Fields of Asphodel
- September 5, 2024
- Hosted Games
- 11h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Fields of Asphodel," become the deity of spring and navigate life in the Underworld. With 1.3 million words of text and no graphics, this interactive novel lets you decide your path, from answering prayers to finding love among the ancient Greek gods. Play as male, female, or nonbinary, with diverse sexual orientations and neurotype options. Use your powers to protect the river goddess and shape your own destiny.
Reviews
- The game features well-written characters and an engaging story, making it a delightful experience for players.
- It offers a cozy, slice-of-life retelling of the Persephone myth, with a strong emphasis on found family and character development.
- Players appreciate the diverse representation and the ability to customize their character's identity and relationships.
- Some players found the lack of conflict and overly polite interactions among characters to be boring and unengaging.
- The game has been criticized for its slow romance progression and the feeling that it lacks meaningful choices or consequences.
- There are concerns about the representation of gender and sexuality, with some players feeling misled about the options available for straight male characters.
- story23 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its engaging characters, refreshing plot twists, and solid worldbuilding, while others criticize it for lacking conflict and character development beyond a single non-player character. Many appreciate the romantic elements and the interactive fiction format, though some feel the narrative is limited by its focus on relationships and the absence of diverse sexual orientation options. Overall, it is seen as a comfortable and enjoyable read, with a sequel anticipated to further explore the romantic dynamics.
“This story is just absolutely terrific.”
“The story is engaging, the manifestations of tics and habits is intuitive and sensible, the characters are well fleshed-out and endearing, which all culminates in a wonderful, comfortable read.”
“It has incredible characters you can't help but love, interesting worldbuilding, and a captivating story.”
“Despite the significant length of game time (one playthrough took me about 8 hours, and the story takes place over several months in-game), only one non-player character has a character arc—nobody else changes at all.”
“The story is generally relationships and roleplay oriented, and as far as stats go, you basically decide two things your character is good at, one thing they're bad at, and two stats that will remain average.”
“Doesn't seem to actually let you play a straight male; the story seems written to be female and treats you as such, not my thing personally.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that while many games offer high-quality narratives, the most emotionally impactful and artistically significant stories are often found in hosted games. Titles like "Fields of Asphodel" exemplify this with their cozy, slice-of-life approach that balances lighthearted moments with emotional depth, culminating in a powerful climax. Additionally, the respectful interactions between characters enhance the emotional experience, emphasizing consent and personal boundaries.
“I think a common sentiment is that while the average level of quality in choice of game titles is higher than the aggregate hosted games average, the most emotionally resonant and artistically meaningful stories are found in hosted game titles.”
“And of course, every character asks permission before touching the protagonist casually, often at the same time saying how it’s totally fine if the protagonist doesn’t care to be touched.”
“Fields of Asphodel is a very cozy game overall, quite slice of life oriented, but still featuring some adventures and moments of tension, with a highly emotional climax at the end.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the strong replayability of the game, noting its value for money due to the various character skills and choices that can lead to different outcomes. Fans of choose-your-own-adventure games will find ample reasons to revisit the game, making it a worthwhile investment.
“Worth every penny, particularly for how long it is and the replayability factor, with the different PC skills and reactions.”
“If you enjoy choose-your-own-adventure games, this represents good value for money as there is a lot of replayability in these games, and this is no exception.”
“The game offers a decent amount of replayability, but after a few playthroughs, it starts to feel repetitive.”
“While there are multiple paths to explore, the lack of significant changes in outcomes diminishes the replayability.”
“I found the replayability to be lacking; once you've seen the main storylines, there's not much incentive to go back.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the gameplay for its engaging mechanics and the variety of skill options available at the start, which allow for strategic choices that come with both benefits and drawbacks. The desire to replay the game to explore missed mechanics highlights its depth and replayability.
“I'm going to replay it now to see if I can trigger some of the game mechanics I missed.”
“Mechanically, I really like the skill options available to pick at the start, and how the drawback that you choose still provides a benefit somehow.”
“The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I encountered numerous bugs that disrupted the gameplay experience.”
“The controls are unresponsive at times, leading to frustrating moments during gameplay.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find humor in the unexpected popularity of "Fields of Asphodel," noting that its release on Steam caught them off guard, highlighting a sense of surprise and amusement regarding its prior obscurity.
“It's funny that until its release on Steam, I hadn't heard about Fields of Asphodel at all.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game remains largely intact despite the presence of minor typos, which do not significantly detract from the overall experience.
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the world and making you feel like you're part of the story.”
“Every detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that lingers long after you've put the game down.”
“The sound design and visuals work in perfect harmony to create an atmosphere that is both captivating and unsettling.”
“The atmosphere felt flat and uninspired, lacking any real sense of immersion.”
“Despite the game's potential, the atmosphere was dull and failed to engage me.”
“The world felt lifeless, with little to no environmental storytelling to draw me in.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the game's strong character development, noting that it features an engaging story enriched with mythology, which enhances the overall narrative experience.
“The game was definitely a good read, with a very interesting story, lots of mythology, and solid character development.”
