Lords of Ravage

About

Lords of Ravage is a single player tactical role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Synthetic Domain and was released on October 15, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Lords of Ravage is a dark fantasy tactical RPG with roguelike elements where you lead an army of minions from diverse factions to conquer kingdoms. Engage in strategic turn-based battles, undermine your enemies politically and economically, and become the ultimate final boss. Customize your tactics and summon powerful followers to dominate the land and seize a world-changing artifact.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

The game features a unique premise where players take on the role of a villain, offering a refreshing twist on traditional RPG narratives.
The pixel art style and dark fantasy visuals are well-executed, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience.
The combat system allows for strategic depth with unit variety and synergies, making battles engaging despite some balance issues.

The game suffers from significant balance issues, particularly with the threat level system that punishes exploration and makes encounters feel unfair.
Many players find the campaign too short and repetitive, lacking sufficient content and variety to encourage multiple playthroughs.
Technical issues, including bugs and crashes, detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration during gameplay.

story
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
81%
11%
The game's story is criticized for being shallow and lacking depth, serving primarily as a backdrop for tactical gameplay rather than offering a rich narrative experience. Players find the exploration mechanics frustrating, as key story points are often hidden on the map, leading to a disjointed experience. While some characters have distinct identities, the overall storytelling is perceived as thin, with limited emotional complexity and poorly executed dialogue, leaving many players wanting more from the narrative.
- “I do like the graphics, with their retro pixel style, and the storyline is kind of interesting if you take the time to read all the text.”
- “For example, the conclusion of Berold's story teases the rise of a rebellion against his crimson empire, which could be built upon to deliver a campaign fighting for or against the rebels (or maybe options for both).”
- “The game hides main story points on the map, so you will have to explore blindly until you reach the objective.”
- “While each lord has a distinct identity and motives, character development is light, and the overarching plot serves more as a backdrop for tactical encounters than as a fully realized narrative.”
- “Players seeking emotional complexity, intricate dialogues, or morally layered story arcs may find the storytelling thin.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
53%
18%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of old-school mechanics and innovative features, offering strategic depth and replayability through unique villain mechanics and unit management. While the game provides a variety of playstyles and engaging combat, some players find it can become shallow once optimal strategies are discovered, and certain mechanics may discourage preferred playstyles. Overall, it presents a stylish roguelite experience that is enjoyable but occasionally overwhelming and flawed.
- “Each villain features unique mechanics, minion pools, and strategic identities, encouraging players to rethink the flow of battle depending on which dark path they choose.”
- “The experience instead prioritizes mechanical depth, replayability, and the fantasy of commanding a malevolent force.”
- “It features a wide variety of mechanics and progression paths, allowing you to find your own unique playstyle.”
- “The gameplay does not get stale too fast (thanks in part to relatively short runs), which is a plus, but it is somewhat shallow.”
- “Leaders and minions do allow for decent variety in playstyles, but once you figure out the cards you are dealt and choose the build to stick to, the gameplay does not get any deeper from that point.”
- “There's one mechanic in the game that should make sense, but really just discourages me from playing how I'd like, 'menace'.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
56%
25%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its orchestral and immersive qualities that enhance the villainous atmosphere, while others criticize it for being repetitive, uninspired, and detracting from the overall experience. Many players express a desire for a more varied and engaging soundtrack, particularly during combat, which they find dull and unappealing. Overall, the music is seen as a weak point, failing to elevate the game's narrative and gameplay.
- “The soundtrack, likewise, contributes heavily to immersion, offering brooding orchestral pieces and ritualistic tones that match the weight of your villainous role.”
- “Sound effects and music also match the tone of the game and lend impact to all the abilities you'll be using.”
- “The idea is nice, the art style is beautiful but the story and the OST and the gameplay are not doing it for me.”
- “Music was too repetitive and there are only 1-2 tracks in the full game.”
- “I would rather play YouTube music instead of listening to their battle music.”
- “The battle music makes me not terribly interested in the fights.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
18%
27%
The graphics are praised for their stylized dark fantasy visuals, featuring a blend of 2D sprites and 3D backgrounds that create an immersive atmosphere of corruption and ruin. The retro pixel art and intricate design contribute to a compelling aesthetic, although some users noted issues with cinematics and writing quality. Overall, the visuals effectively enhance the game's fantasy theme and appeal to fans of the genre.
- “Its stylized dark fantasy visuals evoke a world defined by corruption and ruin, with rich use of shadow, ominous color palettes, and animated 2.5D art that reinforces the sense of commanding eldritch forces.”
- “This aesthetic consistency goes a long way toward selling the fantasy of being an ancient terror rising once again.”
- “Great aesthetic and, as expected from the guys who made Mainframe Defenders, intricate design as well.”
- “Poor writing with typos everywhere, stuttering cinematics despite graphics being of the pixel variety.”
- “I do like the graphics, with their retro pixel style, and the storyline is kinda interesting if you take the time to read all the text.”
- “3) graphics - a mix of 2D sprites and 3D backgrounds actually works surprisingly well.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players find the game enjoyable but note that it lacks significant replayability features, such as a New Game Plus mode or additional acts, leaving the experience feeling incomplete. While there are some opportunities for unlocking new units and spells, the short runs and limited content may not encourage repeated playthroughs. Overall, the game prioritizes mechanical depth but could benefit from enhancements to its replay value.
- “Replayability for the sake of unlocking more unit/spell/gear options.”
- “The experience instead prioritizes mechanical depth, replayability, and the fantasy of commanding a malevolent force.”
- “Replayability for the sake of unlocking more unit, spell, and gear options. Although I have definitely encountered some locked units in runs before unlocking them for the currency in the new game menu; might be a bug, I don't know.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players looking for emotional depth and complexity in storytelling may be disappointed, as the game is often criticized for its lack of intricate dialogues and morally nuanced narratives.
- “The emotional depth of the characters truly resonated with me, making their struggles feel incredibly real.”
- “I was moved to tears by the heartfelt moments and the intricate relationships that unfolded throughout the game.”
- “The game masterfully explores themes of love, loss, and redemption, leaving a lasting impact on my heart.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its lack of stability, with users reporting numerous bugs that negatively impact the overall experience.
- “The game is too buggy.”
- “I experienced frequent crashes that ruined my gameplay.”
- “There are constant glitches that make it hard to enjoy the game.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game is criticized for poor writing and numerous typos, alongside stuttering cinematics, even though the graphics are relatively simple and pixelated.
- “Poor writing with typos everywhere, stuttering cinematics despite the graphics being of the pixel variety.”
- “The game suffers from severe performance issues, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
- “Optimization seems to have been an afterthought, resulting in long loading times and frequent frame drops.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its exceptional atmosphere, effectively creating a distinctive tactical RPG experience that emphasizes villainy and strategic flexibility. Despite some limitations, it successfully immerses players in its unique setting.
- “The game excels in atmosphere.”
- “Despite these limitations, 'Lords of Ravage' succeeds at delivering a distinctive tactical RPG centered on villainy, strategic flexibility, and atmosphere.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is noted to be minimal, with each lord having unique identities and motives, but the overarching plot primarily serves as a backdrop for tactical gameplay rather than a deep narrative. However, the character design, animations, and overall aesthetics are well-executed.
- “Overall, character design, animations, backgrounds, and the maps are well done!”
- “While each lord has a distinct identity and motives, character development is light, and the overarching plot serves more as a backdrop for tactical encounters than as a fully realized narrative.”