Errant Kingdom

69%
Game Brain Score Based on 143 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • music
Errant Kingdom Game Cover
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"Errant Kingdom" is a queer, high-fantasy visual novel now fully released from early access for PC, Mac, and Linux. In the Kingdom of Novus, players must navigate political intrigue and choose between restoring peace or fueling chaos. With over 590,000 words and 60 CGs, this game offers a dark and immersive story where your choices impact the kingdom's fate.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

69%
Audience ScoreBased on 143 reviews
story57 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful artwork and character designs that enhance the overall experience.
  • The story is engaging with multiple routes that provide unique perspectives and character interactions.
  • The game includes diverse representation, allowing players to choose their character's gender and romance options.
  • The final chapters feel rushed and lack the depth and development seen in earlier parts of the game.
  • There are inconsistencies in the writing and dialogue, with some choices feeling inconsequential.
  • The game has experienced significant delays and communication issues from the developers, leading to frustration among players.
  • story153 mentions

    The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the intriguing characters and world-building but criticizing the pacing and rushed conclusion. While some found the narrative engaging and rich in potential, others felt that plot threads were abandoned and character motivations lacked depth, leading to a disjointed experience. Overall, the game showcases strong writing and character development, but suffers from uneven pacing and a lack of resolution in its overarching plot.

    • “The writing and story direction is very well crafted and thorough, drawing you into the world-building and the mysteries to solve—though this is a very character-driven story and watching each of our cast arcs unfold is the core of this story.”
    • “The story is so lovingly crafted by people who love fantasy and love these characters, and the ambition of having three separate player choices is incredibly considerate of the player experience and made for unique routes and romances, showing the difference in station and class—who treats you different and what that tells you about that person.”
    • “The characters are all so well done, and the story is exciting.”
    • “The ending just rushes along and you are basically just along for the ride as your character is not even really necessary for the story.”
    • “The story felt increasingly rushed and stitched-together as it went on.”
    • “The first 80% of the game barely anything happens, as if the writers were feeling like they have all the time in the world for developing romances and unveiling the plot, and then suddenly it was time for the grand finale and they went 'oh crap!' and crammed everything they could in the last 2 chapters all at once, but there is only so much you can fit there, so the majority of romance content was cut as well at a number of lesser plot threads were left untied.”
  • graphics28 mentions

    The graphics of the game are described as beautiful and engaging, with stunning artwork that captures the characters well. However, there are notable inconsistencies in art styles across different scenes and character designs, which some players find jarring. While the overall visual presentation is appealing, the mixed styles can detract from the experience for those who prefer a cohesive aesthetic.

    • “The artwork is nothing short of glorious.”
    • “Beautiful artwork, interesting characters, and overall really fun to play.”
    • “The artwork was stunning, and each character that made an appearance was unique and exciting to talk to.”
    • “The artwork is inconsistent in style, and even the sprites only have a couple of expressions each - not nearly as expressive as their prior game.”
    • “Even with episodic releases of the finalized chapters, there are still spelling and grammar issues that are glaringly obvious, and the inconsistencies between the multiple art styles being utilized across the game is jarring and makes the same characters look like different people across different scenes.”
    • “I really really really like the premise of the game, however the inconsistent art styles with the CGs is something that is difficult to overlook.”
  • music19 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received for its ability to create an immersive atmosphere and enhance emotional moments, though some players note a lack of variety and repetitiveness in the tracks. While many appreciate the selection and fitting nature of the music, comparisons to other titles highlight that it sometimes fails to match the pacing of scenes effectively. Overall, the music is described as lovely and captivating, contributing positively to the game's aesthetic.

    • “The music is lovely too (even if I did wish for a bit more variety of tracks); it was chosen well for adding immersive atmosphere to the story, and I enjoyed listening to it without wanting to turn it off, like I would in many other games.”
    • “There are quite a few gorgeous and emotional moments in the game, the music and art really bringing it all to life beautifully.”
    • “The music is captivating and sets the mood for each scene so well.”
    • “The music does not do favors to the pacing of a scene.”
    • “Not that the music is bad, but it feels more like I've put on a lo-fi list for white noise than anything that adds emotion to what's going on in a scene.”
    • “The background music they used is good, but lacks variety - there were definitely scenes that could be made better with more music.”
  • emotional12 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching and heartfelt scenes that deepen character connections and enhance player engagement, particularly through romance and friendship. Players appreciate the complexity of the narrative, with multiple protagonists whose intertwined stories evoke strong feelings, while the music and art further amplify these emotional moments. However, some feel that the introduction of unfamiliar characters in later chapters can diminish the emotional impact of the story.

    • “Congrats on making this stoic fantasy lover actually emotional.”
    • “There are touching, heartfelt scenes that give some cast members more depth and drive interest in their stories.”
    • “There are quite a few gorgeous and emotional moments in the game, the music and art really bringing it all to life beautifully.”
  • character development8 mentions

    Character development in the game starts strong with engaging world-building and character arcs in the initial chapters, but it tends to falter later on, particularly for characters outside of specific romance routes. While the art and character designs are praised for their beauty and uniqueness, the depth of character motivations and growth appears inconsistent, leaving some players confused and wanting more. Overall, the game excels in visual appeal but struggles to maintain robust character development throughout.

    • “The first 4-5 chapters are very good - they have good world building, character development, and plot.”
    • “This game has beautiful art and character design, and fascinating world building.”
    • “The character development for your character goes out the window, and unless you're romancing Erick, Maja, or Olivia (I suspect, as I have not played their routes to the end), the other three characters also get none.”
    • “There's a lot of worldbuilding lore here alongside character development, and I adore it.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its cozy and immersive qualities, enhanced by skillful lighting, stunning art, and well-chosen music that complements the story. While some users noted a lack of variety in the music and voice acting, the overall ambiance, character design, and engaging writing contribute to a magical and inviting experience.

    • “Backgrounds are cozy and atmospheric, with fun details and skillful lighting that bring these environments to life with a little sprinkling of magic!”
    • “The music is lovely and well-chosen for adding an immersive atmosphere to the story; I enjoyed listening to it without wanting to turn it off, unlike in many other games.”
    • “The art is stunning, and the little animated portions of the background create a nice atmosphere.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the witty banter and sparkling dialogue among characters, particularly the main character and Rai, whose ridiculous humor and warm personality stand out. Players find the mix of lightheartedness and darker themes engaging, often eliciting laughter while also evoking emotional responses. Overall, the humor significantly enhances the enjoyment of the game's narrative and character interactions.

    • “The banter between the characters and the main character was really enjoyable and funny.”
    • “The dialogue is fun and sparkling with humor, and it had me grinning from ear to ear most of the time.”
    • “And … Rai has my undying love now :) I did enjoy the company of the whole Errant crew, but it's Rai's ridiculous humor and his warm personality that saved the whole Errant kingdom for me.”
  • gameplay3 mentions

    The gameplay of the visual novel is criticized for its inconsistency in writing and art, which detracts from the overall experience. While the visuals and music are appreciated, the lack of engaging story and gameplay elements makes it difficult for players to fully enjoy the game.

    • “The drawing and music are nice, but the story and gameplay are not impressive.”
    • “And when the core gameplay revolves around the text of the game, it very quickly becomes very hard to ignore.”
    • “Again, it's a visual novel, so I don't expect big gameplay elements or anything, but the inconsistency of both the writing and the art - which ought to be a visual novel's strengths - makes it harder to enjoy.”
    • “And when the core gameplay revolves around the text of the game, it very quickly becomes difficult to ignore.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers strong replayability due to its multiple origins, diverse races, and various romance options, allowing players to experience different narratives and outcomes. While it sets a high standard, it remains engaging and enjoyable for repeated playthroughs.

    • “Admittedly, the bar was set pretty high with 'When the Night Comes', but this was still excellent and very replayable.”
    • “As it stands right now, the game has a lot of variants between the three origins you can pick, which race you are, and the romance choices, and that gives it replay value.”
    • “Unfortunately, after completing the game once, I found that the choices I made didn't significantly alter the outcome, making it feel less rewarding to replay.”
    • “While there are multiple paths to take, the core gameplay remains the same, leading to a lack of motivation to experience it again.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is somewhat inconsistent, with users reporting a few glitches and bugs, particularly related to dialogue display and choices. However, the ability to patch these issues suggests ongoing support for improvements.

    • “There are a few bugs still where some dialogue just won't show up, some of the dialogue choices are shown out of order on screen as opposed to what your character actually ends up saying, but out of the two chapters available, I've run into two maybe three glitches.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Overall, players with modern PCs report that the game has significantly improved in terms of optimization, with no major performance issues that previously affected some users.

    • “Players with modern PCs can rest assured that the game no longer exhibits any deal-breaking performance issues that used to bother some, including myself.”
    • “The optimization in this game has significantly improved, allowing for a smoother experience even on lower-end systems.”
    • “I appreciate how the developers have focused on optimization, making the game run seamlessly across a variety of hardware configurations.”
    • “The game still struggles with optimization, leading to frequent frame drops even on high-end systems.”
    • “Despite the updates, the optimization remains poor, causing long loading times and stuttering during gameplay.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that the game is still not well-optimized, making it hard to enjoy the experience fully.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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