Frayed Knights: The Skull of S'makh-Daon

About

Frayed Knights: The Skull of S'makh-Daon is a 3D indie computer RPG for Windows featuring turn-based combat, old-school sensibilities, and a story of high adventure and comedy. Who says RPGs have to be so serious?

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Frayed Knights: The Skull of S'makh-Daon screenshot

65%

Audience ScoreBased on 31 reviews

humor20 positive mentions

graphics4 negative mentions

Frayed Knights offers a unique blend of humor and classic RPG mechanics, making it enjoyable for fans of old-school dungeon crawlers.
The game features a well-designed combat system that emphasizes resource management and strategy, providing a satisfying challenge.
The witty banter and character interactions add charm and personality to the game, enhancing the overall experience.

The user interface is clunky and can be frustrating to navigate, detracting from the gameplay experience.
Graphics are dated and may not appeal to players accustomed to modern visuals, which can make the game feel less polished.
The game suffers from balance issues in combat, with some encounters being disproportionately difficult compared to others.

graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
72%
16%
The graphics of the game are widely criticized as mediocre and outdated, often compared to late 90s titles like Might & Magic 6-8. While some players appreciate the nostalgic old-school 3D aesthetic, many find the visuals primitive and lacking polish, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, some reviewers suggest that the game's mechanics, humor, and story can still provide enjoyment if players can overlook the graphics.
- “The graphics do their job, but the beauty is in the mechanics, the characters, the humor, and the story.”
- “You won't mistake this for Skyrim, but the graphics are pleasant enough and evoke a Might and Magic 6 vibe for me (one of my favorite CRPGs).”
- “During dungeons, its graphics can pass for 'dated,' and it does have many of the qualities that I've come to love about the CRPG genre.”
- “Graphics are very primitive, and the advertised humor is only so-so.”
- “The biggest negative is the graphics.”
- “The graphics aren't 'dated'; they're simply bad.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the hilarious dialogues, funny quests, and clever writing that enhance the experience. While some find the humor to be subtle and smart, others feel it can be bland or fall flat, suggesting that it may not resonate with everyone. Overall, the game is noted for its comedic elements, which contribute to its charm despite some criticisms regarding the graphics and gameplay.
- “Hilarious dialogues, funny quests and an unforgettable adventure are waiting for you.”
- “It's subtle, it's smart, it's the kind of humor I would use with my own gamer friends.”
- “A surprisingly deep dungeon-crawler, a-la wizardry, with humorous writing and tons of quests.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of standard quest-based mechanics, dungeon exploration, and combat, with a unique feature that penalizes players for reloading saves. While the game lacks a vast world and advanced mechanics, it compensates with lighthearted humor and engaging character interactions. Overall, it appeals to fans of old-school RPGs, though some may find the gameplay somewhat dated and repetitive.
- “The redeeming feature is the lighthearted, silly conversations and sometimes satirical situations as you do the standard quest-based gameplay.”
- “The majority of gameplay consists of combat and exploring dungeons, searching to solve puzzles and find loot.”
- “It's a bit dated, but if you're someone who likes old-school gameplay with a more modern spin, then you'll enjoy this game.”
- “The underlying mechanics of the game are completely revealed to you via a very verbose combat log and a lengthy manual.”
- “That kind of gameplay is not fun or interesting in any way; for the sequel, I'd prefer to see fewer, more complex encounters instead.”
- “For me, I found the humor a little bland, and the gameplay a little tired.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The game's story is characterized by hilarious dialogues, engaging quests, and a lighthearted tone that doesn't take itself too seriously, creating an unforgettable adventure. Players appreciate the blend of humor and depth in character interactions, while the narrative effectively drives the gameplay forward, encouraging exploration and mystery-solving. Overall, the story is seen as a strong point, enhancing the overall experience despite some graphical limitations.
- “Hilarious dialogues, funny quests, and an unforgettable adventure are waiting for you.”
- “But the story (which I was very sad to see end) was great.”
- “The story is fun and the character interaction is too.”
- “The graphics are mediocre, dialogue is hilarious and riveting, and quests are often surprising.”
- “You have a premade party, which seems like it was done to make the story work, but it's pretty open to how you develop each character's abilities.”
- “Similar to games such as Wizardry, Eye of the Beholder, etc., the story is decent, creating the desire to move ahead and figure out the mysteries of what is going on.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The music in the game has been criticized for its lack of variety and issues with looping, leading some players to suggest muting the audio and playing their own music instead. Overall, the quality of the music does not meet expectations, which is reflected in the game's pricing.
- “The price tag reflects the quality of the graphics, music, and more.”
- “Lack of music variety.”
- “The music track doesn’t loop properly.”
- “O, and don't forget to just mute the audio entirely and play your own music.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has experienced increasing stability issues, with frequent bugs and glitches reported, culminating in an outright crash. Players have noted that these problems often require reloading, which can be frustrating due to the penalties associated with losing saved bonuses.
- “The game has been buggy at times, but this is the first time it crashed outright.”
- “Running into glitches and bugs began to happen more and more often as the game progressed, sometimes to the point where I'd have to reload - which is frustrating in a game where you're sort of 'punished' for reloading (you lose saved-up bonuses if you do so).”
- “Pretty buggy.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
The game has limited to no replayability, as players feel that while there are various options that could enhance replay value, the inability to fully explore all skills and feats with a single character diminishes the incentive to replay.
- “The variety of options available ensures that no two playthroughs are ever the same, enhancing the game's replayability significantly.”
- “With so many skills and feats to choose from, you'll find yourself wanting to create multiple characters to experience everything the game has to offer.”
- “The depth of character customization and branching storylines makes replaying the game a rewarding experience.”
- “Limited to no replayability.”
- “While the options may contribute to replayability or the RPG factor, there's just no way to unlock most of the skills and feats available on any one character.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization is designed to enhance player performance in battles, allowing users to earn reward points that can be used to replenish stamina, thereby improving overall gameplay efficiency.
- “The game rewards you for your performance in battle, allowing you to use the reward points to replenish your stamina.”
- “Optimization in this game is fantastic; it really encourages strategic planning and resource management.”
- “I love how the optimization mechanics allow for a personalized gameplay experience, making each decision feel impactful.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The game features notable character development through engaging dialogue and banter among the main characters, as well as some depth given to NPCs, enhancing the overall narrative experience.
- “The dialogue and banter among the four main characters really enhance their development, and even the NPCs contribute to this depth.”
- “The character development is rich, with each character having their own unique arcs that evolve throughout the game.”
- “I love how the interactions between characters reveal their backstories and motivations, making them feel more real and relatable.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
- “Despite some attempts at dialogue and banter, the overall character arcs are predictable and uninspired.”
- “The NPCs have more personality than the main characters, which is disappointing for a game that focuses on character development.”