Despotism 3k

73%
Game Brain Score Based on 618 reviews
  • gameplay
  • humor
  • graphics
Despotism 3k Game Cover
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In "Despotism 3k", you play as a ruthless AI overlord, exploiting human labor to build your empire and extract power. With randomly generated events and harsh consequences for failure, this resource management sim balances dark humor and challenging gameplay. Your rule is absolute, but so are the stakes - think tactically and show no mercy.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

73%
Audience ScoreBased on 618 reviews
gameplay36 positive mentions
grinding10 negative mentions
  • The game features charming pixel art and humorous writing that keeps players engaged.
  • It offers a unique blend of resource management and random events, providing a fresh experience with each playthrough.
  • The gameplay is addictive and challenging, making it a fun time-waster for those who enjoy micromanagement games.
  • The game heavily relies on RNG, which can lead to frustrating and unfair outcomes, often resulting in players having to restart frequently.
  • Many players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in depth, with limited strategies to explore after a few runs.
  • The difficulty spikes can be punishing, especially for new players, making it feel more like a trial-and-error experience rather than a strategic challenge.
  • gameplay118 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a challenging and addictive loop that keeps players engaged, despite its repetitive nature and reliance on random events that can significantly impact progression. While the mechanics are initially intriguing, they can become frustrating due to balancing issues and a lack of depth, leading to a sense of monotony after extended play. Overall, the game offers a mix of humor and smooth mechanics, but many players express a desire for more strategic options and less dependence on chance.

    • “The gameplay is simple to learn but it's really tough... I haven't managed to get that far yet but it keeps me coming back for another try.”
    • “The real jewel to its simple gameplay loop is that since there are limited options, every piece is critical and keeping your facilities functioning requires careful planning as you'll often have nothing to fall back on.”
    • “Great visuals, mad tunes, comical gameplay and hilarious references.”
    • “It's another game that actually offers very little to the player in terms of story, evolving mechanics, exploration, and discovery but gets them 'addicted' to the game loop.”
    • “The gameplay is very repetitive, doubly so since there is not much choice in how to upgrade your facilities - the bottleneck is your max power storage, which only increases as the days pass, and so you end up just upgrading all of them to the same level.”
    • “Sadly though the basic gameplay loop starts to fall off, and much worse is that winning or losing is almost entirely dependent on the random events as opposed to any skill or strategy on your part, and the random events can basically instantly end your run if you pick poorly.”
  • humor106 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of dark, raunchy, and silly elements, often enhanced by clever references and witty dialogue. While many players find the humor engaging and entertaining, some note that it can become repetitive and may lose its charm over time. Overall, the game's comedic aspects contribute significantly to its appeal, despite the challenging gameplay.

    • “Awesome game with dark humor, totally made me hooked ;3 love the pixel art.”
    • “This game deserves a lot of credit for great sense of humor, cool references, deeply idiotic dilemmas which end up being genius, really absorbing gameplay and definitely not being a boring resource management game while it is purely a resource management game.”
    • “A very simple yet fun rogue-like management game with hilarious storytelling and plenty of references to keep you entertained.”
  • graphics58 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming pixel art style, intricate details, and vibrant visuals that enhance the gameplay experience. Many reviewers highlight the humor and creativity embedded in the graphics, which effectively convey the game's themes and events. While the visuals are considered beautiful and engaging, some players note that the limited environments can lead to a sense of repetition over time.

    • “The graphics are just incredible and the gameplay is amazing as you can't get bored playing this game because of how hard it is to finish it.”
    • “I really like the developer's art style, possibly the best pixel art on Steam.”
    • “The game has some really beautiful environments and the graphics are really well designed and laid out.”
    • “But mostly it's just one screen and that's all you'll be seeing for the entirety of the game minus graphical updates depending on what you experience in any given playthrough.”
    • “The graphics are timeless pixel art and convey a lot of what is going on in the game through simplicity and with humor.”
    • “The visuals are cute, holding to approximations of the biological need to eat, reproduce, produce power for your robot overlord, etc. but even on the easier settings, you will fail quickly and often.”
  • story54 mentions

    The game's story is characterized by a mix of humor and dark themes, with engaging dialogue and decision-making elements that influence gameplay. While some players appreciate the entertaining narrative and random events, others find the story lacking in depth and brevity, leading to a sense of repetitiveness after completing the main missions. Overall, the story adds flavor to the gameplay but may not sustain long-term interest.

    • “Great base management game with just a touch of random; the story is good, and the dialogue is even better.”
    • “The story is fun and colorful, and figuring out each random event can be enjoyable.”
    • “The story for the game is entertaining, and the dialogue choices and options are humorous.”
    • “It's another game that actually offers very little to the player in terms of story, evolving mechanics, exploration, and discovery but gets them 'addicted' to the game loop.”
    • “By the time I reached the second mission, I have to admit, after spending about twenty minutes with it, I just lost my desire to do anything else with this game as yet more random events reaffirmed that this game is designed to leave you with very little breathing room.”
    • “There are significantly better free flash games that offer more complexity and story than this game.”
  • music32 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its catchy and enjoyable nature. However, some players find the soundtrack repetitive over time, leading them to seek alternative music while playing. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the experience, its limited variety may detract from long-term enjoyment.

    • “I love the details in the graphics, enjoyed the soundtrack and audio, and the story and humor gave it flavor.”
    • “Very addictive game with great music, great pixel art and great sense of humor.”
    • “The friggin soundtrack is amazing.”
    • “Each segment of the campaign makes the soundtrack get more intense as you progress further, but it gets repetitive very fast, so you'd have to lower the volume at some point.”
    • “The sounds lend to the atmosphere and it's pretty good, but don't be surprised if by your 10th attempt, you're loading up your own music to listen to while you play.”
    • “Music: 5/10”
  • replayability28 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players noting high replay value due to unlockable campaigns and modifiers, while others criticize it for lacking depth and variety, leading to a limited experience. Random events and achievements can enhance replayability, but many feel that the absence of meaningful skill progression and meta-upgrades diminishes long-term engagement. Overall, opinions vary widely, with some finding it worth the price for its replay potential, while others see it as lacking in this aspect.

    • “It is a long game with high replayability.”
    • “The second campaign alongside the modifiers that are unlocked after completing the game gives it amazing replay value.”
    • “On a last note, the random events at the end of each day keep the game fresh and the replayability high.”
    • “There's nearly no replayability, even with the different avatars I've unlocked.”
    • “The replayability, which is a big part of every rogue-lite game, seems pretty poor as there are not so many dialogues to keep you interested.”
    • “There's no skill beyond knowing when to upgrade what or where to put your humans, and there's absolutely no meta-upgrades, which means that there's no replayability or reason for the endless mode.”
  • grinding10 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be repetitive and often tedious, particularly when faced with random setbacks that yield no rewards. While some appreciate the challenge of navigating through various choices to find the "happy path," the lack of meaningful payoff can detract from the overall experience, especially in longer gameplay sessions. However, the game's shorter length may mitigate some of the grindiness, making it more enjoyable for some players.

    • “Yes, it’s repetitive and grindy; you’re basically trying to find the 'happy path' through the game.”
    • “While I can understand that sometimes this can be interesting, just getting a random 'screw you' from the game over and over again and not gaining anything from it is just tedious.”
    • “It's funny and interesting, but it's just far too tedious without any payoff for me to recommend it to anyone.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    The game exhibits good graphics and performance; however, it lacks proper optimization for touch screens on both Macintosh and Windows, which may hinder the experience for users relying on these devices. Players have found a better experience using the iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil.

    • “The graphics are very nice, and the performance is good.”
    • “An exhibition of what a singular imagination can accomplish when the ideas are condensed into a single screen and area of performance.”
    • “But I found this game hasn't been optimized for touch screen (both Macintosh and Windows), so I finished this game on iPad Pro with Apple Pencil.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its sound design, which is generally well-received, though some players may find themselves opting for their own music after repeated attempts. Additionally, the humor contributes positively to the overall ambiance.

    • “The sounds contribute to the atmosphere, and it's pretty good.”
    • “Nice humor and atmosphere.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    Players appreciate the absence of microtransactions, which enhances their enjoyment and makes the gameplay feel more rewarding and less like a time-wasting endeavor.

    • “Without the whole microtransactions thing you get with free clickers, it doesn't feel like you are wasting time as much.”
    • “The game is heavily reliant on microtransactions, which makes it feel more like a cash grab than a genuine gaming experience.”
    • “The monetization model is frustrating, as it often feels like you need to spend money to progress at a reasonable pace.”
    • “I find the constant push for in-game purchases to be intrusive and it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The reviews indicate that the game's stability is questionable, with users expressing concerns about frequent crashes and performance issues. Overall, players are left feeling frustrated by the lack of reliability in the game's operation.

  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with users expressing that it immerses them deeply in the character of Ivan the Terrible, evoking strong feelings and a sense of connection to the historical figure.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Despotism 3k

Play time

21hMedian play time
18hAverage play time
10-25hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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