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FROM ASHES, BLOOM

93%Game Brain Score
gameplay, optimization
grinding, story
93% User Score Based on 932 reviews

Platforms

PCPCSteam DeckSteam DeckWindowsWindowsLinuxLinux

About

"FROM ASHES, BLOOM" is a rogue-like tower defense game where you play as a powerful creature, tasked with protecting the oldest tree on Earth from human forces. Sow trees to aid in your defense and personalize your creature with an array of upgrades and attacks. With various starting situations and unique skins, each playthrough offers a fresh challenge in this procedurally animated game.

FROM ASHES, BLOOM screenshot

93%
Audience ScoreBased on 932 reviews
gameplay30 positive mentions
grinding14 negative mentions

  • The game is free and offers a fun, engaging tower defense experience with a unique premise of protecting trees from humans.
  • Gameplay is simple yet addictive, allowing players to easily learn the mechanics and enjoy a casual gaming experience.
  • The visuals and character design are charming, making it a relaxing game to play, especially for those looking for a light-hearted distraction.
  • The game frequently crashes, especially in later levels or when too many projectiles are on screen, which can be frustrating for players.
  • Controls can be clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult to plant trees and navigate the game effectively.
  • There is a lack of optimization options and clarity in mechanics, leading to confusion about upgrades and gameplay strategies.
  • gameplay
    74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is generally described as simple, fun, and engaging, with a satisfying loop that combines elements from popular tower defense games. However, players note that the controls and mechanics can be initially overwhelming and lack sufficient explanation, leading to a steep learning curve. While the gameplay is enjoyable, it tends to become easy over time, and performance issues, including crashes, can detract from the experience.

    • “The gameplay loop is a good time; it reminds me of a blend between Plants vs. Zombies and Two Timin' Towers.”
    • “Simple, fun gameplay that hits the basics of what a game should be.”
    • “A unique twist on tower defense games, with simple but undoubtedly fun mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay is simple and relaxing.”
    • “And there's not enough gameplay variety between different characters and different runs.”
    • “The full crashes are a much more serious issue, as there doesn't appear to be any save mechanic that allows you to resume from a prior checkpoint.”
  • optimization
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting performance issues, crashes, and a lack of optimization options, particularly in later levels. While some users find the gameplay enjoyable, they emphasize the urgent need for performance fixes and a potential low graphics mode to accommodate less powerful PCs. Overall, better optimization could greatly enhance the gaming experience.

    • “Very fun, if it was better optimized it would be so much better though.”
    • “This game is amazing and I love it so much, but you would need a really good PC to play in the later levels because of all of the projectiles. Hopefully, they can make it more optimized or something like that, or a low graphics mode for people with lower-end PCs.”
    • “9/10: fun game and would recommend, but needs optimization.”
    • “I think that's the only thing this game lacks; it doesn't have many optimization options.”
    • “Kind of unoptimized though, and for me, it will crash after 20 waves pretty frequently.”
    • “Not sure if it's due to my AMD CPU, but the game never made it past level 8; optimization is urgent.”
  • graphics
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and minimalist art style, which effectively conveys gameplay mechanics despite their simplicity. Players appreciate the relaxing visuals and interesting design, although some have noted performance issues on lower-end PCs due to a lack of graphics settings. Overall, the art style is described as clean and engaging, contributing positively to the overall gaming experience.

    • “The graphics are beautiful and, despite being extremely simple, I could see myself playing this for hours on end.”
    • “This game is just downright amazing; the graphics are beautiful and the gameplay is very fun and somewhat strategic. On top of that, the fact that it's free is amazing.”
    • “A very interesting idea wrapped inside a minimalist but beautiful art style that doesn't cost you anything!”
    • “The art style is too rough, but I really love this project.”
    • “There are no graphics settings, so I got low frames when I planted more than a row of trees.”
    • “You would need a really good PC to play in the later levels because of all of the projectiles, and hopefully they can make it more optimized or add a low graphics mode for people with lower-end PCs.”
  • grinding
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, particularly when it comes to collecting ashes and planting trees. The controls for these tasks are described as cumbersome, leading to frustration and ultimately causing some players to stop playing. While the game offers a unique way to vent frustrations, the repetitive nature of the grinding detracts from the overall experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Like other reviews mention, ashes are annoying to collect, same with seeds for trees, becoming tedious.”
    • “Overall: nice game to take out frustrations with human trash, but I inevitably stopped playing because it became tedious.”
  • humor
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky animations and absurd scenarios, featuring a comical creature that balances destruction with whimsical acts like tree planting. Players appreciate the blend of dark humor and lightheartedness, as well as the amusing interactions with various funny characters and elements throughout the game.

    • “I love the animation for our funny little creature hellbent on causing as much death and destruction as physically possible <3”
    • “I wish a funny little dude was planting trees in real life, instead I just get black lung from going outside.”
    • “You can make funny birds.”
  • story
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with users expressing a desire for additional contextual narrative elements between levels to enhance the experience. While the gameplay is enjoyable, technical issues like crashes hinder progression, further detracting from any potential story engagement.

    • “And if you wanted to add a few sentences of text between levels that add some contextual story - that'd be awesome (hit me up if you want assistance with that - I'd be happy to help in that regard).”
    • “No story.”
    • “While fun, there are repetitive crashes preventing me from progressing any further past the second mission.”
  • replayability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers a moderate level of replayability, featuring various challenges and modes that enhance its enjoyment. While some players find it short, the different gameplay options provide enough variety to encourage multiple playthroughs. Overall, it strikes a balance between being low-effort and engaging.

    • “With different challenges, there's a lot of replay value here.”
    • “Lots of replayability with different modes.”
    • “Short, but enjoyable, with some replayability.”
  • music
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its integration and atmosphere, particularly when paired with other soundtracks like Doom. However, some users note that the music can be repetitive, which may detract from the overall experience.

    • “I also like the visuals, sounds, and the music.”
    • “Played with doom music in the background.”
    • “I really like it, though the music is repetitive.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users express a strong emotional response to the game's frequent crashes, particularly during pivotal moments, which leads to feelings of frustration and heartbreak. They suggest that implementing more frequent save points could alleviate some of this emotional distress.

    • “It's just heartbreaking; it crashes too often.”
    • “It always seems to be right when it's at the most exciting part. It would be less heartbreaking if it at least saved every ten rounds.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is characterized as relaxed and easygoing, making it an ideal choice for players looking for a chill experience. Despite its low difficulty, it still manages to provide an enjoyable environment.

    • “The game creates a wonderfully immersive atmosphere that makes you feel completely at ease while playing.”
    • “The serene ambiance and calming visuals make this game a perfect escape for those looking to unwind.”
    • “With its soothing soundtrack and gentle pace, the atmosphere of this game is truly relaxing and inviting.”
    • “The atmosphere feels too easygoing, lacking the tension and immersion that I was hoping for.”
    • “The overall vibe is too relaxed, making it hard to feel invested in the game's world.”
    • “While the game is enjoyable, the atmosphere is disappointingly bland and fails to create a sense of urgency.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers express a desire for more diverse and unique character designs in the game, suggesting that character customization should extend beyond just changing hats to include variations in color, shape, and features like the number of eyes. This feedback highlights a need for deeper character development to enhance player engagement and personalization.

    • “The character designs are too similar, and unlocking new characters feels underwhelming since it's mostly just different hats. It would be great to see more unique features like color, shape, and even the number of eyes.”
    • “The lack of variety in character designs is disappointing. Instead of just changing hats, I wish there were options to alter colors, shapes, and other distinctive traits.”
    • “Unlocking new characters doesn't feel rewarding because the changes are minimal. More unique character designs, beyond just headgear, would greatly enhance the experience.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game effectively eliminates ads typically found in app store titles, enhancing the user experience by integrating monetization strategies that do not disrupt gameplay.

  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game has notable stability issues, with users reporting crashes during gameplay and freezing at the start of certain runs. Despite these optimization flaws, players still enjoy the overall experience.

    • “Great chill tower defense roguelike, the noticeable flaw I can give as of current is optimization. I had the game crash 2 times in the middle of my ~10 runs, and somehow if I play Tanuoki, the game inexorably freezes immediately at the start of the run. Other than that, I had a lovely time playing.”

Buy FROM ASHES, BLOOM

3h Median play time
3h Average play time
3-3h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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