Lone King

About

Simultaneous-turn-based tactics with a single mech versus a small army. Simple controls, deep gameplay. Play the arcade mode for free or support development by purchasing the story mode. Participate in early access to suggest new modes, gameplay changes, and other content to be added.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+24

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 15 reviews

emotional1 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game captures a grand scale and nostalgic feeling, reminiscent of playing with toys as a child.
The turn-based combat is engaging and allows for strategic thinking, making players feel like a Mecha anime pilot.
The 2D pixel art style is charming and evokes memories of classic games from the early 2000s.

The game suffers from stability issues, including crashes and a cluttered UI that can hinder the experience.
There is a lack of clear descriptions for the unique abilities of each mech, making it difficult for players to fully utilize their potential.
The visuals are considered lackluster, which may detract from the overall enjoyment compared to more polished titles in the genre.

story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players appreciating unexpected narrative twists that enhance the experience, while others have encountered technical issues that disrupt gameplay. There is a strong hope among fans for a compelling narrative, especially given the developer's commitment to continuous improvements. Overall, the potential for a rich story is recognized, but players are eager to see how it develops further.
- “Lastly, the mission that locks you out of simply ending it on the victory prompt is such a simple thing that turns into a cool story point on this interface that caught me off guard.”
- “I haven't played the campaign, but coming from the Ace Combat fandom (where wild things can happen for equally wild reasons), I really hope the developers have something in store for us story-wise, as that's what separates the classic from the basic.”
- “The developer is clearly dedicated to making this the best game it can be, and it shows with the continuous improvements to both the user experience and the actual story being told.”
- “In addition, pressing continue on the story mode (I think that's what it's called?) throws out what I can only assume is an exception causing the game to force quit.”
- “I am deliberately not addressing any deficit in content such as music or a completed story as getting the core foundation first is a must before getting to content.”
- “I haven't played the campaign but coming from the Ace Combat fandom (where wild things can happen for equally wild reasons), I really hope the devs have something in store for us story-wise, as that's what separates the classic from the basic.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and engaging mechanics, focusing on strategic planning and turn-based combat. While the core mechanics show promise and evoke a sense of being a space mecha pilot, the overall experience is hindered by a lack of polished visuals and user interface, which detracts from its competitive edge in the genre. Despite these shortcomings, players find potential for enjoyment as they learn the game's mechanics.
- “Honestly, this is such a simple game in both gameplay, UI, and graphics, but it captures such a grand scale that I'm honestly surprised I have not seen this formula before.”
- “I definitely could see myself playing more of this title, and if I ever got around to fully understanding the mechanics, then I might pick up the expansion pack.”
- “Full disclaimer: I've only spent about 53 minutes in this game, and throughout those 53 minutes, 95% of it was spent learning the mechanics and understanding what each visual indicator represents.”
- “Gameplay consists of planning your moves, then hitting 'end turn' to see how the combat resolves.”
- “The design concept and implementation of the core mechanics for this game are decent and show promise, but a turn-based combat game needs a hefty and solid UI combined with great visuals to be competitive today.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a simple yet grand 2D pixel art style, which some players appreciate for its charm. However, many reviewers note that the visuals and user interface need significant improvements to enhance legibility and overall aesthetic appeal, as the current lackluster visuals detract from the gameplay experience. Overall, while the game has solid mechanics, its graphics fall short of modern standards for competitive turn-based combat games.
- “Speaking of visuals, I love the general 2D pixel art this game has.”
- “The design concept and implementation of the core mechanics for this game are decent and show promise, but a turn-based combat game needs a hefty and solid UI combined with great visuals to be competitive today.”
- “There are also other various visual/UI/UX elements that need to be tweaked to make them more legible and aesthetically pleasing.”
- “While this game has everything that makes RTS games great in a mechanical sense, unfortunately, the lackluster visuals really kill the experience.”
- “Honestly, this is such a simple game in both gameplay, UI, and graphics, but it captures such a grand scale that I'm honestly surprised I have not seen this formula before.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
Users express a mixed sentiment regarding the music in the game, with some not minding the absence of a soundtrack as they prefer to listen to their own music. There is a general consensus that the focus should be on establishing the core gameplay before addressing content like music or story.
- “I've mostly been jamming out to my own music, so I personally don't mind.”
- “I am deliberately not addressing any deficit in content such as music or a completed story, as getting the core foundation first is a must before getting to content.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that the game evokes strong emotional connections, likening the experience to being a space mecha anime pilot, which enhances the overall engagement despite its budget constraints.
- “This game made me feel like a space mecha anime pilot on a budget, but that doesn't mean the core gameplay mechanic isn't engaging.”