Guardians of the Sanctree

About

"Guardians of the Sanctree" is a 2D, hand-drawn co-op game where players, as avian military commanders, restore Sanctree cities, defend against insectoid attacks, and explore subterranean wonders. Gameplay involves diverse roles, from production line designers to elite warriors, and resources are gathered for crafting tools, weapons, settlements, and strongholds. Survival is key as players hunt for food, battle creatures, and test strategies to shape Sanctree's fate.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 57 reviews

music6 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game features a unique blend of tower defense, survival, and crafting mechanics, providing an engaging gameplay experience.
Players appreciate the charming graphics, character designs, and relaxing soundtrack, which enhance the overall atmosphere of the game.
The developers are actively working on updates and bug fixes, showing a commitment to improving the game and addressing player feedback.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs and performance issues, particularly in multiplayer mode, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The tutorial is clunky and poorly designed, making it difficult for new players to understand the game mechanics effectively.
Many players feel that the game lacks replay value and content after completing the main objectives, with limited activities available post-game.

gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
63%
19%
The gameplay is characterized by a unique blend of crafting, resource management, and strategic defense mechanics, reminiscent of titles like Terraria but with a whimsical twist featuring veggie-powered weaponry. Players appreciate the diverse gameplay loop, which combines elements of colony simulation and action-strategy, offering both single-player and online co-op modes. While some mechanics may feel repetitive or flawed, the overall experience is engaging and has the potential for extensive playtime.
- “This game is pretty simple and can rake up 100 hours of gameplay easily.”
- “The gameplay involves crafting, resource management, and strategic defenses, offering both single-player and online co-op modes.”
- “I very much enjoy the fact that this game takes from a few different genres and makes a unique gameplay loop for itself.”
- “The trailer on the store page doesn't resemble the gameplay very well at all anymore.”
- “I would say after 30 hours of gameplay, you've done almost 99% of the game.”
- “Multiple tools that basically do the same thing but you need them all to get anything done, (one of which broke during a patch and no longer works), having to recollect your party every login, bad transporting mechanics, etc.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The music in the game is consistently praised for its relaxing and pleasant qualities, enhancing the overall experience of gameplay. Reviewers appreciate the chill soundtrack that complements the colorful graphics and diverse mechanics, making it a fitting backdrop for exploration and base-building activities. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, making it enjoyable for players.
- “Relaxing platformer with pleasant music.”
- “The gameplay is diverse and the soundtrack is top.”
- “An interesting cooperative 2D game with nice music in which you play as cute animals, build a base, explore, and defend towers.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The graphics are praised for their unique and colorful cartoon style, contributing to an engaging visual experience. Users appreciate the well-crafted visuals that complement the game's mechanics, often comparing them favorably to similar titles like Terraria. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point of the game, enhancing its appeal.
- “Very well thought out crafting system, skill tree, and drawn graphics give a kind of interesting visual style.”
- “A good game with unique mechanics and nice cartoon graphics.”
- “The graphics are in my heart.”
- “Decent graphics and mechanics.”
- “Nice soundtrack, colorful graphics, not a bad tower defense implementation.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent bugs, slow performance, and complete freezes lasting from a few seconds to a minute. The clunky and problematic tutorial experience has led some players to abandon the game entirely and seek refunds.
- “This game is super buggy and slow.”
- “If it was well built, it probably would be, but the tutorial was so clunky and buggy that I gave up in 11 minutes and requested a refund.”
- “All of these issues can cause complete game freezes for anywhere between a few seconds to a full minute, depending on connection quality, PCs, and the area being loaded.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The story revolves around birds defending themselves from insects, but it lacks closure, leaving players disappointed as they anticipate a celebratory conclusion after defeating their nemesis. Overall, the narrative feels simplistic and underdeveloped.
- “The plot revolves around birds defending themselves from insects, creating a unique and engaging narrative.”
- “The story is simple yet captivating, focusing on the struggle for survival in a vibrant ecosystem.”
- “The narrative effectively highlights the themes of resilience and teamwork among the characters.”
- “No story closure before you see it either, which is really unfortunate because you're expecting the birds to celebrate a little after beating their nemesis.”
- “The plot is based on the fact that the birds are defending themselves from insects.”
- “That's the whole story.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Users generally feel that the game lacks significant replay value at this time, indicating limited incentives to revisit the experience.
- “In general, I currently don't see much replay value right now.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively blends humor with strategic gameplay, using a lighthearted premise to contrast the serious challenges of resource management and survival against insect threats. While the humor adds an entertaining layer, players are still required to engage in skillful tactics to succeed.
- “What starts as a simple defense operation quickly turns into a full-blown war for survival, with a dash of humor and a lot of strategic depth.”
- “It may have a humorous premise, but don’t be fooled—the game demands skillful resource management and strategic planning to fend off the increasingly dangerous insect threats.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting frequent bugs, stuttering, lag, and slow input responses. Issues such as disappearing items and invisible enemies further detract from the experience, leaving many frustrated with the overall performance.
- “I wish I could review it positively, but the further I get, the more bugs and poor optimization I discover.”
- “Constant stuttering, lag, slow inputs, vanishing items, and invisible enemies. Machines barely function, and the game doesn't explain why.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development in the game is positively received, with players appreciating the appealing character designs and the engaging soundtrack. While some users have only begun to explore the game, they express enthusiasm for the potential depth of character interactions and the overall experience.
- “While I've only dipped my toe into what the game has to offer, I'm definitely liking the look of things so far. I really like the character designs, and the soundtrack is nice and chill. The base building mechanics seem pretty interesting to work with!”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is praised for being relaxing and immersive, contributing to its addictive quality and encouraging prolonged gameplay.
- “The game is very addictive; the nice atmosphere helps to relax and allows for long play sessions.”