Goldenheart

About

Goldenheart is a single player role playing game with fantasy and mystery themes. It was developed by Millenniapede and was released on November 19, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Goldenheart is a retro first person fantasy adventure game created by two people in our home studio. It has a look and feel inspired by our favorite classic console games.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+17

Skip User Reviews

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 78 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Goldenheart offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic adventure games, with engaging exploration and clever puzzles.
The game features a charming atmosphere and unique art direction, creating an immersive world that players enjoy exploring.
Despite some rough edges, the combat and gameplay mechanics provide a satisfying experience, especially for fans of retro-style games.

Many players find the boss fights poorly designed and frustrating, particularly the final boss, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
The game suffers from a lack of depth in combat mechanics and exploration rewards, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness and emptiness in some areas.
Some players report issues with clunky controls and a lack of visual feedback during combat, making it difficult to gauge damage and enemy attacks.

gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
60%
15%
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of action mechanics reminiscent of older titles like Dark Messiah and Half-Life, lacking traditional RPG elements such as dialogue and deep character interactions. While the combat is straightforward and inspired by soulsborne games, it suffers from limited mechanics and a somewhat linear exploration experience, leaving players wanting more engaging content in the world. Despite these shortcomings, the game is praised for its polished mechanics, satisfying gameplay loop, and intriguing atmosphere, making it enjoyable overall.
- “Every aspect of the game is sprinkled with really smart design decisions and ideas, like making the bow very powerful but limiting the player to a handful of arrows, not to mention the whole torch mechanic.”
- “The gameplay loop is satisfying and the story is a great driver to keep you going - I think the sole thing I'd underline to polish a bit more is rewarding exploration; while the world is interesting to traverse, some more interesting things to see/hear/talk to/get etc. would have really made it feel a little less linear and empty.”
- “Deceptively amazing and fun game with interesting environment and atmosphere wrapped up in simple gameplay.”
- “But it doesn't have any RPG mechanics, there are barely any dialogue, and in the end, it feels much more like a typical older action game like Dark Messiah or even Half-Life.”
- “The gameplay is very samey and basic for the 6 hours I played, with your upgrades being only defense and weapon upgrades.”
- “Overall, this game suffers greatly from bad mechanics and an uninteresting empty world.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
44%
17%
The story is generally described as linear yet engaging, with unexpected plot twists that enhance the overall experience. While some players appreciate the depth and thoughtfulness of the narrative, others feel it could benefit from more rewarding exploration elements to alleviate its linearity. Overall, the storytelling is immersive and complements the gameplay, making it a significant driving force in the game.
- “It turned my expectations around several times; that's some well-thought-out storytelling and world-building.”
- “The story is engrossing and told in an interesting fashion.”
- “I really like how it doesn't have a gimmick; it's just a fun and relatively simple game, but the story is surprisingly deep.”
- “The story itself is pretty linear.”
- “It does have enough of a story to keep you moving forward, and some of the dialogue given to specific NPCs is informative when it isn't just amusing, but overall, this is about on par with combat as far as my feelings towards it.”
- “Reminds me of games of old, with the simple combat and linear story.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
22%
21%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its unique and atmospheric qualities that enhance the sense of adventure and mysticism, while others find it droning and less catchy. Overall, the soundtrack is noted for its charm and ability to complement the game's setting, though opinions vary on its effectiveness throughout the gameplay experience.
- “The universe is quite charming too, and the soundtrack is certainly unique.”
- “Amazing atmosphere and soundtrack.”
- “A lot of this game is about the journey, which is really peaceful and the music is gorgeous!”
- “This all could have been saved by a killer soundtrack, but unfortunately it's less catchy and more droning and subdued, like most amateur OSTs.”
- “You have very little visual feedback when being hurt, having to rely entirely on sound cues which may be drowned out by environmental sounds or music.”
- “The biggest takeaway for me is no forced ray tracing, my hardware can run this without needing AI gimmicks, and this game has music unlike most of modern gaming.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The graphics of the game are generally described as simple and retro, reminiscent of classic titles from the PS1 and N64 era, which some players appreciate for their nostalgic charm. While the visuals may not be cutting-edge, they are considered consistent and fitting for the game's aesthetic, with some users noting that the graphics enhance the overall experience despite being low-key. Overall, the game features decent visuals that align well with its indie roots and gameplay style.
- “Overall great experience with really good visuals.”
- “The aesthetic and art direction is generally pretty good and consistent, even during some of the weirder portions.”
- “The retro graphics really work in the game's favor; the devs are highly responsive on Discord and the game has been getting regular updates and improvements over the last several weeks, as of this review.”
- “This game is fun despite having limited mechanics and simple graphics.”
- “I think this is really a budget thing, but the graphics are not the thing this game hangs its hat on.”
- “Graphics reminded me of RuneScape mixed with old WoW mixed with Morrowind.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and surreal qualities, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack and retro vibes. Players appreciate the enjoyable exploration and world-building, noting that the atmosphere significantly contributes to the overall adventure experience, even amidst challenging puzzles. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a standout feature that enriches the gameplay.
- “Incredible atmosphere, enjoyable exploration; the puzzle segments were tough, but I felt great getting through it!”
- “This is a very atmospheric and surreal action-adventure game.”
- “Wonderful atmosphere and world-building, great puzzles, and an awesome adventure!”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mix of quirky and nostalgic, featuring low-fi assets and amusing character sprites reminiscent of the 90s. Players appreciate the funny monster designs and bizarre settings, which contribute to its unique comedic charm. However, some moments can feel unexpectedly harsh.
- “Sometimes weirdly unforgiving, sometimes honestly funny.”
- “The low-fi simple assets feature funny character sprites and a vibe ripped straight out of the 90s.”
- “There are some funny monster designs and really strange settings too.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find that while trial and error can be used to solve puzzles, it often leads to a tedious grinding experience that detracts from overall enjoyment.
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and monotonous, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I find myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which really takes away from the enjoyment.”
- “The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and feels more like a chore than fun.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized for its poor performance, especially considering its visual quality, leading to a frustrating experience for players.
- “The performance is unforgivable for how it looks.”
- “Unforgivable performance for how it looks.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is generally perceived as wholesome, offering a slightly above-average experience that may resonate positively with players.