Diplomacy is Not an Option

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In "Diplomacy Is Not An Option," players step into the role of a minor lord forced to fight overwhelming odds to survive, with over 25,000 enemies attacking their castle walls. The player must master engineering, economy, and even magic to have a chance at survival, while dealing with a demanding king and rebellious peasants. This intense strategy game offers a unique and challenging warfare experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,674 reviews

story73 positive mentions

grinding19 negative mentions

Challenging and engaging gameplay that keeps players on their toes.
Cute graphics and humorous cutscenes add charm to the game.
Highly replayable with various game modes, including endless mode and challenges.

Campaign currently has only two missions, leaving players wanting more content.
Difficulty spikes can be frustrating, especially in the second campaign mission.
Game crashes frequently during late-game waves, impacting overall enjoyment.

story
404 mentions
18 % positive mentions
79 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized by humor and light-heartedness, with players enjoying the comedic elements and branching paths available in the narrative. However, many reviewers express disappointment over the limited content, noting that the campaign currently consists of only two missions, which can lead to repetitive gameplay and frustration due to significant difficulty spikes, particularly in the second mission. Overall, while the story has potential and is entertaining, the lack of substantial content and progression in the campaign detracts from the experience.
- “The storyline is decent, especially for an RTS, and is spiced up with good humor.”
- “The story is funny and entertaining; I can't wait until the rest is out.”
- “The narrative at the start of each campaign mission is amusing and a bit weird, and could do with speeding up at times, but shows promise for some wild and silly stories as they add more missions.”
- “The campaign currently has only 2 missions, with promises to add more at release.”
- “It's also still in very early access, I was disappointed to see the big beautiful campaign map only to realize only 2 missions are currently available.”
- “The available campaign content seems designed to ensure that people get through the refund window before realizing that the campaign only includes two missions.”
gameplay
268 mentions
35 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally well-received, characterized by a solid core loop that combines resource management, base building, and wave defense mechanics. While many players appreciate the intuitive controls and strategic depth, some express concerns about repetitive elements, difficulty spikes, and a lack of content or variation in gameplay. Overall, the game offers engaging mechanics and a fun experience, though it still requires further refinement and expansion to fully realize its potential.
- “The gameplay is super solid but the difficulty spike is really unfun.”
- “I enjoyed the campaign, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it includes choices that add new mechanics and challenges, which interestingly change and enrich the gameplay.”
- “The mechanics are both deep and accessible, providing a real challenge with a selectable difficulty range.”
- “The actual gameplay is okay but leaves a lot to be desired.”
- “Right from the second campaign level, the gameplay feels very grindy and absolutely not fun.”
- “The core gameplay is okay, but the lack of units, buildings, defense elements, and nearly useless existing units are limiting the strategy options you have.”
graphics
155 mentions
48 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as cute, simplistic, and aesthetically pleasing, with a charming low-poly art style that enhances the overall experience. While some players appreciate the visuals for their fun and engaging qualities, others note that they lack high resolution and detail compared to more advanced titles. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's lighthearted tone and enjoyable gameplay, despite some criticisms regarding performance and optimization.
- “The graphics are chill and low key but still have a good fidelity to them.”
- “Perfect balance between city building, strategy and lovely graphics, big thanks to the makers and Unity!”
- “The graphics are top-notch, with detailed units and environments that truly bring the world to life.”
- “This game doesn't deliver high resolution 3D graphics, or god rays or whatever.”
- “An uninspired Stronghold clone with worse graphics.”
- “The graphics are very basic.”
humor
95 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many players enjoying the funny cutscenes, witty dialogue, and lighthearted storytelling that enhance the overall experience. While some found the humor to be hit or miss, the majority appreciated its quirky charm and British cheekiness, making the campaign engaging and entertaining. Overall, the game's comedic elements contribute significantly to its appeal, providing a fun and enjoyable atmosphere amidst the strategic gameplay.
- “If you like RTS, strategy, mass units with epic battles/siege tower defense and some goofy medieval humor... this game has it!”
- “The humor is on point and it feels well balanced on every difficulty setting.”
- “The campaign is funny and keeps you on your toes.”
optimization
34 mentions
24 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players praise its smooth performance and ability to handle numerous units without significant lag, others report severe performance drops and crashes during later waves, particularly on lower-end hardware. Some users have experienced overheating issues with their GPUs, indicating a need for further optimization, especially for laptops. Despite these concerns, the game is generally considered well-optimized for an early access title, with potential for improvement.
- “I'll say this though, when there are hundreds of moving units, I have yet to see a PC bog down, so it seems like it's optimized very well.”
- “Combat is awesome and how optimized it is for an early access game is very promising.”
- “Despite the abundance of everything, optimization is on the level.”
- “The only issue you may have with it is the performance on the later waves - many mobs, many buildings, and many troops equals a higher performance hit.”
- “Horrible optimization problems.”
- “This is a fun game, but it's crashing on endless mode on waves past day 80. I have a heck of a computer, so I have to assume it's bad optimization. I want to keep playing though.”
replayability
29 mentions
52 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits strong replayability due to its procedural generation, varied difficulty levels, and endless modes, which keep players engaged for hours. However, some users noted limitations in mission variety and campaign content, suggesting that additional features like a workshop or more diverse unit types could enhance replay value further. While many find the game enjoyable and satisfying, a few critiques highlight the need for improvements in mission tracking and pacing to maintain long-term interest.
- “Great RTS with solid difficulty and randomization for replayability.”
- “This game is a gem - tons of replayability, developer is consistently updating with new content.”
- “The procedurally generated maps add a lot of replay value, along with the endless mode.”
- “However, it has some notable drawbacks when it comes to replayability and story progression.”
- “Sandbox and endless modes are playable for a short while, but without any campaign to interest the original few thousand that played, this one's going to be chalked up to sadly be forgotten.”
- “There isn't really any mission variety or replayability at this time.”
grinding
26 mentions
12 % positive mentions
15 % neutral mentions
73 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the need to restart progress at each level and the extensive time spent on city-building tasks. While some appreciate the addictive gameplay and strategic elements, many express frustration with the monotonous nature of resource gathering and rebuilding, leading to a sense of chore rather than enjoyment. Overall, the grind can detract from the fun, making it feel like a significant time investment is required for minimal reward.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Progress in the campaign resets at every level, and at least 30 minutes are spent repetitively handling the city-building part, which gets tedious by the fifth time.”
- “You have to start all the research from scratch, which drags the game into a more routine and tedious experience, in my opinion.”
- “Right from the 2nd campaign level, the gameplay feels very grindy and absolutely not fun.”
stability
20 mentions
15 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
85 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with users reporting frequent freezes and crashes, particularly after extended playtime or high unit counts. While some players noted smooth performance and minimal bugs for an early access title, others experienced significant issues, including entire system freezes and unresponsive cutscenes. Overall, while the game shows promise, its current stability is hampered by various glitches and performance inconsistencies.
- “It runs great on Linux.”
- “This is a promising game, and for an early access title, it's not that buggy at all.”
- “Almost bug-free outside of some visual bugs and minor gripes.”
- “The cutscenes in my playthrough were a buggy mess; it constantly freezes and jumps randomly between scenes.”
- “Going to have to give it a negative review, simply because of the constant crashing and freezes. Once they're fixed, I'll update to support it.”
- “I experience regular freezes (not a performance issue as the game runs totally smoothly except for the freezes), and the intro movie to the first campaign mission won't even show, just a completely black screen with some sounds.”
music
18 mentions
50 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its pleasant and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a relaxing soundtrack that fits the game's setting. While some players enjoy the music, others prefer to mute it and listen to their own selections, indicating a mixed reception. Overall, the soundtrack is described as beautiful and suitable for the gameplay, though some find certain elements, like repetitive warning sounds, to be slightly annoying.
- “Nice minimalistic graphics and music suitable for the game.”
- “Perfect for an afternoon building your settlement and defenses listening to cheerful music - right up until that next wave comes causing panic and glorious mayhem!”
- “The game will please us with unhurried but thoughtful gameplay, pleasant visual style, and relaxing soundtrack.”
- “We don't want updates that include re-recorded music on live instruments.”
- “Music-wise, though, I'll say that it's one of the few games that I'll mute it and put on my own music and vibe.”
- “I can hear the music but do nothing.”
monetization
5 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with some users feeling it resembles a cash grab and expressing frustration over repetitive ads. However, others appreciate the game's quality and find it reminiscent of engaging mobile ads, suggesting a potential disconnect between the game's value and its promotional strategies.
- “The game was abandoned as a cash grab.”
- “I'd happily skip to the bits in the ads.”
- “Game is really cool looking one and I remember seeing mobile ads copying/stealing the look and feel of that game.”
atmosphere
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is described as relaxing and enjoyable, complemented by atmospheric music that enhances the setting. Players appreciate its unique vibe, likening it to a chill version of "They Are Billions," and recommend experiencing it in a cozy environment for maximum enjoyment. Overall, the combination of gameplay, humor, and ambiance creates a pleasant and immersive experience.
- “A chill version of They Are Billions (I haven't played it, but I've watched Bahroo play it) with a relaxing atmosphere and well-built strategy game in mind.”
- “Excellent RTS with wave containment and development, a pleasant atmosphere and a funny storyline.”
- “Music - atmospheric and fits perfectly with the setting.”
emotional
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express deep emotional connections to the game, with some stating it moved them to tears, highlighting the impactful storytelling and character development. Overall, the emotional resonance of the game is a significant aspect of its appeal.
- “Big shoutout to the devs, you made me cry. I love the game so much.”
- “The emotional depth of this game is unparalleled; it truly resonated with me.”
- “I was not prepared for the emotional rollercoaster this game took me on.”