Dead Monarchy

About

Dead Monarchy is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Kevin Zhang and was released on May 19, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

"Dead Monarchy" is an open-world, turn-based tactical RPG set in a low fantasy world, where you lead a mercenary company as the captain. Explore the Midlands region, discover various locations, and take on contracts, all while learning the game's mechanics. It is recommended to start on a lower difficulty before attempting the challenging Emperor difficulty.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+18

Skip User Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 110 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game offers deep tactical combat and squad management, allowing for a variety of playstyles and character builds.
The developer is highly engaged with the community, actively seeking feedback and making improvements based on player suggestions.
The character customization and progression systems are robust, providing a satisfying sense of growth and development for your mercenaries.

The game suffers from slow pacing and grindy mechanics, leading to repetitive gameplay and long battles.
The user interface is clunky and lacks clarity, making it difficult for players to navigate menus and understand game mechanics.
Many players feel the game is unfinished, with a lack of content and polish that detracts from the overall experience.

story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
80%
10%
The story in "Dead Monarchy" is described as minimal and lacking depth, primarily serving as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a driving force. Players note that while there is some lore and a basic narrative structure involving mercenary missions, it often feels disjointed and unsatisfying, with many expressing a desire for a more engaging storyline. Overall, the game offers a functional but barebones narrative experience that may not meet the expectations of those seeking a rich story.
- “The story directs the player well enough, but even once you complete it, you are denied satisfaction, because advancing to postgame promises to yield one last part, potentially the most satisfying part of the story.”
- “Other than that, Dead Monarchy is everything I enjoy about the wasteland games in a medieval setting and basically no railroading; you can go wherever you want, whenever you want, and do quests for whichever settlement you want.”
- “There is a bit of a story and some lore, but it's there just to give a bit of flavor to the game setting.”
- “The reason for downrating the game for me is that there is absolutely no storyline.”
- “The story part of the game is somewhat of a grind since you have to travel all around the map and do extra fights to access the goal of the story.”
- “I cannot find the will to finish the postgame story arc.”
gameplay
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
62%
10%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players praising the strategic depth and enjoyable combat mechanics reminiscent of XCOM, while also criticizing the clunky user interface and lack of clear explanations for game mechanics. Players noted that the day/night cycle feels unnecessary and that the game suffers from repetitive elements and bugs that can disrupt the experience. Overall, while the game offers a challenging and engaging tactical experience, it requires significant patience and a willingness to navigate its shortcomings.
- “This is a great game for those who value gameplay over graphics.”
- “The actual gameplay is a great little strategy game, and I think if you want to get into a game with a great little soul that actually looks like it will develop in a positive way, then this is absolutely the game for you.”
- “A strategy RPG, with difficult combat, interesting mechanics you will not find elsewhere, and a lot of fun (particularly if you slide towards masochistic).”
- “The day/night cycle doesn't seem to add to gameplay, just meaning I can't interact with things during the night, though this is not explained.”
- “Most of my rage quits are from getting annoyed at the game mechanics, like 100 million loading screens just to do one simple thing or spending too much time trying to put skills on my mercenaries due to a lack of quality of life options.”
- “I find myself not really understanding what every perk does and what leveling up accomplishes without reading pages of Google tips, as the UI is so frustratingly lacking.”
graphics
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
65%
13%
The graphics of the game are generally described as "serviceable" and functional, with some reviewers noting that they are not on par with AAA titles but are adequate for a low-budget game. While the overall visuals may appear dated, the tactical combat graphics and enemy designs receive praise for their quality. Players who prioritize gameplay mechanics over graphics will likely find the visuals acceptable, though some express a desire for further graphical improvements.
- “The graphics for the enemies are amazing.”
- “And the combat visuals are excellent.”
- “The graphics are 'serviceable' for the most part, though the tactical combat graphics are quite good in comparison.”
- “The graphics look 20 years old.”
- “It's a low budget game, so don't expect AAA graphics.”
- “Def not the graphics of a AAA game but more than makes up for it mechanically.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, contributing to an authentic medieval atmosphere. Reviewers appreciate the well-crafted integration of music with other game elements, highlighting it as a significant positive aspect.
- “The music is a soothing background for me, and overall, it adds to the pleasant experience.”
- “Nice music and good atmosphere, feels more authentically medieval than most of these sorts of games.”
- “Artwork, music, writing, combat, missions, loot, maps, etc., are well done.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game; while the developer offers options like experience multipliers and fast travel to alleviate the grind, some find the experience rate too slow, leading to excessive grinding at certain stages. The presence of roaming bandits helps with farming XP and makes exploration less punishing, but the overall grind can still feel overwhelming for some players.
- “The developer recommends a super-hardcore and long playthrough, but he also included experience multipliers, fast travel, and other features to make the game less grindy if it's not your cup of tea.”
- “On this mode, the XP rate is so slow that you end up grinding for far too long at various stages of party strength.”
- “Grindy.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its intriguing sense of mystery and authentic medieval feel, enhanced by pleasant music. While the story's depth remains to be seen, the overall ambiance effectively immerses players in its setting.
- “So I'm yet to see if there's anything mind-blowing about the story, but it has a nice atmosphere of mystery.”
- “Nice music and good atmosphere; it feels more authentically medieval than most of these sorts of games.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game features impressive character development within its turn-based medieval tactical combat framework, allowing players to enhance their characters through improved armor and weapons. Reviewers also express a desire for further balancing, additional missions, and expanded graphical elements to enrich the overall experience.
- “Turn-based medieval tactical combat RPG with awesome character development and realism.”
- “Get better armor and weapons, and defend your base in siege play. That's pretty much it for now, but as well as balancing, increased missions, more graphical and character development, and a 'world map' as well as other additions.”
- “Character development feels stagnant; there are limited options for growth and customization.”
- “The lack of meaningful character progression makes the gameplay feel repetitive and uninspired.”
- “I was hoping for deeper character arcs, but the development is shallow and lacks emotional impact.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report that the game exhibits strong stability, with no significant glitches and minor issues being addressed through regular patches.
- “No significant glitches, but minor issues are still present despite patches.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
- “I encountered several bugs that disrupted gameplay, even after updates.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Users note that while the game offers a high replayability score of 9/10, the ability to quickly discover optimal tactics and character builds diminishes its long-term replay value.
- “Replayability: 9/10”
- “But it doesn't take too long to figure out the optimum tactics and most of the optimum character builds, which for me hurts replay value.”
- “Once you've completed the game once, there's little incentive to go back and experience it again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel redundant.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally solid, with users reporting no major or minor bugs. However, some players experience minor stuttering as the game progresses and squad sizes increase, indicating potential performance issues in more demanding scenarios.
- “The optimization system allows for a tailored gameplay experience, enhancing each player's unique strengths.”
- “I love how the game encourages strategic thinking through its optimization mechanics, making every decision impactful.”
- “I have not run into any major or minor bugs at all, just minor stuttering as I get later in the game with bigger squads.”
- “Everyone has attributes, and they affect performance.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the impressive character customization and the amusing "head pops" that add a comedic touch. Players also enjoy the playful notion of "dice gods" influencing their fate, contributing to the overall lighthearted tone.
- “The character customization is incredible, and the head pops are hilarious.”
- “It isn't your computer's fault; just the dice gods laughing down on you.”