Crowntakers
- November 6, 2014
- Bulwark Studios
- 7h median play time
There is never a lack of gamers who love a good dose of challenging and well-presented gameplay, and to those Crowntakers could be a real find. It’s solid execution, simple but highly diversified play design, and light and colorful environment is welcoming and fun. However sometimes the randomly generated aspects of the game can knock it out of balance, and quickly change a light-hearted strategy experience into a mouse-smashing rage furnace. If you’re the kind of gamer who likes a title that challenges your brain equally to your patience, then Crowntakers just might be for you.
Crowntakers is a single-player historical role-playing game with good gameplay, graphics, and soundtrack. As the chosen one, embark on a turn-based, strategy-filled journey to save the king from an evil duke in a randomly generated medieval fantasy world. With challenging quests and various enemies, build a team of mercenaries to become the kingdom's greatest hero. The grind is significant, but the high replayability makes up for it.
Reviews
- Engaging turn-based tactical combat with a variety of characters and abilities.
- Charming art style and enjoyable soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
- Good replayability due to randomly generated maps and the ability to unlock new characters and skills.
- Difficulty spikes can be frustrating, especially when transitioning from easy to normal mode.
- Limited variety in enemies and environments can lead to repetitive gameplay.
- Some mechanics, such as the random events and item drops, can feel unbalanced and unfair.
- gameplay129 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a blend of RPG and roguelite elements, featuring turn-based combat and strategic decision-making that can be both engaging and challenging. While many players appreciate the colorful graphics and the variety of mechanics, opinions are divided on the overall execution; some find it repetitive and lacking depth, while others enjoy the tactical aspects and replayability. The game offers a straightforward learning curve, but issues with balance and clarity in mechanics have led to mixed reviews regarding its fun factor and long-term enjoyment.
“It has a lot of bright colors, well-executed character concepts, and gameplay that is easy to understand but still requires some thought.”
“Great gameplay with lots of different possibilities along the way.”
“The gameplay makes you put a lot of thought into battle strategy, money/item management, and character development.”
“Very bland gameplay.”
“But the gameplay loop was just so dull.”
“Overall the gameplay lacks in nearly everything.”
- story70 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered weak and superficial, serving primarily as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. While some players appreciate the character quests and the light humor, many criticize the predictability and lack of depth, with the overall plot feeling like a placeholder for a more developed story. Despite its charming visuals and engaging mechanics, the narrative fails to incentivize replayability or foster a strong connection to the characters and world.
“A great game with mild roguelike elements, turn-based tactical combat, and a great storyline!”
“What sets it apart is that these characters are consistent; you will always encounter a character quest each run, and if you complete it, you unlock the character.”
“Each mercenary has his or her unique stats, skills, and story.”
“Actually, there's not even any real 'narration' to speak about, just an excuse of a foundation for a story.”
“The story doesn't incentivize the player or encourage you to replay the adventure; it doesn't even help develop character.”
“The storyline is extremely light and just barely passable.”
- graphics58 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the charming and colorful art style reminiscent of children's fairy tales and classic animations. While some find the visuals simple yet attractive, others criticize them as bland or lacking variety. Overall, the aesthetic is generally seen as a strong point that enhances the game's appeal, despite some concerns about repetitiveness and character design.
“Good UX, good sounds and music, simple but polished graphics.”
“The graphics create a charming atmosphere that lead you into the just as polished gameplay.”
“The music is fantastic and the art style has a Disney fantasy film flavor that feels both charming and familiar.”
“❌ very bland graphics.”
“Graphics - not great.”
“I am not sure if this game was ever on a tablet, but that is the kind of graphics it has.”
- music48 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its energetic and harmonious qualities, while others criticize its repetitiveness and limited selection of tracks. Some players find the soundtrack enjoyable and fitting for the game's atmosphere, though technical issues like audio bugs detract from the experience. Overall, while the music enhances the gameplay for some, others feel it lacks variety and depth, leading to a less memorable experience.
“A thing absolutely worth praise is the music; just great; simple but harmonious, and very energetic, vibrant with colors.”
“The music is fantastic and the art style has a Disney fantasy film flavor that feels both charming and familiar.”
“The gameplay is fluid and instinctive, the music is superb and even with only 40 minutes of playtime under my belt, it's had me grinning several times with some wonderful humor.”
“I also have to critique a crippling low selection of musical tracks in this game.”
“I had to mute the music because it was so repetitive.”
“The audio suffers from bugs; occasionally the music will cut out, leaving eerie ambient noise. Other times it plays two pieces at once, which is very annoying, and the fantastic soundtrack deserves better.”
- replayability36 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is generally viewed as decent to high, with features like unlockable characters, varying mercenaries, and procedural levels encouraging multiple playthroughs. However, some players feel that the experience can become repetitive after a few hours, with limited differences in gameplay across attempts. Overall, while many appreciate the fun and engaging mechanics that promote replayability, others note that the game's short length and certain design choices may hinder long-term engagement.
“Unlockable-the-more-you-play features for each character gives the game significant replay value as well.”
“Trying different strategies to win is very rewarding and leads to tons of replay value.”
“Combat is quite fun with zones of control, lots of different characters/skills/item variety, and lots of replayability.”
“I understand game designers want their games to have a high amount of replayability, but this is the worst way to achieve it.”
“There are only marginal differences in the half dozen attempts I've done so far and I don't see any room for more, since shops always offer multiple items, inns even offer the same items every time, so there's not much replayability once you've beaten the game (about 4 hours or so for me on easy).”
“It's £6.99, personally, a little too steep for a game that can be finished in less than 3 hours with very little replay value unless you are an achievement hunter or would like to explore the attributes of each individual mercenary.”
- grinding19 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that grinding in the game is a mixed experience; while some players appreciate the tactical gameplay and the ability to level up characters, many find the process tedious and repetitive, especially as the difficulty scales. Some players note that grinding is essential for unlocking content, particularly on easier modes, but it can lead to frustration due to a lack of variability and balance. Overall, while grinding can enhance power and progression, it often detracts from the enjoyment of the game.
“The game is not grinding-based (once again, because normal mode is a thing), although you will need to grind if you want to unlock some of the different mercenary stages, which have no impact on your ability to beat the game, just your method of beating it.”
“The more time you spend grinding, the more powerful your foes become due to the advancement of the clock.”
“I really didn't like this game because it was just another content-lacking roguelike that pads its game with grinding, RNG, and exponential difficulty brick walls.”
“Moreover, with very little variability from start to start, the game quickly becomes tired and tedious.”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with players highlighting its light-hearted writing, funny characters, and amusing interactions, particularly with AI chatbots. The game's cute graphics and clean interface complement its comedic elements, making it an enjoyable experience overall. While some users noted minor issues, the humor remains a standout feature that enhances the gameplay.
“It's got cute graphics, a sense of humor in the writing, and a mostly clean interface.”
“Overall a good turn-based strategy game with a dash of humor and interesting mechanics.”
“I really recommend this funny job made by the Bulwark Studios!”
- character development5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Character development in the game features a mix of interesting visual designs and distinct class utilities, though some characters feel underwhelming. The armor mechanic is criticized for its poor design, impacting strategic gameplay, while the overall character progression requires thoughtful management of resources and battle strategies.
“Just a few elements in every tactical RPG area (monsters, weapons, character development), but neatly combined and balanced.”
“While the setting is a very generic fantasy one, the mercenaries you can hire along the way have interesting visual and character design.”
“The gameplay makes you put a lot of thought into battle strategy, money/item management, and character development.”
“Character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
“The options for character development are limited, making it hard to create a unique playstyle.”
“I expected more depth in character development, but it feels rushed and underwhelming.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for featuring in-game advertisements for DLC, which many players find unethical and intrusive, especially since the game is not free. While there are no additional in-app purchases, players recommend purchasing all DLC to mitigate the negative impact of these ads.
“There are no other in-app purchases.”
“The monetization model is fair and doesn't pressure players to spend money.”
“I appreciate that the game offers plenty of free content without forcing you to buy anything.”
“It does follow its own logic; Overwatch just doesn't do what it says. They have ads for their DLC in-game, which waste resources and is incredibly rude to the player. Given that this is not a free game, in-game advertising is neither ethical nor acceptable.”
“That's right, they are advertising the DLC in-game.”
“Yes, I recommend this with all the DLC to avoid other people's complaints about in-game advertising.”
- stability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while some users report a generally bug-free experience, others encounter frequent glitches, audio issues, and regular freezing, particularly when clicking. Additionally, the lack of recent patches or updates raises concerns about ongoing support for these stability issues.
“It stands strong in a solid, bug-free environment.”
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches.”
“I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it never feels like it's going to fall apart.”
“There are many glitches, and it's been several years since a patch or update.”
“It also has a fair amount of audio glitches.”
“Unfortunately, it freezes about once an hour, always in response to a click.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its engaging and relaxed vibe, complemented by charming graphics that enhance the overall experience and seamlessly integrate with the polished gameplay.
“Highly recommended for its engaging gameplay and relaxed atmosphere.”
“The graphics create a charming atmosphere that leads you into the just as polished gameplay.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its appealing art and sound design, as well as its strong optimization, ensuring smooth performance.
“Nice art and sound, well optimized too.”