El Patrón - Idle Cartel | Game Brain

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Run a thriving cartel business and become part of the story

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,045 reviews

story45 positive mentions

monetization60 negative mentions

The game has a fun storyline that keeps players engaged.
Graphics and animations are well done, providing a visually appealing experience.
The game offers a variety of events and challenges that add excitement.

Gameplay becomes repetitive and slow, especially after the initial chapters.
The game heavily relies on ads for progression, making it feel like an ad-watching simulator.
Many players experience crashes and loading issues, making the game frustrating to play.

story
74 mentions
61 % positive mentions
34 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its engaging narrative and character development, while others find it repetitive and disconnected from the gameplay. Many enjoy the cutscenes and twists, but some feel the story drags down the experience, making it feel like a drawn-out tutorial. Overall, the storyline adds a layer of interest, but its execution can lead to boredom for those seeking more dynamic gameplay.
- “The gameplay is perfect, clear objectives, a nice storyline, and with loads of minigames or missions you have to do in between.”
- “Very fun game and the story keeps you hooked and not bored.”
- “Such an amazing game, the storyline is dope and gameplay is smooth.”
- “The story and the actual gameplay are totally unrelated.”
- “Game is boring and repetitive; you collect your reward and then you see the story for the chapter. Once you complete a chapter, your idle stuff is reset, and starting again is very boring.”
- “It has no story; same gameplay the whole game, no excitement. I thought you would play as Escobar, give missions to sicarios, and fight against other cartels and the government, but the game is just sad.”
monetization
63 mentions
5 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has received significant criticism, with many players noting that progress is heavily gated by ads, which constitute about 70% of the experience. While some players appreciate the option to watch ads for boosts, the frequent technical issues and the necessity of ads for advancement have led to frustration, with many feeling that the game is designed primarily as a pay-to-win model. Overall, the reliance on ads and microtransactions has detracted from the gameplay experience for a substantial number of users.
- “It's a free-to-play game, but you can pay for upgrades like removing ads.”
- “No ads, no pay-to-win.”
- “I didn't think this would be that good, but it has no ads and runs smoothly.”
- “The game involves 30% game + 70% ads. It also has the same stage with slight modifications as events with a leaderboard.”
- “It's your typical 'watch ads to win' game where the ads give very little the further you go.”
- “Do not install ... to get boosts ..watch ads ..to shorten stage time... watch ads ... to get super cash ... spend money ... it's purely designed to be pay-to-win and you spend your time watching ads.”
gameplay
28 mentions
50 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its clarity, enjoyable mechanics, and engaging minigames, while others criticize it for being repetitive, slow, or overly reliant on ads and in-app purchases. Many users appreciate the combination of idle mechanics with a storyline, but some find it lacks excitement and originality compared to other games in the genre. Overall, while there are elements of fun and challenge, there are significant concerns regarding pacing and monetization.
- “The gameplay is perfect, clear objectives, a nice storyline, and with loads of minigames or 'missions' you have to do in between.”
- “So far this game looks very good and runs smooth, no glitches yet, and the gameplay is actually enjoyable. Looking forward to playing more and happy I pre-ordered this app :) very happy.”
- “Addictive gameplay with endless fun, challenge your management skills by running this idle factory and become the tycoon of the idle clicker game.”
- “The story and the actual gameplay are totally unrelated.”
- “Gameplay is boring though.”
- “Mechanically, the game is just a copy of multiple other idle games that have been out for a long time now.”
graphics
17 mentions
82 % positive mentions
6 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics in the game are well-received, with many users praising their quality and smooth performance. The visuals are described as engaging and well-designed, contributing positively to the gameplay experience. However, there are a few mixed opinions, with some users comparing them unfavorably to simpler graphics styles.
- “Nice looking graphics, smooth gameplay, and just enough going on to keep you hooked but not too much to the point where it's super convoluted.”
- “The app is well designed with amazing graphics, and once you start playing, you just can't put it down.”
- “Great graphics, engaging story, and a deliberate expansion of capability that all make you want to stick around and keep tapping to see what's next.”
- “Identical to the Trailer Park Boys idler, which was engaging up to a point before becoming mindlessly disinteresting; this one, however, boasts Microsoft Paint-grade graphics.”
- “Its app is heavier than a battle royale game or MOBA with high graphics.”
stability
12 mentions
8 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with users reporting frequent crashes, freezes during gameplay, and issues with loading screens. Many players express frustration over the game shutting down unexpectedly, particularly after completing levels or watching ads, leading to a poor overall experience. While a few users noted smooth performance without glitches, the majority highlight significant stability problems that hinder gameplay enjoyment.
- “So far, this game looks very good and runs smoothly. There are no glitches yet, and the gameplay is actually enjoyable. I'm looking forward to playing more and I'm happy I pre-ordered this app! Very happy.”
- “I would have given it 5 stars if it weren't for the fact the game keeps closing out every time I move onto a level or watch an ad. It freezes up during gameplay after rewards or watching an ad for a bonus, and also lags a little. My biggest issue is that when it shuts you out after you complete a level, you go back. I've been waiting for this game for some time; I pre-registered and didn't get a reward. The game is fun, I love that it's like an idle tycoon game but with levels that move down a pathway.”
- “Every time I get asked to select 'watch TV', it freezes on the 'your income has been doubled...' message. Clicking 'OK' on that page does not close the box, and using the red cross in the top right does not work.”
- “Disappointed, the game freezes a lot.”
humor
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it entertaining and amusing, particularly within a Hispanic context. However, there is a stark contrast between the lighthearted gameplay and the darker themes associated with cartels, which some players acknowledge, creating a complex blend of humor and serious subject matter. Overall, it is seen as a fun and engaging way to pass the time.
- “Awesome game to pass the time and it's a funny little game 😆”
- “Cute, funny, good game for boredom.”
- “Love it, it's funny.”
music
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed feedback; some players found it intrusive, particularly during the tutorial, while others suggested that adding specific tracks could enhance the overall experience.
- “The soundtrack is amazing and really enhances the gameplay experience.”
- “I love the music in this game; it sets the perfect atmosphere.”
- “The background music adds a great vibe to the overall experience.”
- “I couldn't even turn off the sound and music until the tutorial ran for a long while.”
- “The soundtrack is lacking and doesn't add to the overall experience.”
- “The music feels repetitive and doesn't keep me engaged.”
optimization
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-150 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its smooth performance and good graphics, with users recommending further optimizations to enhance gameplay.
- “Optimizations of the gameplay are recommended.”
- “Wonderful game... pretty good graphics... the game runs smoothly.”
- “The game's optimization is severely lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “I was disappointed with the optimization; it feels like the game was rushed and not properly tested on various hardware.”
- “Despite having a powerful PC, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, indicating poor optimization.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players generally find the early levels engaging, but many report that the experience becomes a slow and tedious grind starting around level five, diminishing their excitement.
- “Things moved along just fine and I was getting excited until level five, and then it became a slow, tedious grind.”
- “The initial excitement quickly faded as I hit the grind wall, making progress feel more like a chore than a challenge.”
- “After a few levels, the game turned into a monotonous grind that drained all the fun out of the experience.”