Chronos Builder
- December 5, 2022
- Mistwall Studio
Get on Steam"Chronos Builder is a procedural mapmaking tool for tabletop RPGs, allowing users to easily generate and customize Sci-Fi, Cyberpunk, Victorian, Eastern or Medieval Fantasy worlds with adjustable weather, lighting, and terrain. The Autobuilder feature quickly generates rooms with customizable options, while quick item editing lets you move, rotate, and scale items. Save and reuse groups of assets for convenience." Do not mention the release date nor the developer or publisher.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Chronos Builder offers a unique range of assets for sci-fi, cyberpunk, and modern settings, making it a valuable tool for those genres.
- The program has shown significant improvements over time, with regular updates addressing bugs and enhancing usability.
- It allows for quick map creation, which can enhance the tabletop experience, especially for users looking for a fast and flexible map-making solution.
- The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and map editing frustrating for many users.
- The auto-generation feature often places assets randomly and awkwardly, leading to poorly structured maps that require extensive manual adjustments.
- Export quality is disappointing, with limitations on size and resolution that hinder usability in virtual tabletop applications.
- story3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The app excels in creating diverse and visually appealing tabletop RPG settings, catering to various storytelling styles. However, some users find the complexity of the tools daunting, which may hinder the experience for those less interested in the narrative aspect. Overall, it offers versatility for scene building but can be overwhelming for new users.
“This app provides a great way to build beautiful TTRPG settings for many different types of stories and worlds.”
“The story for Yag can daunt even the most persistent of scene builders, but it revolutionizes the playspace, offering versatility that rivals most mappers, even if it can be confusing to navigate.”
“The story is convoluted and fails to engage the player, making it difficult to stay invested.”
“The narrative feels disjointed and lacks coherence, leaving players confused about the plot.”
“The characters are one-dimensional and the dialogue is often cringeworthy, detracting from the overall experience.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Gameplay experiences are mixed, with some users criticizing the poor procedural generation, small asset packs, and problematic camera controls, while others appreciate the vast array of objects and the potential for hours of fun. Despite a challenging learning curve, some players find the mechanics rewarding and the game to be a valuable tool for creativity.
“It has an immense amount of objects, walls, terrains, decorations, furniture... that gives you hours and hours of gameplay and fun.”
“After a somewhat strange start in which it was difficult for me to get the mechanics, I have to say that it is an incredible tool!”
“The procedural generation is terrible, the asset packs are small, the camera is abhorrent, and almost none of the mechanics they're pitching properly work.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The graphics and lighting in the game are generally praised for their impressive quality, enhancing the overall visual experience. However, the user interface is criticized for being poorly designed, with issues such as overlapping text in tooltips and a confusing options menu.
“The graphics are really impressive, and the menus are easy to navigate.”
“The graphics and lighting are good.”
“The forced tutorial has tooltips with graphic crossing text, and the overall design of the options menu is quite haphazard, resulting in a UI that leaves a lot to be desired.”
“The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games, making the overall experience less immersive.”
“Character models are poorly designed and lack detail, which detracts from the overall visual appeal of the game.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating, particularly due to the tedious controls and the disappointing rendering of their hard work, which can lead to a sense of wasted time. Despite being able to overlook other issues, the grinding experience is marred by these significant drawbacks.
“I can look past the unintuitive UI and controls, the lighting that ignores walls and objects, and the tedious object placement controls... but if the map I've spent hours on renders as an indistinct blurry mess, looking nothing like it did in the app, it's just been a waste of my time.”
“However, it is tedious to use these.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Call of Cthulhu" is characterized as dark and oppressive, with users praising the tool for its effectiveness in quickly establishing a terrifying ambiance.
“If you're looking to build a dark and oppressive atmosphere for 'Call of Cthulhu,' this tool is an excellent choice.”
“If you're looking to build a dark and oppressive atmosphere for 'Call of Cthulhu,' this tool is also an excellent choice.”
“You can easily and quickly create a terrifying atmosphere.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The optimization in version 2.0.0, featuring the wishing well expansion, has been positively received, with users noting improved performance even on larger maps and multiple floors, indicating that previous issues were minimal or nonexistent for them.
“With the release of 2.0.0 (Wishing Well expansion), I am looking forward to the improved performance, which I never had issues with - even on larger maps and multiple floors.”
“The optimization in this game has made a significant difference; I can now enjoy seamless gameplay without any lag, even during intense moments.”
“I appreciate how the developers have focused on optimization, allowing for smoother navigation and better resource management throughout the game.”
“With the release of 2.0.0 (Wishing Well expansion), I was hoping for improved performance, but I never had issues with optimization even on larger maps and multiple floors.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization problems, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
“Despite the beautiful graphics, the optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers express frustration with the monetization strategy, suggesting that the focus should shift from releasing expansions to improving the current game to meet the expectations set by promotional materials.
“The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
“It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, which really detracts from the overall experience.”
“I wish they would focus more on delivering quality content rather than constantly pushing for in-game purchases.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users highlight a strong emotional connection with the developers, noting their supportive and responsive nature during troubleshooting. This positive interaction fosters a sense of community and appreciation, enhancing the overall emotional experience of the game.
