Hero's Hour

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,719 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
Hero's Hour Game Cover
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"Hero's Hour" is a turn-based strategy game with paused real-time tactical combat. Players control a hero leading a town and army, with the goal of expanding territory and defeating enemies. The game features a variety of races, heroes, and units, with RPG elements for hero progression.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,719 reviews
gameplay86 positive mentions
optimization24 negative mentions
  • Hero's Hour is a fun homage to the Heroes of Might and Magic series, offering a nostalgic experience with modern gameplay mechanics.
  • The game features a wide variety of factions and heroes, each with unique abilities and playstyles, enhancing replayability.
  • Real-time battles with spellcasting add a dynamic element to combat, making it engaging and fast-paced.
  • The AI can feel unbalanced and often cheats, leading to frustrating experiences, especially on higher difficulties.
  • Performance issues arise during large battles, causing significant lag and slowdowns, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • The lack of a campaign mode and a more structured narrative can make the game feel repetitive over time.
  • gameplay336 mentions

    The gameplay of "Hero's Hour" is a blend of classic turn-based strategy reminiscent of the Heroes of Might and Magic series, enhanced with real-time combat mechanics that speed up the pace. Players appreciate the variety of factions, each with unique abilities and strategies, although some criticize the lack of depth in tactical options and the repetitive nature of gameplay after mastering the mechanics. While the game offers a fun and engaging experience, it suffers from balance issues, AI shortcomings, and a steep learning curve that can lead to frustration for new players.

    • “This game went back to the roots of those game mechanics—so much so that the graphics are closer to 1 and 2 than 3—and created so many enemies, races, and game types that it’s quite astounding how varied the gameplay styles can be.”
    • “The gameplay loop is addictive, and the overland map development is pure Heroes of Might and Magic 3 crack.”
    • “The factions and their playstyles are extremely unique and qualify as an own gameplay feature, cause every single faction has a ton of unique strategies on top of an own unit roster and more.”
    • “The gameplay loop can get a bit repetitive and usually just becomes who can mass the bigger force when playing vs. AI.”
    • “It's disappointing that such a remarkable gameplay experience is marred by subpar AI programming.”
    • “Repetitive gameplay routine and battle.”
  • graphics281 mentions

    The graphics of "Hero's Hour" are predominantly pixel art, which elicits mixed reactions from players. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and colorful aesthetics, others criticize the simplistic and sometimes confusing visuals that can hinder gameplay. Overall, the graphics are seen as a stylistic choice that may appeal to fans of retro games, but they lack the detail and polish expected in modern titles.

    • “The graphics are amazingly modern and classic—fully pixelated 90s-style graphics but with high-definition and then thousands of little troops acting on the screen at the same time (it gets wild when you have two maxed-out armies fighting).”
    • “Hero's hour combines all the best features of the heroes of might and magic franchise and puts a unique spin on them, with a cute and beautiful minimalist pixel art style; the game is a joy to look at.”
    • “The pixelated graphics are tuned to just the right amount of stylization that keeps everything on screen looking clear and well made.”
    • “The first and probably the biggest issue is the UI and the graphics.”
    • “The graphics make the game charming, in their own way.”
    • “Hero's hour is a ripoff of Heroes of Might and Magic that somehow has worse graphics despite being many years more recent.”
  • music133 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its catchy and immersive qualities that evoke nostalgia for classic RPGs. However, several users noted that the limited number of tracks can lead to repetitiveness, detracting from the overall experience. While some find the soundtrack delightful and fitting for the game's fantasy setting, others feel it lacks variety and depth compared to similar titles.

    • “The music is catchy and it ought to be, since you get to listen to the same tracks several times throughout a single game.”
    • “The soundtrack complements the world, creating an immersive atmosphere.”
    • “The music is great, thematic, immersive, and catchy - I even catch my girlfriend humming along to some of the catchier tunes!”
    • “The music is completely unremarkable and treads the line between being so inoffensive you don't notice it and annoying given limited tracks and track time.”
    • “The music also abruptly changes quite a lot which sucks because it has some groovy music but too jarring of a change from one tune to another (city -> world map & end of turn music transitions in specific).”
    • “Music is terrible had to switch it off asap, was really getting on my nerves with every higher pitched tone, possibly just a matter of taste.”
  • replayability79 mentions

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, with numerous factions, heroes, and procedurally generated maps that provide a fresh experience in each playthrough. Players appreciate the variety in gameplay mechanics and strategic choices, which contribute to its infinite replay value. While some users note a lack of broader goals or campaign modes, the overall consensus is that the game offers substantial content and enjoyment for repeated sessions.

    • “I highly recommend this game - it is fun, difficult (when you want it to be), and endlessly replayable.”
    • “Ben 'thingonitsown' Hauer has made something special here, granting endless replayability for (relatively) bite-sized adventures that give you just enough of everything you want out of this type of game.”
    • “The individual elements - town building, resource management, hero customization, exploration, and massive real-time battles - seamlessly integrate into a whole experience with ridiculous levels of depth and replayability.”
    • “If you are looking for replay value, I would recommend against.”
    • “Such you have archers type units behind your infantry type units and always have flanking support, tactically AI doesn't counter these moves, they will just bunch troops center and never spread causing you to feel like there isn't any replay value.”
    • “The replay value feels a bit thin if you're not playing with friends.”
  • optimization65 mentions

    The game suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly during large battles and on bigger maps, leading to severe frame rate drops and stuttering even on capable hardware. Many players report that performance deteriorates as unit counts increase, making gameplay frustrating and less enjoyable. While the game has potential, its current state of optimization is a major drawback that detracts from the overall experience.

    • “There are surprisingly many improvements and additions since that, but even with added content, the optimization issues persist.”
    • “My biggest gripe is that playing on anything bigger than a medium map makes the game lag like crazy, and I have a decent PC, so it's just not very well optimized.”
    • “The game gets pretty hectic, and at least on my machine, during the endgame phase, my frames tank and performance across the board struggles -- just too many units on screen.”
    • “The game has some severe optimization issues with high unit and resource counts that drop the frame rate down and cause stuttering in both the overworld and in combat, which is the worst general thing about the game.”
    • “The performance is so bad I won't be playing anymore, but the game is fun enough to play if that weren't an issue.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized for longer/larger campaigns.”
  • story54 mentions

    The game lacks a dedicated story campaign, leaving players to create their own narratives through random scenarios and custom maps. Many reviewers express disappointment over the absence of a structured storyline, which detracts from the overall experience and emotional connection to the game. While the gameplay mechanics are praised, the consensus is that the game would greatly benefit from the addition of a story mode to enhance player engagement.

    • “The day it gets a story mode is the day it takes a big step to being perfect.”
    • “And there's so much more opportunity for this game too; a personal favorite idea of mine would be a PvE adventure story mode with a campaign.”
    • “If there was a story or something to it to continue to motivate you to push on and 'progress', it would be more rewarding.”
    • “The game only has random scenarios available, no campaign, no story, nothing.”
    • “My biggest complaint: no story campaign.”
    • “This game is missing a storyline to play through.”
  • grinding24 mentions

    Reviews highlight that while the game offers depth and engaging mechanics, the grinding aspect can become tedious, particularly in the late game due to lag, repetitive tasks, and unbalanced factions. Players often find themselves frustrated with the time-consuming nature of achievements, managing multiple heroes, and the slow pace of AI turns, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the innovative elements that make the grinding feel less monotonous compared to other titles.

    • “Content locked behind tedious achievements.”
    • “Bad: kind of buggy, game has poor balance, achievements are a RNG grind - I've spent 30 hours of this game grinding achievements.”
    • “The game kind of encourages you to have a ton of heroes, but moving all of them is super tedious - if any devs are reading this, please add a button that just moves all your heroes, that still have movement, as if they were controlled by the AI.”
  • stability22 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of game-breaking glitches, lag, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Many users describe it as "exceedingly buggy," with issues affecting unit visibility, income generation, and AI behavior, making it frustrating and at times unplayable, especially on larger maps. While some players find it enjoyable despite these problems, the overall consensus is that the game is in a poor state and requires substantial fixes to improve stability.

    • “I was hesitant to review this at first, because there were some game-breaking glitches still lurking around in the game.”
    • “It's buggy as f*ck, your units disappear or don't show up on heroes, windmills don't reset every week, town portal doesn't work, etc. The list goes on and on.”
    • “The game has a lot going for it, but is completely unplayable on larger maps, resulting in game freezes that last whole minutes at random times.”
  • humor22 mentions

    The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players enjoying the chaotic and absurd elements of army management, such as quirky characters like a fire dragon giraffe and evil clowns. The game is filled with amusing achievements, funny glitches, and a lighthearted tone that keeps the experience entertaining, despite some frustrations with difficulty and AI balance. Overall, the blend of humor and strategy creates a uniquely enjoyable gameplay experience that resonates well with players.

    • “Grab your cloak and your sense of humor, because it's time to dive into 'Hero's Hour,' a game that proves managing an army is just as chaotic as herding cats, but way more entertaining.”
    • “Mix and match your army to create the most bizarrely effective (or hilariously ineffective) fighting force.”
    • “Still, watching your units evolve and getting the feel of different heroes and factions is super satisfying, and the battles are just the right mix of awesome and hilarious.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its cozy and immersive qualities, enhanced by charming graphics and a captivating soundtrack. Players appreciate the depth of tactical gameplay, which complements the vibrant world filled with diverse tribes and monsters. However, some critics feel that the audio and visuals do not match the high standards set by similar titles, impacting the overall atmospheric experience.

    • “Don't wait and buy the game and get lost in the vast atmosphere.”
    • “The soundtrack complements the world, creating an immersive atmosphere.”
    • “It's got a lot of soul, the sprite work is wonderful, and the music is really atmospheric.”
    • “I am not a fan of the audio and visuals; especially in the previous game, they were a huge part of the atmosphere and feeling of that game.”
    • “The game does have Steam Remote Play, and although I'm happy with how it works, there is a certain atmosphere you get from other 4X games by not seeing the opponent's screen.”
  • emotional7 mentions

    Players express mixed emotions regarding the game's character retention system, appreciating the ability to keep heroes between scenarios to mitigate the heartbreak of loss. However, frustrations with gameplay mechanics and technical issues have led some to feel disillusioned, with a desire to return contingent on future updates. Overall, the emotional experience is characterized by a blend of attachment to characters and disappointment in gameplay execution.

    • “While I’m not a fan of having to build up characters only to lose them in subsequent scenarios, the ability to retain a hero between scenarios of a campaign kept it from being too heart-breaking or feeling like I lost progress.”
    • “An enjoyable pixelated auto-battler that gives you those wholesome HOMM3 feels.”
  • monetization4 mentions

    The monetization strategy of games made with Gamemaker Studio has been criticized for relying heavily on ads and perceived cash grabs, often resulting in a lack of originality and quality. Users express frustration over intrusive advertisements for unrelated products, which detracts from the overall gaming experience.

    • “It feels like an uninspired copy-paste from a classic, just to have a quick and lazy cash grab.”
    • “Sad to change my review from positive to negative due to ads inside the game.”
    • “This is totally unacceptable, with developers sitting and selling you a product and inside that product they attack you with directed ads for their other products. That's not even a software application, but a totally different sort of market.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

21hMedian play time
87hAverage play time
10-60hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 17 analyzed playthroughs

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