Dust and Salt
- February 22, 2018
- Prime Games
Get on Steam
Get on Apple Store"Dust and Salt" is a text-based narrative adventure set in a low-power, medieval fantasy world, where your choices shape the story of a young warrior seeking vengeance. Travel through a detailed world map, engage in tactical turn-based battles, and indulge in vivid writings, offering a rich and non-linear experience, reminiscent of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Forge alliances, make difficult decisions, and navigate the delicate balance between justice and tyranny.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful artwork and an impressive soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The narrative is engaging with meaningful choices that can lead to different outcomes, providing some replay value.
- Fans of choose-your-own-adventure games may find enjoyment in the story-driven gameplay and the interesting setting.
- The combat system is overly simplistic and lacks depth, making it feel tacked on rather than integral to the gameplay.
- Many choices can lead to frustrating outcomes, often resulting in instant failure without clear guidance, which can detract from the experience.
- The game is relatively short, and the pacing feels rushed, particularly in the latter parts, leaving players wanting more depth and content.
- story61 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in this game is generally described as engaging yet standard, often revolving around a revenge plot with meaningful choices that can affect the outcome. While some players appreciate the interactive storytelling and the art, many criticize the pacing, particularly in the latter parts, and the limited replay value due to a simplistic combat system. Overall, it offers a decent narrative experience, but those seeking a more complex or innovative story may find it lacking.
“The soundtrack is top notch, the art is lovely, the writing is by and large quite decent, and the story, whilst fairly standard, is engaging enough.”
“The story is well written; I would have liked some main character portrait images, but it's not a big issue.”
“A gamebook with an exciting storyline and interesting choices.”
“The entire combat system and the importance of it to the story and progression, plus the weird checkpoint system, kills all replay value.”
“Not to mention the story feels rushed, and the only reason why it took me two hours to play is because I had to go back and forth from checkpoint to checkpoint to redo choices.”
“Overall, the story is not too exciting, but totally okay, with meaningful choices and branches.”
- music20 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its quality and ability to create an engaging atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its tribalistic and catchy elements. However, some players noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive and limited in variety over time. Overall, while the music enhances the experience, it may not sustain long-term interest for all players.
“The music is awesome.”
“If you like Wardruna and such, the music is remarkable.”
“The first thing which impressed me was the fascinating music; it creates a great atmosphere.”
“This is basically a poorly written visual novel, albeit with decent artwork and music that gets old fairly quickly.”
“The music is fine, but repetitive and limited to a couple of tracks.”
“I can't recommend the sound as it's the equivalent of the loading screen music from Witcher 3 and entirely innocuous.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally described as decent, with beautiful artwork, particularly on the world map, but limited overall due to its focus on dialogue and text-based gameplay. While the art style is appreciated, some users noted that the visuals could benefit from more detail, especially in battle scenes, and there are suggestions for improving the user interface. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, but they do not elevate the game beyond its narrative-driven nature.
“The artwork is gorgeous and the story does grab you.”
“I am really happy to see a new Bulgarian studio releasing a game of such genre, storytelling, and graphics.”
“This game totally blew me away, from the beautifully crafted narrative design to the gorgeous artwork on the world map; I wasn't expecting such a stellar experience.”
“The graphics are sparse overall.”
“The graphics are limited - what is in the game looks good, but it's definitely a text-based game, not a visual one.”
“As someone else mentioned, a little more in the way of artwork might help the game along; what's already there fits perfectly - probably a budget issue, though.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mix of story-driven elements and turn-based grid combat, offering a unique experience with an overland map that enhances exploration. While some players find the initial pacing slow and the gameplay lacking depth, others appreciate the challenging battles and the need for strategic decision-making outside of combat. Overall, the game provides a compelling narrative experience with engaging tactical elements, though it may require multiple playthroughs to fully appreciate.
“Really compelling gameplay and high production value for the cost and size of the team.”
“Having a map, on which you can move to visit the different places of the world, brings a nice diversity to the gameplay.”
“Tactical battles are a nice addition to the text adventure; they are not too hard and add variety to the gameplay.”
“Unfortunately, I cannot find the effort to continue, even though I know that after this long intro of fake choices, there is a different gameplay.”
“Mind you, four months ago I actually finished the intro and went to the gameplay part - but even then it did not grab me.”
“Most of the gameplay is of the storybook variety, but with an overland map and turn-based grid style combat.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the ability to explore different story outcomes through moral choices, others criticize the combat system and checkpoint mechanics, which detract from the experience. Many feel that despite the potential for multiple playthroughs, the limited options and lack of polish make it less appealing for extended replay. Ultimately, it may offer a few hours of entertainment, but those seeking deeper replay value or a more polished experience might be disappointed.
“You will have an impact on the story based on your morality decisions, and as such, the story itself provides a lot of replay value.”
“It's a bit too short, but on the other hand, there's enough replayability to last you for another run or two.”
“Replayability is also good, as you can experience the story in several different ways.”
“The entire combat system and the importance of it to the story and progression, plus the weird checkpoint system, kills all replay value.”
“Well written, but the replay value is pretty low as the options basically boil down to 'right option,' 'not right option but basically the same outcome as the right option,' and 'you die.' It's a good read though, and it's worth spending a few bucks on if you want to kill a couple of hours, but once you beat it, you probably won't pick it back up.”
“One of those where the devs put too much effort into making the game replayable and not enough into polishing a one-time playthrough, which makes me not willing to play anymore after all.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be both entertaining and humorous, highlighting its ability to deliver laughs alongside engaging gameplay.
“Amazing game and funny.”
“The humor in this game is top-notch and keeps me laughing throughout.”
“I love how the game incorporates witty dialogue and hilarious situations.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with many considering it a significant strength, particularly for fans of the associated band and its musical style.
“Definitely a huge asset for this game – and you should check the band if you are into this kind of atmosphere!”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight that the game's characters are portrayed in a way that fosters strong emotional connections, making players feel deeply attached to their journeys and experiences.
“The characters are convincingly represented, as the author makes you become emotionally attached to them.”
“The story evokes a deep sense of empathy, making you feel every joy and sorrow alongside the characters.”
“I found myself tearing up during key moments, as the emotional depth of the narrative truly resonated with me.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as the trial and error mechanics require repeatedly navigating through slow animations and text, which can detract from the overall experience.
