King's Orders
- October 25, 2024
- AFTERLIFE
- 1h median play time
Get on SteamIn King's Orders, become a medieval ruler managing armies and cities across Europe, communicating through letters and making strategic decisions. Re-enact historical events in various scenarios, such as the Hundred Years' War and the Reconquista, testing your strategic prowess. The game offers a immersive experience for players seeking a deeper strategy game set in the Middle Ages.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a unique concept that effectively simulates the challenges of medieval rule through a messenger system, providing a fresh take on the grand strategy genre.
- Despite some issues, the game is engaging and offers a manageable learning curve, making it accessible for players who may find traditional grand strategy games overwhelming.
- The developers are responsive to feedback and show potential for future improvements, which gives hope for the game's evolution and enhancement.
- The user interface is clunky and requires excessive clicking for basic actions, making gameplay feel tedious and frustrating.
- AI behavior in diplomacy and warfare is inconsistent and often leads to unprovoked declarations of war, creating an unbalanced and confusing experience.
- The game suffers from various bugs and quality of life issues, such as save file problems and unclear notifications, which detract from the overall enjoyment.
- gameplay13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a large campaign map with multiple factions, but lacks distinct mechanics or flavor, leading to limited replayability. While some players find the core mechanics solid and enjoyable, others criticize the UI for being repetitive and the overall approachability as punishing. The unique mechanic of using messengers for orders adds an interesting layer, but the game could benefit from more complexity and variety akin to titles like Crusader Kings.
“At first, I was a bit sketchy about the mechanics, but after the tutorial, it was pretty easy to understand.”
“I'm in the midst of a grand campaign right now, and I am pleased by the gameplay.”
“The core gameplay mechanics are luckily very solid.”
“Big campaign map and plenty of factions to play, but there is no mechanic or flavor difference between any of them; therefore, once a playthrough is done, there is little reason to try another.”
“The gameplay is punishingly unapproachable.”
“This same developer makes Radio Commander, which works 100% for the setting, and so these mechanics given a medieval patina don't hold under the same scrutiny.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The graphics have received mixed feedback, with some users criticizing them as subpar and suggesting a more minimalist approach, such as pixel or low-poly styles. However, others appreciate the simplicity, noting that it complements the game's depth and engagement, ultimately finding the overall presentation acceptable for the gameplay experience.
“The graphics are not good.”
“This is a map painter, but even so... they should've gone with pixel graphics or stylistically low-poly -- something to better embrace minimalism.”
“The graphics are pretty simple.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, particularly criticizing the user interface for managing mail and giving orders, which feels unintuitive and chore-like. Many express hope that future updates will improve these elements to enhance the overall experience.
“Handling information in the mail is also extremely tedious, and there isn't any sort of overview of mail by hovering over it, or a summary, or anything.”
“The UI design behind giving orders is incredibly tedious, and as players get more playtime, they will realize that it doesn't feel good; it feels like an unintuitive chore.”
“I've got high hopes for the devs that they've got a gem if they make it a wee less tedious.”
- story2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers express frustration with the story aspect due to the lack of clear statistics and guidance on decision-making, which undermines the realism of rulers making informed choices. Additionally, the portrayal of messengers as mere moving dots detracts from the narrative's urgency and significance, leaving players feeling disconnected from the critical missions.
“The story is rich and immersive, drawing you into a world filled with complex characters and intricate plots that keep you engaged throughout the game.”
“The narrative unfolds beautifully, with unexpected twists and turns that make every decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
“Character development is exceptional, allowing players to form deep connections with the protagonists and feel the weight of their choices.”
“Chances of success and other statistics are not available, such as the success of spy missions and the odds of winning a battle or succeeding in diplomatic choices. This makes it rather unclear what choice to make. Rulers never made choices without informed decisions, and having statistics or an advisor narrating the action would fix this issue.”
“The messengers are basically just a red dot moving quickly across the map, which makes it feel lacking in appreciating the criticality of their mission.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, often requiring extensive troubleshooting before they can successfully run the game.
“After a lot of troubleshooting, I finally got the game to work.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experienced constant lag and disconnections during gameplay.”
