Brookhaven Grimoire
- February 18, 2022
- Little_Amethyst
- 249h median play time
Get on Steam"Brookhaven Grimoire" is a magical adventure game set in a storybook world. Learn to perform spells, explore the Unwritten Lands to uncover hidden mysteries, and summon minions to assist you in battles. With supernatural abilities and the chance to start a family, this game offers a unique and exciting role-playing experience. * Magical adventure in a storybook world * Learn spells, summon minions, and explore for hidden mysteries * Supernatural abilities and the chance to start a family.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique and engaging story with interesting characters that feel alive and relatable.
- The magical and supernatural elements add a fun twist to the farming sim genre, making it distinct from others like Stardew Valley.
- The developer is active in addressing bugs and issues, showing dedication to improving the game over time.
- Controls are clunky and unintuitive, making gameplay frustrating and difficult to navigate.
- The game is plagued by bugs and performance issues, leading to crashes and unresponsive mechanics.
- There is a lack of clear tutorials and guidance, leaving players confused about objectives and gameplay mechanics.
- story124 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally praised for its originality, engaging characters, and intriguing plot, which diverges from typical farming sim narratives. However, players express frustration with unclear quest objectives and navigation issues that hinder their experience. Despite these challenges, many reviewers see potential in the storyline and appreciate the unique elements woven throughout the gameplay.
“The story is so great and the characters are engaging.”
“Unique story, surprising twists and great humor!”
“I am so in love with the story, it's very original and woven through many small aspects of your everyday in Brookhaven.”
“I would like more build up in the storyline, as it kind of just leaves you with a briefly hinted at goal and no real story after that besides some small side quests.”
“You get quests, but you need to do multiple other quests first, but you're not told that and haven't been given those yet.”
“Some quests have an unclear goal (for example: meet a person, but you don't know who they are or where).”
- grinding81 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is noted to be somewhat frustrating, particularly at the beginning, with players mentioning tedious tasks like watering crops and dealing with pests. While the farming mechanics may not be as polished as in other titles like Stardew Valley, the game offers a unique blend of magic and dark themes that keeps players engaged, despite its learning curve and initial challenges. Overall, fans of the genre may find the effort rewarding, especially with the game's rich content and character interactions.
“Talking to villagers is super worth it (by unlocking cool content) and not tedious at all like in Stardew Valley.”
“Farming can be a bit frustrating.”
“It makes farming frustrating, especially at the start of the game.”
“In some farming games, mining/fighting can feel tedious, but a necessary chore.”
- gameplay41 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
Gameplay in this title is marked by a mix of potential and frustration, with many players noting clunky mechanics, slow movement, and a lack of proper tutorials. While some aspects, like the storyline and character depth, are praised, issues such as bugs, item deletion, and inconsistent mechanics in crafting and combat detract from the overall experience. Despite these challenges, the active developer support and frequent updates offer hope for improvement, suggesting that the game could eventually compete with more established titles in the genre.
“The mechanics are interesting; it has so many interesting enemies and quite a bit to do.”
“There have already been daily updates since release to fix the most pressing issues, and I've noticed that gameplay has greatly improved.”
“I intend to keep this game as I believe these are issues that will be resolved, and I think the most important point to make here is this game has personality and charm. Once the gameplay issues have been smoothed out, it will be able to compete with the other well-known games of this type.”
“It has so much potential, but the gameplay mechanics are so wonky it's irritating. If it's not that, it's the ungodly slow movement speed and lack of a proper gameplay tutorial.”
“The gameplay that does work isn't much to look at; crafting is a 6/10, fishing is a 2/10, the supernatural part is interesting, but mostly on a surface level.”
“But the game mechanics in themselves are unbearable.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique and adorable art style that blends farm-like aesthetics with a slightly creepy vibe, reminiscent of titles like Stardew Valley. However, the execution suffers from inconsistencies, with multiple art styles that clash, particularly noticeable during transitions between environments. While some players appreciate the overall visual appeal, others find the graphics lack originality and are hindered by clunky controls and a disjointed pixel art presentation.
“The aesthetic is very farmy but also a little creepy, which was fun.”
“It is well made and the art style is unique and adorable.”
“And the graphics are amazing!”
“Brookhaven looks to be a sibling to Stardew Valley, but graphically and control-wise, this game is a gigantic mess.”
“I agree with other reviews completely - the controls are clunky, the tutorial is a bit lacking, and sometimes the pixel art styles don't match, which throws me off a little.”
“Definitely multiple art styles crammed together; the difference is most apparent when transitioning from outside to inside.”
- music18 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally appreciated for its quality and atmosphere, contributing positively to the overall feel. However, some players find it excessively loud, which can disrupt gameplay immersion. The soundtrack features a limited number of distinct tracks, each associated with different environments, which may not satisfy all players.
“The art is gorgeous, the music is nice, and the characters are fantastic.”
“Love the music and feel of the game.”
“The music is extremely loud, causing the gameplay to feel disconnected.”
“There are numerous little other things that make the game not great to me, but they're more personal opinions about the music and writing of the game.”
“- There is one song for spring. - There is one song for the mines/dungeon. - There is one song for the forest, a rather sharp one.”
- humor16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its charming and often dark dialogues, with many players appreciating the snarky comments from villagers and the overall quirky vibe. The interactions with characters are frequently described as funny, and the cute creature designs add to the lightheartedness, making for a unique and engaging experience. Overall, the humor is a standout feature that enhances the game's appeal and keeps players entertained.
“The entire village seems a little bizarre, sometimes a little dark, but the dialogues are funny and charming; it really fits the overall vibe of the game.”
“Unique story, surprising twists, and great humor!”
“At only 2 hours into this game, I can see myself spending many more hours in it - the characters are funny, the protagonist talks (!!!), and I'm very fascinated by the world and overall plot.”
- stability15 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches reported, including problems with item interactions and controller navigation. Players have experienced frustrating performance issues, such as long loading times and visual glitches, which detract from the overall experience. Despite some fixes, many users feel the game is still not polished enough for a full release.
“Unfortunately, it is super buggy (and apparently is a full release???) at this point. I lost a ton of progress because I placed a chest, then could neither move nor pick up the chest.”
“Controls are clunky and counterintuitive, the UI is too clunky and massive, the tutorial is lackluster, and overall it just performs badly with many visual glitches.”
“Lots of loading time between cut scenes where the game freezes and you can't even move your mouse.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is still in the early stages of optimization, with significant improvements needed. However, the developer is actively engaged and provides support through their Discord channel, which is appreciated by the community.
“It has a long way to go before it's fully optimized, but again, one person is working on it, and the developer is very helpful in their Discord.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its appealing pixel art and charming farming simulation vibes, creating an enjoyable and immersive experience. However, some players express a desire for more character interactions and romance options to enhance the overall atmosphere.
“The portraits are really nice, the whole look and atmosphere of the game is incredibly nice for a pixel game.”
“I love the atmosphere and the farming sim vibes, but I wish there were more characters to meet or romanceable options.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviewers indicate that "Brookhaven" lacks the nostalgic charm and replayability found in similar games like "Stardew Valley" and "My Time at Portia," with its positive aspects overshadowed by significant drawbacks that hinder long-term engagement.
“But unfortunately with Brookhaven, what good qualities there are are far outweighed by things that impact the game and its ability to become something nostalgic and have a sense of replayability like similar games of its variety (Stardew Valley, Sun Haven, My Time at Portia, etc.).”
