Ikenfell

93%
Game Brain Score Based on 529 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Ikenfell Game Cover
Ikenfell is an enjoyable RPG with an interesting story, fleshed-out characters, and a dense turn-based battle system, with a superb soundtrack and some gorgeous environments to boot.
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"Ikenfell" is a single-player, turn-based strategy game with spectacular story and mechanics, splendid graphics, and a fabulous soundtrack. Play as a group of magic students with unique powers, battling enemies and bosses using timing mechanics to master over 48 unique spells. Discover hundreds of items and hidden treasures in this emotional journey about friendship, trust, love, and loss.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

93%
Audience ScoreBased on 529 reviews
story191 positive mentions
grinding37 negative mentions
  • Charming characters and engaging story that keeps players invested.
  • Innovative combat system that combines tactical grid movement with timing-based attacks.
  • Beautiful pixel art and an outstanding soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • Combat can become tedious and repetitive, especially during lengthy boss battles.
  • Some characters feel underdeveloped and their arcs are not fully explored.
  • The pacing of the story can drag, particularly in the mid-game, leading to a sense of monotony.
  • story454 mentions

    The story of Ikenfell is characterized by its charming and engaging narrative, featuring a diverse cast of characters and themes of inclusivity, particularly around LGBTQ+ representation. While many players appreciate the heartfelt character arcs and emotional depth, some critiques highlight issues with pacing, predictability, and a lack of substantial world-building, leading to a mixed reception regarding its overall depth and execution. Despite these criticisms, the story remains a significant draw for players, often complemented by enjoyable gameplay and a captivating soundtrack.

    • “The story is really engaging and follows a non-magical girl ('ordinary' in this universe) as she goes looking for her sister.”
    • “The story is unapologetically queer, and delves into some pretty heavy feelings around grief and trauma in a way that's relatable and cathartic, and the game does a wonderful job of developing a pretty wide cast of characters to the point where I adored them all.”
    • “The story has enough twists to be interesting, but the characters are what's going to keep you engaged.”
    • “The story and characters are generally very shallow, and around the midpoint of the game each chapter starts feeling monotonous as the plot takes too many twists and turns to have been planned out beforehand.”
    • “This game features little-to-no story and what story it does have is all written around the gameplay, not the other way around.”
    • “The story is shallow and focuses entirely on the conflict and drama at hand; the worldbuilding is nonexistent.”
  • music241 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its exceptional quality and emotional resonance. Composed by Aivi & Surasshu, known for their work on "Steven Universe," the soundtrack features a blend of catchy tunes, orchestral elements, and character themes that enhance the overall experience. While some vocal tracks were noted as potentially distracting or repetitive, the majority of the music was described as beautiful and fitting, contributing significantly to the game's charm and atmosphere.

    • “The music sets the tone and atmosphere of each area perfectly and lets you immerse yourself in the experience while the art is cute and unique and surprisingly diverse, ranging from adorable to horrifying depending on the need.”
    • “The soundtrack is fantastic, with track after track of beautiful atmospheric music, although I found the few songs with vocals to be bothersome to the point where I almost wanted to mute them entirely, despite the fantastic backing tracks.”
    • “The music is fantastic, the battles are engaging, and the story is memorable.”
    • “The music tracks with lyrics are a bit too short, so they feel very repetitive in longer battles, e.g., fighting Gilda.”
    • “The select few songs that actually have sung lyrics tend to be shallowly written and extremely out of place though.”
    • “My only complaint is the music with lyrics for certain fights is extremely distracting and keeps repeating.”
  • gameplay180 mentions

    The gameplay in Ikenfell is a blend of turn-based combat and timing mechanics reminiscent of classic RPGs like Paper Mario, offering a mix of strategy and engagement that appeals to many players. While some find the mechanics innovative and enjoyable, others criticize them for being repetitive or frustrating, particularly in longer sessions. Overall, the game features a variety of accessibility options, allowing players to tailor their experience, but opinions on the depth and execution of the gameplay vary widely.

    • “The gameplay is creative and well-balanced, but I personally thought the pacing of the story was off and that the game was too minimalistic with dialogue.”
    • “Gameplay is a very straightforward RPG with a deceptive amount of depth, especially when you start getting later in the game.”
    • “The gameplay is fantastic and allows fine-tuning for every level of skill.”
    • “The story isn't deep enough and the gameplay isn't diverse enough for how long this game is.”
    • “The gameplay is repetitive and boring.”
    • “Made me regret buying it entirely and wasting 18 hours trying to get past the absolutely abhorrent battle mechanics and the sh*tty boss designs.”
  • graphics81 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming pixel art style, which evokes nostalgia and complements the overall aesthetic. Many reviewers highlight the vibrant colors, expressive animations, and attention to detail, contributing to a delightful visual experience. While some note minor inconsistencies or personal preferences against pixel art, the general consensus is that the graphics are a standout feature, enhancing the game's character and charm.

    • “It's undoubtedly the best part of the game, alongside the charming pixel art graphics.”
    • “Charming pixel graphics and a score by the composers to Steven Universe (Aivi & Surasshu) give this quirky and fun RPG a lot of character.”
    • “The pixel art graphics, while simple, are very vibrant and expressive.”
    • “The visuals of this game are incredibly inconsistent.”
    • “Average pixel graphics, nothing in particular to criticize or salivate over.”
    • “This game is not worth it; the visuals have green lines and I am prone to seizures, and this game would just induce it for me. Do not buy this game!”
  • emotional45 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling, relatable characters, and inclusive representation, particularly of queer identities. Many players found themselves deeply moved, often crying during key moments, while others noted occasional plot inconsistencies that detracted from emotional investment. Overall, the game is celebrated for its wholesome and touching narrative, despite some critiques regarding character development and pacing.

    • “The story is very interesting and has strong emotional beats, though the plotting is occasionally a little messy.”
    • “I loved every single character and I cried more than once with the story.”
    • “An incredibly heartfelt Super Mario RPG-like game with a ton of queer relationships that are all written extremely well, really emotive graphics, and characters you just want to root for.”
  • grinding40 mentions

    Overall, players report that grinding in the game is minimal, with many options available to bypass or reduce tedious combat encounters, such as "auto-victory" settings. While some players found the combat system enjoyable, others described it as tedious and occasionally grindy, particularly towards the endgame. The game offers flexibility for those who prefer a more casual experience, allowing players to engage with the story without excessive grinding.

    • “Very nice turn-based RPG with a wonderful story. It's pretty good as a casual game if you just want to relax and enjoy the story. The options menu even has accommodations for such things. For those looking for a challenge in the combat, I'd recommend either no grinding encounters and/or no battle items, both of which I did on my playthrough and had a fairly challenging, but rewarding experience.”
    • “On the other hand, I didn't need to grind in order to clear the game with appropriate difficulty and no grinding.”
    • “The combat seemed exciting at first but quickly grew tedious and grindy; fights would take a long time, but I never felt like there was a real challenge and it just felt like a grind.”
    • “Even at the end of the game, I had no idea how to balance speed, defense, and power at all because grinding for money was literal torture and it was all I could do to get everyone kitted out to make combat slightly bearable.”
    • “At first this feels fun, but as time goes on it becomes absolutely tedious as combat gets longer and longer.”
  • character development14 mentions

    Character development in the game is noted for its realism and engaging designs, but it suffers from sparse pacing and shallow writing, often overshadowed by dungeon-crawling tasks. While some character interactions are interesting, significant development is relegated to exclusive cutscenes, leaving players wanting more depth in relationships and personal growth. Overall, the character designs are appealing, but the narrative execution feels lacking, particularly in the context of the game's linear plot.

    • “The storytelling is compelling, the music is enthralling, the art is stunning, and the character development is so, so realistic.”
    • “While the game is linear and the main plot relatively cliché, the character development of each party member is simple, yet all the elements have the merit of being effective.”
    • “The variety in character design is the strong core of the game, both in their personalities and in how they play differently in combat.”
    • “There are some interesting character interactions here and there, but the pacing of the game makes it so that actual dialogue and character development are very sparse in comparison to the task of dungeon-crawling through the school.”
    • “The writing is at its peak during the final boss events and you feel good for the characters when they finally get their happy ending, but the ending and epilogue feel like they skip a lot of important character development, like how Maritte progressed her relationships with Gilda and Pertisia.”
    • “Character development is spread far apart, maybe a minute every hour or so of gameplay in the form of memory shards.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as charming and quirky, with some funny moments reminiscent of Undertale. While some players found it lacking overall, others appreciated the cute and intriguing elements woven into the story, highlighting specific characters like the electric girl as particularly amusing. However, there are critiques regarding the tonal dissonance between humor and the game's darker themes.

    • “The good: cool story, not breaking any new ground or anything but it was funny, cute, and intriguing.”
    • “Watch as some nobodies die while hilariously sad music plays so that we know the villain, who we have seen maybe twice at this point, is actually deeply sympathetic and has a backstory you should cry over.”
    • “The game is a masterwork of representation, and there's little bits of humor and quirkiness tucked away everywhere.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive qualities, enhanced by a fantastic soundtrack that perfectly complements the diverse and unique art style. Players appreciate the ability to skip battles to focus on the story and atmosphere, which is enriched by varied musical themes across different areas. Overall, the combination of great storytelling, inclusive representation, and engaging combat contributes to a classic RPG feel with a captivating atmosphere.

    • “The music sets the tone and atmosphere of each area perfectly and lets you immerse yourself in the experience while the art is cute and unique and surprisingly diverse, ranging from adorable to horrifying depending on the need.”
    • “Though there is a library, an archive, and a place called 'the stacks' and they all share the same motive of books, all three of them are different in their choice of musical tone (the theme is the same, but they all have cool different variations), enemies, and atmosphere.”
    • “It has all the hallmarks of a classic RPG: great atmosphere and story, amazing music, and the combat is a mix between tactical and action-oriented.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    Overall, the game offers limited replayability, primarily focusing on story and exploration rather than varied gameplay experiences. While players can experiment with different party combinations in multiple runs, the linear nature of the game suggests that it may not hold long-term interest. However, at its price point, it still provides a worthwhile and enjoyable experience for fans of turn-based tactics.

    • “This also lends itself to more replayability as you can set up new combinations of party members over multiple runs.”
    • “Sadly though, there isn't a lot of replayability, but for a game that costs 20 bucks, and could easily take several days to complete, I say Ikenfell is a perfect game for anybody that loves a turn-based tactics game.”
    • “I'd still recommend it because it was a fun experience, but keep in mind this game isn't really replayable; you play mostly for discovering new places and for the story.”
    • “It seems linear and probably has not much replayability as it is, but for this price, it's really something you need to add to your Steam library for hours of fun.”
  • stability3 mentions

    Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, running well on a variety of PCs and handheld devices, even those not from the latest generation. However, players have reported occasional visual glitches and issues with the timing mechanics, which can be either overly precise or buggy.

    • “It runs great on pretty much any PC, including handhelds, even if they aren't of the latest generation.”
    • “The game maintains a smooth performance without any noticeable crashes or bugs.”
    • “I've experienced consistent stability throughout my gameplay, which enhances the overall experience.”
    • “The art style is alright, though there are a few visual glitches happening here and there.”
    • “It's a Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door style system, but the timing is either buggy or stupidly precise.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game is praised for its excellent optimization, running smoothly on low-end hardware without any technical issues, making it accessible to a wide range of players. Additionally, the engaging vocal performances enhance the overall experience.

    • “No technical issues, and due to the low performance bar, it will run on a potato.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for intrusive advertisements, likened to unwanted phone notifications, which detracts from the overall experience. However, some users still find enjoyment in the game despite these interruptions.

    • “The monetization in this game is overwhelming; it feels like every corner I turn, there's another ad or prompt to spend money.”
    • “I can't enjoy the game because I'm constantly bombarded with offers to buy in-game currency or special items. It's frustrating.”
    • “The pay-to-win mechanics ruin the experience. It feels like you can't progress without spending real money.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

77% average critic score

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Play time

10hMedian play time
11hAverage play time
8-22hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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