Griftlands
- July 11, 2019
- Klei Entertainment
- 18h median play time
Charm and good storytelling overcome limited, experimental deck-building.
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games Store"In Griftlands, everything is negotiable: money, loyalty—even morality. Choose your character and make your fortune. Griftlands is the next game by Klei."
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Reviews
- Griftlands offers a unique blend of deckbuilding and RPG elements, allowing players to engage in both combat and negotiation, which adds depth to the gameplay.
- The art style and animations are visually stunning, creating an immersive experience that enhances the storytelling.
- Each of the three characters has distinct mechanics and storylines, providing a high level of replayability and encouraging players to explore different strategies.
- The game can feel tedious due to lengthy runs (often 3-5 hours), which may lead to repetitive gameplay and a lack of motivation to replay after completing the campaigns.
- The negotiation mechanics, while innovative, can be confusing and may not feel as impactful as the combat system, leading to a less satisfying experience overall.
- Some players find the RNG elements frustrating, as they can lead to runs being heavily influenced by luck rather than skill, diminishing the sense of progression.
- story2,601 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story in "Griftlands" is a standout feature, praised for its engaging narrative and character development, which adds depth to the gameplay. Players appreciate the unique storylines for each of the three characters, with choices that significantly impact the plot and relationships with NPCs, creating a rich, immersive experience. However, some reviewers note that the story can become repetitive after multiple playthroughs, and while the narrative is compelling, it may detract from the roguelike elements that players expect from the genre.
“Griftlands is a perfectly serviceable deck-builder with very nice art and a focus on story.”
“The world, story, and characters are compelling, and I don't say that lightly.”
“The story and unique mechanics hooked me at the start, and the core gameplay kept me here long term.”
“The story and world-building set up so much but does not delve that deep into it.”
“Despite the well-written dialogues, I found the storytelling mediocre and the characters a little bit flat.”
“The story is hardly interactive, but the world-building and style are definitely there.”
- gameplay1,590 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *Griftlands* is characterized by its innovative dual-deck system, where players manage separate decks for combat and negotiation, each with unique mechanics that enhance strategic depth. While the game offers a rich narrative and engaging character interactions, some players find the gameplay repetitive after multiple runs, particularly once the story is completed. Overall, the mechanics are praised for their complexity and integration with the story, though some critiques highlight a lack of balance and clarity in certain gameplay elements.
“The gameplay is engaging and requires tactical thinking, and the blend of negotiation and combat adds a unique layer of depth to the gameplay.”
“The dual deck approach is well-executed and refreshing; the negotiation mechanics in particular are so satisfying and original.”
“Griftlands combines genius storytelling, worldbuilding, deck-building mechanisms, and of course, roguelike gameplay.”
“The gameplay is not amazing but it is still pretty solid, and the battles that are verbal arguments added something actually different for the genre.”
“The gameplay loop is a bit repetitive with low amount of variety which lowers its replayability.”
“The mechanics are so similar between these two that it makes you wonder what the point was in having two separate decks that essentially do the same thing.”
- graphics499 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Griftlands" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning, hand-drawn art style that combines vibrant colors and smooth animations, creating a visually appealing experience reminiscent of classic cartoons. Players appreciate the unique aesthetic that enhances the game's narrative and character interactions, although some note that the combat visuals can feel repetitive. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its charm and immersive world-building.
“The artwork and animations are great, and the world design feels complete.”
“The visuals are nothing short of stunning, with huge, animated sprites and a surprising variety of motions between all the different character types.”
“The art style is beautiful and the story intriguing.”
“Overall, other than the graphics everything else is bad or mediocre.”
“While the art style and overall aesthetic of the game is good, the battles are visually quite boring and not fun.”
“The art style is too busy, annoying, and nonsensical.”
- replayability438 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, driven by multiple characters with unique storylines, diverse gameplay mechanics, and various modes such as daily challenges and brawl mode. While many players find the combination of narrative choices and random events enhances replay value, some express concerns about diminishing novelty after several playthroughs due to the structured story elements. Despite these mixed feelings, the general consensus is that the game offers substantial replayability, making it a worthwhile investment for fans of the genre.
“A fine game that is very good value for money thanks to so much replayability.”
“The replayability is amazing so it's not a bad thing, it just feels like a really high quality story-based game.”
“The game has an immense amount of replayability due to the number of paths you can choose and the number of NPC interactions.”
“It was fun while it lasted, but it lacks replayability.”
“The game is not that replayable and the 'it's a story rogue-like' side is nothing special, but still more unique than Hades.”
“The only negative is the low replayability, because after a couple of playthroughs you will already know everything.”
- music227 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received a mixed reception, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and gameplay, particularly during battles and negotiations. While some players find the soundtrack memorable and fitting, others describe it as repetitive or lacking standout tracks. Overall, the music is generally considered solid and well-integrated, contributing positively to the game's immersive experience.
“The soundtrack is a majestic synth that will make you feel chilled, and at the same time connected to the story.”
“The music is impeccable, particularly the battle theme which masterfully shifts in tone as combat escalates toward its conclusion; even after 60 hours of play, I haven't gotten sick of it.”
“The music and sounds are perfect.”
“The music is forgettable.”
“The art and music are rather lackluster.”
“The music could be better for sure though, it is a little bit annoying at times and very repetitive.”
- humor113 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- -2 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever and well-written dialogue, which often features sharp wit and dark comedy, reminiscent of Klei's signature style. Players appreciate the engaging character interactions and the humorous narrative that enhances the overall experience, making it both entertaining and replayable. The blend of humor with the game's mechanics and art design contributes to a uniquely enjoyable atmosphere that keeps players coming back for more.
“The style is cyberpunk sci-fi, ala Blade Runner, except it's tongue-in-cheek and funny, like an Edgar Wright movie.”
“The dialogue is sharp and humorous, and the descriptions could pass for a novel.”
“The writing is really well done; it's humorous, but the characters still talk like people, and you're able to get immersed in the storytelling.”
“Sometimes the humor just falls flat.”
“The jokes often miss the mark.”
“I found the attempts at humor to be more cringeworthy than funny.”
- grinding53 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a common sentiment that while the game offers engaging stories and artistic style, the grinding aspect can become tedious and repetitive over time. Many players find the need to replay content for progression frustrating, with some describing the experience as overly long and lacking in meaningful variation. Despite these criticisms, some players appreciate the depth of the mechanics and the narrative, suggesting that the grind may be worthwhile for those invested in the game's world.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The end result is a tedious game with some unique ideas that fails to be fun.”
“I enjoyed the story-driven rogue-like, but if you lose a run and have to replay the same exact story a few times, it gets a little tedious.”
“New content is locked behind hours of grinding.”
- atmosphere47 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its vibrant art style, engaging world-building, and immersive sound design, which collectively create a unique and captivating experience. Players appreciate the distinct locales and the blend of humor and post-apocalyptic themes, alongside well-crafted dialogue and character interactions. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, enhancing both the strategic gameplay and narrative depth.
“Griftlands has a far superior art style, it offers different locales with their own distinct atmospheres and circumstances as the adventure's stomping grounds, it has two parallel combat systems in its combat and its diplomacy system, and does a good job of portraying how as you gain notoriety, you gain new friends, but also make new enemies.”
“The overall art style is fantastic and the music and alien voice-overs make this a very atmospheric game.”
“The world building and atmosphere is engaging and nuanced.”
“Compared to Inscryption, the story and atmosphere are dull and repetitive and overstay their welcome.”
“It also has a more grounded atmosphere, which is definitely a question of taste.”
“The setting and atmosphere resembles a post-apocalyptic world with a bit of a humorous take.”
- character development37 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
Character development in the reviewed games is highlighted by unique and visually appealing character designs, immersive storytelling, and engaging gameplay mechanics that enhance player interaction and strategy. Titles like "Griftlands" and "Slay the Spire" are praised for their rich character backstories, diverse personalities, and the integration of deck-building elements that contribute to a deeper narrative experience. Overall, the combination of compelling character design, humor, and well-animated visuals creates an engaging and memorable gaming experience.
“Character development in the form of deckbuilding and relationship building.”
“The character designs add a lot of personality to the characters, and the world has an immersive history that's fitting for the sci-fi genre.”
“Real character development, survival in a dangerous world, interact with different factions, faction-specific card decks, character development over multiple levels, role-playing - I am motivated to do all this in the game.”
“Character design is largely fixed.”
“Character designs are not the best and definitely would've helped, if that is the type of game they were going for.”
“I wish there was a bit more variety to the alien species, but only because I love the art so much and want to see more character designs.”
- stability14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 71 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing frequent crashes and significant bugs, while others report a surprisingly smooth and polished experience with minimal glitches. Overall, the feedback suggests that while some users face stability issues, others find the game to be largely bug-free, especially for an early access title.
“The game is pretty much bug-free, even if it is not the finished release I am playing.”
“Can't believe how bug-free the early access is.”
“The game runs great, super slick and smooth and polished, responsive—everything you expect from Klei.”
“I was getting the crash on startup issue, tried running as admin, which sorted it out, then trying out the game it crashes every 20 minutes or so, just freezes up and won't continue.”
“I've completed four or five playthroughs for each character as well as attempted to mod a simple extra event (haven't uploaded as it's buggy).”
“The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs/glitches.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game is highly praised for its optimization, delivering smooth performance even on low-end PCs, with no reported bugs or lag issues. Players appreciate the balance between deck-building and narrative, emphasizing that the game encourages diverse strategies rather than strict optimization. Overall, the combination of beautiful graphics and seamless gameplay contributes to a positive user experience.
“Beautiful graphics, smooth performance on my low-end PC.”
“The game is extremely optimized with beautiful and creative world-building, characters, animations, and special effects.”
“I've never experienced a single bug, lag/fps drops, or any other sort of performance issue.”
“I love the art and worldbuilding, and I love how building your deck is how your grifter is interacting with the world on their mission—focusing on comboing cards, fighting dirty, defensive, offensive, item-focused, ally-focused, etc. It's all so good and makes for a lot of fun building that I don't see in a lot of these types of games because you're wanting to build for the story and character, not just optimization!”
“Also, I've never even experienced a single bug, lag/FPS drops, or any other sort of performance issue.”
“No stuttering, no disappearing cards, no quest that isn't working; nothing.”
- emotional12 mentions
- 92 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the emotional aspect of the game to be a standout feature, with many expressing a strong connection to the characters and the narrative. While some reviewers noted a lack of emotional engagement with the protagonist's agenda, the game's humor, well-written dialogue, and impactful choices contribute to a memorable experience. The combination of engaging storytelling, character depth, and emotional feedback during gameplay enhances the overall emotional resonance, making it a unique entry in the deckbuilding roguelike genre.
“I've played several deckbuilders; this is the first one that I've felt emotionally connected to the characters.”
“It's well-written, with a wry sense of humor and the occasional touching moment.”
“Amazing characters and art that make moments heartfelt.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its well-written content and solid mechanics, with no microtransactions present. Players appreciate the inclusion of RNG elements that enhance the storytelling and provide varied experiences in each playthrough.
“Well written, good mechanics, and no microtransactions.”
