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.
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Reviews
- The game features a unique art style reminiscent of old maps, enhancing the overall aesthetic experience.
- Combat mechanics are engaging and require strategic thinking, with a fun dice placement system that adds depth to battles.
- The humor and quirky storyline provide an entertaining backdrop, making the game enjoyable despite its challenges.
- The reliance on RNG (random number generation) can lead to frustrating gameplay, as battles often hinge on luck rather than strategy.
- There is a lack of progression and replayability, as upgrades do not carry over between campaigns, making the experience feel repetitive.
- The writing and humor can fall flat at times, with some jokes feeling stale or poorly executed, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
- story55 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is a quirky and satirical take on Christopher Columbus's journey, filled with pop culture references and humor that some players find entertaining, while others deem it nonsensical and poorly executed. The narrative is structured around episodic missions, but many reviewers criticize its lack of coherence and depth, suggesting that it detracts from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the story offers moments of amusement and charm, appealing to those who enjoy lighthearted, albeit chaotic, storytelling.
“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.”
“The story is funny and the scenarios are challenging.”
“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.”
- gameplay50 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 6 % 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 can become repetitive and lacks certain engaging elements, particularly in the early hours. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of mechanics, solid visuals, and a fun storyline, making it enjoyable for fans of strategic board games.
“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. 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.”
- graphics32 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their unique and aesthetically pleasing art style, reminiscent of old maps and drawings. Players appreciate the clean visuals, bold lines, and the way the artwork enhances the game's humorous and immersive atmosphere. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's charm, creating a cozy and engaging experience.
“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 humour 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.”
“There are a bunch of things to do of course but - to my surprise - it's fully playable, big-bugs free and mechanically and graphically on par with potential competitors.”
- humor32 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it genuinely funny and well-executed, particularly appreciating the witty dialogue and amusing characters. However, others criticize the humor for being poorly translated, falling flat, or relying too heavily on clichés and references that may not resonate with all players. Overall, while there are moments of cleverness and charm, the comedic elements can be hit or miss, leaving some players wanting more.
“Funny and a bit challenging too.”
“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.”
- music9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its calming and atmospheric qualities that enhance the overall experience. While some users noted a lack of background music at times, those moments that do feature music are described as impactful and emotionally resonant. Overall, the sound effects and music contribute to a cozy and immersive atmosphere, complementing the game's visuals effectively.
“The graphics were really nice and the music is really calming; it created a nice and cozy atmosphere.”
“Storyline and music are that little something special that brought a tear to my eye during the epilogue.”
“Cool atmospheric music.”
“The lack of background music makes the game dull.”
“There is not a lot of music, but the parts that do have it are very good.”
“The music and paper-like art style really stimulate imagination and roleplaying.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with multiple users noting that it offers little incentive to play again after completing it. While some appreciate the tactical elements and random mechanics that could enhance replay value, the absence of customization and progression systems has left many feeling that the game does not warrant repeated playthroughs.
“If this game had some progression (a la Darkest Dungeon) and replayability, it would have been great.”
“It is a satisfying tactical experience with replayability afforded to it by the random nature of the dice mechanic, and I’d happily recommend it to anyone looking for a turn-based strategy game with a more casual feel.”
“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. Hoping they can change this with future updates.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a cozy and calming ambiance, enhanced by beautiful artwork and soothing music that fosters imagination and roleplaying. Players appreciate the light history-meets-mythology theme, although some find the pacing can be slow at times. Overall, the atmosphere is well-received for its engaging and amusing qualities.
“Recommended for fans of casual turn-based battles and a light history-meets-mythology atmosphere.”
“Great artwork, nice atmosphere, and amusing story, although it does take several clicks to move things along in places.”
“The graphics were really nice and the music is really calming; it created a nice and cozy atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players in the world.”
“Despite the game's potential, the atmosphere is dull and fails to evoke any real sense of wonder or excitement.”
“The environment feels lifeless, making it hard to connect with the story or characters.”
- 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.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players report a mixed experience with stability; while some encountered minor dice glitches that were not game-breaking, others did not experience any bugs but felt that the game could improve in this area. The consensus suggests that while the game is generally stable, there are still some issues that could be addressed for a smoother 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) and the dice glitches/bugs.”
“I experienced some minor dice glitches (not game-breaking, just small ones).”
“Although I did not encounter any bugs or glitches, I think 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 minor issues like occasional T-posing.
“I only saw a few T-poses during the start of the tavern cutscenes; beyond that, it runs smoothly.”
