Dance of Death

About

"Dance of Death: Du Lac & Fey" is an action-adventure game that takes place in Victorian-era London. Players control two characters, a knight and a sorceress, as they investigate a series of supernatural killings. The game features rhythm-based combat, puzzles, and a focus on story and character development. It is a unique blend of historical fiction and fantasy that keeps players engaged with its captivating narrative and engaging gameplay mechanics.

Genres & Tags

Adventure

Play Modes

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

58%

Audience ScoreBased on 144 reviews

story20 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game features some nice puzzles and hidden object scenes that can be enjoyable.
The graphics and music create a decent atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
Some players found the game to be a fun, albeit short, diversion, especially when purchased on sale.

The game is very short, typically taking only 2-3 hours to complete, which many players found disappointing.
The story is weak and lacks depth, with many players feeling it was clichéd and poorly executed.
Technical issues such as clunky navigation, poor voice acting, and a lack of a map detract from the overall experience.

story
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
71%
7%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it simplistic and formulaic, often revolving around common themes of good versus evil or crime-solving. While some appreciated the intriguing presentation and atmospheric elements, others criticized the plot for being thin, erratic, or poorly executed, with amateurish voice acting and a lack of depth. Overall, the narrative is seen as a weak point, with many players feeling it could benefit from more development and complexity.
- “Dance of Death offers you a mystical story, which is accompanied by wonderful music.”
- “Really enjoyed this game - lots of beautifully rendered locations, puzzles to make you think, and a good storyline.”
- “The story is quite interesting but it's not well driven.”
- “The puzzles are almost non-existent and the storyline is bizarrely threadbare.”
- “The story is all over the place and doesn't make much sense.”
- “The story was just... weak.”
graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
47%
7%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the unique and beautiful artwork that enhances the atmosphere, while others criticize the inconsistent quality and low resolution in certain areas. Many players appreciate the detailed visuals and thematic elements, but some find the graphics disappointing or outdated compared to other titles in the genre. Overall, the game's aesthetic is seen as a strong point, though it may not meet the expectations of all players.
- “The game enchants you from the very beginning with its unique visuals, fascinating music, and thrilling atmosphere.”
- “There is so much detail in the artwork.”
- “Dance of Death is a nicely presented hidden object game with beautiful artwork, music, and atmosphere.”
- “This game has low quality graphics, no map, and some of the items you find don't seem to go anywhere.”
- “Low resolution graphics.”
- “The graphics feel dated, the music is repetitive, and the voice acting is not only bad, but they didn't even get native speakers.”
music
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
39%
7%
The music in the game is generally praised for its enchanting and atmospheric qualities, effectively complementing the visuals and storyline. While many players find the soundtrack beautiful and fitting, some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, though a few critiques mention issues with voice acting and a lack of information about the musical pieces featured.
- “The game enchants you from the very beginning with its unique visuals, fascinating music, and thrilling atmosphere.”
- “Dance of Death offers you a mystical story, which is accompanied by wonderful music.”
- “This game has lovely graphical arts and beautiful music, the most selling part of the game besides the gameplay itself.”
- “The music is mostly a very simple arrangement of danse macabre with some other incidentals.”
- “The graphics feel dated, the music is repetitive, and the voice acting is not only bad, but they didn't even get native speakers.”
- “I just dragged myself through a wafer-thin plot that incorporated visual imagery of the black plague and disease; had a killer that literally stumbled on a plank and fell to his death because he was wearing an impractical mask (no I'm not kidding); musical instruments and music itself that has been imbued with necromancy; devil-worshipping serial killers; and last, but not least, unexplained and unfounded claims of immortality.”
atmosphere
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
43%
11%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique visuals, haunting music, and immersive settings, creating a captivating and sometimes eerie experience. While many players appreciate the beautifully crafted art and the effective use of sound to enhance the mood, some critiques point out that certain atmospheric elements may feel disjointed or overly reliant on jump scares. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a standout feature, effectively evoking feelings of mystery and intrigue throughout the gameplay.
- “The game enchants you from the very beginning with its unique visuals, fascinating music, and thrilling atmosphere.”
- “Dance of death captures you immediately with its dreary, heavy atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere and art made me feel engrossed in this tiny little world.”
- “I can understand a game trying for atmosphere, but the elements they attempted to add didn't make sense with the game.”
- “Dance of Death builds an astonishing atmosphere with its death-oriented scenery, but otherwise it is a fairly empty, uninteresting hidden object game.”
- “It's a shame though, with an opening like that it had potential: the imagery was there, the insinuations of magic, the oppressive atmosphere.”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
73%
14%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of hidden object scenes and puzzles, offering some enjoyable moments and appealing graphics, but it suffers from a lack of intuitive progression and is criticized for being overly short, with many players completing it in under three hours. While some mechanics are original, the reliance on repetitive tasks and poorly designed interfaces detracts from the overall experience, leading to a perception that the game does not deliver on its promised length or challenge. Overall, it provides a relaxed experience but may not justify its price point given the brevity and inconsistencies in gameplay.
- “Nice gameplay, graphics, interesting adventure, puzzles, needs maps and menu lock.”
- “Gameplay is a little better, thanks to the semi-interactive hidden object scenes and a few of the clever and almost unique puzzles.”
- “Very relaxed type of gameplay in a somewhat quasi-open world.”
- “However, it is incredibly short and the gameplay is not very intuitive on how to progress the game sometimes.”
- “Waiting for items to appear, disappear, or reappear seemingly at random should not be a core game mechanic.”
- “I really do not know how they can claim the game to be '15 hours of thrilling gameplay'; the only reason it took me over 3 hours to finish the game the first time I played it was because I went to the lavatory without turning the game off.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
90%
30%
The humor in the game is characterized by its intentionally bad voice acting, absurd plot elements, and a mix of dark and slapstick comedy, making it entertaining for those who enjoy laughing at B-rated films. While some players found the humor to be insufficient to justify the gameplay slog, others appreciated the hilariously absurd scenarios and characters, such as a villain with hooved heels. Overall, the humor is hit-or-miss, appealing mainly to those with a taste for the ridiculous.
- “It's worth the hilarious ending.”
- “5 minutes into it I realized all that 'darkness' is funny ghosts of kids, things that shouldn't blink that blink, and skeletons.”
- “The story is typical, and the occult elements are hilarious, to be honest (the villain's shoes have hooves for heels and pentagrams on the buckles!)”
- “Not fun, not funny enough for the slog.”
- “The jokes fell flat and felt forced throughout the game.”
- “I expected more humor, but it was mostly cringeworthy.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with some mini-games being enjoyable while others feel tedious and frustrating, particularly due to obstructive mechanics. The overall sentiment suggests that while the game can be completed quickly with hints, the repetitive nature of certain tasks detracts from the enjoyment.
- “Using moving setpieces to obscure vision is not an enjoyable diversion; it's frustrating, too distracting, and simply tedious as they even blocked items I needed.”
- “Moving everything piece by piece, having to repeatedly select a target to move and a location to move to over and over and over... makes the game exceedingly tedious.”
- “They range from tedious to rather fun, but they don’t last long: if you don’t mind using the hint button to figure out where to go next, the entire game can be completed under two hours.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized for being exploitative, with the developer, Alawar, known for producing numerous low-quality RPG Maker asset flips that prioritize profit over quality, leading to a perception of the game as a poorly made cash grab.
- “It's from the eastern bloc shovelware pushers at Alawar, who are more famous for shoving well over one hundred RPG Maker asset flips onto Steam, all badly made cash grabs.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers limited replayability, primarily appealing to players interested in collecting steam cards, as there are few other incentives to revisit the experience.
- “There isn't much in the replay value, unless you want to go back and get the Steam cards it drops.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Overall, the game's stability is somewhat inconsistent, with some puzzles exhibiting bugs; however, players have the option to skip these problematic sections.
- “Some of the puzzles can be a little buggy, but hey, you've got the option to skip them.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it frustrating to progress.”
- “I experienced several glitches that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game deeply engaging, with the atmosphere and art effectively immersing them in its intimate world.
- “The atmosphere and art made me feel engrossed in this tiny little world.”
- “The story touched my heart and left a lasting impact on my emotions.”
- “I felt a deep connection with the characters, their struggles resonated with my own experiences.”