Children of Morta

Children of Morta is pieced together in such a way that no element feels out of place, and the wonderful roguelite gameplay is backed with a deep and emotional story that kept me engrossed until the very end.

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"Children of Morta" is an action-RPG with rogue-lite elements, where you control the Bergsons, a heroic family with unique abilities, facing procedurally generated dungeons to defeat the Corruption. The game now features online and local co-op modes, allowing you to team up with friends in your battle against the Corruption.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 6,559 reviews

story1,908 positive mentions

grinding307 negative mentions

One of the best pixel arts I've ever seen.
Solid story with gruesome moments and a great multiplayer experience.
Each dungeon run feels worthwhile due to character variety and progression.

The game requires too much grinding, making progression feel tedious.
The story clips are unskippable and can become boring.
Some characters feel underpowered compared to others, leading to a lack of balance.

story
3,818 mentions
50 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story of *Children of Morta* is widely praised for its emotional depth and family-centric themes, effectively intertwining narrative progression with gameplay. Players appreciate the engaging storytelling delivered through a charming narrator, with cutscenes that unfold after each dungeon run, enhancing the sense of connection to the characters. While some critiques mention the story's predictability and occasional pacing issues, the overall sentiment is that the narrative adds significant value to the gameplay experience, making it a standout in the roguelike genre.
- “I play this game with my wife and it is one that we both enjoy because the story is about family and working together, and the way the story is interwoven between the deaths is great.”
- “The characters, their motivations, story progression, and the obtaining unlockable characters felt organic and properly paced.”
- “The story is captivating and the game play is top notch.”
- “The story clips are unskippable and boring.”
- “The narration is great, visuals are great, except the story is extremely slow and pretty boring.”
- “The story is lacking both in concept and execution, while the gameplay is reasonably fun yet fails to be refined or innovative enough to warrant much praise.”
gameplay
1,885 mentions
48 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Children of Morta" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its fluid mechanics and diverse character abilities that encourage experimentation. However, some players find the gameplay repetitive and marred by a fatigue mechanic that forces character rotation, which can detract from the enjoyment. Overall, while the game offers a solid blend of action RPG and roguelite elements, its repetitive nature and some clunky mechanics may not appeal to everyone.
- “The gameplay is as tight as Hades, and the amount of variety is achieved through playing different characters, each having a unique play style.”
- “The gameplay is fantastic, with just the right difficulty to make you work for those victories and learn to be smart with managing your resources and investments between runs.”
- “The gameplay is smooth and exhilarating, offering a perfect blend of action and strategy.”
- “I'm not sure why, but the gameplay gave me the impression the game doesn't know what pace it wants to work at.”
- “Combat is kind of fine, except it's full of annoying mechanics and turns into a mess quite fast; lots of punishing mechanics and tons of monsters with high HP makes it quite a slog.”
- “Oddly, even in single-player or offline mode, the game includes 'free-to-play' elements like character fatigue (which will lock you from playing your favorite character/weapon!), which feels unnecessary and adds no real value to the gameplay experience.”
graphics
1,088 mentions
64 % positive mentions
34 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Children of Morta" have been widely praised for their stunning pixel art style, intricate animations, and vibrant color palettes, creating a visually captivating experience that enhances the game's storytelling. Many players appreciate the attention to detail in the artwork, which evokes a nostalgic charm reminiscent of classic games, while some note minor graphical glitches and performance issues. Overall, the game's visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal and immersive atmosphere.
- “The graphics are stunning—some of the best pixel graphics I have seen in any game.”
- “Children of Morta is a roguelite action RPG with wonderfully crafted pixelated art style and a touching storyline.”
- “The pixel artwork and design is the most stunningly beautiful I've ever seen, deserving of an award.”
- “Audio glitches, graphical artifacts, and frame rate drops ruined the experience for me.”
- “While Children of Morta aims to charm with its pixel-art graphics, the execution can sometimes feel inconsistent.”
- “The graphics are so bad it is hard to tell what is an enemy and what is a treasure chest.”
music
394 mentions
63 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in "Children of Morta" receives mixed reviews, with many praising its beautiful and atmospheric soundtrack that enhances the game's emotional depth and storytelling. While some players find the music captivating and fitting for the gameplay, others criticize it for being repetitive or forgettable, particularly during combat. Overall, the soundtrack is generally regarded as a strong aspect of the game, contributing positively to the overall experience despite some calls for more variety and intensity.
- “The soundtrack, composed by Hamidreza Ansari, is a standout feature, blending orchestral and traditional instrumentation to create a hauntingly beautiful score.”
- “The music dynamically shifts to match the intensity of the gameplay, from serene, melodic tunes during moments of respite at the Bergson home to intense, adrenaline-pumping tracks in the heat of battle.”
- “Through its exceptional soundtrack, dynamic gameplay, and heartfelt narrative, Children of Morta offers a unique and compelling experience that stands out in a crowded genre.”
- “Children of Morta is a fantasy action RPG with a pixel art style that is quite pretty, colorful, and detailed, accompanied by music that is present but not particularly remarkable.”
- “Music is basic and bland.”
- “The music was forgettable and I honestly would be hard pressed to remember any of the tracks at all.”
grinding
320 mentions
1 % positive mentions
3 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of "Children of Morta" has received mixed feedback from players. Many find the game excessively grindy, with progression often feeling tedious and slow, particularly in the early stages and when leveling up characters. However, some players appreciate the grind as a necessary part of the roguelike experience, enjoying the character upgrades and the engaging story that unfolds alongside the gameplay. Overall, while the grind can be off-putting for some, others see it as a rewarding challenge that enhances the game's depth.
- “Not too grindy, difficult enough.”
- “It's fun, and not grindy.”
- “Cute story, not too grindy.”
- “Children of Morta requires too much grinding, making progression feel like a chore.”
- “The upgrades get expensive way too fast and require ridiculous amounts of grinding.”
- “The game is gorgeous and probably the best pixel art I've seen; however, it's very much a grindy affair and the balancing is whack.”
emotional
263 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Children of Morta" is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling and strong family themes, resonating deeply with players. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to blend dark moments with warmth, creating a touching narrative that engages players emotionally through character interactions and a compelling plot. While some find the story simple or cliché, the overall sentiment is that the emotional depth and beautiful presentation make it a standout experience in the roguelite genre.
- “In addition to the sensational writing and dedicated effort to build a cohesive and emotionally complex story, the world is brimming with symbolism and wisdom that spur you onward as any good motivational speech could.”
- “The interactions between family members are genuine and heartfelt, making players care about their fate.”
- “Children of Morta delivers an incredible and beautiful rogue-lite, with a touching story about a delightful family.”
- “What really killed this game for me was the contrived, boring story.”
- “The long, boring story scenes made it hard to stay engaged.”
replayability
150 mentions
30 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The reviews on replayability for the game present a mixed picture. While some players appreciate the inclusion of features like New Game+ and diverse character options that enhance replay value, many express disappointment with the overall lack of depth and variety, leading to a perception of low replayability, especially after completing the main story. The game's procedural generation and co-op modes offer some replay potential, but the consensus suggests that it falls short of the high replayability typically expected from roguelike titles.
- “The game also includes additional challenges and modes that provide replayability.”
- “With its replay value and local co-op mode, 'Children of Morta' is a must-play for anyone seeking a satisfying and immersive gaming experience.”
- “Amazing story, gameplay, and art style with a lot of replayability :) 10/10”
- “Being story-driven, its replayability is also quite poor.”
- “The characters are all pretty interesting, the only letdown in this game is that it has pretty much no replay value.”
- “The most egregious issue that absolutely needs to be addressed, however, is there is virtually 0 replayability.”
atmosphere
112 mentions
66 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning pixel art, immersive sound design, and engaging narration, which together create a captivating and emotionally rich experience. While many players appreciate the cozy and enchanting ambiance, some note a lack of visual variety and dynamic audio that could enhance the overall experience. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, drawing players into its beautifully crafted world.
- “The atmosphere created in the game through the visuals--and for me, especially through the music--is fantastic.”
- “The aesthetics and the atmosphere in the game are just amazing, as you progress you will see the world change along the way of the storyline and it will feel like you live in this world.”
- “The narrator really adds a great atmosphere to the storytelling.”
- “But I would have liked slightly more dynamic audio or a varying atmosphere to keep things fresh.”
- “However, we have run into a few graphical bugs (obvious clipping, black spots on the map where no textures have loaded), which I can forgive, but it does ruin the atmosphere a little.”
- “The atmosphere is nice, but not nice enough to save you from boredom.”
stability
63 mentions
6 % positive mentions
2 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches, particularly in multiplayer modes, including audio issues, graphical artifacts, and frequent freezes. While some users found the game to run smoothly and enjoyed the experience, others described it as "buggy as hell," with issues that detracted from gameplay, especially during cooperative play. Overall, while the game has potential and enjoyable elements, its stability issues are a major concern for many players.
- “It's beautiful, accessible, bug-free, and simply a fun game to play.”
- “Runs great on Steam Deck too!”
- “I experienced no glitches or bugs to speak of.”
- “Audio glitches, graphical artifacts, and frame rate drops ruined the experience for me.”
- “The game suddenly freezes and I disconnect from the host's game; however, for me, I'm still in the lobby, so I have to re-launch the game.”
- “Buggy to the point of being unplayable.”
character development
39 mentions
51 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with many praising the engaging narrative and distinct character designs that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the meaningful progression and skill trees that allow for satisfying character growth, particularly through the family dynamics and story-driven encounters. However, some critiques highlight a lack of depth in certain characters and inconsistencies in design, suggesting that while the game excels in storytelling, it occasionally falls short in character development for specific individuals.
- “Ensnaring story and incredibly good character design - each distinguished with distinct & satisfying play-style mechanics - paired with perfect pacing & power leveling, an excellent death mechanic which is tied into plot delivery, and beautiful, expressive pixel art & animations make this one of the few roguelites I have been able to enjoy until now.”
- “For those seeking an engaging rogue-lite experience that prioritizes narrative depth and character development, Children of Morta is a journey worth undertaking.”
- “The story and character development with the whole family in between runs is really well done.”
- “Character design is the blandest I've seen in any game.”
- “Very limited or even no character development at all... :( biggest letdown of this game for me!”
- “Eldest daughter Linda has no character development whatsoever.”
optimization
36 mentions
28 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
47 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant stuttering, lag, and performance issues, particularly in multiplayer modes. While some users noted good graphical performance and smooth gameplay at times, the overall experience is marred by frequent frame drops and bugs, leading to a frustrating experience. Despite these issues, a few players found the game enjoyable, highlighting its engaging story and graphics, but many are hoping for future updates to address the optimization problems.
- “Optimized so good.”
- “I love this game to death, perfect soundtrack, amazing pixel art, optimized gameplay for controller and mouse/keyboard.”
- “It also runs smoothly with gratifying animations in combat and charming idle animations in the hub.”
- “Multiplayer is horribly executed, as we kept stuttering at random times, which led to pointless deaths and an unenjoyable experience.”
- “Game runs so poorly, with consistent lags, timeouts, stuttering, and other connection issues.”
- “While the story, sound, graphics, and everything look great, the game has pretty severe stuttering issues on both the Steam Deck (no settings changed) and my desktop PC that I have not been able to resolve.”
humor
24 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of absurdity and situational comedy, often stemming from the simplicity of boss fights and the quirky interactions between characters. Players find amusement in the game's mechanics, such as awkward character dynamics and humorous narration, while also enjoying the lighthearted moments that arise during cooperative play. Overall, the humor is described as both intentional and unintentional, contributing to a fun and engaging experience despite some gameplay shortcomings.
- “Then we got to the reveal of why the bad guy is bad... and I started laughing.”
- “It's kind of hilarious in a way as my wife is playing the big burly patriarch of the family, and I've been using his daughter, which leads to me making conversations slightly awkward by calling her 'daddy' in the deepest voice I can muster.”
- “With its visuals and great voice acting by the narrator, it generates a lot of heartbreaking and funny moments that make you feel at home with this family.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for its intrusive advertisements, particularly during cooperative gameplay, which detracts from the overall experience and frustrates players. Users are calling for improvements to the game's functionality before promoting it as a co-op experience.