Here Be Dragons
- January 30, 2020
- Red Zero Games
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Apple StoreIn "Here Be Dragons," you'll embark on a thrilling adventure through the skies and seas, commanding a ship and a dragon to discover new islands and civilizations. This immersive simulation game offers strategic combat, resource management, and diplomacy with other factions, with a rich storyline that unfolds as you explore a vast, procedurally generated world. Your choices will shape the fate of your crew, your dragon, and the mysterious land of Dracorum.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Windows
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game features a unique and charming art style reminiscent of old maps, enhancing the overall aesthetic experience.
- The combat mechanics are engaging and strategic, requiring players to think critically about dice placement and resource management.
- The humor and quirky storyline provide an entertaining backdrop, with pop culture references that add to the fun.
- The game heavily relies on RNG, leading to frustrating moments where players may need to restart battles due to unfavorable dice rolls.
- There is a lack of progression and replayability, as upgrades do not carry over between chapters, making the gameplay feel repetitive.
- The writing and humor can fall flat at times, with some jokes feeling stale or poorly executed, detracting from the overall experience.
- story46 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it quirky and humorous, filled with pop culture references and a satirical take on historical events, particularly Columbus's journey. However, many reviewers criticize the narrative for being nonsensical, poorly translated, and tedious, often detracting from the gameplay experience. While some appreciate the fun and challenge of the missions, others feel the rigid structure and lack of character investment limit the overall engagement with the story.
“The story is a satire of how Columbus discovered America, featuring beliefs of that period as well as throwing pop culture references into a tasty stew.”
“All in all, this is a well-written story with well-placed jokes that can entertain anyone who just wants some fun.”
“It's simple and linear, yet its basic mechanics are original and interesting, and the story is actually fun, made me chuckle more than once!”
“The story is poor and very poorly translated, with very bad humor that translates poorly from Polish and/or to the written word. Plenty of references to popular songs, apparently; I was only able to recognize one.”
“I really can't emphasize enough how nonsensical the story is, though.”
“There isn't much of a story, and what little there is is nonsensical at best.”
- gameplay45 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily campaign-driven, featuring turn-based battles that require strategic thinking and adaptation to new mechanics introduced throughout the game. While many players appreciate the tactical depth and humor, some find the experience repetitive and lacking in engagement after a few hours. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of mechanics reminiscent of board games, but opinions vary on its long-term appeal and depth.
“The gameplay itself is not a roguelike or open-world, but campaign-driven, with campaign meaning some battles in a row, between which I can temporarily upgrade my ships, meaning to add a point for defense, for example.”
“Though simple at the core, it requires thinking due to new mechanics being introduced every now and then: getting to know both skills of enemies and yours, calculating ahead of time to minimize/maximize damage, being aware of environmental hazards or extra rules for the fight, deciding whether it's actually good to start round first, etc. Do not feel overwhelmed though, each fight is a nice puzzle on its own.”
“The gameplay stays fresh throughout, with each chapter introducing a few new themes and abilities.”
“It's possible it gets a lot better after a couple of hours, but from what I could tell, the game is missing some key gameplay elements it needs to keep things interesting.”
“The actual gameplay also lacks depth.”
“Right now, after several hours of play, I feel like I'm in a washing machine - just rinsing and repeating the same gameplay loop mechanic, and the joy is wearing off.”
- humor30 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it genuinely funny and well-written, particularly in the dialogue and character interactions, while others feel it falls flat or becomes tedious. References to Monty Python and a quirky cast add charm, but the execution can be hit-or-miss, with some jokes failing to translate well. Overall, while the humor has its moments, it may not resonate with everyone, leaving some players wanting more.
“Haha, pretty funny and takes some pleasing side swipes at mainstream western narratives on colonial history without ever getting heavy or too worthy.”
“Very funny game with Monty Python humor, story, and original graphic style.”
“Cool art, really interesting combat mechanics, dialogue is hilarious.”
- graphics23 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and aesthetically pleasing art style, reminiscent of old maps and drawings, which enhances the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Reviewers appreciate the clean visuals, bold lines, and the humorous, satirical elements that contribute to a fun and immersive world. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, effectively complementing the game's narrative and mechanics.
“The graphics are nice, with bold lines that are used both to enhance the game's comic feel and to evoke the maps and drawings of the past.”
“Great visuals on 'a living map' make this game stand out from the crowd as well as a great sense of humor that reminds me greatly of the greatest LucasArts gaming era.”
“I love the art style; the old drawn map style is very fitting to the theme.”
“Little turn-based strategy featuring satirical humor and graphics that kind of resemble maps of old.”
“The graphics are neat, the story is sorta interesting.”
“I love the art style, the old drawn map style is very fitting to the theme.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with multiple users noting that it offers no incentive to play again after completing it, citing a lack of customization and progression elements. Overall, players feel that the absence of replay value significantly detracts from the game's appeal, making it not worth the price tag.
“If this game had some progression (a la Darkest Dungeon) and replayability, it would have been great.”
“There's zero replayability.”
“After only 8 hours, I beat the game and there is no replay value.”
“There is absolutely no customization, so there is no replay value. I'm hoping they can change this with future updates.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for enhancing the atmosphere, with many noting its ability to evoke emotions and complement the storyline. However, some players feel that the absence of background music at times can make the experience feel dull. Overall, the sound effects and atmospheric music contribute positively to the game's cozy and imaginative ambiance.
“The storyline and music are that little something special that brought a tear to my eye during the epilogue.”
“The 'cozy' overall atmosphere, with this music and paper-like art style, really stimulates imagination and roleplaying.”
“Cool atmospheric music.”
“The lack of background music makes the game dull.”
“The music is forgettable and doesn't enhance the gameplay experience.”
“The soundtrack feels repetitive and fails to create an engaging atmosphere.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and boring, with many noting that even the short length of the game does not alleviate the repetitive nature of the gameplay and story.
“The game is okay, but it gets tedious quickly.”
“Somehow, this game managed to be tediously boring despite how incredibly short it is.”
“The story tries to be cute and funny, but it too becomes tedious very quickly.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its great artwork and cozy feel, enhanced by charming music and a paper-like art style that stimulates imagination and roleplaying. However, some users note that progress can be slow due to the need for multiple clicks in certain areas. Overall, the combination of visuals and sound creates an engaging and amusing experience.
“Great artwork, nice atmosphere, and an amusing story, although it does take several clicks to move things along in places.”
“'Cozy' overall atmosphere; this music and paper-like art style really stimulates imagination and roleplaying.”
“Cool atmospheric music.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report mixed experiences regarding stability, with some encountering dice glitches and bugs, while others did not face any issues. There is a consensus that improvements could be made to enhance the game's stability and overall experience.
“My main gripes were being railroaded into specific strategies to solve a scenario. If you take each scenario as a puzzle to solve, then I think the game is more enjoyable, but the dice glitches and bugs were frustrating.”
“Although I did not encounter any bugs or glitches, I believe a lot more can be done with the concept.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally positive, with players reporting smooth performance after initial cutscenes, despite encountering occasional T-pose glitches.
“I only saw a few T-poses during the start of the tavern cutscenes; beyond that, it runs smoothly.”
