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BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure

BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure Game Cover
53%Game Brain Score
atmosphere, humor
story, gameplay
62% User Score Based on 37 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure Game Cover

About

BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure is a single player casual simulation game. It was developed by Mana Brigade and was released on June 13, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure" is a VR weaponsmithing simulator, where you step into the role of a legendary blacksmith, crafting epic weapons in a mystical forge. The game offers a deep and approachable crafting experience, allowing you to shape wood, forge metal, and imbue your creations with the power of the Aesir. Embark on a full campaign, fulfilling requests from townspeople and perfecting your skills in this engaging and immersive adventure. * Immerse yourself in VR weaponsmithing * Deep and approachable crafting experience * Full campaign with requests from townspeople

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BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure screenshot
BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure screenshot
BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure screenshot
BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure screenshot
BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure screenshot
BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure screenshot
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62%
Audience ScoreBased on 37 reviews
atmosphere3 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique and immersive VR experience, allowing players to fully embody the role of a blacksmith with intuitive motion controls and a cozy medieval atmosphere.
  • Crafting in BlackForge can be deeply satisfying and meditative, with a focus on the tactile experience of working with raw materials and the joy of creating weapons and tools.
  • The game has a charming art style and sound design that enhances the overall atmosphere, making it a relaxing escape from more action-oriented titles.
  • The game suffers from significant technical issues, including crashes, lag, and unresponsive controls, which can hinder the overall experience and progression.
  • The crafting mechanics can feel clunky and imprecise, leading to frustration when trying to create specific weapon types, as the game often misclassifies items.
  • The tutorial and quest structure are insufficient, leaving players confused about how to progress and often requiring external resources to understand the game mechanics.
  • story
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is described as intriguing, with a rich world and well-developed characters, though the quest structure can feel repetitive and limited, leading to occasional lulls in gameplay. While the story mode offers a substantial playtime of around 40 hours, players appreciate the option to engage in sandbox mode without being gated by story progression. However, technical issues, such as crashes and delayed feedback during quests, detract from the overall experience.

    • “The concept is great, the visuals are colorful, the quest system rewarding more advanced materials to build more complex gear is a good idea, and the voice acting is pretty solid from the merchant.”
    • “Story: there is a lot of soul in terms of the characters, the background has a lot of intrigue, like there is a world here.”
    • “There is a lot to explore, I've gotten a bit further than the copper quests and I found that some things that I was thinking of were introduced a bit later down the line.”
    • “The quest structure also feels somewhat limited, with mission requests occasionally stalling or repeating, which can create lulls in momentum.”
    • “The average play session is 1-4 hours, with the story mode approximately finishing at 40 hours (I haven't beaten it yet).”
    • “The feedback that I as a player get from quests is very late when getting quests back for not meeting the requirements; during crafting, the game offers too few visual cues of how well I'm actually progressing through the tasks.”
  • gameplay
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is criticized for its reliance on imprecise physics-based mechanics, making the crafting process feel sloppy and unsatisfying. While the core idea of blacksmithing is solid, the lack of depth and complexity may disappoint players seeking a more engaging experience, especially given the absence of auto-saving and technical issues like crashes. Overall, the minimalist approach may appeal to some, but it risks leaving others feeling that the gameplay loop is too shallow.

    • “The overall core gameplay idea is solid.”
    • “While this focus on minimalism will appeal to players seeking a calm, self-contained experience, those looking for long-term replay value or complex management systems may find the gameplay loop too shallow.”
    • “Ultimately this game delivers interesting story and mission mechanics packaged with lackluster and unsatisfying smithing and crafting.”
    • “Its weakest point is the mechanics.”
    • “The core mechanics of crafting weapons, tools, and the like rely far too heavily on physics-based interactions, in a way that leaves my creations feeling sloppy, imprecise, and unsatisfying.”
    • “Ultimately, this game delivers interesting story and mission mechanics packaged with lackluster and unsatisfying smithing and crafting.”
  • graphics
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their colorful and detailed visuals, with a polished aesthetic that enhances the overall experience. Users appreciate the smoothness of the graphics and the art style, which complements the VR simulator aspect well. However, some players have encountered technical issues that hinder their visual experience, despite having capable hardware.

    • “The graphics have been polished, all feels smoother and I've noticed some good changes like the chiseling speed that in the demo took quite a while to get done, while in here the process is much faster.”
    • “The graphics are detailed and well-crafted.”
    • “Overall, the aesthetics of the game look great!”
    • “I'll get the usual 'up next' message but then everything goes black and my vision never updates to the actual game. It's not like the game just doesn't load because I can hear the ambient noises of the start screen, and I have visuals on my monitor, but nothing I can see and I cannot move my hands in any way.”
    • “I have a 3070 and a Ryzen 7; I have attempted to optimize it through my graphics card.”
    • “In my mind, that graphic is enough for the VR simulator like that.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players appreciate the intuitive motion controls for grinding and shaping metal, which enhance the artisan experience, though some find the initial learning curve challenging. There are suggestions for more options, such as different grinding wheel sizes and improved visual feedback on materials, to allow for finer detailing and a more vibrant appearance after grinding.

    • “Shaping the metal was confusing at first; I always ended up with an uneven surface because of the hammer and tried grinding the cold piece of metal, which didn't work.”
    • “Kinda would be nice to be able to shape it more finely like the grinding wheel, which I almost exclusively used for metal creations.”
    • “The color of the copper metal is kind of just grey/black, but it would be nice to get some color after grinding the copper a bit.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by a warm, stylized art direction that enhances its authenticity, particularly within the tranquil setting of the forge. Users appreciate the relaxing soundscape, notably the soothing sound of rain on the wooden roof, which further immerses players in the experience.

    • “Visually, the game embraces a warm, stylized art direction that complements its atmosphere.”
    • “The sense of authenticity in every movement, combined with the tranquil atmosphere of the forge, makes Blackforge a rare gem in the VR landscape.”
    • “The sound atmosphere is relaxing; I liked the sound of the rain on the wooden roof that you hear when you are in the forge.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by its amusing premise of hitting metal with a hammer, which adds a lighthearted and entertaining element to the gameplay. Players find the comedic approach engaging and enjoyable, contributing to an overall fun experience.

    • “This game is a hilarious blend of humor and action, especially when you hit things with a hammer!”
    • “The comedic elements are spot on, making every moment entertaining and full of laughs.”
    • “I couldn't stop laughing at the quirky characters and their ridiculous antics throughout the game.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Blackforge excels in creating a deeply emotional and sensory experience, allowing players to engage in the heartfelt act of craftsmanship in virtual reality. It encourages a slower, more mindful approach to creation, fostering a genuine joy in the process of shaping and building.

    • “Where Blackforge truly shines is in its attention to the sensory and emotional experience of creation.”
    • “Blackforge may not be perfect, but it’s a heartfelt and beautifully realized vision of craftsmanship in virtual reality—one that invites players to slow down, breathe, and rediscover the simple joy of shaping something with their own hands.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been criticized for its clunky feel and significant performance issues, leading some players to find it unplayable and consider returning after improvements are made.

    • “However, this is overshadowed by its clunky feel and lack of optimization, which makes it so I can't play this game at all.”
    • “No dice; I will return to this game once they address the performance issues.”
  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's minimalist design offers a calming experience that may attract some players, but those seeking deeper gameplay and long-term replay value might find it lacking in complexity and depth.

    • “While this focus on minimalism will appeal to players seeking a calm, self-contained experience, those looking for long-term replay value or complex management systems may find the gameplay loop too shallow.”
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1h Median play time
1h Average play time
1-1h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure is a casual simulation game.

BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 1 hours playing BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure.

BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure was released on June 13, 2024.

BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure was developed by Mana Brigade.

BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its atmosphere but disliked it for its story.

BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure is a single player game.

Similar games include Towers of Aghasba, Fantasy Blacksmith, REKA, Sands of Aura, Mirthwood and others.