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.
Reviews
- Engaging Tetris-inspired combat system that adds a unique twist to traditional RPG mechanics.
- Charming art style and an incredible soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Diverse gameplay options with various classes and abilities, allowing for customization and strategic play.
- The story and characters can feel generic and lack depth, with some cutscenes being overly long and drawn out.
- Gameplay can become repetitive, especially in later stages, leading to a sense of fatigue during combat.
- Several bugs and technical issues persist, which can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- story47 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story is generally perceived as generic and lacking depth, with many players finding it filled with filler content and repetitive fetch quests. While some appreciate the engaging worldbuilding and character interactions, others feel the pacing is slow and the narrative becomes tedious, especially in the latter chapters filled with lengthy cutscenes. Overall, the story offers a mix of fun and frustration, appealing to fans of the genre but leaving others wanting more substance.
“Story and characters are fun, and it's one of the only JRPG-style stories you'll ever play in which you don't kill god with the power of friendship.”
“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.”
“The story also immediately grabbed me, and I really enjoy the protagonist with the small amount of time I've spent with them.”
“I gave up following the story about 1/3 or 1/2 of the way in.”
“The bad guys generally get better plot progression than we do, but everyone except for the few named characters may as well be the same person copied and pasted: idiotic grunts who wisecrack at every opportunity and are very incompetent.”
“The story is more slow than anything, and could use better pacing really.”
- gameplay34 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a unique blend of Tetris-like mechanics and RPG elements, offering a variety of customization options and engaging combat systems. Players can enjoy a nostalgic experience with diverse gameplay through different equipment combinations and the introduction of "spirit frogs" that provide gameplay modifiers. While the game may appeal primarily to Tetris enthusiasts, it features a solid gameplay loop and charming aesthetics that enhance the overall experience.
“If you really really like Tetris (like, playing Tetrio in your spare time levels of enjoyment) and enjoy playing Tetris with weird twists on normal gameplay involved, you will probably enjoy this game.”
“The added RPG mechanics to the Tetris-style formula add a ton of variety.”
“Gameplay loop is addicting!”
“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.
“Unique and entertaining battle system, really great art, and endless bangers on the soundtrack.”
“- Incredible soundtrack – every song was a banger, it was just so, so good.”
“Oh, and the soundtrack is terrific.”
“Some songs are also a bit loud.”
“The music customization options are limited and don't offer much variety.”
“While you can customize the battle music playlist, the overall soundtrack feels repetitive.”
- 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.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspects of the game, such as fishing, farming, and mining, to be largely unfulfilling, offering minimal rewards and leading to tedious gameplay. While some enjoy the farming mini-game for its fast-paced matching, many feel that the overall grinding experience lacks meaningful progression and relevance, making exploration feel repetitive and uninspired.
“Fishing, farming, and mining mini-games that reward you with basically nothing useful. 14 hours into the game and the only thing I can use resources for is growing food or turning them in for quests. 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. 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 feeding and 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 and 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 reported bugs that rendered the fox character uncontrollable and diminished its relevance 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.”
