Blacksmith

About

Blacksmith is a single player casual role playing game. It was developed by Otis Miller and was released on January 11, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+17

Skip User Reviews

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 86 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

stability11 negative mentions

The game has a unique and charming concept, allowing players to experience the life of a blacksmith while managing heroes and crafting gear.
Despite its flaws, the game features a rich story with well-developed characters and engaging quests that keep players invested.
The developer is very active in addressing bugs and improving the game, showing a commitment to enhancing the player experience.

The tutorial is overwhelming and poorly structured, providing too much information at once without guiding players through the mechanics step-by-step.
The gameplay can be slow and repetitive, with many mechanics feeling tedious and lacking depth, leading to a grindy experience.
Numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with the UI and game-breaking errors, detract from the overall enjoyment and polish of the game.

gameplay
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
74%
7%
Gameplay in this title is a mixed bag, with some players finding it tedious and slow-paced, particularly in combat and crafting mechanics. While the game offers a charming world and innovative concepts, many mechanics are deemed obscure or unimportant, leading to a repetitive experience. However, those who enjoy casual gameplay and the blacksmithing aspect may find it engaging, despite its flaws.
- “It's a game where I really did not mind finding every little last thing even despite the overwhelming tedium of the core gameplay loops.”
- “The combination of every new mechanic brings awe as it forcibly unfolds before me.”
- “The forge isn't complex but can require some skills to take out all of it and overall the gameplay is very nice.”
- “Several mechanics are obscure, obtuse, or otherwise unimportant to even bother with in the grand scheme of things.”
- “Although the gameplay gets mind-numbingly boring incredibly fast, the charm and obvious care put into making a memorable world really resonated with me.”
- “The UI leaves a lot to be desired, while the gameplay overall is fairly slow-paced and repetitive.”
story
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
70%
8%
The game's story is well-crafted, featuring individual narratives for each hero that enhance the overall experience, while the main plot revolves around town expansion and dungeon exploration. Players appreciate the freedom to engage with the story at their own pace, discovering quests and character interactions that add depth and humor. Despite some minor technical issues, the combination of solid mechanics and engaging storytelling makes it a compelling experience worth exploring thoroughly.
- “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.”
- “Each hero has its own story that is worth exploring, that of the blacksmith being only one.”
- “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 day's efficiency before any story progression.”
- “You don't forge your own story, by the way.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a hand-drawn aesthetic that some players find charming, reminiscent of styles like "Don't Starve" and "Paper Mario." However, opinions are mixed, with some reviewers criticizing the visuals as simplistic and flat, which detracts from the overall experience, especially when combined with gameplay bugs. Despite these criticisms, many players appreciate the unique art style and find it adds to the game's fun and lighthearted nature.
- “Aesthetically, this game is hand-drawn and honestly looks decent.”
- “I personally like the art style; it has a Paper Mario feel to it, though I am sure some may not agree.”
- “The graphics are very nice, and there are many funny stories to explore.”
- “With how the visuals in this game work, everything looks really flat.”
- “The hand-drawn graphics are pretty bad, to the extent that it makes the cartoonish simplicity of South Park's paper cutouts look masterful.”
- “If graphics are going to be this bad, and the game this simple, bugs with the controls are utterly unacceptable.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs and glitches, including camera issues, character sprite malfunctions, and unresponsive dialogue boxes. Many users experienced game-breaking problems during the tutorial and noted that the overall performance is inconsistent, particularly in early access. While some players still find enjoyment in the game, the prevalence of these issues significantly detracts from the experience.
- “There were times the camera bugged out, or I got stuck on terrain and had to redo a day for fear of breaking my game (sleep is the only way to save), and several times characters' sprites got stuck or buggy after various cutscenes.”
- “Good premise but the tutorial is game-breakingly buggy, not letting you sleep, not progressing tasks, etc. Also, many things aren't properly explained in the tutorial; I give up.”
- “Although I kind of like the game (I have about 5 hours in it and will be playing it some more), I cannot recommend it for being too slow, having too many bugs, being too unclear about a lot of things, a lot of pop-ups you can't click away, bugs/glitches (can never tell them apart, but characters randomly teleport from time to time, and sometimes the game crashes), and for some awful game mechanics.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The music in the game is generally described as relaxing and fitting well with the atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience. However, some players noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive, with a lack of variation in different environments, as it seems to consist of a single track that plays continuously. Despite these criticisms, many appreciate the chilled vibe it contributes to the game's indie aesthetic.
- “The soundtrack is quite relaxing and makes your time fly by.”
- “The developer also updated the music of the game to include a different instrumental version of the songs, and it fits perfectly.”
- “As indie games go, I found I really enjoyed the stylized art and chilled music in this RPG.”
- “I just feel that the song sometimes gets a bit repetitive.”
- “When listening to the background music, I noticed that it didn't change when I switched from inside my smithy to playing in the dungeon.”
- “Since that's one place I'd expect the music to transition, I suspect there may only be a single song that plays constantly in the game.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with blacksmithing described as both tedious and straightforward, yet essential to gameplay. While some appreciate the mechanics involved, many feel that the late game becomes excessively grindy, particularly in unlocking key features like farming, which could benefit from a more balanced approach to resource management. Overall, the grinding can detract from the enjoyment, especially during repetitive tasks and mini-games.
- “Clearly the developers have a fascination with blacksmithing that surpasses any other, because the blacksmithing, while factually inaccurate, is still somehow tedious as watching paint dry.”
- “Late game is pretty grindy.”
- “Too much grinding before unlocking essentials like farming (cheaper unlock, maybe more expensive upgrades).”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others report issues such as frame rate drops and long loading times. Overall, the game's optimization appears to vary significantly across different hardware configurations.
- “The optimization in this game is outstanding, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end hardware.”
- “I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the performance settings, making it easy to customize for the best experience.”
- “The game runs flawlessly after the latest optimization patch, showcasing the team's commitment to improving performance.”
- “The game runs poorly on even high-end systems, making it frustrating to play.”
- “I experienced frequent frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the immersion.”
- “The optimization is so bad that loading times are unacceptably long, even for simple tasks.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
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 buy in-game items.”
- “The game feels incomplete without the microtransactions.”
- “The monetization system is overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “It's frustrating that progress is heavily gated behind paywalls.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a blend of engaging graphics and humorous storytelling, with funny dialogue and character voices enhancing the experience. Players appreciate the comedic elements woven into the battles and dungeons, making it an accessible and enjoyable entry into the genre.
- “The graphics are very nice and there are many funny stories to explore.”
- “The battles and dungeons give the game some good depth, and the story and dialogue are pretty funny at times.”
- “It's an accessible way to get into this genre, as the controls and concepts are quite intuitive. Combined with the hand-drawn animation style and funny character voices, it makes for a fun game.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is enhanced by innovative mechanics, including unique character design and a captivating combat system reminiscent of Pokémon, which together create an engaging and addictive experience.
- “The character design is incredibly detailed, and the unique mechanics like smithing and Pokémon-esque combat create an intriguing and addictive experience.”
- “The depth of character development allows players to truly connect with their avatars, making every decision feel impactful.”
- “I love how the game encourages players to evolve their characters not just in skills, but also in personality and backstory.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its enjoyable music, appealing art style, and overall engaging ambiance, contributing to a fun gaming experience.
- “Received the game in the Yogscast bundle; it's a fun little game with nice music, atmosphere, and art.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to be surprisingly wholesome and emotionally engaging, especially considering its early access status, which adds to its overall appeal.
- “I am aware that it is in early access, but that's even more impressive because it feels like a very wholesome game already.”