Children of Zodiarcs

About

Children of Zodiarcs is a single player tactical role playing game with fantasy and warfare themes. It was developed by Cardboard Utopia and was released on July 18, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Children of Zodiarcs" is a story-driven, tactical RPG set in the fantasy realm of Lumus, where players control a group of outcasts using a deck and dice-based combat system. The group, composed of professional thieves, is in pursuit of an ancient relic, facing challenges from city guards, rival gangs, and cannibalistic families in the underworld. As they brave the dangerous world, they must confront their own reality and the harsh social systems that have abandoned them.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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68%

Audience ScoreBased on 395 reviews

story81 positive mentions

grinding54 negative mentions

The game features a unique blend of card and dice mechanics that adds depth to the tactical gameplay.
The art style and music are well-crafted, creating an engaging atmosphere.
The game offers a sense of progression with a complete campaign and character leveling.

The story and character development are shallow, with one-dimensional characters and a predictable plot.
Combat can feel repetitive and tedious, especially with long animations and RNG elements affecting outcomes.
The game lacks meaningful customization options, with limited character choices and no equipment or class systems.

story
501 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
75%
9%
The story in this game is generally perceived as linear and lacking depth, with many players finding it unengaging and the characters unlikable. While some appreciate the darker themes and emotional moments, others criticize the writing and pacing, noting that the narrative often feels rushed or clichéd. Overall, the story serves primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay, with many players suggesting that it could benefit from more development and character growth.
- “The story is not world-shattering but held my attention through the whole thing and made me care about the characters.”
- “The art is beautiful, the storyline is unexpectedly dark, and the gameplay is good and fair in a way you haven't seen before from any SRPGs.”
- “The story begins by feeling somewhat like a generic adventure tale but takes a pretty dark turn with its themes, and going through the side quests and the dialogue moments emphasizes this.”
- “The story is absolutely awful; I would skip it.”
- “The story is linear, with nothing to do in the game except missions.”
gameplay
276 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
62%
6%
The gameplay of "Children of Zodiarcs" is characterized by its unique blend of card and dice mechanics, offering a fresh take on tactical RPGs. While many players appreciate the innovative systems and strategic depth, some criticize the reliance on randomness and the lack of character diversity, which can lead to repetitive gameplay. Overall, the mechanics are engaging and provide a solid foundation, but they may require further refinement to enhance the overall experience.
- “The gameplay is smooth, the strategies interesting, and the visuals distinct and well-textured.”
- “The gameplay was downright fantastic, an original blend of board with cards and dice, when damage values, buffs, debuffs, and special effects are determined not by how well you've raised your character's stats, but by how well you've crafted and chosen your dice.”
- “Children of Zodiarcs is a solid strategy RPG with unique gameplay elements and an interesting story.”
- “Its a new take on tactics by incorporating a few different elements which makes the core gameplay feel like you have to adapt a lot, which can be fun sometimes and wildly disappointing at others.”
- “The gameplay becomes quite repetitive; there are not many playable characters, some cards are quite unbalanced, and the story, which seems quite interesting at first, has some development issues.”
- “The dice/card game mechanics make for an immersive experience, but the gameplay is very slow and some of the components are just really clunky.”
graphics
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
49%
4%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the distinct art style and colorful visuals, while others criticize the 3D models as blocky and the overall aesthetic as lacking depth. Many players appreciate the hand-drawn feel and polished interface, but some find the graphics stale or below expectations for a 2018 release. Overall, while the visuals are competent and enjoyable for some, they do not consistently impress across the board.
- “The graphical style was coherent and of decent quality.”
- “The graphics are quite nice and colorful (not too spectacular but still very appealing) and the animations and animated art style I like very much as well.”
- “Great graphics, awesome score, and really unique battle mechanics utilizing the cards and dice (it sounds cheesy, but the game does it really well)!”
- “Models and artwork are ugly and generally unreadable; basic mechanics like mimicking throwing dice with your mouse/controller or manually changing the values/faces of each of your character's dice seem novel at first and quickly descend into near-offensive levels of tedium. The missions are poorly paced and entirely forgettable.”
- “Graphic: as a game published in 2018, it is below the level.”
- “Bad graphic design.”
music
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
39%
5%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its orchestral quality and atmospheric fit, often comparing it favorably to classic titles like Final Fantasy Tactics. While some find the soundtrack enjoyable and well-composed, others feel it lacks memorability and depth, describing it as serviceable but not standout. Overall, the music is generally seen as a positive aspect of the game, contributing to the overall experience without being the main highlight.
- “Combine that with phenomenal orchestral music that just reminds you of good old Ivalice, and you have yourself a solid game to play whenever you're bored and don't have much time.”
- “The music is orchestral and suited to the atmosphere, bouncing between quieter, more melancholic tunes and lively, adventurous scores.”
- “The soundtrack is pretty good as most of the songs mesh well with the game maps; you can tell the feel of a scene instantly from the music, and it helps with immersion.”
- “I don't find myself overly engrossed in the story nor enchanted by the music.”
- “The music, while not over the top, is totally forgettable.”
- “Sadly, the music of this game will not make that cut.”
grinding
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The reviews indicate that grinding is a significant aspect of the game, particularly in the late stages, where players often feel compelled to grind for levels and resources to progress. While some players appreciate the challenge it presents, many find it tedious and repetitive, detracting from the overall enjoyment and pacing of the game. The balance between difficulty and grinding is a common concern, with some suggesting that the game could benefit from a more forgiving approach to leveling and resource acquisition.
- “Both in the good ways (no grinding, no backtracking or other map exploring, saving possible almost anytime, fast-forward is bound to left mouse button in battles) and unfortunately in the one not so good way (15 hours of playtime to finish).”
- “No grinding.”
- “I don't know if I missed a 'good ending' route, but the game is a bit too grindy and a bit too repetitive to play through a second time.”
- “It becomes bland, dry, stale, and tedious and seems like a horribly cheap way to artificially make a game seem much longer than it really is.”
- “The process of grinding skirmishes and checking the story mission to see if I am now strong enough is tedious and the opposite of fun.”
character development
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
58%
16%
Character development in the game is largely criticized for being minimal and linear, with many reviewers noting a lack of depth and background for the characters. While some appreciate the character designs and visual aesthetics, they feel that the main cast does not undergo significant growth throughout the story, leaving players wanting more from both protagonists and antagonists. Overall, the character development is described as shallow and underwhelming, failing to engage players despite some interesting design ideas.
- “From the simple yet eye-catching levels and assets to the gorgeous and charming character design, you can feel the love just oozing from every little detail.”
- “The character portraits are beautiful and read well during the dialogue segments, the character designs are also quite solid, and overall the game evokes a bit of a low-fi JRPG feeling in the character models, environments, visual effects, and graphic design.”
- “There is not really any character development or background to the characters, and the only likable character has a short storyline.”
- “It feels as if the main cast goes through no character development until the very end, and even then, kind of, but not really.”
- “The protagonists and antagonists deserve much deeper character development throughout the campaign.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
Overall, the game's replayability is considered limited, primarily driven by the pursuit of achievements rather than diverse gameplay options. While the story mode provides a decent initial engagement, the lack of end-game content, customization, and varied challenges diminishes its long-term appeal. Players note that although the experience is enjoyable, it does not offer enough depth or variety to encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “The twenty levels of story mode offer a decently long engagement (10 hours, plus minus), and then for replay value there's skirmishes and arenas.”
- “Using something like booster packs or allowing players to customize the card upgrade process would give many more options, as well as offering replay value since your characters would be different each time.”
- “Not that much replay value unfortunately, but what is there is fun enough to be worth the asking price for a low budget indie game.”
- “Game is short, the balancing is wobbly at times, the late game scaling feels off, there is no proper end game and the replayability is poor.”
- “The seriously dark story contrasts heavily with the light-hearted art style making the game a wonderful surprise on the first run... sadly it lacks replay value due to its linear story and lack of end game content.”
- “There is not a ton of content and not much if any replay value.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some players find it to be a failed attempt, others appreciate the funny jokes and humorous character interactions. The ragdoll animations of defeated enemies add a comedic touch, and the charming dynamic between characters often leads to amusing exchanges. However, the writing style may not resonate with everyone, leading to a lack of cohesion in the overall comedic tone.
- “There are also lots of funny jokes.”
- “The concept is great, the dice-crafting system was a nice idea, the art is pleasant, and Xero and his friend (to avoid spoilers) was adorable and humorous!”
- “There are also quiet moments after you've cleared a battle node where you can view an oftentimes humorous discussion between your party members.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed, with some players appreciating the heartfelt moments and touching ending, while others find the story simplistic and unengaging, leading to a lack of emotional investment. Despite a few impactful scenes, many feel that the narrative fails to resonate deeply, often overshadowed by unlikable characters and a linear plot. Overall, while there are emotional highs, they are not enough to elevate the experience for all players.
- “A nice game with a heartfelt story of revenge.”
- “The ending is very touching, and the campaign is short (around 12 hours of play to beat in the first run), but it's still a very solid tactical RPG.”
- “The role and the silent moments within characters talking get you into the story in a most touching way.”
- “Boring story you don't care about because you're too busy hating the characters in your party.”
- “Boring story.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The atmosphere of "Children of Zodiarcs" is highly praised for its immersive qualities, combining beautiful art and orchestral music that evoke a sense of fantasy reminiscent of classic titles like Final Fantasy Tactics. Players feel deeply engaged in the game's world, as it effectively conveys its setting without overwhelming them with unnecessary details, enhancing the overall experience.
- “Children of Zodiarcs' atmosphere is something you not only see, but also feel and imagine; you put yourself inside it as well.”
- “The music is orchestral and suited to the atmosphere, bouncing between quieter, more melancholic tunes and lively, adventurous scores.”
- “At my first run of the game, I recall feeling dragged inside its atmosphere.”
- “Children of Zodiarcs' atmosphere is something you not only see, but also feel and imagine, putting yourself inside it as well.”
- “The game does a good job of explaining the fantasy world it's set in without bogging you down with irrelevant details and names, building atmosphere and immersing you in it.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers criticize the monetization strategy as a blatant cash grab by Square Enix, suggesting that it prioritizes profit over player experience.
- “Square Enix threw it away for a simple cash grab.”
- “The monetization system feels exploitative and prioritizes profit over player experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending extra money.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly without any reported issues or glitches.
- “Runs smoothly with no issues so far, no glitches.”
- “The game maintains a stable performance throughout, providing a seamless experience.”
- “I've experienced consistent stability, with no crashes or major bugs.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, delivering a smooth performance with a stable framerate and decent graphics, and users report no glitches or issues.
- “The game runs smoothly, with a good framerate and decent graphics.”
- “It runs smoothly with no issues so far, and I haven't encountered any glitches.”

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65%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

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15h Median play time

15h Average play time

14-20h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Children of Zodiarcs is a tactical role playing game with fantasy and warfare themes.

Children of Zodiarcs is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS and others.

On average players spend around 15 hours playing Children of Zodiarcs.

Children of Zodiarcs was released on July 18, 2017.

Children of Zodiarcs was developed by Cardboard Utopia.

Children of Zodiarcs has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Children of Zodiarcs is a single player game.

Similar games include Fae Tactics, TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children, Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest, Hard West 2, The DioField Chronicle and others.

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