall experience.
- “Developer fixed all my issues the next day; however, the performance on the Steam Deck with a huge horde still suffers quite a bit.”
- “Excellent performance.”
- “Could use more optimization when piling up large amounts of bodies.”
- “Developer fixed all my issues the next day and going back now all I can say negatively is that performance on the Steam Deck with a huge horde suffers quite a bit.”
- “The performance seems a little messy given the art, but there's a solid base here.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game runs smoothly and stably with no significant bugs or glitches reported, offering a great experience even on devices like the Steam Deck. Some minor gameplay pacing and aspect ratio issues were noted but do not impact overall stability.
- “Such a wonderful game, it's looking good and I'm happy with my purchase. The game looks and runs great, and for this price, it's a must. You won't be sorry about it.”
- “It runs great on the Steam Deck, although it chugs a bit once you're doing really well on the device. I'd love to be able to play this unstretched on my 32:9 aspect ratio monitor; right now, horizontal movement is really fast, but vertical movement feels very slow.”
- “Runs great!”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's atmosphere is richly enhanced by imaginative character and enemy designs, dynamic and intensifying music that blends heavy metal with classical elements, and charming cartoon-style graphics. These elements together create an immersive experience balancing lightheartedness with intense, blood-soaked battle ambiance.
- “The character and enemy designs are imaginative and full of personality, enhancing the lighthearted yet intense atmosphere.”
- “The further you progress into a stage, the more intense the music gets, which adds to the atmosphere of blood and carnage on the battlefield.”
- “The game's charming cartoon-style graphics and a dynamic soundtrack that fuses heavy metal with classical music enhance the immersive atmosphere.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game evokes strong and mixed reactions, with some players feeling frustrated by perceived unfair boss design, while others experience exhilaration and empowerment, enjoying the game's intense and dominating atmosphere.
- “This is a boss of epic proportions; she is petty, cruel, emotional, and frankly kinda dumb—yet is portrayed like this sinister, intelligent, all-powerful goddess.”
- “But what I experienced was an exhilarating conquest of domination that made me feel like the ultimate force of evil!”
- “And, of course, as people typically lash out emotionally: if you enjoy the game, great, I am happy for you.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Character development in the game is visually impressive, with unique and charming character designs, but it lacks depth and strong narrative, which may disappoint players seeking a more story-driven experience.
- “The character designs are fantastic; they all have their own unique charms, from the mommy, to the Welsh king, and the 'oh no he's hot' devil.”
- “If they spent half as much time on refining the gameplay as they did on the character design and art, this might be worth playing.”
- “Some players might also find the lack of a strong narrative or character development less engaging if they prefer story-driven experiences.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization is seen as potentially problematic, with concerns that enjoyment of the game may heavily depend on purchasing microtransactions to unlock key features.