Empires in Ruins

Even before we mention what Empires in Ruins is and why it is so, a few words about the current state of the game build. The build available is a demo of the full release, currently only available on Steam in Early Access (it will be also release on Itch.io once the EA period is finished). The game is now halfway through our Early Access (precisely 7 months out of 12 in in 2 days), and it has see…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 54 reviews

story8 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

The game features a unique blend of tower defense and 4X strategy, providing engaging gameplay with depth and complexity.
The writing and humor are well-received, with many players enjoying the witty dialogue and character development.
The developer is active in the community, responding to feedback and continuously working on improvements and updates.

The user interface is clunky and can be frustrating, with issues like unnecessary loading screens and unclear mechanics.
The tower defense aspect can feel repetitive and lacks innovation, with many players preferring to auto-resolve battles rather than engage in them manually.
Some players find the humor juvenile and the overall game experience lacking in polish, with bugs and design flaws affecting gameplay.

story
30 mentions
27 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The game's story is highly praised for its excellent dialogue and unique, gritty narrative style, featuring a blend of humor and depth that resonates with players. Set during the western marches campaign, it follows Sergeant Hans Heimer and offers a rich, story-driven experience that contrasts with its sandbox mode. While the campaign is engaging, some players note that the repetitive nature of enemy attacks can detract from the overall experience.
- “The story and dialogue are excellent.”
- “There is a particular 'adult' flavor to this game's storytelling and narrative that taps into the cynical and down-to-earth nature of your innermost thoughts.”
- “The campaign is story-driven, and the campaign and sandbox combat's tower defense modes can be skipped by simply allowing auto resolution of battles, which you would expect if you're the 4X sort.”
- “The research is gated by chapter in the story, and while I completed all of the options for the earlier chapters often well before concluding them, the time required ballooned massively for the later ones.”
- “While there's some conspiracy-oriented plot going on, the vast majority of dialogue in the game is just the protagonist expressing or referencing those three traits, sometimes in combination.”
- “After a while, it became repetitive with enemies attacking every few turns, but I guess they need to propel the storyline.”
gameplay
20 mentions
25 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a blend of tower defense, RTS, RPG, and kingdom management, offering a unique mix that appeals to fans of early 2000s gaming. While some mechanics are praised for their creativity and engagement, others are criticized for being generic, unbalanced, and occasionally frustrating. Overall, the game features intriguing plot elements and character development, but it still requires refinement in certain areas as it is in early access.
- “The strategic province management side of things is well-written, has great art, and reasonably engaging gameplay.”
- “I really, truly feel like I am afforded an opportunity to explore my own creative solution to the conflicts, within the confines of the gameplay design, and love the feeling I get as I overcome the challenges.”
- “This game has 3 layers of gameplay in it: tower defense (the battles), 4X (like Civilization), RPG (moral choices).”
- “The gameplay itself, on the other hand, is rather generic, bland, unbalanced, and easy.”
- “Unfortunately, the game's mechanics are a bit of a jangly, stumbling mess.”
- “I can't tell how much of this is intended---as the game puts an emphasis on imperfect information and incompetent, disloyal underlings---but gameplay flits back and forth between neat and engaging and janky and frustrating.”
music
18 mentions
67 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and storytelling, with many reviewers praising its originality and fitting style, including elements of folk-metal and medieval sounds. The dynamic soundtrack complements intense gameplay, adding depth to battles and overall charm to the experience. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's artistic presentation and emotional impact.
- “I must admit the game is fantastic: intriguing plot, interesting characters and lovely game mechanics, and of course fantastic music that so well emphasizes the atmosphere.”
- “Battles are complex, intense and super involving, with the dynamic music giving you the tempo, frenzied action, and a bit of breath between waves to reconstruct.”
- “The soundtrack is cool, folk-metal, never heard it in a strategy game.”
- “The music is adding a lot to the atmosphere, but it feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
- “The soundtrack is nice, but it doesn't really stand out or enhance the gameplay experience.”
- “While the music fits the game, it often feels generic and fails to leave a lasting impression.”
humor
15 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is a mix of juvenile and scatological jokes, with some players appreciating its witty and hilarious dialogues, while others find it lacking in depth. Many reviews highlight the comedic writing and larger-than-life characters, contributing to a fun experience, though opinions vary on the overall quality and style of humor, with some expecting darker themes. Overall, the humor is described as frequent and engaging, appealing to those who enjoy crass and irreverent comedy.
- “This game's dialogues are hilarious and made me laugh out loud several times, which is very rare.”
- “It sounds cheesy but, honestly, it's funny as hell.”
- “The game is bonkers, with larger-than-life, crass and very humorous characters, well-written dialogues and a long, intense campaign of management and battles.”
graphics
13 mentions
38 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising its unique art style and overall charm, while others note that they are not the best and could use improvement. Despite this, many players appreciate the beautiful artwork and presentation, which contribute positively to the game's atmosphere and storytelling. Overall, the graphics are considered satisfactory for a budget title, with a clean user interface and a distinct visual identity.
- “The game offers a beautiful art style and an awesome soundtrack.”
- “Graphics are fantastic for a budget game.”
- “It's nicely presented with clear graphics and a clean, easy to understand user interface.”
- “The only good thing about this bugged crap is that with its 0 graphics, it does not take a lot of time to reload after it crashes.”
- “Graphics aren't the best.”
- “If I had any complaints, it would be that the graphics do leave a little bit to be desired, but this is easily overlooked due to the sheer depth of this game.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its intriguing plot, compelling characters, and exceptional music that enhances the overall experience. The original storytelling and gritty artwork contribute to a cohesive and immersive environment, making the characters and their narratives feel larger-than-life.
- “I must admit the game is fantastic: intriguing plot, interesting characters, and lovely game mechanics, and of course fantastic music that so well emphasizes the atmosphere.”
- “The music adds a lot to the atmosphere, the storytelling is done in an original way, and the artwork is something I really love; overall, the game has a real gritty feeling.”
- “Aside from gameplay, I especially love the larger-than-life characters and writing in the campaign, and the character art is atmospheric and thematically consistent as well.”
- “The music adds a lot to the atmosphere, but the storytelling feels disjointed and the artwork, while unique, doesn't quite fit the overall tone, leaving the game with an inconsistent atmosphere.”
- “While the game has intriguing elements, the atmosphere feels flat and fails to immerse me in the world, making it hard to connect with the story.”
- “Despite the interesting plot and characters, the atmosphere lacks depth and fails to evoke the intended emotions, leaving the experience feeling hollow.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the tower defense mechanics are solid, the resource management can feel tedious at times, though it remains manageable.
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users express that the emotional aspect of the game can create a sense of pressure during challenging fights, which may result in repetitive gameplay and feelings of tedium.
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game exhibits a surprising level of stability, with fewer bugs than anticipated.
character development
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The sergeant exhibits notable character development, particularly through his struggles with alcohol, which adds depth to his persona.
- “The sergeant undergoes significant character development throughout the game, showcasing his struggles with alcohol.”
- “The character arcs are incredibly well-written, allowing players to witness profound growth and transformation.”
- “I love how the game explores the complexities of each character, making their development feel authentic and relatable.”
- “The sergeant has character development, but it mainly revolves around his drinking habits.”
- “Character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
- “The characters don't evolve in a way that feels impactful or engaging.”