Heads Will Roll: Reforged

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 413 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Heads Will Roll: Reforged Game Cover
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In "Heads Will Roll: Reforged," play as a medieval soldier in the Hundred Years War, starting as a footman with the goal of survival. With turn-based combat and survival mechanics, players must make informed decisions based on various parameters like weapon proficiency, fatigue, injuries, and loot. The game boasts over 200 lootable items and a sophisticated combat system, providing a unique RPG experience.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 413 reviews
story66 positive mentions
grinding12 negative mentions
  • Engaging and immersive story with multiple branching paths and endings.
  • Fun and challenging combat system that rewards strategic thinking and resource management.
  • High replayability with the 'Heads Will Roll' difficulty mode, allowing players to accumulate points for stronger characters in subsequent runs.
  • Frequent spelling and grammatical errors that detract from the overall experience.
  • Some mechanics can feel unbalanced, particularly in combat where RNG can lead to frustrating outcomes.
  • User interface can be clunky and unintuitive, making inventory management and navigation cumbersome.
  • story211 mentions

    The game's story is praised for its depth, branching paths, and meaningful choices that significantly impact the narrative and character relationships, enhancing replayability. While many players find the storytelling engaging and immersive, some critique it for being repetitive and lacking in nuance, particularly in character development and plot progression. Overall, the combination of a compelling medieval setting, strategic gameplay, and a variety of endings makes the story a standout feature, despite some inconsistencies and pacing issues.

    • “The story is remarkably well written, full of sharply realized characters, exciting encounters, and confounding moral dilemmas.”
    • “The game has a lot of potential and is already great the way it currently is, with great storytelling and multiple decisions that affect your character and create new branches to the story, with multiple endings.”
    • “The story has mature, comedic, and mystery undertones; the fights can be challenging on the higher difficulties; an endless/rogue-lite mode after you finish the story for the first time; several branching paths, which lead to different endings.”
    • “The story really lacks depth and the poor writing compounds the problem.”
    • “I mean, I’m playing a story-based game only to repetitively and incrementally learn it over multiple playthroughs, skipping tons of texts I’ve seen over and over again, and then with extremely slow turn-based combat.”
    • “The main reason why I do not recommend this game is the stupid storytelling.”
  • gameplay99 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a mix of simple yet addictive mechanics, strategic turn-based combat, and a strong emphasis on decision-making and character progression. While some players appreciate the depth and replayability offered by rogue-like elements and branching narratives, others criticize the clunky mechanics, repetitive grinding, and lack of fluidity in combat. Overall, the game presents a unique blend of visual novel and RPG elements, appealing to those who enjoy immersive storytelling alongside engaging gameplay.

    • “An amazing game that has great combat mechanics, a great story, and a great rogue-lite mode.”
    • “The core gameplay loop revolves around strategic turn-based combat, where every decision carries weight.”
    • “The gameplay is simple, but addictive.”
    • “The idea is good, but the mechanics just ruin everything.”
    • “Combat sucks; nothing makes sense, and it's a snooze fest clicking the same button to wait for your stamina and fatigue to regenerate, then feinting or bashing, then hitting, then recovering. There's no fluidity in gameplay.”
    • “I was expecting an interesting indie RPG strategy set in the medieval era, but what I got was a cheap game with no introduction, unintuitive mechanics, and a broken combat system.”
  • graphics31 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the art style as nostalgic and visually appealing, while others criticize the overall quality as poor and glitchy. Many users note that while the visuals can be charming, they often feel clumsy or cartoonish, detracting from the experience. Overall, the game seems to balance between decent aesthetics and significant graphical shortcomings, with some improvements noted in the revamped version.

    • “The art style, reminiscent of classic RPGs from websites like Kongregate and ArmorGames, brings a delightful wave of nostalgia.”
    • “A fascinating plot, stunning graphics, and many tasks captivate you from the first minutes.”
    • “First and foremost, the graphics are mind-blowing.”
    • “Graphics are pretty terrible; there are quite a few translation issues (characters from 1300's England start talking like brain-rotted iPad kids out of nowhere), and the balance is totally out of whack.”
    • “Graphics are laughably poor with a glitchy GUI that randomly flickers as you play the game.”
    • “Also, while 'Legionnaire's Life' has stylishly simple graphics, the graphics here are clumsy in places and somewhat cartoon-like.”
  • replayability26 mentions

    Overall, the game boasts high replayability, with many players praising its multiple difficulty levels, diverse endings (up to 19), and branching storylines that encourage exploration of different paths and builds. While some critiques mention repetitive tasks and a desire for more content, the combination of roguelite elements, character progression, and engaging writing makes it a compelling choice for those who enjoy challenging gameplay and narrative depth.

    • “Huge replay value with the heads will roll difficulty and honestly feels like the way the game is meant to be played.”
    • “It's got immense replayability as well - 19 endings (at time of writing) to hunt down and after chapter 3, two separate arcs...not to mention different builds and combinations of equipment.”
    • “There is immense replay value as different decisions do affect the game as well as side quests that aren't possible in early runs.”
    • “Poor graphics, random elements requiring no skill at all, and replay value that involves doing the same stupid tasks over and over to die shortly thereafter earning generation points.”
    • “I understand they designed this with replayability in mind, but they also tease at gear hoarding... bit of a conflict of interest.”
    • “This really hinders replayability.”
  • grinding13 mentions

    Reviews indicate that grinding in the game is a polarizing experience; while some players appreciate the replayability and challenge it offers, many find it tedious and monotonous, particularly due to the lack of randomness and repetitive mechanics. The grind for experience points can feel overwhelming and frustrating, especially when progress is lost, leading to a generally negative perception of this aspect of gameplay. Overall, those who dislike grinding may want to reconsider playing this game.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “I’m not opposed to grinding the same situation over and over to level up my profile, but the lack of randomness and turn-based mechanics makes the leveling up monotonous and boring.”
    • “I dunno, it can work and I’m sure many people enjoy it, but the grinding is one of the worst I’ve seen.”
    • “Grinding for points is not fun at all, since you are sort of in a rush to accumulate points so you actually have a decent chance at beating the game, so you are constantly skipping all the text and interactions.”
  • music8 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and contribution to the overall experience, with some reviewers highlighting it as exceptional and a strong point of the game. However, there are mentions of repetitiveness and occasional bugs that result in missing music during certain scenes. Overall, while the soundtrack enhances the game's appeal, it may not be without its flaws.

    • “Nice visuals, a great story with many different routes and choices, along with surprisingly nice music, makes for a very good medieval game.”
    • “For its current price, I would say it's absolutely worth it; the art is pretty nice and so is the soundtrack.”
    • “Also, the music score is exceptional.”
    • “The music gets repetitive quickly.”
    • “It plays a great deal like the excellent indie title 'A Legionary's Life' but with better music, better visuals, and better replayability.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted for its clever writing and unique juxtaposition of serious historical themes with absurdity, providing a distinct comedic experience. While some players find the humor engaging and enjoyable, others feel that it can become repetitive, particularly after multiple playthroughs. Overall, the game successfully blends quirky humor with its narrative, contributing to a fun, albeit imperfect, gaming experience.

    • “As a historian, I find the idea of nobility during the 100 Years War era getting into their feelings over looting, pillaging, or torture to be hilarious.”
    • “Writing was funny and well done overall.”
    • “The story, a rollicking adventure set against a dystopian backdrop, wonderfully juxtaposes somber elements with quirky humor.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive storytelling and captivating set pieces, despite the absence of voice acting. Players appreciate the interesting dialogue and character interactions, which enhance the overall experience, while the supernatural encounters add intrigue and elevate the stakes. The medieval design further contributes to the game's unique and engaging atmosphere.

    • “Though I haven't tried the DLCs, after 60 hours of playing the original game, it already hugely impressed me with its outstanding storytelling and immersive atmosphere, as well as the believable and interesting character development. Of course, the quite addictive combat and loot system are also highlights. I will definitely try the DLCs later on!”
    • “This game has no voice acting, but it features interesting dialogue and characters nonetheless, some of whom you can meet multiple times throughout the game depending on your choices and skill checks. The story is rich with text and very few pictures, yet it remains captivating with atmospheric set pieces and choices that shape your playstyle.”
    • “A peculiar game with a pleasant design and a fascinating medieval atmosphere.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its likeable characters, who provide a deeper connection and insight into their lives beyond combat. However, the narrative is criticized for being lackluster and inconsistent, with characters oscillating between formal dialogue and emotional outbursts, which can detract from the overall experience. Players express frustration over the game's tendency to undermine their efforts, leading to a bittersweet emotional experience.

    • “Several likable characters can become more than just pretty faces you come across, offering emotional connection and a glimpse of a life beyond the battlefield.”
    • “Characters will veer between formal, historically appropriate language and colloquial, quippy emotional outbursts, usually within the same conversation.”
    • “The game has fun moments, but it's heartbreaking to put all the work in, only to have the game snatch it away from you without even giving you the rewards from a defeat.”
    • “The emotional depth of the story is severely lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters or care about their journeys.”
    • “I found the attempts at emotional moments to be forced and unconvincing, leaving me feeling more frustrated than moved.”
    • “The game tries to evoke feelings but ends up feeling hollow, as the emotional beats are predictable and poorly executed.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized due to numerous bugs that can disrupt gameplay, particularly during critical moments. However, players appreciate the developers' responsiveness, as reported issues are often addressed quickly. While the bugs are a notable drawback, many users find them forgivable given the game's indie status and the ongoing support from the small development team.

    • “However, this is a buggy mess.”
    • “Concept is nice, but as is often the case with Ren'Py games, it is a buggy mess.”
    • “It can be a bit buggy, with bugs that ruin your whole run.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for being poor, particularly during fast-forwarding, which can lead to crashes and negatively impacts the save scumming experience. Users express a desire for improved performance overall.

    • “The optimization could use some improvement to enhance overall gameplay.”
    • “Speaking of fast forwarding, it is incredibly unoptimized to the point of crashing.”
    • “I wish the performance was better for the save scumming experience.”
  • character development1 mentions

    The character development is highly praised, with players expressing a genuine emotional investment in the in-game companions and their outcomes.

    • “The character development is so well done that I genuinely cared about the in-game companions and their fates.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

15hMedian play time
17hAverage play time
6-26hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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