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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.

Diplomacy is Not an Option screenshot
Diplomacy is Not an Option screenshot
Diplomacy is Not an Option screenshot
Diplomacy is Not an Option screenshot
Diplomacy is Not an Option screenshot
Diplomacy is Not an Option screenshot
Diplomacy is Not an Option screenshot
Diplomacy is Not an Option screenshot
Diplomacy is Not an Option screenshot
Diplomacy is Not an Option screenshot
Diplomacy is Not an Option screenshot
+17

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 8,040 reviews
story286 positive mentions
grinding84 negative mentions

  • Engaging gameplay that combines city building, resource management, and tower defense mechanics.
  • Challenging difficulty that encourages strategic thinking and planning.
  • Humorous cutscenes and a lighthearted story that add charm to the game.
  • Steep difficulty spikes, especially in the campaign, can lead to frustration for players.
  • Repetitive gameplay loop with limited variety in missions and objectives.
  • Poor unit AI and pathfinding issues can detract from the overall experience.
  • story
    1,534 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is characterized by its humorous and lighthearted tone, featuring quirky characters and engaging cutscenes that add charm to the campaign. However, the narrative is currently limited, with only two missions available, leading to some frustration among players who desire more content and variety. While the story's comedic elements are appreciated, the steep difficulty spikes in missions can detract from the overall enjoyment, making it challenging for players to progress without repeated attempts.

    • “Story is funny, choices matter, missions are diverse.”
    • “The story is quirky and fun.”
    • “The story has a lot of different quests and very funny and comical dialogs between games.”
    • “The campaign failed to catch my attention, as the main cast is both forgettable and the story is mediocre.”
    • “The story can be kind of vague with its cut scenes.”
    • “The structure of the title is its biggest weakness, as missions could have used more variety when it comes to the starting phase, either by giving players more developed kingdoms or by breaking missions into smaller ones.”
  • gameplay
    834 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its engaging mechanics and humor, as well as the blend of tower defense and city-building elements. However, several users noted that the gameplay can become repetitive over time, with a static loop and limited variation in troop types and tech trees, leading to burnout after extended play. Despite these criticisms, the game offers a solid challenge and a satisfying gameplay loop, making it enjoyable for fans of the RTS genre, especially those who appreciate strategic depth and resource management.

    • “The gameplay strikes a great balance between challenge and engagement, staying hard enough to keep things interesting without becoming too monotonous.”
    • “The mechanics are easy to learn and the game is fun to play.”
    • “I've spent 100 hours going through different paths and the gameplay diversity is awesome.”
    • “The gameplay loop is far too static, because the troop types don't change and the tech trees don't change when they kind of do.”
    • “Definitely fun but it gets burnt out pretty quick because there is nothing new mechanically worth mentioning after a dozen or so hours.”
    • “The campaign currently offers only two levels and gameplay feels repetitive really fast.”
  • graphics
    412 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a simple, low-poly art style that many players find charming and fitting for the gameplay, allowing for large-scale battles without overwhelming system requirements. While some users appreciate the aesthetic and humor in the visuals, others feel that the graphics could be a turnoff, particularly for those expecting high-resolution detail. Overall, the art style is generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's engaging mechanics and fun experience.

    • “The art style is amazing and I love how it looks; it's good on the eyes.”
    • “The graphics are top-notch, with detailed units and environments that truly bring the world to life.”
    • “Great graphics; it runs super well, even with 25,000 enemies attacking all at once (that's the maximum number).”
    • “This game doesn't deliver high resolution 3D graphics, or god rays or whatever.”
    • “An uninspired Stronghold clone with worse graphics.”
    • “There's nothing here to differentiate it from any of the Stronghold games, aside from worse graphics and slightly different mechanics.”
  • humor
    376 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with many players enjoying the witty dialogue, funny cutscenes, and lighthearted storytelling that adds charm to the campaign. While some find the humor hit-or-miss, particularly in terms of pacing and comedic timing, the overall consensus is that it enhances the gameplay experience, making it engaging and entertaining. However, a few players noted that the humor can become repetitive or overly silly at times, which may not resonate with everyone.

    • “Loved the hilarious cut scenes giving personality to your character, advisor, and everyone you meet to give some background to what and why things are happening.”
    • “The campaign is pretty humorous in ways that I was not expecting.”
    • “While the plot is basic, its delivery is hilarious and never fails to get a laugh out of me to the point that I find myself looking forward to the next cutscene straight away.”
    • “They are supposed to be funny *cough*, and they are at least twice as long as they should be, which is not a great combo.”
  • replayability
    108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game offers substantial replayability through its branching campaign paths, random map generation, and various gameplay modes, including an endless mode. While many players appreciate the depth and challenge provided by multiple routes and choices, some express a desire for improvements in mission tracking and customization options to enhance the replay experience. Despite some criticisms regarding limited replayability after initial playthroughs, the game's engaging mechanics and frequent updates contribute to its lasting appeal.

    • “It also has a very good replay value because you have different paths in the campaign.”
    • “Honestly impressed at the replayability; 50 hours in, I haven't finished a single storyline because I keep playing other storylines. Cool and the battles are insane.”
    • “The procedurally generated maps add a lot of replay value, along with the endless mode.”
    • “It does support replayability, but I have gone through three runs, and I would now like to go back and try other routes without having to do a bunch of easy early missions again that just waste my time.”
    • “Replayability shuts down after 10ish hours since you can't do much to customize your games.”
    • “However, it has some notable drawbacks when it comes to replayability and story progression.”
  • grinding
    98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being excessively tedious and repetitive, with players expressing frustration over the constant need to manage resources and restart missions. Many reviews highlight that the gameplay quickly becomes a chore, particularly in later levels where micromanagement and resource scarcity lead to a drawn-out experience. While some players find initial enjoyment, the overall sentiment suggests that the grind detracts significantly from the fun, making it hard to recommend for its price.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The last mission might be one of the most tedious, boring experiences I've ever had gaming.”
    • “My main issue with this game is the constant need for grinding resources.”
    • “The game becomes tedious fast, and I'm not even sure I'm halfway through.”
  • optimization
    94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and impressive handling of large numbers of enemies, there are significant performance drops and crashes during late-game waves, particularly on high-end systems. Some users have noted that the game can overheat their hardware, indicating a need for further optimization, especially for laptops. Despite these issues, the game is generally well-received for its fun gameplay and strategic depth, with many expressing hope for future performance updates.

    • “The game is very well made, performance is incredible, especially given the number of enemies/assets that were on screen charging towards my castle.”
    • “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.”
    • “The game engine is well optimized, with game speed remaining consistent no matter how many units are on screen, and neither frame-rate nor simulation seem to be affected by basically anything that you can do.”
    • “The game needs optimization; my GPU is running very hot from this game and not much from similar games.”
    • “Horrible optimization problems.”
    • “This is a fun game, but it's crashing on endless mode on waves past day 80. I have a powerful computer, so I have to assume it's bad optimization. I want to keep playing though.”
  • music
    56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its atmospheric quality and suitability for the gameplay, while others find it forgettable or lacking in variety. Notably, the heavy metal tracks stand out during key moments, such as cutscenes and specific endings, but players often resort to muting the game in favor of their own music. Overall, while the soundtrack has its highlights, many feel it could be improved to enhance the gaming experience.

    • “Music in cut scenes is great (why is it not played during gameplay?)”
    • “Music - atmospheric and fits perfectly with the setting.”
    • “I also have to mention the soundtrack as well, it's beautiful.”
    • “All the while you have a varied but - honestly - not varied enough soundtrack acting as a white noise to your struggles.”
    • “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.”
    • “The audio (both music and sound) are completely forgettable.”
  • stability
    54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and minimal bugs, there are frequent issues with random freezes and crashes, particularly after extended playtime or high unit counts. Some users have experienced significant glitches, especially during cutscenes, but many agree that the game is relatively stable for an early access title. Despite these concerns, the core mechanics are generally praised for their smoothness and fun gameplay.

    • “So far, the technical side (AI pathing, performance with large numbers) runs great.”
    • “This is a promising game, and for an EA title, it's not that buggy at all.”
    • “Almost bug free outside of some visual bugs and minor gripes.”
    • “But... it randomly freezes and text bubbles don't load.”
    • “The cutscenes on my play 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/freezes. Once they're fixed, I'll update to support it.”
  • monetization
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with players expressing frustration over the presence of ads for other games despite having purchased it. Many feel that the game misrepresents itself through misleading advertisements, leading to perceptions of it being a cash grab. While some appreciate the game's aesthetics, the overall sentiment leans towards disappointment regarding its monetization practices.

    • “Awful cash grab.”
    • “The game was abandoned as a cash grab.”
    • “The advertisement made it seem to be something other than what it actually is.”
  • atmosphere
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by a simplistic art style that enhances its large-scale design, creating a lighthearted and enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the relaxing ambiance, complemented by atmospheric music and a humorous storyline, making it ideal for casual play. Overall, the game successfully blends elements of strategy with a pleasant and engaging atmosphere.

    • “The art uses a simplistic style that allows it to show a large scale and unique design to convey an interesting, lighthearted atmosphere.”
    • “This game is Age of Empires and They Are Billions put together in a beautiful atmosphere.”
    • “Music - atmospheric and fits perfectly with the setting.”
  • emotional
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players report a deeply emotional experience while playing, with many expressing that the game made them cry and take them on an emotional rollercoaster. The narrative, particularly in the undead campaign, resonates strongly, leaving a lasting impact and prompting players to revisit the game for its emotional depth. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to evoke strong feelings and connect with players on a personal level.

    • “I just finished the undead campaign and I'm not even lying, I shed a tear.”
    • “This game took me on an emotional rollercoaster that ended in not so good thoughts and is a time machine 10/10.”
    • “Big shoutout to the devs, you made me cry, I love the game so much.”

Buy Diplomacy is Not an Option

11h Median play time
19h Average play time
8-25h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 42 analyzed playthroughs

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