Franzen

About

Franzen is a single player tactical role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by scumhead and was released on September 13, 2023. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Franzen is a turn-based RPG set in a dystopian-steampunk world. Explore themes of empathy and politics as Franz and Lefsa Dellia work to uncover the truth of "The Scream". Meet a cast of colorful characters and fight bizarre creatures in your journey through the world of Branzen!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

99%Audience ScoreBased on 140 reviews

story34 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

Unique and striking art style blending dark fantasy, steampunk, and grotesque elements that creates an immersive and memorable atmosphere.
Engaging story with well-developed characters, particularly the realistic and heartwarming couple dynamic, set in a richly detailed and lore-rich world.
Excellent soundtrack that complements the mood and setting, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
Short, concise gameplay that moves briskly without unnecessary filler, making it accessible and enjoyable in a few hours.
Innovative leveling system using stat-boosting items instead of traditional experience points, providing a fresh take on progression.

Combat system can be unbalanced and occasionally frustrating, with difficulty spikes requiring grinding that disrupt pacing.
Some technical issues such as UI bugs during combat and performance inconsistencies on certain platforms detract from the overall polish.
Visual presentation lacks polish in some aspects like menu design and status effect clarity, which can impact gameplay clarity.

story
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
60%
3%
The story is praised for its heartfelt writing, rich world-building, and well-developed characters, especially the unique dynamic between the protagonists Franz and Lefsa. While its pacing is brisk, which sometimes leads to missed lore and a straightforward plot, the narrative effectively blends themes of love, politics, and despair within a dark, atmospheric steampunk setting. Overall, it offers a compelling and emotionally engaging experience despite its relatively short length and occasional narrative simplicity.
- “I could talk for hours about the love that was poured into this story, the fleshed out characters and the themes that were explored here (and yes some moments were cheesy but the outcome was executed nicely).”
- “Soon, the story deepens and evolves into something even more complex, blending rich lore and a strong character foundation with political intrigue and deep philosophical musings.”
- “Set in a dark, steampunk world high above the clouds, Franzen is the story of potbellied lizardman Franz Delia and his odd little six-armed wife Lefsa, two technomancers studying the long term effects of a disastrous event known only as "the scream" several years prior, and its bringing of monstrous daemons into their world. Their quest takes them to the pinnacle of the tower city of Akon and beyond to distant islands in the sea of clouds, through a well-paced narrative that explores themes of empathy, political struggles and the desire to see the good in people.”
- “Don't get me wrong - some dialogs are actually surprising and unconventional, but at large the story is so generic it sometimes makes you forget about the paper-thin, unconventional layer of presentation above it.”
- “There are no real fillers - if anything, the story is told a bit too fast, and while riding this story-train it's easy to miss parts of the lore (which is surprisingly complex for such a small game).”
- “The pacing between gameplay and story dumps felt sometimes too spread apart.”
music
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
42%
7%
The music in the game receives widespread praise for its excellent, atmospheric soundtrack that blends retro chiptune, orchestral, and rock elements seamlessly. Reviewers highlight its strong fit with the game's style and mood, memorable battle themes, and overall contribution to immersion, often calling the soundtrack a standout feature and a major reason to enjoy the game.
- “I really liked this game's soundtrack; all of it fits the style really well, and the fight songs are awesome.”
- “The music seamlessly blends a retro chiptune aesthetic with organ-like and even orchestral sensibilities, even adding some heavier rock riffs.”
- “The soundtrack is also well done given the limited budget - it fits the situations, it delivers atmosphere, and it doesn't become annoying after two loops.”
- “Edit: forgot to mention about the music, aside from being simple tracks, every place has its own music, and they're not bad.”
- “As much as I love Scumhead's music and lore and cast, the moment-to-moment gameplay is bog-standard, menu-driven JRPG combat.”
- “Slightly recommended for the art style (which is a bit lackluster outside of the combat, but hey, it's a one-man project, right?), the soundtrack and the lore.”
gameplay
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
61%
8%
The gameplay offers straightforward, turn-based JRPG combat with simple mechanics and a unique leveling system, serving primarily as a vehicle for the game's atmospheric narrative and distinctive bio-mechanical art style. While engaging enough and enjoyable for fans of classic RPGs, it lacks depth, variation, and challenge, with some pacing issues and occasional technical glitches. Overall, gameplay is functional but secondary to the game's storytelling and visual presentation.
- “It embraces its gore, crazy, silly, and chirpy aesthetics combined with fair and challenging gameplay and incredible pixel graphics unlike I have ever seen.”
- “The gameplay is a frame for the story and themes; it's as entertaining and varied as it needs to be to provide an enjoyable experience.”
- “The game features engaging gameplay mechanics that blend exploration, puzzle-solving, and decision-making, offering a diverse and captivating experience.”
- “The interface is a bit clunky and there could be some more variation in battle mechanics.”
- “There are also mechanics that seem vestigial or just outright not present.”
- “I get the distinct impression the developer ran out of time, money, or interest gameplay-wise in the end-game because normal and boss enemies alike become just as buffed as the final late-game boss, with the ability to just grind for stats, and how short the levels become.”
graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
62%
9%
The game features a uniquely macabre and gritty pixel art style inspired by bio-mechanical and surreal aesthetics, reminiscent of H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński, setting it apart from typical indie RPG visuals. While some players note occasional lack of polish and refinement in parts of the visual presentation, the overall art direction is praised for its creativity, cohesion, and atmosphere, effectively complementing its dark, quirky, and retro-inspired world. Fans of SNES-era JRPGs and distinct, memorable art styles will find the graphics particularly compelling and integral to the game's identity.
- “It embraces its gore, crazy, silly, and chirpy aesthetics combined with fair and challenging gameplay and incredible pixel graphics unlike I have ever seen.”
- “The solo-dev is well-known for a very specific bio-mechanical aesthetic, somewhere between what you'd expect visually from the works of H.R. Giger or Zdzisław Beksiński, and this graphical vehicle for the mechanical content of the game is admittedly probably its strongest aspect; the design philosophy is evident in the appearance of your party members, enemies, set dressing, and environments, all very alien and almost uncomfortably gritty (insofar as pixel graphics can portray), compared to the usual high-fantasy that tends to oversaturate this specific genre of tiny indie games.”
- “Absolutely fantastic art style, the characters and monsters are delightfully strange and dark.”
- “While Franzen boasts a unique art style, some players may find certain aspects of the visual presentation lacking polish or refinement, impacting the overall aesthetic appeal.”
- “Also, the attack/defend screen blocks the enemy graphics often, which is a problem when you don't, for example, see the numbers on whether an element actually damages them or not.”
- “Improving visual coherence and consistency would elevate the game’s aesthetic appeal.”
atmosphere
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
76%
12%
12%
The game features a unique and captivating atmosphere, blending a reserved color palette, dark orchestral soundtrack, and distinctive art style to create an immersive and intriguing narrative world. While the sound design effectively supports the mood overall, it occasionally falls short in fully complementing the atmospheric storytelling. Players appreciate the cohesive blend of visuals, music, and narrative that delivers a compelling, moody experience.
- “From the reserved color palette to the dark orchestral soundtrack to the weird-cute character designs, everything just fits together and creates a very particular atmosphere.”
- “I mean, the drawn enemies look great - atmospheric, unique, threatening.”
- “Beautifully written game, great art style and atmosphere.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Grinding in the game is largely optional and mainly revolves around farming daemon cores and maxing out character stats, which can make the game easier but is not required to reach the end. While there is an elemental counter system, it is overshadowed by grinding late-game stats, allowing players to bypass strategic combat elements. Overall, the game is not grindy by design, though players can exploit certain merchants to become overpowered if they choose to invest the time.
- “But, as the store page says, no grinding is necessary to reach the end.”
- “The combat feels like in the classic Final Fantasy games and is nothing to write home about, but it serves its purpose and is not grindy!”
- “You receive one core from most boss fights and can purchase more for 1000 gold, and provided you gain an understanding of your characters' abilities, the game's four-element system, and equip your characters accordingly, no grinding is necessary, as advertised on the Steam page.”
- “Besides farming gold and items, there is zero reason to interact with any non-boss encounters.”
- “While the game does have an elemental counter system (ala rock-paper-scissors), it doesn't come into play until the late-to-end game - and even then, grinding for stats, which can only be done in late-to-end game, mostly enables ignoring the system.”
- “The scaling is completely off: normally, grinding is set off by diminishing returns.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Character development is praised for its strong integration with the game's unique setting, atmosphere, and worldbuilding, creating a cohesive and immersive experience. While sometimes rapid, the progression effectively fosters attachment to the distinct and well-designed characters throughout the story.
- “The message is really good, the setting is outstanding, the character development is done super well.”
- “The harmony between the character designs, environment art, and soundtrack create a feeling of immersion that can comfortably stand alongside JRPG masterpieces.”
- “The character development they go through may be flashing by at light speed, but I was really rooting for those oddballs from start to finish.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's optimization is generally adequate but can cause laptops to enter maximum performance mode unnecessarily, leading to issues like disabled keylights. Additionally, occasional technical bugs and performance inconsistencies may disrupt gameplay and immersion for some players.
- “Mid PC optimization.”
- “This game inexplicably forces my laptop into maximum performance mode and disables its keylights.”
- “Some players may encounter occasional bugs or performance inconsistencies that disrupt immersion and gameplay flow.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is subtly integrated, providing lighthearted moments that complement its dark, macabre atmosphere. Players appreciate the balance of wit and mood, which enhances the engaging story and unique art style without overwhelming the overall tone.
- “Clearly worth your time for anyone who loves macabre aesthetic with hints of humor, dark but uplifting themes, and grand adventures that do not ask of hundreds of hours to complete.”
- “~5 hours of great music, awesome art, extremely enjoyable characters, and just enough humor to keep you smiling through the bleak world they've made.”
- “It was really a joy to play this RPG, it had humor, mood, a good story, and an amazing bizarre art style.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect is highlighted by a touching, heartwarming story that resonates deeply with players, even amid dire moments, complemented by an engaging battle system.
- “A touching story and interesting battle system.”
- “The story was oddly heartwarming despite how dire it got at times.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits some stability issues with buggy UI elements during combat, making it difficult for players to track damage dealt and status effects applied.
- “Some buggy UI elements in combat made it hard to see what damage I was doing to enemies and whether I'd inflicted status effects on them successfully.”