Heads Will Roll: Downfall

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Heads Will Roll: Downfall is a single player role playing game. It was developed by 1917 Studios and was released on October 20, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Heads Will Roll: Downfall is a combination of a tactical role-playing game and visual novel, in which you will assume the role of a medieval soldier.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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66%

Audience ScoreBased on 187 reviews

story17 positive mentions

monetization12 negative mentions

The game offers a unique blend of visual novel and tactical RPG elements, providing an engaging story and character development.
Despite its difficulty, the game rewards players with experience points for each death, allowing for character progression and improved chances in future runs.
The combat system is interesting and requires strategic thinking, making each battle feel impactful and challenging.

The game heavily relies on RNG, leading to frustrating experiences where players can miss high-percentage attacks while enemies consistently hit their targets.
Many players find the difficulty spikes, especially in early battles, to be unfair and discouraging, making it hard to progress without repeated failures.
The user interface and mechanics are poorly communicated, leaving players confused about how to effectively manage their character's stats and resources.

story
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
64%
5%
The game's story is generally well-received, featuring a compelling medieval narrative with unexpected twists and engaging character arcs, though some players find the pacing slow and the writing inconsistent, with typos detracting from the experience. While the story serves as a prologue to a larger tale, it offers a mix of humor and moral dilemmas, keeping players invested despite the challenges of permadeath and difficulty spikes. Overall, the narrative is praised for its depth and charm, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of story-driven games.
- “Playing it after Reforged made it even more amazing than it was supposed to be. I totally recommend this if you are a fan of Reforged, and yes, it's a prequel but it has some unexpected plot twists that made my jaw drop.”
- “Well, it's a nice game, with a great story full of blood, pain, and tough moral situations, and at the same time, full of bright and cheerful characters and funny moments, which is very refreshing.”
- “This game is remarkable, and the dialogue and variety of choices keep you hooked on the story.”
- “As you rank up through the story, you'll gradually lower your interest in bonding with your character, and will eventually start calling them 'a', 'b', 'c', and whatever other letter you care to press because of how expendable your character truly is in that difficulty...”
- “The story is kinda ....meh; it isn't painful to read but it's not all that engaging either.”
- “There are many typos and the storytelling is lackluster so far.”
gameplay
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
67%
8%
The gameplay of "Heads Will Roll: Reforged" is characterized by its challenging mechanics and a mix of randomness that can frustrate players, particularly those unfamiliar with the systems. While the combat mechanics are engaging and offer a variety of build possibilities, the reliance on RNG and poorly communicated mechanics can lead to a steep learning curve and repetitive gameplay. However, for those who invest the time to master the mechanics, the game can be highly rewarding and enjoyable, especially when compared to its predecessor.
- “As a prologue and demo of sorts to 'Heads Will Roll: Reforged', I had quite a bit of fun playing this. It is quite difficult in the beginning, especially when you do not understand the mechanics very well, but it can be quite rewarding to play. Reforged offers a more polished experience and is actually easier, though still challenging.”
- “Once you learn how the mechanics of combat work, it's extremely satisfying.”
- “The gameplay is a turn-based combat, in which we have to think carefully about our every move, because our actions determine whether we win or lose.”
- “Tldr: for many players, the high randomness of battles and the generally punishing difficulty will end up a turn-off after 1-2 hours of gameplay.”
- “Unfortunately, the systems and UI in this game aren't very well communicated, leaving the game not difficult because there is a well-communicated challenge, but because you are struggling with the mechanics themselves.”
- “Game mechanics are off; 100% hit chance constant blocks by shields, meanwhile my shield just breaks every time. I tried this even with saving and loading, same results.”
monetization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of "Heads Will Roll: Reforged" has been criticized as misleading, with the game being described as an advertisement rather than a full product. Reviewers express frustration over the practice of publishing demos and ads as games, arguing it detracts from genuine developers and misleads consumers into spending money on what is essentially promotional content. Overall, the monetization strategy is seen as exploitative and detrimental to the gaming community.
- “The purpose of this advertisement is to get you to shell out a whopping $25 USD on buying 'Heads Will Roll: Reforged', and I don't recommend you do that either.”
- “While it might seem like an innocuous mistake, publishing demos and advertisements as if they are full games is misleading and in some ways harmful.”
- “It's impossible for me to recommend this incorrectly published advertising spam to gamers; you deserve better than adverts.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
18%
27%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding them charming and clean, while others describe them as merely passable or "meh." Notably, the art style evokes nostalgia for classic games, and many appreciate the beautiful visuals and attention to detail, particularly in the context of a medieval setting. Overall, the graphics are seen as a strong point, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “The flash game graphics are charming and there is apparently more variation in equipment and actions that your character can take.”
- “Beautiful graphics, great music.”
- “How long have I wanted to play a game in the likeness of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, but simpler, with an entourage of the Middle Ages. This game was met with amazing art and interesting events. Everyone who drew for this game, I want to say you are well done. If you are a fan of beautiful art mixed with gameplay about the Middle Ages, you will enjoy this game just like I do!”
- “Graphics are clearly mediocre.”
- “Graphics remind me of that PS2 Robin Hood game.”
- “Graphics are passable, though not animated.”
grinding
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is a mixed experience; while some players find it less tedious and more enjoyable after initial hours of effort, others criticize it for being overly repetitive and reliant on RNG mechanics. Many suggest that the gameplay could benefit from reducing unnecessary grinding and allowing for more player choice in character development. Overall, while grinding can be addictive, it often feels like a barrier to fully enjoying the game.
- “Just to upkeep and generate income to sustain the costs of grinding more capital to upgrade and purchasing, but capped due to a ticking clock.”
- “I say the number checks should be scrapped; instead, let players choose what they want and show the outcome. Don't extend your gameplay with useless grinding.”
- “You have to click through five minutes of text, garbage, and mindless (also RNG-based) grinding to even get to the first (completely RNG) battle.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The music in the game is consistently praised, with many users highlighting its amazing quality and contribution to the overall experience. While some players noted issues with game balance and dialogue presentation, the soundtrack remains a standout feature that enhances enjoyment, even for those who may not typically favor the genre.
- “A wonderful game with a great soundtrack.”
- “Beautiful graphics, great music.”
- “I will say right away that the music here is amazing.”
- “I don't like this genre; I tried it for the sake of music.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game's atmosphere is highlighted as immersive and detailed, effectively capturing a medieval setting complemented by a romantic plot. Players appreciate the combination of cool visuals and well-developed mechanics, which contribute to a relaxing and engaging experience. Overall, the atmosphere enhances the game's appeal, making it worth exploring.
- “The game is worth a look for its variety of mechanics and a certain atmosphere.”
- “There are many details that make the game atmospheric.”
- “Cool art, well-developed mechanics, the atmosphere of the Middle Ages, and a romantic plot line make it pleasing to the eye.”
- “For me, a novel is such a thing when you can lie down on the sofa, relax and immerse yourself in the atmosphere. In fact, this is my second novel that I decided to play, and I immediately notice that I can't play it for a long time.”
- “Cool drawing, well-developed mechanics, but the atmosphere of the middle ages feels lacking and the romantic plot line doesn't quite make it pleasing to the eye.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a modern tone that contrasts with its medieval setting, blending dark themes with bright, cheerful characters and amusing moments. Players appreciate the refreshing balance of serious storytelling and lighthearted humor, which adds depth to the overall experience.
- “The story is well written, though the humor and tone are more modern than medieval.”
- “Well, it's a nice game with a great story full of blood, pain, and tough moral situations, and at the same time, it's full of bright and cheerful characters and funny moments, which is very refreshing.”
- “Funny enough, there is a second combat, and I alone had to face two shielded enemies equipped with spears.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
Players find the game highly replayable due to its engaging combat and enjoyable story, with some noting that mastering the save system enhances the overall experience.
- “The combat is engaging, the story is enjoyable, and the game has a lot of replayability.”
- “Personally, the game became much more enjoyable after I understood the save system and the concept of save scumming.”
- “Personally, the game only became more enjoyable after I understood the save system and started save scumming.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
- “Once you've experienced the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game suffers from stability issues, including bugs that cause loops and freezes, particularly during combat scenarios.
- “It's buggy too.”
- “There are still some bugs, like loops and freezes during combat.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development is criticized for having numerous typos and lacking essential information at the beginning, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “There are significant typos and a lot of information is left out at the early stages of character development.”
- “The character development feels rushed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, which really detracted from the overall experience.”

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2h Median play time

2h Average play time

2-2h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Heads Will Roll: Downfall is a role playing game.

Heads Will Roll: Downfall is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 2 hours playing Heads Will Roll: Downfall.

Heads Will Roll: Downfall was released on October 20, 2022.

Heads Will Roll: Downfall was developed by 1917 Studios.

Heads Will Roll: Downfall has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its monetization.

Heads Will Roll: Downfall is a single player game.

Similar games include Heads Will Roll: Reforged, Heads Will Roll, A Legionary's Life, Crowntakers, Dead In Bermuda and others.

Heads Will Roll: Downfall

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