Drafting Tales

About

Drafting Tales is a single player casual strategy game. It was developed by Istotex and was released on December 11, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Become a well-known and successful author in this 2D isometric simulation game!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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68%

Audience ScoreBased on 75 reviews

atmosphere3 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The game is addictive and offers a fun way to simulate the writing process, appealing to fans of tycoon games.
The developer has shown commitment to improving the game with regular updates and balancing adjustments.
The concept of managing a writing career provides a unique twist on the tycoon genre, allowing for creative exploration.

The game suffers from a grindy and repetitive gameplay loop, making it tedious over time.
Balancing issues, such as the rapid increase in rent and slow fan growth, create frustration and can lead to bankruptcy.
The lack of meaningful choices and customization options limits player engagement and makes the experience feel linear.

gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
52%
24%
The gameplay is characterized by a linear structure that can feel repetitive and frustrating, particularly due to punishing mechanics and an 'inspiration bar' that disrupts immersion. While some players appreciate the polished and balanced experience, especially for those who enjoy simulation and tycoon genres, others criticize the reliance on RNG and the slow progression, suggesting that the game may improve with future content updates. Overall, the mechanics offer potential for strategic depth, but current execution leaves much to be desired.
- “The style and pacing of gameplay stays relatively consistent throughout, which makes sense for this sort of simulation game. As someone who enjoys writing and wants to get further in that field, it was great to see it combined with video games — obviously, another passion of mine — into an experience that was honestly as simple or complex as I cared to make it.”
- “We have here a very polished and balanced gameplay experience around fairly simple mechanics for a 'tycoon/sim' style game.”
- “Creating a great experience if you're into min/max style gameplay and finding optimal strategies to achieve the best results.”
- “Due to the objectives being absolutely linear, your gameplay will always track more or less the same.”
- “However, several mechanics make the game very frustrating to play.”
- “That is just a horrible mechanic for a simulation game.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The story aspect of the game is criticized for its slow progression and repetitive quests, which detracts from the overall experience. While there are interesting concepts like enemies-to-lovers dynamics and random events that could enhance storytelling, the execution feels lacking, making it difficult for players to stay engaged. Additionally, the investment required for writing a book versus a short story raises concerns about the narrative's payoff.
- “A romance novel where the main characters are the protagonist and antagonist is not a good combination, unless of course the story is an enemies-to-lovers Harlequin novel, and therefore the antagonist is also the love interest.”
- “I'm sure the game developer tycoon mechanics will be a fun twist later as the story progresses, but it's just too slow.”
- “Naturally, some skills aren’t worth focusing on depending on what you’re writing — a short article about cooking isn’t going to need much focus on plot or characters, for instance.”
- “The quests are always the same though.”
- “I got stuck writing a short story for 8 months that I could never finish.”
- “If it takes 8 times the time to write a book compared to an article or short story, and also a significant investment into a vacation because writing that book will drain your stamina, the book had better make several times more in revenue than a short story would.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and time-consuming, particularly when it requires accumulating a large number of fans to progress. Many feel that the repetitive tasks lack engagement and fun, leading to a sense of boredom, especially as the game offers little in terms of content or options to expedite the grinding process.
- “It takes forever grinding up to 10,000 fans just to be able to publish a novel, and I don't know why it sends you mail to write your first one when you are nowhere near that goal.”
- “I play many games where you do much of the same tasks, but in this game they are just tedious and not fun to do.”
- “There isn't a lot that happens and pretty much you're just grinding away without so much as the option to speed up time as you watch your little writer sit on their ass and maybe sometimes do a bit of work.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits some bugs and imbalances, which some players feel are acceptable for an early access title but disappointing for a full retail release. However, many users believe that these issues do not significantly detract from the overall enjoyable experience.
- “I would have given the game a pass for being buggy, imbalanced, and unfinished if it were still in early access, but this is the full retail release.”
- “It is a bit buggy in some areas, but the bugs don't outweigh the amazing experience you have playing this game.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its pleasant ambiance and soundtrack, contributing positively to the overall experience, with no reported bugs affecting immersion.
- “The atmosphere and the soundtrack were quite pleasant, and I didn't encounter any bugs.”
- “The game's atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into its world with stunning visuals and haunting sound design.”
- “Every corner of the game is filled with a rich atmosphere that keeps you engaged and on edge.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The music in the game is noted for creating a pleasant atmosphere, contributing positively to the overall experience without any reported issues.
- “The atmosphere and the soundtrack were quite pleasant, and I didn't encounter any bugs.”
- “The music perfectly complements the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.”
- “Each track is beautifully composed, making every moment in the game feel immersive.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel that the game lacks sufficient content, freedom, and realism, which limits its replayability. Enhancements in these areas could significantly improve the game's longevity and encourage players to return.
- “But it definitely needs some more content, freedom, and realism to make it replayable.”
graphics
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The graphics are minimalistic and lack dynamic animations, resulting in a repetitive experience with a static screen that offers little visual engagement.
- “There are no fancy graphics or animations; when you complete a task, it's just click, click, click on a mostly unchanging screen.”
- “The graphics feel outdated and lack the detail that modern games offer.”
- “The visual design is bland and uninspired, making it hard to stay engaged.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy of the game is perceived as a low-effort cash grab, indicating that players feel it prioritizes profit over quality and player experience.
- “This game feels like a low-effort cash grab.”
- “The monetization strategy is overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “It's frustrating how much you have to spend to enjoy the game fully.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The effort point system enhances character development by introducing a strategic element that influences project prioritization, allowing players to make more thoughtful decisions regarding their characters' growth.
- “The effort point system adds a new layer of strategy to character development and project prioritization.”
- “The depth of character backstories really enhances the overall experience, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
- “I love how the choices I make during the game influence my character's growth and relationships with others.”