Guildmaster: Gratuitous Subtitle

About

"Guildmaster: Gratuitous Subtitle" is a single-player Fantasy Turn Based Strategy game with a good plot, offering around 10 hours of playtime. As the Guildmaster, command an ever-changing party of four heroes with unique skills and weapons, each providing different attacks. Overcome enemies by mastering skills, positioning heroes tactically, and using abilities in tandem in challenging turn-based combat. Recruit fifteen heroes, choose from hundreds of weapons, and combine melee fighters and archers to prevail in your quests.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Guildmaster: Gratuitous Subtitle screenshot

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 23 reviews

story5 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

The game features hilarious dialogue and a charming sense of humor that keeps players engaged throughout their journey.
Gameplay is enjoyable and accessible, with a solid turn-based tactical combat system reminiscent of classic games like XCOM.
The graphics are colorful and nostalgic, appealing to fans of retro-style RPGs, and the character customization adds a personal touch.

The inability to save during battles can be frustrating, especially for players with limited time to complete quests.
Some players found the combat mechanics to be overly simplistic, lacking depth and complexity in strategy.
The game can become quite challenging in later missions, leading to potential frustration if players do not have the right team composition.

story
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
84%
6%
The game's story revolves around the player acting as a guildmaster who guides heroes through a series of 14 varied missions, each featuring unique enemies and humorous dialogue. While the overarching plot includes a villain and some entertaining twists, it is not particularly deep or engaging, with much of the narrative focus on character interactions and comedic elements after missions. Overall, the humor and character dialogue are highlights, providing a lighthearted experience despite the simplicity of the main storyline.
- “Play through the saga of the guild as its eponymous guildmaster, with fantasy hijinks ensuing and quests being completed!”
- “The creativity of the humor and story doesn't wane as the game progresses; the dialogue maintains solid high-quality entertainment all the way through (even through the ending).”
- “After every quest, you will see that some of your guild members have something to say, and when you talk to them about the previous mission, they have a hilarious conversation of some sort every time.”
- “There is, technically, an overall 'villain' to the story, but I would say that the plot isn’t necessarily one that enthralled me.”
- “The missions don't have a lot of scripting or special events until near the end, but each mission does feature a new enemy type.”
- “Nothing story related is progressed and from what I can gather, there's only a total of 14 quests (with some repeating themselves).”
humor
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its hilarious dialogue and quirky charm, reminiscent of titles like "The Bard's Tale" and "West of Loathing." Players appreciate the clever writing, which keeps the entertainment level high throughout the game, particularly during the engaging conversations between the guild members after missions. While some find the humor a bit heavy-handed, it generally adds a delightful and enjoyable layer to the gameplay experience.
- “The humor is reminiscent of a bard's tale or West of Loathing, and is a lovely little thing to break up the game's questing.”
- “The quirky and hilarious dialogue is primarily presented in the form of conversations between the guildmaster and their guild between quests.”
- “The creativity of the humor and story doesn't wane as the game progresses; the dialogue maintains solid high-quality entertainment all the way through (even through the ending).”
gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The gameplay is characterized by its engaging humor and straightforward mechanics, offering a balance of simplicity and depth that enhances the tactical RPG experience. Players can expect around 10 to 20 hours of content, with enjoyable combat mechanics and a charming presentation that keeps them invested. Overall, the gameplay is well-received for its accessibility and enjoyable progression.
- “The base game offers about 10 hours of gameplay, the extra modes bump that up to 20 hours or so.”
- “The gameplay itself and the various jokes and general rapport the guildmaster has with their team was what kept me engaged.”
- “An impressive gameplay balance has been struck here, and it's just a joy to play and even relax with after a hard day's work.”
- “On that note, the gameplay is very basic.”
- “Simple mechanics.”
- “A sequel with more gameplay systems to play with could be longer, but the ones that are in place allow the game to have the exact length that it has.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The game's graphics are praised for their nostalgic charm, reminiscent of classic tactical RPGs, though some players noted difficulty in identifying room entrances and exits. While the visuals are appealing and contribute positively to the gameplay experience, the limited animations and overall aesthetic may not appeal to everyone, reflecting the constraints of a small development team.
- “I enjoyed the graphical aesthetics of the game; my only minor criticism was that it was hard to make out entrances and exits of rooms at times.”
- “Overall, the visuals really do a great job of harkening back to old-style tactical RPG graphics I might’ve enjoyed as a child, and I found it to be something charming that didn’t overstay its welcome for me, personally.”
- “The graphics make it a charm to play, and the gameplay progresses nicely.”
- “The graphics are of another time, but it's a very small dev team, so that's up to personal preference.”
- “The animation is fairly limited, but there's a lot of it, and each hero and enemy has their own artwork.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music and sound effects in the game are highly praised for their quality, with some tracks evoking a nostalgic feel reminiscent of "Mount and Blade." Additionally, the atmospheric music enhances the overall experience, contributing positively to the game's ambiance.
- “Music and sound effects were on point.”
- “One of the song tracks reminded me of Mount and Blade, which is no bad thing.”
- “Atmospheric music.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The atmosphere is praised for its effective pacing, seamlessly transitioning between intense battles and a cozy guild environment, enhanced by engaging dialogues.
- “The pacing between the intense battles and the cozy guild atmosphere creates a perfect balance.”
- “The dialogues enhance the immersive experience, making the atmosphere feel alive and engaging.”
- “The transition from action to a warm, inviting environment truly captures the essence of the game's atmosphere.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate the grinding aspect of the game, particularly for those seeking a turn-based tactics experience without the extensive time commitment required by titles like Disgaea or Agarest. It is recommended for players who enjoy tactical gameplay but prefer a more accessible approach to grinding.
- “I liked it, and I would recommend it if you want to scratch the turn-based tactics itch but can't stand grinding or don't have hundreds of hours to play through Disgaea or Agarest.”