Ghostlords

About

Ghostlords is a turn-based RPG set in a post-apocalyptic, haunted Great Britain. As a Ghostlord, you can capture and train ghosts to fight for you, each with unique abilities and strengths. The game features multiple campaigns, mod support, and strategic combat that challenges you to carefully manage your ghosts' energy and make use of status effects.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 82 reviews

story6 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Ghostlords offers a rich, post-apocalyptic setting with a unique premise that combines strategic turn-based combat with engaging narratives.
The game features multiple campaigns with diverse challenges, ensuring that each playthrough feels fresh and engaging.
Players appreciate the addictive gameplay and the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic monster-catching games like Pokémon.

Technical issues and glitches can disrupt the gameplay experience, detracting from immersion.
The narrative may feel disjointed at times, with some campaigns lacking depth and resolution.
Limited character customization options and repetitive gameplay can lead to a sense of stagnation after completing the campaigns.

story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
The game's story revolves around themes of survival and resilience, featuring five distinct campaigns that explore various narratives and settings. While the presentation is engaging and offers a mix of tones, many players feel the overarching plot is incomplete, with several storylines introduced but left unresolved. Overall, the experience is described as fun and unique, particularly appealing to those who appreciate diverse storytelling, despite its old-school graphics and occasional lack of depth.
- “A story of survival and power.”
- “The storylines and how they're presented is an interesting difference, so if you like those, this isn't bad at all, especially when it's on sale.”
- “There are five different campaigns in the game, each with a unique game world, story, and events.”
- “The central story feels profoundly unfinished, with five semi-interlocking 1-hour 'campaigns', all of which introduce aspects of the broader metaplot and then completely abandon them at the end.”
- “One is just a straight-up survival mode with a thin veneer of plot over it, and the other four range in quality, depth, and tone from wacky and brisk to relatively serious and immersive.”
- “It throws you into missions with a select few recruits and no visible way to grind or gain power.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The gameplay of "Ghostlords" combines strategy and action, reminiscent of Pokémon and Shin Megami Tensei, with engaging team-building mechanics. While the fighting is fun and addictive, some technical issues and an imbalance among ghost characters can disrupt the experience. Overall, the game features atmospheric music and appealing pixel art, though only the first of its five campaigns feels complete.
- “Ghostlords offers a gameplay experience that is a blend of strategy and action.”
- “Atmospheric music and a wide variety of pixel art complement detailed and engaging gameplay.”
- “The fighting mechanics of the game are fun and addictive, but out of the five campaigns, only the first feels complete.”
- “Technical issues can interrupt gameplay.”
- “It's very much similar to Pokémon, or one of the other 'catch things and make a team' games like Shin Megami Tensei, at least in terms of basic team building mechanics.”
- “While there is some imbalance in some ghosts being more powerful than others, it's not out of hand, so it doesn't detract too much from the gameplay.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with many players finding it hilarious and filled with amusing references, particularly enjoying moments involving pugs. However, some feel that the abundance of jokes can overshadow the game's emotional depth, suggesting a desire for a more balanced tonal consistency. Overall, the humor is a standout feature that elicits strong laughter from players.
- “Hilarious!”
- “It also has some humorous bits that I really enjoyed.”
- “I found myself laughing far too hard at some things, like the pugs.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The music in the game is highly praised for its atmospheric quality, contributing to a relaxing and immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the elaborate title music and express a desire to obtain the soundtrack, indicating its impact on their enjoyment of the gameplay. Overall, the combination of music and pixel art enhances the game's detailed and engaging nature.
- “Somehow the title music was elaborately fabulous.”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “Does anyone know where I can get the soundtrack too?”
- “Atmospheric music and a wide variety of pixel art complement detailed and engaging gameplay.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The game is praised for its high replayability, offering multiple campaign paths and encouraging players to experiment with different teams through a set of achievements for each creature. This design choice enhances the overall experience, making it an indie gem worth revisiting.
- “It definitely has replayability because you can take various paths throughout the campaigns.”
- “An indie jewel, with a lot of replayability.”
- “I really like how they gave each creature a set of 3 achievements; it adds a lot of replayability to the game and encourages you to try out different teams.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the game's grinding mechanics are minimal, leading to either quick victories or prolonged battles that can feel tedious. Players express a desire for more grinding options and depth, suggesting that enhanced mechanics could make the game more engaging. Overall, the current grinding experience is seen as lacking compared to other pixel games that offer more elaborate systems.
- “Either one of your three total ghosts has type advantage on the enemy and you have enough speed to go first or enough attack stat to mow through their obnoxious tank-levels of defensive stats, or the battle is a grindy, long-animation-time slugfest.”
- “This game gave you no hassles at all like some other pixel games with elaborate grinding and level-ups.”
- “If this game had more grinding and options, it might be an interesting game.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The graphics are described as retro and reminiscent of MS-DOS, which some find garish and unpleasant. While they may not be visually appealing to everyone, they effectively complement the game's modern storyline and overall design, making them suitable for the experience.
- “This is a little gem; the graphics aren't going to grab people in, but they suit the game really well.”
- “The graphics feel retro in a garish, MS-DOS, unpleasant sort of way.”
- “It is old school in graphics and text, but modern in the storyline, and balanced well with the levels and power.”
- “The graphics aren't going to grab people in, but they suit the game really well.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have reported occasional technical glitches that can interrupt the immersive experience, indicating some stability issues within the game.
- “Players have noted occasional technical glitches that can disrupt the immersive experience.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is highlighted through effective and appealing character design, particularly for the ghosts, which enhances the overall aesthetic of the game.
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by atmospheric music and a diverse range of pixel art, which together create an immersive experience that complements the detailed and engaging gameplay.
- “Atmospheric music and a wide variety of pixel art complement detailed and engaging gameplay.”