Flowstone Saga
- September 26, 2024
- Impact Gameworks
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Flowstone Saga" is an RPG featuring a unique puzzle-based combat system, where players control the flow of battle against monsters by clearing lines and matching link crystals on a puzzle board. Real-time or turn-based combat allows for up to 3 monsters to be faced at once, and the use of items, special attacks, and defensive maneuvers create a deep and engaging experience. The game encourages strategy and quick thinking to thwart various creatures, including Beewis, Cookie Ferrets, and Battle-Axolotls.
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Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of Tetris-inspired combat mechanics and traditional RPG elements, making battles engaging and fun.
- The art style and soundtrack are praised for their quality, contributing to an enjoyable overall experience.
- The story is well-crafted with interesting characters and a captivating plot, providing a refreshing take on the JRPG genre.
- The game suffers from pacing issues, particularly in the latter chapters where cutscenes can feel overly long and drawn out.
- There are several bugs and technical issues that can disrupt gameplay, including crashes and unresponsive controls during battles.
- Some players find the combat repetitive over time, especially as the challenge diminishes with certain character classes and abilities.
- story52 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally well-received, with many praising its engaging characters and unique take on the JRPG genre, though some find it to be overly generic and filled with filler content. While the narrative starts strong, it tends to drag in the latter half with lengthy cutscenes and repetitive fetch quests, leading to mixed feelings about pacing and depth. Overall, it offers a fun and lighthearted adventure, but may not satisfy those seeking a more complex or original storyline.
“A captivating story, a dynamic battle system involving spatial management very similar to Tetris, and a cast of well-designed characters brings this game together for a fantastic experience.”
“The story is interesting throughout, and while I felt the romance was a little shoehorned in, it still held up through the very end.”
“There is a lot of people-driven plot here, and it's refreshing - there's no starting with the apocalypse, and some character motivations are amusingly personal and petty.”
“I gave up following the story about 1/3 or 1/2 of the way in.”
“The story is fine, pretty generic western JRPG-styled fare with the spunky red-haired main character who goes to fix everything and has a magic power thrust upon them early on.”
“The story is more slow than anything, and could use better pacing really.”
- gameplay39 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Flowstone Saga creatively blends classic Tetris mechanics with RPG elements, offering a unique and engaging experience that allows for extensive customization and strategic depth. Players can enjoy a variety of mechanics, including spirit frogs and match-3 elements, while navigating a charming story filled with well-developed characters. While the game may not appeal to those who dislike Tetris-style gameplay, it provides a nostalgic yet fresh take on the genre, making it a worthwhile experience for fans.
“Not only is it a great way to play Tetris (with some unique mechanics from the classical) in an ongoing story - said story is actually really good with well-written characters.”
“Flowstone Saga incorporates Tetris-like gameplay into an RPG in an engaging way that creates an enjoyable experience.”
“The added RPG mechanics to the Tetris-style formula add a ton of variety.”
“When Vivian joined my party, I thought for sure she would add some new mechanic to fights, but no, the two other people on the title screen are just there for moral support and plot.”
“If you don't like Tetris-type mechanics, you will not like this game.”
“Most of this is 'gather x resources' or 'gather x resources and get an item from a monster,' but the spirit is low-key 'help people out.' It's no different mechanically than other fantasy quests of grimdark epicness.”
- music25 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many users praising the soundtrack as "incredible" and filled with "endless bangers." While some noted that certain tracks can feel out of place or become repetitive over time, the overall composition and ability to customize battle music playlists were highlighted as strong features. The combination of engaging music with the gameplay enhances the overall experience, making it a standout aspect of the game.
“Incredible soundtrack – every song was a banger, it was just so, so good.”
“The combination of the interactions with enemies messing up your board, along with the amazing music, makes playing Tetris feel so epic!”
“Lovely artwork, fantastic music, and a fun spin on a classic game for battles/puzzles.”
“Some songs are also a bit loud.”
“The music options feel limited and repetitive after a while.”
“While you can customize the battle music playlist, the selection of tracks is underwhelming.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming retro-style 2D pixel aesthetic that evokes nostalgia, reminiscent of classic RPG Maker titles. While the art style and music are praised for their quality, some users noted minor polish issues that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals successfully blend modern mechanics with an indie feel, appealing to fans of old-school gaming.
“It's a huge nostalgia bomb, very CrossCode kind of blending modern mechanics and quality of life aspects with an extremely charming old school RPG Maker aesthetic.”
“Good retro-style 2D pixel graphics.”
“Graphics - 8/10, very indie but something that could have worked during the DS/PSP era of 2D games quite well.”
“There are some polish issues, so now and then you might be a bit annoyed at a graphical choice or so on.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game; while some enjoy the engaging mini-games like Tetris and find joy in resource gathering, others feel that the non-boss combat becomes tedious and the rewards for grinding—such as farming and fishing—are minimal and often not worth the effort. The vibrant zones lack meaningful activities, leading to a sense of monotony as players outlevel enemies and sprint through areas without engaging in combat.
“Fishing, farming, and mining mini-games that reward you with basically nothing useful. After 14 hours into the game, the only thing I can use resources for is growing food or turning them in for quests, and the fish are pretty much always worse than just the basic food items for the effort required to get them.”
“The zones are lush and vibrant (albeit sharing a bit too much from the same tilesets), but again there isn't really anything in the zones to do, so your vision glazes over as you sprint through them, dodging as many enemies as you can because you far outlevel them and the fights have gotten tedious.”
“Farming mode also felt pointless as eventually I had a lot of coins and didn't see a big benefit to leveling up my frogs.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a delightful array of humor, including clever wordplay and amusing Easter eggs that enhance the experience. Players appreciate the comedic elements woven into side quests and character interactions, complemented by a charming soundtrack and pixel art. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted touch to the adventure.
“The game is filled with funny easter eggs, references, and clever wordplays sprinkled throughout.”
“Fishing is so funny!”
“The adventure is accompanied by a great assortment of soundtrack, charming pixel art, and various side quests and activities that offer varying levels of humor and character development.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report experiencing genuine emotional responses to the game's plot, describing it as an entertaining, heartfelt, and tragic narrative that captivates them for hours.
“I played it for like 12 hours the week I got it and had authentic emotional reactions to the plot.”
“It is an entertaining, heartfelt, and tragic tale.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features charming character designs and visually appealing pixel art, complemented by a diverse soundtrack and engaging side quests that contribute to varying levels of character development and humor throughout the adventure.
“To accompany you along the adventure are great assortments of soundtrack, charming pixel art, and various side quests/activities with varying levels of humor and character development.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been criticized, particularly in co-op mode, where players experienced bugs that rendered the fox character uncontrollable and irrelevant for the second player.
“Co-op was a bit buggy, as the fox character sometimes couldn’t be controlled and wasn’t really relevant for player 2 to move at all.”
