"Kingdom, Dungeon, and Hero" is a fantasy strategy and adventure game with a board game feel, allowing 1-2 players to form armies, manage resources, negotiate agreements, and explore dungeons in a hex-based map. Players can build and configure armies, hire heroes, and research tactics to increase their kingdom's power. The game offers the ability to create an infinite number of maps with the integrated editor, and supports both co-op and PvP modes in split-screen.
The game offers a unique blend of strategy, dungeon crawling, and RPG elements, providing a fresh experience for fans of the genre.
The developer is highly responsive to community feedback, frequently releasing updates and patches to improve gameplay and fix issues.
The game features a powerful editor that allows players to create custom scenarios and maps, enhancing replayability and community engagement.
The AI is often unresponsive and poorly designed, leading to a lack of challenge and engagement during gameplay.
Many game mechanics feel disjointed and lack clear explanations, making it difficult for players to fully understand and utilize them.
The game suffers from pacing issues, with long turn times and a lack of dynamic events that can make gameplay feel repetitive and slow.
gameplay
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
74%
5%
The gameplay is praised for its solid mechanics, blending light RPG elements with kingdom management and strategic warfare, offering a variety of tactics and troop types. While the game is intuitive and approachable, some mechanics lack clear explanations and can feel disjointed, leading to a learning curve that may frustrate new players. Overall, the core gameplay is engaging and enjoyable, though it requires further refinement to enhance clarity and depth.
“The blending of light RPG adventuring mechanics and kingdom management along with a competent and fun war game.”
“The hex-based map and board game feel are a perfect blend of nostalgic charm and modern gameplay innovation.”
“But it's not just the presentation that shines – the gameplay is equally impressive.”
“Conquering the map is entertaining and challenging, but there doesn't seem to be any other kind of objective-based gameplay.”
“And some of these mechanics are currently bugged and not working as intended, if at all.”
“The game certainly has potential, but it needs some work on the key mechanics to make them feel more refined, more impactful, and less disjointed from each other.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
35%
15%
The graphics are generally described as clean and logical, with crisp visuals and an easy-to-read interface, particularly praised in the context of hex and counter styles. However, some reviewers note that the art style feels dated, reminiscent of early 2000s pixel art, and criticize the interface as clunky and the overall graphics as sub-par. Despite these mixed opinions, the game's visuals are said to effectively enhance the atmosphere and immersion of the gameplay experience.
“The graphics were beautiful!”
“The game's atmospheric soundtrack and stunning visuals transport you to a realm of wonder and terror, making it easy to become fully invested in the story and its characters.”
“The graphics are very good in the hex and counter style of graphics, every counter is clearly marked in all three possible styles and the map is pretty and fully readable at a glance.”
“Interface is clunky and graphics are sub-par.”
“The graphics are very wargame-style - counters on a hex grid, but that's fine.”
“But no, once again, small indie developers prove that good games are such because of the systems, rules, and gameplay mechanics, as opposed to flashy animation and graphics.”
story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The game's story is enriched by an excellent written narrative and backstory, allowing players to immerse themselves in a fantastical world filled with heroes, technologies, and diplomacy. While the combination of wargame mechanics and hero management fosters emergent storytelling, some players note that the AI struggles with the complex political scenarios that are central to the narrative. Overall, the atmospheric soundtrack and stunning visuals enhance the player's investment in the story and its characters.
“The written narrative and backstory to the game is excellent.”
“The game's atmospheric soundtrack and stunning visuals transport you to a realm of wonder and terror, making it easy to become fully invested in the story and its characters.”
“The combination of wargame and hero management keeps the game fresh and allows for emergent storytelling!”
“The rest of my time is AFK; long story.”
“Great design marred by a weak AI that doesn't know how to handle the politically complex multi-agent 'story' scenario that is the capstone for the game.”
“The idea of playing this game with a blank screen and slowly building up your heroes (an immortal race of heroes who work across the ages!), technologies (alchemists! … give them libraries, names and backstory?), diplomacy (emissaries! … again, give them names and backstory?), cities (barracks, markets, etc), and armies, slowly building up across the ages would be awesome.”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The game boasts high replayability due to its diverse maps, numerous nations, and extensive content, ensuring that no two playthroughs are alike. Players appreciate the modding potential and the immersive experience, with many highlighting the game's editor as a key feature that enhances replay value. Overall, it offers a wealth of scenarios and ideas that keep players engaged.
“The replay value with different maps and many nations just got me more excited.”
“Replay value - no game will be the same.”
“I see a lot of replayability here, and modding potential for all your favorite fantasy settings.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it horrendous and repetitive, likening it to looped marching band music. In contrast, others praise the atmospheric soundtrack as phenomenal, enhancing the immersive experience and complementing the game's visuals and storytelling. Overall, while there are criticisms regarding variety, many appreciate the music's contribution to the game's atmosphere and RPG elements.
“The game's atmospheric soundtrack and stunning visuals transport you to a realm of wonder and terror, making it easy to become fully invested in the story and its characters.”
“The music is phenomenal, even if there are only a few tracks.”
“It's got some good music, with decent writing that adds much flavor to the locations and RPG element.”
“The music is horrendous... it's like marching band music looped.”
“The music is horrendous... it's like marching band music looped.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate that the game avoids typical "run-away" conditions often found in 4X games, where difficulty diminishes after achieving a certain level of success, preventing the experience from becoming trivial or tedious. This design choice contributes to a more engaging and balanced gameplay experience.
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent crashes, softlocks, and PC freezes, leading to a frustrating experience.
“Constant crashes, soft locks, and PC freezes.”
“Constant crashes, soft locks, and PC freezes.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmospheric soundtrack and stunning visuals create an immersive experience that captivates players, drawing them into a world filled with both wonder and terror, enhancing their connection to the story and characters.
“The game's atmospheric soundtrack and stunning visuals transport you to a realm of wonder and terror, making it easy to become fully invested in the story and its characters.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players praise the game's optimization, noting that turns are quick and overall performance is smooth, contributing to a seamless gaming experience.
“The turns are quick, and the game's performance is smooth.”