Desert Ashes

49%
Game Brain Score Based on 24 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • story
Desert Ashes Game Cover
Starting at $1.50Buy now
Get on Steam

"Desert Ashes" is a turn-based strategy game with both single-player campaigns and online multiplayer. The game features a dynamic day-night system that affects the battlefield, such as freezing bodies of water at night. Players can also unlock perks to customize their armies, like the Fort Toughness Perk for added defense and the Vampire Perk to convert attack damage to HP. Single-player campaigns allow players to experience playing as both the Winged Crusade and the Landians.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

49%
Audience ScoreBased on 24 reviews
emotional1 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • The game features an over-the-top fantasy art style that is visually unique and engaging.
  • It offers fun and diverse units with interesting mechanics, such as the ability to freeze water, enhancing gameplay variety.
  • The single-player campaign is well-crafted, providing a decent introduction to the game mechanics and excellent controller support.
  • The confusing unit mechanics and lack of color coding make it difficult to plan effective strategies, which is a significant drawback for a strategy game.
  • Multiplayer functionality is limited, requiring account creation and suffering from a lack of active players, making it hard to find matches.
  • The game suffers from various bugs, including freezing issues and a frustrating menu system that is not optimized for mouse use.
  • graphics10 mentions

    The graphics of the game are polarizing, with some praising its crisp and colorful art style that offers a high-definition look, while others criticize it for being deliberately ugly and contributing to a depressing atmosphere. The unique and interesting unit designs stand out, but the overall execution varies from well-designed to poorly ported, leading to mixed impressions on its visual appeal.

    • “The art style is this absurd, ultra-fantasy thing and all the units have unique or interesting attacks.”
    • “The artwork is crisp and colorful, and the game has a very HD look to it.”
    • “The only way this game could be more casual is being pay-to-win (no freemium, yay), with its bright, cheery graphics, easy money, and small levels that only take a dozen rounds each with little strategy.”
    • “It has a deliberately ugly art style and gameplay that is unique and can even surprise you at times.”
    • “Special note: the music and art style, while unassuming, provide an exceptionally depressing atmosphere.”
    • “Graphics 0/10”
  • gameplay7 mentions

    The gameplay features unique mechanics, such as freezing bodies of water to allow ground units to pass, and is generally smooth, though some find it slow and simplistic. While it draws inspiration from Advance Wars, it lacks depth and can feel basic, leading to a sense of frustration for some players. Overall, the game is enjoyable but may be perceived as easy and requires strategic planning to avoid quick defeats.

    • “Interesting mechanics like bodies of water that freeze, allowing ground units to pass.”
    • “It has a deliberately ugly art style and gameplay that is unique and can even surprise you at times.”
    • “I had to relaunch the game no less than 8 times to accumulate the 5 minutes of gameplay I needed to review this garbage and warn you guys.”
    • “It borrows heavily both in gameplay and in style from Advance Wars on the GBA, but Desert Ashes is a bit more basic.”
    • “As mentioned above, you have to pay attention - the mechanics of buying units which then can't move or attack until the next turn means that if you start losing ground or end up short of units one turn, then the opponent is probably going to stomp all over you very fast.”
  • story7 mentions

    The game's story is criticized for being poorly written and lacking depth, with a simplistic narrative that fails to engage players fully. While there are two short campaigns featuring diverse maps and decent AI, the overall execution leaves much to be desired, suggesting that the developers have room for improvement and potential for expansion.

    • “Then you have two short single-player campaigns, playing as each of the two factions in the game, where the maps are reasonably diverse and the AI is engaging enough to make you pay attention to what you are doing, although it is not hard to beat all of the missions.”
    • “The story is poorly written, and the writers didn't bother to even spellcheck 'their' work.”
    • “The storyline is... um... well, there is one.”
    • “I hope the developers see this, because there is a lot of potential for this game (maybe the addition of a fourth campaign to finish the story?), but as it is, it needs tweaking.”
  • music4 mentions

    The music in the game is characterized by a notably depressing atmosphere, complemented by unassuming visuals. While the sound effects are average, players have reported issues such as music skipping and a lack of polish, including typos and lengthy text animations, which detract from the overall experience.

    • “The music and sound effects are very average, and the game has typos in the English language.”
    • “Aside from that, having no way to cancel an accidental order is annoying; the music sometimes skips, and the text and animations are interminable.”
    • “The music and art style, while unassuming, provide an exceptionally depressing atmosphere.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Users report significant stability issues, with frequent freezes occurring during skirmishes and when accessing menus, often leading to complete crashes of the game.

    • “This game freezes whenever I enter a skirmish.”
    • “Trying to access the menus to do anything during the game starts a separate game, which then freezes and crashes the entire thing.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Users express strong emotional reactions to the game's handling of its promising concepts, feeling that it diminishes their potential and is presented in a disrespectful way. This has led to feelings of disappointment and frustration.

  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game's music and art style, though understated, contribute to a profoundly depressing atmosphere that resonates deeply with players.

    • “The music and art style, while unassuming, create an exceptionally immersive and melancholic atmosphere.”
    • “The game's atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful, drawing players into its world with every note and visual.”
    • “Every element of the environment contributes to a deeply engaging atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the review stems from the author's self-deprecating acknowledgment of their initial oversight regarding the game's resolution settings, which they found amusing in retrospect. The lighthearted tone and use of "xd" emphasize a playful attitude towards their mistake.

    • “I found the issue and fixed it a long time ago; you just need to change the resolution of your PC to a lower setting in order to play it. I laughed and found my review funny too because, wow, I was dumb! XD.”
    • “The humor in this game is top-notch! I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and hilarious situations.”
    • “Every time I encountered a funny character or a clever pun, it made my day. The developers really nailed the comedic elements!”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Desert Ashes

Videos

Similar Games