Gladiator Guild Manager

About

"Gladiator Guild Manager" is a strategy game where you build and manage a gladiator guild in an ancient Roman city. Train and equip your gladiators, manage finances, and compete in arenas to gain wealth and reputation. The game offers various battle tactics, a complex injury system, and historic events that challenge your management skills.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

+10

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,938 reviews

story104 positive mentions

grinding102 negative mentions

Fun and engaging gameplay with a variety of gladiators and strategies to explore.
Charming graphics and voice acting that enhance the overall experience.
Active development with regular updates and community feedback being implemented.

Short campaign length, often completed in under 5 hours, leading to a lack of replayability.
Repetitive gameplay loop with limited management options and tedious unit placement for each battle.
Technical issues such as crashes and bugs that disrupt the gameplay experience.

story
484 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
76%
3%
The game's story features a branching narrative with multiple factions, allowing players to make impactful choices that affect outcomes, though some reviewers noted that the overall plot can feel simplistic or underdeveloped. While the humor and character interactions are generally well-received, many players expressed a desire for deeper consequences and more engaging quests, as the current content can become repetitive. Overall, the story provides a fun backdrop for gameplay, but it lacks the depth and complexity that could elevate it further.
- “The story is decent, offering enough motivation to keep players invested without being overly complicated.”
- “Story elements were also fleshed out quite well including even a post-story wrap up like one finds in CRPGs.”
- “The story and events are engaging with a lot of fun dialogue.”
- “The quests give the impression the game will flush out a story that never seems to happen.”
- “The overall story right now is just kind of filler, and I feel could be more fleshed out with time.”
- “The main 'story' ends pretty quickly as you are just trying to build a team that can win all the tournaments.”
gameplay
412 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
7%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players enjoying the initial fun and accessible mechanics but finding the experience repetitive and lacking depth after a few hours. While the core gameplay loop is engaging and offers a variety of characters and strategies, issues such as technical bugs, a lack of meaningful progression, and overly automated battles detract from the overall experience. Players express hope for future updates to enhance gameplay variety and address existing shortcomings.
- “This game provides an enjoyable experience with its easy-to-understand mechanics, making it accessible for both casual and more dedicated players.”
- “The gameplay loop doesn't get old, and it maintained my interest for almost 20 hours of gameplay over a weekend.”
- “The core gameplay loop is very nice and has some shifts to it each playthrough to add some variety to each run, aside from using different gladiators (which there are plenty of).”
- “Even more infuriating than that mechanic is the fact there's a permadeath option, so you may have been able to tank that fight out, but instead, because he has a sliver more max health than you, you bleed out for no reason and lose all your gladiators.”
- “Very few points of interest, gladiators feel interchangeable, far and away from any form of meaningful gameplay or risk/reward; it pretty much comes down to watching a squad die and then buying another as the gladiator pool for purchase outpaces the development of your experienced gladiators.”
- “In just two hours of gameplay, I encountered over 20 different bugs, making it nearly impossible to enjoy or progress in the game.”
graphics
172 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
38%
2%
The graphics of the game have received positive feedback for their attractive and charming art style, often compared to beloved franchises like Kingdom Rush. Players appreciate the cartoonish visuals, attention to detail, and cohesive design, which enhance the overall gameplay experience. While some note a slightly old-school feel, the graphics are generally considered polished and well-executed, contributing to the game's fun and engaging atmosphere.
- “Gladiator Guild Manager is a brilliantly crafted game with a unique blend of strategy and management, set in an engaging fantasy world with stunning graphics and diverse characters.”
- “The graphics are detailed and attractive, and the sound effects are immersive and exciting.”
- “I love the art style and the attention to detail.”
- “No cool visuals of a village, just a menu with icons that evolve to get a bonus to XP.”
- “So upfront: extreme mobile feel, and the graphics look like they came straight from an Ironhide game.”
- “It's the standard pseudo-comedic flash-esque graphics that you sort of expect from this sort of game - but that's absolutely fine (and far preferable to some janky attempt at 3D).”
replayability
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
62%
5%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its variety of characters, story paths, and difficulty options, while others find it limited due to a short campaign and lack of diverse content. Many appreciate the potential for replay through different builds and strategies, but some express that the current state feels repetitive after a few hours. Overall, while there is a foundation for replayability, further content updates and improvements are needed to enhance the experience.
- “This is a quality title with impressive replayability.”
- “The writing made me lol irl multiple times, and I kept finding new concepts for new runs, which is great for replayability.”
- “My playthrough on hard was 19 hours, but if you want to do all the questlines and try out different builds/strategies or permadeath mode, it's got some replayability and should last a while.”
- “Unfortunately, the game is short and can be completed in less than 6 hours, which can affect the replay value.”
- “The content isn't as diverse as I hoped, which limits replayability (3-4 hours and you have seen most of the stuff).”
- “After a few re-runs on different difficulties and settings, I can say that the replay value is relatively low at the moment.”
grinding
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
2%
96%
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with players noting that the lack of meaningful progression systems leads to a monotonous experience. Many reviewers express frustration with the micromanagement required for leveling up gladiators and the repetitive nature of battles, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some players find the grind enjoyable in moderation, the consensus is that it becomes overwhelming and detracts from the game's potential fun.
- “I like how you can find gear as you play via battles and the shop, and that all glads can equip gear, but it's not tedious.”
- “It was fun at first but very tedious towards the end and not fun at all unless you love grinds.”
- “My only gripe is late game when you start having too many gladiators and you have to micromanage too much; it gets tedious and not fun at all. It's fun when you have six or so gladiators, but when you have twenty, it's tedious and it gets in the way of getting to the actual fun part of the game.”
- “The main problem is tedious gameplay, lack of useful features, and low attention to details from developers.”
humor
102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its witty dialogue, satirical jokes, and engaging voice acting. While some found the humor to be simple or occasionally forced, the overall tone is described as charming and funny, contributing positively to the gameplay experience. Players noted that the humor enhances the storylines, making both the main campaign and side quests enjoyable and entertaining.
- “The graphics are cute, humor is on point, and the voice acting is well done.”
- “The gritty humor and the characterization push you through the game as the funny elements keep coming.”
- “Brilliant little game with a fantastic sense of humor.”
music
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
46%
9%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the catchy intro and main menu tracks as standout features. However, players express disappointment over the lack of variety and repetitiveness in the soundtrack throughout gameplay, noting that while the music is enjoyable, it could benefit from more dynamic elements and additional tracks. Overall, the music enhances the experience but leaves some players wanting more diversity.
- “This intro song is a banger.”
- “The music is fantastic.”
- “I love the main menu screen music!”
- “I’d like a bit more variety in the soundtrack, as the musical theme on the map can’t seem to get out of my and my wife’s head.”
- “Music is repetitive.”
- “The game sorely needs more music though, it got repetitive very fast.”
stability
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
85%
The game's stability has received significant criticism, with many players reporting frequent crashes, bugs, and freezes that hinder gameplay progression. While some users noted that it runs well on specific platforms like the Steam Deck, the overall experience is marred by persistent issues, including soft locks and UI glitches. Many players express hope for future updates to address these stability concerns.
- “The game runs great on Steam Deck, providing a smooth experience.”
- “It's pretty much bug-free, which is a nice feature.”
- “Literally couldn't play the game because it was so buggy.”
- “Need to be fixed badly; it freezes over every fight, making you reset every championship, and you can't progress without waiting month after month to get all the wins without it crashing.”
- “Battle result not showing properly and just freezes there; this bug is so frequent that I have to restart every 30 minutes, not mentioning some other minor bugs.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
28%
29%
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while it runs smoothly on various platforms, including the Steam Deck, players criticize the lack of customization in leveling and poorly differentiated traits that primarily add to performance stats. Additionally, some users report subpar performance for a 2D game, indicating room for improvement in optimization strategies.
- “Performance: ran great with no issues.”
- “The game runs smoothly and looks good.”
- “Works well on Steam Deck and runs smoothly.”
- “Lack of customization when leveling; most units have one or two performance stats and then sprinkle in HP and stamina as needed by fight duration.”
- “Traits are poorly differentiated; most affect the performance stat and so are just more stats.”
- “Very bad performance for a 2D game.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to frequently used characters, feeling a sense of attachment and disappointment when they must part with them despite the time and effort invested. This emotional investment adds depth to the gaming experience, making the journey feel both heartwarming and bittersweet.
- “So there you have it – my heartwarming escapade through this game.”
- “Remember that frequently used characters have more emotional bind to the player, and it's disappointing that I have to sell them even though efforts have been put into them.”
- “Made me feel silly for investing so much into them.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The monetization aspect of the game is praised for its absence of microtransactions, excessive waiting, and ads, distinguishing it from typical mobile games. Reviewers appreciate the game's focus on quality and enjoyment rather than profit, describing it as a labor of love rather than a cash grab. Overall, players express a willingness to support the game financially, indicating a positive reception towards its monetization model.
- “It's like a mobile game without all the scummy microtransactions and item shops.”
- “The game is similar to an auto battler mobile game like Clash Royale; however, unlike a mobile game, there are no microtransactions, excessive waiting, or ads.”
- “Fun game, early stages of development but seems like a labor of love and not a cash grab; I would buy it again.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by an easy-going vibe, enhanced by engaging graphics and a variety of small storylines. Players appreciate how the atmosphere complements the gameplay, which includes leveling, stats, and item management, creating a cohesive and enjoyable experience.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world.”
- “The game creates an easy-going atmosphere that complements the leveling and story elements beautifully.”
- “The combination of gameplay, atmosphere, and graphics makes for a captivating experience.”
- “The atmosphere feels bland and uninspired, lacking any real depth or engagement.”
- “Despite the gameplay mechanics, the overall atmosphere fails to draw me in.”
- “The environment feels empty and lifeless, which detracts from the overall experience.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight that character development is a strong point of the game, with players appreciating the depth and complexity of the characters as they evolve throughout the story. Many users noted that the interactions and choices significantly impact character arcs, enhancing emotional engagement. Overall, the character development is seen as a key element that enriches the gameplay experience.

Buy Gladiator Guild Manager

7h Median play time

17h Average play time

5-20h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 70 analyzed playthroughs

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