Hero Hours Contract
- August 26, 2020
- Steve O'Gorman
Get on SteamIn "Hero Hours Contract" , play as a magical girl fighting for fair pay and unionization while protecting the city from evildoers in turn-based combat. Negotiate better benefits based on performance, form social connections to enhance abilities, and enjoy dorky humor and 90s anime tropes. The battle system prioritizes swift enemy defeats for higher rewards and bargaining power.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Charming art style and character design that appeals to fans of Magic Girl themes.
- Engaging Sokoban-esque puzzles and a light-hearted, anti-capitalist storyline that adds depth to the gameplay.
- Soothing soundtrack and enjoyable character interactions that enhance the overall experience.
- Game mechanics and controls are poorly explained, leading to confusion and reliance on external guides.
- Gameplay can feel repetitive and grindy, with limited enemy variety and a lack of strategic depth in combat.
- Minor glitches and issues with character abilities can detract from the overall enjoyment and flow of the game.
- gameplay10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a core combat mechanic that, while enjoyable during the main storyline, suffers from a lack of clarity in its mechanics and controls, which are not well-explained until later in the game. Players find the gameplay loop repetitive, often involving grinding for resources, and suggest that more levels or puzzles would enhance the experience. Overall, while the game has potential with its visuals and premise, the gameplay feels unrefined and in need of further development.
“The gameplay loop provided by the core combat mechanic could do with some improvements (or more levels/puzzles to avoid repetitive map grinding), but it's enjoyable enough for the duration of the main storyline, although some of the mechanics (such as the ability to switch character order, the controls, etc.) are not explicitly explained in the game itself until one is deeper into the game - a control scheme in the main menu would be very helpful!”
“The gameplay loop provided by the core combat mechanic could do with some improvements (or more levels/puzzles to avoid repetitive map grinding), but it's enjoyable enough for the duration of the main storyline. However, some of the mechanics, such as the ability to switch character order and the controls, are not explicitly explained in the game itself until one is deeper into the game - a control scheme in the main menu would be very helpful!”
“The soundtrack, the premise, and the visual style are there, but the gameplay needed some more time in the oven.”
“It feels like this game is on the precipice of being genuinely well done, but the base gameplay is just too unrefined.”
- story10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized as charming and well-developed, with strong characterizations that resonate with players, particularly those from queer backgrounds. However, the narrative progression can feel linear and somewhat lacking in guidance, leading to potential confusion about objectives. While the dialogue is cute and engaging, some elements, like the enemy design, may detract from the overall storytelling experience.
“The artwork for this game is fantastic, the music is an absolute bop and kept me playing for way longer than is reasonable. My wee queer heart was repeatedly and deliberately targeted by the characters in the story, whose characterization is wonderful for such a short game.”
“Play it and see for yourself, it has a charming story.”
“It's clear that a degree of effort was put into this; it's got the story, it's got the basis of a strategy system.”
“There's an ongoing story, though there's really only one hint in the story that tells you where to go.”
“When in actuality there is an entire linear story mode, in the tower, which is where the actual story happens.”
“The story and dialogue overall are cute, although having extremely erratically dressed zombies as the main enemy type isn't too interesting.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and engaging quality, with many players enjoying the soundtrack enough to play longer than expected. While the music enhances the overall experience, some reviewers noted that the gameplay could use further development. Overall, the soundtrack complements the game's visual style and characterisation effectively.
“Soothing soundtrack”
“The artwork for this game is fantastic, the music is an absolute bop and kept me playing for way longer than is reasonable. My wee queer heart was repeatedly and deliberately targeted by the characters in the story, whose characterization is wonderful for such a short game.”
“The music is nice; the actual talk sprites are very well drawn.”
“The soundtrack, the premise, and the visual style are there, but the gameplay needed some more time in the oven.”
“The music is pretty decent; I honestly didn't mind listening to the same song a bunch.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be repetitive and tedious, particularly due to lengthy stages and ineffective combat mechanics that hinder strategic play. While the core gameplay loop is enjoyable during the main storyline, the lack of clear explanations for certain controls and mechanics contributes to a frustrating experience, leading to a sense of grinding for currency rather than engaging gameplay.
“The gameplay loop provided by the core combat mechanic could do with some improvements (or more levels/puzzles to avoid repetitive map grinding), but it's enjoyable enough for the duration of the main storyline. However, some of the mechanics (such as the ability to switch character order and the controls) are not explicitly explained in the game itself until one is deeper into the game - a control scheme in the main menu would be very helpful!”
“The game gives the impression that the gameplay loop is players grinding currency to buy the resources required to advance character dialogue in the hub.”
“Even barring the sometimes strategic but mostly random combat, the sheer length of each stage and the tedious whittling of enemies with ineffective attacks makes the levels get boring quickly.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are praised for their fantastic artwork and sleek, cartoony designs, contributing to an engaging visual experience. While the gameplay graphics are described as nice, they lean towards a minimalistic style. Overall, the character design and art direction significantly enhance the game's appeal.
“The artwork for this game is fantastic, the music is an absolute bop and kept me playing for way longer than is reasonable. My heart was repeatedly and deliberately targeted by the characters in the story, whose characterization is wonderful for such a short game.”
“The art style is absolutely wonderful, with really cartoony but sleek designs.”
“The graphics for the gameplay itself are nice, but are very minimalistic.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, users report minor stability issues, such as text boxes disappearing prematurely before displaying complete dialogue, but these glitches do not significantly detract from the overall experience.
“Some minor glitches, like text boxes disappearing before they have displayed all the dialog.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I experienced several freezes during gameplay, which disrupted my experience.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by witty and charming dialogue, with lighthearted situations that maintain a playful tone without veering into mean-spiritedness or seriousness.
“The dialogue is funny, cute, and the situations are never mean-spirited or serious, honestly.”
“The humor is clever and keeps you laughing throughout the game.”
“I love how the game balances humor with heartwarming moments.”
