Court of Ashes

About

Court of Ashes is a single player casual strategy game with fantasy, drama, medieval and historical themes. It was developed by Cratel Studios and was released on October 10, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

Gather your wits and enter the council chamber. The king has fallen, but the five of you remain in the fight. You can mourn the loss of his majesty later; your own survival still depends on how you respond to this war. Undoubtedly, figuring out how to respond will be easier than convincing the others to listen.

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 38 reviews

story5 positive mentions

Engaging and immersive storyline with rich political intrigue and detective elements.
Distinct, well-developed characters with unique perspectives that enhance replayability.
Effective blend of visual novel storytelling with strategic kingdom/resource management gameplay.

Some linearity in plot branches and limited variation in endings reduces replay value for some players.
Occasional bugs and UI/resolution issues, including problems with skipping text and certain endings.
Gameplay can become predictable with obvious optimal choices and somewhat repetitive dialogue options.

story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
50%
19%
The story offers multiple perspectives with branching choices that provide good replayability and immersion, though some find it occasionally confusing or repetitive. Overall, it features deep characters and engaging arcs, making it a compelling narrative experience despite a few "eh, what?" moments.
- “Don't be deceived by its length, this game deserves multiple runs as it allows you to experience the story from 5 different perspectives and change the story by using the personality and abilities of different characters in new and interesting ways.”
- “These events come in a wide variety and many of them have story arc continuations of their own that kept me immersed from start to finish.”
- “Although the mechanics of Court of Ashes are relatively simple and intuitive, it is the many choices, deep characters, and branching story that make it an excellent choice for your next game.”
- “Yes, there are different leaders but the story is always the same and so are the options.”
- “The beginning of the story was confusing and it feels more like a beta version than anything else.”
- “The result is sometimes you get some 'eh, what?' moments from the storyline.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The gameplay combines engaging kingdom management and strategy elements with branching narrative choices, offering a fresh and interactive experience for visual novel fans. Its short gameplay loops prevent tedium, encouraging replayability through different character options and story paths. Overall, the mechanics are simple yet deep, balancing intuitive play with meaningful decision-making.
- “I loved the worldbuilding, gameplay, artwork, and all the character options in this kingdom sim.”
- “I'm not normally a visual novel fan, but the small strategy and kingdom management elements really help keep it fresh throughout the gameplay.”
- “Although the mechanics of Court of Ashes are relatively simple and intuitive, it was the many choices, deep characters, and branching story that make it an excellent choice for your next game.”
- “My peeve with visual novels is that they are usually more novels than visuals, and have little to no interactivity, let alone gameplay.”
- “I'm not really sure how much of that influences the gameplay itself, though.”
- “The gameplay loop is short enough that this isn't too tedious either, which was a concern of mine when realizing I'd have to replay this so many times.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game's graphics are praised for their beautiful and unique art style, detailed worldbuilding, expressive character designs, and appealing backgrounds. Users appreciate the visual novel's engaging artwork, which enhances the storytelling and overall experience.
- “I loved the worldbuilding, gameplay, artwork, and all the character options in this kingdom sim.”
- “The game is quite enjoyable, and interesting from the art style to the characters you meet.”
- “My peeve with visual novels is that they are usually more novels than visuals, and have little to no interactivity, let alone gameplay.”
- “The facial expressions are one of my favorite aspects of the artwork, as well as the backgrounds.”
- “Moreover, the artwork and design is pretty neat.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Replayability is a mixed aspect for this game; while it offers an enjoyable short story and claims to focus on replay value, some players find the side dialogues uninteresting and feel that multiple playthroughs are not very compelling.
- “An enjoyable short story with a lot of replayability.”
- “For that reason, I won't be doing other playthroughs (that last about 2 hours). The game advertises replayability as its main feature, but based on my experience and the side dialogues not being that interesting, I won't explore that option.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is praised as rousing and fantastic, complementing the unique art style and enhancing the overall storytelling experience.
- “Court of Ashes offers a rousing soundtrack that complements its beautiful and unique art style.”
- “The game features fantastic art and music.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is manageable due to a short gameplay loop, preventing it from becoming overly tedious despite the need for repeated playthroughs.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its authentic diplomatic tone, which enhances immersion despite occasional language challenges for non-native English speakers. This nuanced use of language effectively supports the overall diplomatic setting.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is praised for fostering meaningful friendships that provide valuable resource production bonuses, enhancing gameplay through dialogue and relationship-building.