Bellwright

About

Bellwright is a single player and multiplayer open world role playing game. It was developed by Donkey Crew and was released on April 23, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Establish and expand your own settlements, liberate the land and assist its villagers, and recruit others to your cause while learning more about a life you had to leave behind. Command your forces, prove your valor through combat, and cement yourself as the hero of your people.

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81%

Audience ScoreBased on 6,858 reviews

gameplay230 positive mentions

grinding463 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay that combines survival, crafting, and village management.
Beautiful graphics and immersive environment that enhance the medieval experience.
Active development with regular updates and community engagement from the developers.

Combat system feels clunky and unresponsive, making battles frustrating.
AI voice acting is noticeably AI-generated, detracting from immersion.
The game can be grindy, especially in the early stages, leading to repetitive gameplay.

gameplay
863 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
66%
7%
The gameplay of *Bellwright* is a mixed bag, with players praising its engaging mechanics for village building, resource management, and combat, while also highlighting issues such as clunky controls, slow progression, and a lack of polish. Many find the core gameplay loop rewarding and addictive, especially when playing cooperatively, but express frustration over repetitive tasks and unrefined combat mechanics. Overall, while the game shows potential and offers a rich experience, it requires further refinement and balancing to fully realize its ambitions.
- “The gameplay is deeply engaging — gathering resources, crafting, organizing settlers, and defending your land all feel meaningful and rewarding.”
- “The gameplay loops are satisfying, automation works once you figure it out, and the setting is lovingly rendered.”
- “Bellwright is a gem of an open-world medieval RPG that masterfully blends town-building, combat, and survival mechanics.”
- “The building mechanic is terrible and rightly heavily criticized, as workers often refuse to build, and you can do it manually.”
- “It was clunky and half the gameplay and mechanics aren't explained very well, leading to a very rough start to the game.”
- “The combat mechanics are a bit clunky, and the overall experience lacks depth.”
story
815 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
74%
4%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it features a basic narrative primarily driven by repetitive fetch quests and a somewhat generic revenge plot. While some appreciate the potential for deeper storytelling and the integration of quests into gameplay, others criticize the execution, citing bugs and a lack of engaging content. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop for the city-building and survival mechanics, but many players feel it lacks depth and polish, especially in its current early access state.
- “The combination of resource collection/management, settlement building, population recruiting/management, crafting, a well-balanced research tree, skill progression, combat, and story - all wrapped up in a beautifully rendered medieval world - make this one of my favorite games in recent memory.”
- “The story is engaging but the voices of the NPCs make it a bit underwhelming.”
- “The storyline in Bellwright is both compelling and emotionally resonant.”
- “The story and quests are fairly bare-bones.”
- “The quests are mostly fetch quests which is annoying but it kinda forces you to develop your camp in order to progress with the main focus of the game.”
- “The main quest line doesn't really scale well with the progression, and that construction takes forever manually.”
grinding
475 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
2%
97%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback from players. Many find it excessively tedious, particularly in the early stages, with repetitive tasks like resource gathering, building, and questing leading to frustration. However, some players appreciate the grind as a rewarding part of the gameplay loop, especially once they can automate tasks with NPCs, making the experience more enjoyable and less burdensome. Overall, while the grind can be overwhelming, it also offers a sense of progression and satisfaction for those who enjoy management and survival elements.
- “The game is a lot of fun, the quests are enjoyable and so far not repetitive, and it's not too grindy unlike some other games in the genre.”
- “Good missions not too grindy and certainly well thought out.”
- “Fun melee combat, not too grindy (NPC does everything).”
- “The game is a tedious grind and 20 hours in with a co-op I felt no closer to being able to focus on anything other than micromanaging starter resource production.”
- “113 hours in and this game is just outright tedious and boring.”
- “The constant grinding to make the slightest progress will eventually cause frustration, for all but the most patient.”
graphics
457 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
51%
8%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful visuals, immersive environments, and effective weather effects, while others criticize the graphics as outdated, glitchy, or poorly optimized. Many users note that while the game can look stunning on high settings, it often suffers from performance issues and graphical bugs, leading to a less enjoyable experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as a strong point for some, but they require significant improvement and optimization to meet player expectations fully.
- “The graphics are amazing, the map is huge, the progression tree is very meaningful, exciting, and pretty well layered.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous and the views from the tops of hills are something to behold.”
- “The graphics are visually pleasing and I've yet to come across any bugs myself.”
- “Graphics look goofy and have the added benefit of running like crap because of the nightmare that is UE5.”
- “The graphics are outdated and glitchy, the game does not run well on my beast of a gaming PC, and the combat is... oof.”
- “The graphics are very dated, the texture resolution is so low it looks well over 10 years old; now usually it's an art direction, but here it just feels lazy.”
optimization
288 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
56%
29%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback from users, with many highlighting significant performance issues such as frame rate drops, stuttering, and crashes, particularly in early access. While some players report smooth gameplay on higher-end systems, others find it unplayable due to poor optimization and excessive resource consumption. Overall, there is a consensus that the game requires substantial optimization improvements to enhance the user experience.
- “Yes, but with caveats - it's an excellent medieval city sim, well optimized and with great quality of life improvements over others in the genre.”
- “The game is super well optimized.”
- “I really like how this game looks, and I love the concept of it, and I so desperately want to get into it, but the performance of the game makes it impossible to play.”
- “Performance is really bad at times, with frame rate drops for no apparent reason (not even moving, just waiting on crafting to finish up, and it drops periodically).”
- “I've never seen such poor optimization in a game.”
- “The optimization, even for an early access game, is very poor.”
stability
149 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous players reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and performance issues, particularly in multiplayer modes. While some users find the game enjoyable despite its clunky mechanics and glitches, many express frustration over the instability, which can lead to hard resets and system freezes. Overall, the game is still in early access, and while there are promising elements, it requires substantial optimization and bug fixes to enhance the player experience.
- “Has potential to be amazing, small things here and there but for a 4 month old game it runs great and plays great.”
- “Daily updates and runs great for me; one crash in 12 hours.”
- “The AI so far are simplistic but working 99% bug free in the time I have in the game.”
- “Unfortunately, doing this occasionally causes the game to freak out and produce a black screen that freezes your entire system, forcing a hard reset which potentially damages your system.”
- “The game freezes all the time and is unplayable.”
- “This game is incredibly janky, has little to no direction, buggy as all hell, but it's very fun.”
music
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
53%
5%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its atmospheric and immersive qualities that enhance the overall experience, while others criticize it for being repetitive or out of place, such as the inclusion of odd sound effects. Many appreciate the evocative soundtrack that complements the game's medieval setting, though some feel it lacks variety and could benefit from additional thematic elements. Overall, while the music is often described as beautiful and fitting, there are calls for improvements and more diverse compositions to enrich the gameplay further.
- “The world feels alive despite its simplicity, thanks in part to beautifully crafted animations and an ambient soundtrack that complements the gameplay with soothing melodies and environmental sounds.”
- “The music is particularly noteworthy, with a beautiful and evocative soundtrack that perfectly complements the mood and tone of each scene.”
- “Another pro for this game is the music; you have to give the soundtrack a chance—it's actually really great, sort of reminds me of the Total War: Rome games a little.”
- “Music is weird; developers added strange sounds like cat talks and baby noises to the game. I can hear a chainsaw or something like that, which was not in the medieval times.”
- “The music is awful - equally as terrible as the leveling system and probably the worst part about the game.”
- “Oh, and you are going to want to turn the music down to 1%; it gets old in 1 minute.”
humor
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its quirky AI behaviors, amusing glitches, and clunky combat mechanics, which often lead to hilarious situations, such as villagers getting stuck or engaging in absurdly ineffective combat. Players find the AI voice acting to be both funny and frustrating, adding to the overall charm of the game despite its bugs and unfinished features. Many reviewers highlight that the game's comedic elements make it entertaining, especially when played with friends, even if the humor stems from the game's imperfections.
- “My god... my villagers started to walk in weird routes, a cat went rogue and ran away somewhere, and a few other funny glitches.”
- “It's funny that I purchased this game as an afterthought to Manor Lords because ever since I've started playing Bellwright... Manor Lords has been the afterthought.”
- “Everything feels like it's in slow motion, the jump animation is fringing hilarious, like you're on the moon.”
atmosphere
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
33%
10%
The atmosphere in "Bellwright" is widely praised for its immersive and evocative qualities, featuring a minimalist art style with warm tones, dynamic weather effects, and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the experience. While many players find the world-building and environmental details to be enchanting, some express that certain gameplay mechanics and narrative elements can detract from the overall atmosphere, leaving it feeling incomplete at times. Overall, the game successfully creates a cozy, storybook-like ambiance that draws players into its richly crafted environment.
- “Bellwright is a thoughtfully crafted puzzle-adventure game that weaves a unique blend of narrative depth, atmospheric world-building, and innovative gameplay centered around the ringing of bells.”
- “Visually, Bellwright boasts a minimalist yet evocative art style that emphasizes warm, earthy tones and subtle details, evoking a cozy, almost storybook-like atmosphere.”
- “The lush landscapes, intricate architecture, and dynamic weather effects all contribute to an atmosphere that is both immersive and awe-inspiring.”
- “The atmosphere in Bellwright has potential, but right now it feels lacking.”
- “Graphics are good, music is nothing special, doesn't really set off the atmosphere too well, voice acting will be improved upon.”
- “I love the atmosphere and theme of the game, but some of the mechanics are just kind of weird to me as of right now.”
replayability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
44%
17%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag among reviewers. While many praise its high replay value due to customizable settings, open-ended gameplay, and potential for community mods, some express concerns about the current state of the game limiting replayability. As an early access title, it shows promise for future content that could enhance its replayability further.
- “For an early access title, it shows a lot of potential and offers a lot of replayability for the price.”
- “Devs are amenable to modding support, meaning over time the game will have insane replayability thanks to community projects.”
- “Replayability: the game offers high replay value due to its open-ended nature.”
- “This game, in my opinion, doesn't have any replayability.”
- “Replayability is not an option at this state of the game.”
- “The static map might challenge replayability, but the open world is huge for your character's travel abilities.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed, with some players praising its compelling storyline and exceptional audio design that enhances emotional moments, while others criticize the lack of emotional depth in AI interactions and voice acting. Many feel that the game can evoke feelings of attachment to in-game elements, but the overall emotional engagement is hampered by technical issues and a slow pace. Overall, while it has potential for emotional resonance, improvements in AI and voice acting are needed to fully realize this aspect.
- “The audio design, particularly the bell chimes, is exceptional—each bell tone is distinct and carefully tuned to enhance the emotional and functional impact of gameplay moments.”
- “It masterfully combines strategic gameplay with an emotionally resonant story, making it a standout title in the genre.”
- “The storyline in Bellwright is both compelling and emotionally resonant.”
monetization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
91%
The monetization aspect of the game has been widely criticized by players, who perceive it as a cash grab by developers, particularly in the context of early access releases. Many users express frustration over the lack of optimization and the fear that the game may never be completed, leading to disappointment in investing their money. While some appreciate the absence of in-game purchases, the overall sentiment suggests a growing skepticism towards the game's long-term viability and the intentions of its developers.
- “No in-game purchases (yippee!)”
- “Unfortunately for gamers, buying early access often means a cash grab for developers.”
- “What a horrible game; not only is it not optimized, but the issues make it nothing but a cash grab by the devs with no game involved.”
- “Another cash grab, oh, I'm sorry, 'early release'... it's my money.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Character development in the game is highlighted as a crucial aspect that evolves alongside resource management and strategic combat, offering players the opportunity to improve skills for themselves and their companions. While the plot may be loosely structured, the immersive experience and the potential for growth in character abilities keep players engaged throughout their journey. Overall, the development of characters is seen as essential for maintaining control and enhancing gameplay as the game progresses.
- “From managing resources and developing your settlements to strategic combat and character development, the game offers a wealth of content that keeps you hooked for hours on end.”
- “I can see where as the game progresses, character development and strategy will be important to maintain control of areas liberated.”
- “Character development should continue.”
- “City building from the ground up, building research, crafting weapons and armor, character development... i.e., improvable skills for you and your companions, loosely formed plot/story, and most of all immersion.”
- “I can see where, as the game progresses, character development and strategy will be important to maintain control of areas liberated.”