Blacksmith
- January 11, 2019
- Otis Miller
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Blacksmith" is a single-player Role Playing game with approximately 2 hours of playtime. As a blacksmith, you forge and sell weapons, armor, and tools, using a unique crafting system to create countless unique items. Send heroes on quests, equip townsfolk, and unlock their unique potential to advance the story and grow the town of Ironwell.
Reviews
- The game offers a rich and engaging story with well-written character arcs and plenty of content, including various dungeons and unique monsters.
- Gameplay combines blacksmithing with RPG elements, allowing players to manage heroes and upgrade their gear, which adds depth and strategy to the experience.
- The developer is committed to regular updates and improvements, enhancing the overall quality and player experience.
- The game suffers from bugs and glitches, including issues with dialogue boxes and crashes that can disrupt gameplay.
- The learning curve is steep, and the lack of comprehensive guides can make the initial experience confusing for new players.
- Some players find the pacing of the game too fast, making it difficult to manage tasks and enjoy the story progression.
- story19 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game's story is well-crafted, featuring individual narratives for each hero that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the engaging plot, humorous dialogue, and the intertwining of gameplay mechanics with story progression, which keeps them invested in exploring dungeons and completing character quests. While some visual bugs exist, the potential for future updates promises to enrich the storytelling further.
“The main story is nice and each hero has their own story well written.”
“An interesting game, good plot with interesting twists and original gameplay experience.”
“The battles and dungeons give the game some good depth and the story and dialogue is pretty funny at times.”
“But being at the edge of your seat is not the whole story here.”
“And it's this that has me worried that I'll be spending all my time on my days' efficiency before any story progression.”
“You don't forge your own story, by the way.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of blacksmithing, medieval fantasy elements, and RPG mechanics, allowing players to engage at their own pace. While some find the smithing process tedious, many appreciate its straightforwardness and the innovative combination of mechanics that create an intriguing and addictive experience. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its originality and the engaging challenges it presents.
“If you like blacksmithing, medieval/fantasy settings, and soda dungeon-style RPG mechanics, this game is absolutely right up your alley.”
“The forge isn't complex but can require some skills to take out all of it, and overall the gameplay is very nice.”
“From the character design to the smithing and Pokémon-esque combat mechanics, the game uses a few inspired mechanics to create something intriguing and addictive.”
“The gameplay is a bit bewildering; I looked up a guide, which helps.”
“For those moaning about how tedious smithing is, I would point out that at least on first impressions it's a relatively quick and straightforward process and does deserve a game mechanic.”
“Blacksmith is an innovative game, in terms of gameplay and concept.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally considered simple and reminiscent of titles like "Don't Starve" and "Paper Mario," which some players appreciate for their unique art style. However, there are criticisms regarding the simplicity, especially when combined with control bugs, leading to mixed feelings about the overall visual presentation.
“I also personally like the art style; it has a Paper Mario feel to it, though I am sure some may not agree.”
“If graphics are going to be this bad, and the game this simple, bugs with the controls are utterly unacceptable.”
“The graphics are reminiscent of 'Don't Starve'.”
“The graphics might be a bit on the simple side, but don't let that fool you: this game is very in-depth and fun.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been enjoyable overall, but players have reported several bugs and glitches, including a persistent dialogue box that occasionally remains open after sleeping, indicating stability issues.
“This game has been really fun to play, but as Retoran posted a few hours ago, this game is buggy—the dialogue box gets stuck open after sleeping, and it's not just when you leave it open when you go to bed; sometimes it just doesn't go away!”
“It has some bugs and glitches.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have mixed feelings about grinding, particularly in smithing; while some find it quick and straightforward, others describe it as tedious and frustrating. Overall, the grinding mechanics are seen as necessary but can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
“Which is tedious as all hell.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a humorous narrative and dialogue that adds depth to its battles and dungeons, complemented by intuitive controls and charming hand-drawn animations. The funny character voices enhance the overall enjoyment, making it an accessible and entertaining experience for players.
“The battles and dungeons give the game some good depth, and the story and dialogue are pretty funny at times.”
“If you’re not familiar with the genre, this game is an accessible way to get into it. The controls and concepts are quite intuitive, and when combined with the hand-drawn animation style and funny character voices, it makes for a fun experience.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization model is generally viewed positively, as players appreciate the absence of microtransactions, suggesting a more straightforward and fair gaming experience.
“The game offers a fair monetization model that doesn't rely heavily on microtransactions.”
“I appreciate that the game can be enjoyed fully without spending extra money.”
“The monetization system is balanced, allowing players to progress without feeling pressured to spend.”
“The game feels incomplete without the microtransactions.”
“Monetization is overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
“It's frustrating that progress is heavily gated behind paywalls.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight that the game features inspired character design and engaging mechanics, such as smithing and Pokémon-style combat, which contribute to a compelling and addictive character development experience.
“The character design, along with the smithing and Pokémon-esque combat mechanics, creates an intriguing and addictive experience.”
“The depth of character development allows players to truly connect with their avatars, making every decision feel impactful.”
“Each character's growth is thoughtfully crafted, providing a rewarding sense of progression throughout the game.”
- music1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in this indie RPG is praised for its chill vibe, complementing the stylized art and enhancing the overall gaming experience.
“As indie games go, I found I really enjoyed the stylized art and chilled music in this RPG.”
