Knock on the Coffin Lid

About

Knock on the Coffin Lid is a single player role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by RedBoon and was released on April 1, 2020. It received positive reviews from players.

"Knock on the Coffin Lid" is a narrative-driven game where you wake up in a crypt with no memories, and must uncover the secrets of your death and plan your route to return home. Explore three mysterious regions, form unexpected alliances, and make decisions that will change the world. Build unbeatable decks, collect artifacts, and fight enemy factions in tactical battles.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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82%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,309 reviews

story233 positive mentions

grinding22 negative mentions

Engaging storyline with rich lore and character development.
Unique gameplay mechanics that combine deck-building with RPG elements.
High production value with beautiful art, animations, and voice acting.

Balancing issues, particularly with certain characters and their abilities.
Repetitive gameplay due to fixed map paths and the need to replay events to progress.
Some unclear mechanics and poorly explained card interactions.

story
622 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
60%
3%
The game's story is a standout feature, offering a rich narrative that unfolds through multiple playthroughs, reminiscent of titles like "Slay the Spire" but with a deeper emphasis on character development and plot. Players appreciate the engaging dialogue, beautiful artwork, and the way choices impact the storyline, although some find the repetitive nature of the runs and the complexity of unlocking story elements tedious. Overall, the combination of compelling storytelling and strategic gameplay makes it a unique entry in the roguelike deckbuilding genre.
- “The story is well written and deep and mysterious, keeps you engaged.”
- “The game excels in its art and storytelling, but the gameplay can feel sluggish, especially if you’re used to fast-paced autobattlers.”
- “The story is intriguing, I haven't unlocked all the characters yet nor have I explored all the avenues, but I like the narrative.”
- “Good idea but really, just kind of boring; you will finish the main plot within an hour or so then spend hours repeating and repeating for no joy at all.”
- “The story is disjointed, but the worst part I found was that there's only one save.”
- “The story is absolutely meaningless and makes little sense.”
gameplay
405 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
61%
5%
The gameplay of "Knock on the Coffin Lid" is a blend of familiar roguelike deck-building mechanics reminiscent of "Slay the Spire," enhanced by unique character classes and a narrative-driven approach. While many players appreciate the intricate mechanics and engaging story, some express concerns about balancing issues, repetitive gameplay, and unclear mechanics that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a satisfying loop with a variety of strategies, but it may require further polish to fully realize its potential.
- “Maps are intricately designed to affect one's run, which makes exploring and route planning all the more rewarding, while character changes really alter the gameplay approach.”
- “The gameplay is complex enough to make you think but easy to understand.”
- “The deck-building mechanics and roguelike loop are tightly woven into the narrative, with each death feeling less like failure and more like progress in understanding.”
- “The shop mechanic is annoying as the predetermined paths won't let you get into enough shops a lot of times, and you rarely get full sets of equipment. I only managed to get a full set once and ended up with a loss as I couldn't fulfill the other win condition.”
- “The gameplay can feel sluggish, especially if you’re used to fast-paced autobattlers.”
- “The game excels in its art and storytelling, but the gameplay can feel repetitive after a while.”
graphics
176 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
30%
2%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their stunning art style, atmospheric visuals, and engaging animations, which enhance the overall gameplay experience. Many reviewers highlighted the unique and charming aesthetic, often comparing it favorably to other titles in the genre, particularly "Slay the Spire." However, some noted that while the visuals are impressive, the game could benefit from additional polish and refinement in certain areas.
- “The graphics are stylish and atmospheric, and the world feels thoughtfully built.”
- “The art style in this game is amazing, and the gameplay is fun.”
- “The visuals are astonishing, the UI is excellent, and the voice acting is top-tier.”
- “You could try to improve your graphics to match games like this, or Monastery or Vault of the Void.”
- “The graphics are okay but not amazing; gameplay is subpar compared to others of the genre (maybe 2 or 3 real different builds), but the worst is the way they designed the final boss.”
- “After the first act and especially in the third, there are unfinished graphics and texts.”
replayability
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
51%
4%
Overall, the game boasts high replayability due to its inventive story mode, diverse character options, and a wealth of content that encourages players to explore different strategies and outcomes. While some players note limitations in event variety compared to other roguelikes, the unique interactions and evolving narrative elements keep the experience fresh and engaging. Many reviewers highlight the game's depth, mechanics, and the enjoyment derived from repeated playthroughs, making it a standout in the genre.
- “The game brilliantly combines deckbuilding with RPG elements such as equipment, sets, and subclasses, which really adds a lot of diversity to the gameplay and gives a ton of replayability.”
- “This game is a gem in the roguelike deck-building genre, offering near-endless replayability through thoughtful design and a level of polish that’s rare to find.”
- “Endless hours of fun and an extremely replayable world that gets better with each run!”
- “Very entertaining and well done, a nice refreshing twist, albeit at the cost of limited replayability.”
- “This is interesting as it ties into the story and is good for planning runs on higher difficulties, but it lacks the random replayability of other roguelikes.”
- “Replayability is mediocre or non-existent at all after you beat the game with each character.”
music
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
30%
6%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its quality, diversity, and ability to enhance the immersive experience. The soundtrack is described as captivating and beautifully composed, complementing the game's dark atmosphere and engaging gameplay. While some minor criticisms exist regarding sound design and repetitiveness in certain tracks, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's appeal and enjoyment.
- “The soundtrack has no business being this freaking good.”
- “The entire adventure is filled with grim landscapes and terrifying enemies, accompanied by an exquisite soundtrack that together immerse the player into its world.”
- “Gorgeous animated art and extremely catchy soundtrack.”
- “Literally just click on weird symbols and hope that it works while heavy metal music plays.”
- “This game looks like a flash game, the animations look like flash and everything is stiff and ugly; the music is generic and the story is too.”
- “Devs, please give us a toggle to disable the music ducking during combat.”
atmosphere
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
33%
11%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its dark, immersive quality, enhanced by stunning graphics, haunting music, and thoughtful world-building. Players appreciate the captivating storytelling and unique settings, which evoke a sense of a grim fairy tale, making it a compelling experience for those who value atmosphere in gameplay. Despite some technical flaws, the overall ambiance and artistic style contribute significantly to its appeal, creating a memorable and engaging environment.
- “The atmosphere is great, especially visually; the art is gorgeous.”
- “The well-crafted deckbuilder with a heavy emphasis on story and atmosphere.”
- “Each setting oozes with atmosphere, from haunted forests to eerie dungeons, making every step feel like part of a grim fairy tale.”
- “The atmosphere and story are a very captivating addition to a well-rounded and engaging core gameplay loop.”
- “This game is an awesome mix of RPG and card-based roguelike with a dark atmosphere.”
grinding
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
4%
92%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a double-edged sword; while it can be enjoyable at first, it quickly becomes tedious and frustrating, especially when bad luck leads to repeated runs without progress. The need to grind for resources and unlock mechanics often detracts from the overall experience, making the gameplay feel linear and demoralizing, particularly in the early stages where victories are hard to come by. Many reviewers express a desire for a more streamlined approach to progression, as the current system can lead to boredom and a sense of futility.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The deckbuilding and inventory management feels very luck-based unless you are specifically going to certain events or outcomes, which feels intentional but makes the early stages so tedious, especially if you fail a run at a frustrating moment.”
- “Doing runs ad nauseam to unlock specific encounter options or story elements becomes very tedious and sucked the joy out of the game for me.”
- “I want to continue playing, but seriously, having to play 9 hours of content again farming the events multiple times to get the specifics done, throwing awesome builds away, is just demoralizing.”
stability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The game's stability has been a significant concern among users, with many reporting frequent bugs, lag, and crashes that disrupt gameplay. While some players acknowledge improvements over time, the overall experience remains marred by issues such as freezing during key actions and unreliable mechanics. Despite these challenges, a few users appreciate the game's potential and ongoing development, suggesting that it may improve further as updates are released.
- “Knock is an excellent early access game. In my opinion, this is what early access is all about. It features an enjoyable campaign that, while short, is highly polished, replayable (incentivized by perk unlocks), and is for the most part remarkably bug-free.”
- “The game is very buggy, unoptimized, and unbalanced.”
- “As much as I want to like this game, it keeps freezing every time I press end turn - getting a new hand I can't play with. Its performance is so bad it distracts me, so I'm going to leave my review as thumbs down until they fix those freezes.”
- “The gameplay is good, but the game is buggy and it feels like there are new bugs every time a patch comes out.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
43%
36%
The game's optimization has received largely negative feedback, with many players reporting serious performance issues, frequent bugs, and frustrating freezes that detract from the overall experience. While some users have noted minor stutters or occasional lag, the consensus is that the game feels poorly optimized and unbalanced, leading to a recommendation against playing until significant fixes are implemented. A few players did not encounter major issues, but these instances appear to be exceptions rather than the norm.
- “This, along with the difficulty options and 5 different unique classes, makes for endless options of gameplay and optimization.”
- “Players collect resources, unlock new cards that can improve the performance of future runs.”
- “However, outside of some light things on the margins, I've run into no performance problems or crashes.”
- “Serious performance issues and does not work.”
- “The game is very buggy, unoptimized, and unbalanced.”
- “As much as I want to like this game, it keeps freezing every time I press 'end turn' - I can't play with its performance being so bad. I'm going to leave my review as thumbs down until they fix those freezes.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
25%
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of dark and sardonic wit, with engaging dialogues and quirky characters that enhance the storytelling experience. Players appreciate the clever banter and the balance of humor within the narrative, despite some wishing for the option to skip dialogues. Overall, the humor is seen as a standout feature that adds depth to the gameplay and keeps players entertained.
- “The engaging storyline: the dark, humorous narrative keeps you hooked with quirky characters and intriguing lore.”
- “"Knock on the Coffin Lid" is a gem for fans of RPGs who enjoy a mix of strategic card play and dark humor.”
- “The dialogues were snappy, the various encounters mostly had a fun build-up, and the banter between the spectre and the protagonist is quite funny for what is basically an exposition dump.”
- “It's so unbalanced, it's not funny at all.”
- “The jokes fall flat and feel forced.”
- “I expected humor, but it just missed the mark.”
character development
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
17%
25%
Character development in the game is praised for its rich worldbuilding and unique character designs, particularly appealing to fans of medieval fantasy. While some reviews highlight the impressive artwork and backstory, there are mixed opinions on the depth of character animation and design, with a few critics feeling that certain aspects lack effort. Overall, the game is seen as a step towards integrating story-driven RPG elements with deckbuilding mechanics, enhancing the immersive experience.
- “It's RPG themed with lots of backstory and character development.”
- “The worldbuilding and character design are phenomenal, especially if you’re into medieval fantasy vibes.”
- “I think the developers did an amazing job with the worldbuilding and the character design.”
- “I feel like the developer for this game was lazy in character designing and animating it.”
- “Character design, backgrounds, small dialogues, and sounds are lovely; apart from that, the UI is really intuitive.”
- “I find it fresh, but I believe the direction in which it is headed is a step toward the ultimate logical conclusion of all these deckbuilders: a properly integrated story-driven RPG with card mechanics as the combat system, along with the character development.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Reviewers indicate that the game's monetization strategy is not overly aggressive, focusing instead on enhancing gameplay rather than prioritizing profit. While the story quality is criticized, the overall impression is that the developers are committed to creating a solid gaming experience without heavy reliance on monetization tactics.
- “It screams love for building a good game over heavy monetization.”
- “The monetization model feels fair and doesn't hinder gameplay.”
- “I appreciate that the game offers plenty of free content without pushing for purchases.”
- “I saw the game on the stream and thought it was just an advertisement.”
- “The story is like a 1/10; it feels like they got the guy who does hero war ads to write the dialogue.”