Marble Age
- March 4, 2015
- Clarus Victoria
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Marble Age" is a strategy game where players step into the role of a marble entrepreneur in ancient Rome. Your goal is to build a successful marble empire by gathering resources, trading, and completing various quests. The game features a dynamic economy, historical events, and a variety of strategies to employ, providing a unique and immersive experience in the ancient world.
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Reviews
- The game offers a charming and simple interface that is easy to understand, making it accessible for casual players.
- It provides a unique blend of resource management and historical events, which can be engaging and fun for players who enjoy strategy games.
- The low price point makes it a worthwhile purchase for those looking for a quick and enjoyable gaming experience.
- The gameplay can feel repetitive and linear, with limited strategic choices and a reliance on a specific winning pattern.
- The English translation is often poor, leading to confusion and frustration during gameplay.
- There is a lack of replayability, as once players learn the optimal strategies, the game loses its challenge and excitement.
- gameplay39 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring new mechanics and two distinct styles (diplomatic and conquering) that can be engaging initially but often devolve into redundancy and simplicity over time. While some players appreciate the addictive nature and strategic elements, many criticize the linearity, poor balance, and lack of depth, leading to a repetitive experience after a few hours. Overall, it offers decent value for casual players but may not satisfy those seeking a more complex or varied gameplay experience.
“The core gameplay is easy to understand, and mark my words, you'll get a half of achievements during your first 2-hour run.”
“The game offers two styles of gameplay: diplomatic and conquering.”
“Strategically interesting and amusing gameplay.”
“Sadly, it is hindered by linear strategic gameplay. If you want to beat all the challenges, the sliders are annoying late game, numbers scale too quickly, and after the halfway point, it loses most of its appeal as it starts to feel redundant.”
“The gameplay, most of all, is utterly dull and uninspiring.”
“The simplicity, combined with cute graphics, pretty nice music, and semi-educational content would have actually made it a great little title, but Marble Age's convoluted and unpredictable gameplay is what ruins everything about it.”
- replayability32 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is generally considered low, with many players expressing disappointment over the limited number of playable factions and repetitive gameplay. While some enjoy the initial experience and find value in attempting different strategies, most agree that once the campaigns are completed, there is little incentive to return. Suggestions for improvement often include adding more factions and content to enhance replay value.
“Awesome, I love this game and it has good replay value.”
“Luckily, a decent variety of starting perks and two different factions give a nice replayability.”
“You could probably play through it at least twice and, if you're up for it, you might want to go for a high score for replayability.”
“Final verdict: fun until the first successful play, little replayability value.”
“Replayability value is limited.”
“Found that you lose replay value after a while because the milestone events are always the same.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as average, with a charming and colorful aesthetic that appeals to some players, though they may not satisfy graphics enthusiasts. While the simplicity and cute design are appreciated, many reviews note that the visuals are not particularly impressive and can feel minimal or reminiscent of lower-quality titles. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose in conveying information and enhancing gameplay, but they are often overshadowed by gameplay mechanics and other aspects of the game.
“The graphics are very good, which I quite dislike in their recently-released old-kingdom which requires high-end PC for ugly graphics in return.”
“I loved the cartoony graphics; when the models are on this scale they look really good.”
“It has high replayability and a cool graphic style.”
“If 5 pounds is all you have, buy this; otherwise, buy Civilization because this is just a cheap, terrible graphics, knock-off version of Civ with barely any features.”
“It has much worse graphics and limited strategy options.”
“I would be aware that it only plays in a 1200x800 window or so, which is annoying, and the graphics generally are pretty minimal.”
- story9 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The story of the game emphasizes resilience and the unpredictability of life, but players find the narrative execution lacking, with poorly explained quests and unclear objectives. Many missions, such as "Christianity," are criticized for their lack of guidance, leading to frustration as players navigate a rigid structure reliant on luck rather than strategy. Additionally, translation issues detract from the overall experience, leaving players confused and dissatisfied with the storytelling.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“The last quest was not clearly explained; you did not tell us each option can be only selected once.”
“Many of the quests, such as 'Christianity', are not explained at all, nor do they give hints of what you need to do while you're getting punished for 20 turns.”
“The missions lead you in a fixed avenue, and you have to be extremely lucky with the random events in order to resolve whatever the current invasion task throws at you.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its relaxing quality and pleasant presentation, enhancing the overall experience with cute graphics and good sound effects. However, some users feel that despite the appealing music, the convoluted gameplay detracts from the game's potential. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a positive aspect that adds charm to the title.
“The music gives it a nice touch and the presentation is inviting.”
“It has a website, video gameplay example, good user interface, fun graphic animation, relaxing music, and good sound effects.”
“The music and sound effects are lacking.”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“Too bad, because I love the music and the arts.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its comedic translations and amusing grammar mistakes. However, some find that the humor can wear thin due to repetitive gameplay. Overall, it offers a lighthearted experience that enhances the fast-paced strategy elements.
“I liked that the game is like Civilization on speed without the boring bits, and the translations to English made me laugh sometimes.”
“The grammar is absolutely hilarious, like when it says, 'You are leaving city and losing everything.'”
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players feel that the game's optimization requirements detract from the overall enjoyment, as achieving objectives often hinges on finding 'optimized' solutions, which can negatively impact game performance.
“The optimization in this game significantly enhances performance, making the experience smoother and more enjoyable.”
“I appreciate how the developers have focused on optimization, allowing for a more seamless gameplay experience.”
“The game's optimization features really help in reducing lag and improving overall responsiveness.”
“It wouldn't be that bad if it weren't for the fact that it interferes with the game performance.”
“The optimization is so poor that it makes the game nearly unplayable at times.”
“I constantly experience frame drops and stuttering due to the lack of proper optimization.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report that the game effectively immerses them in the role of a ruler, evoking a strong sense of emotional connection and responsibility.
“It made me feel like I was a real ruler.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express a need for more farming opportunities to enhance their grinding experience, indicating that current options may be insufficient for effective resource gathering or progression.
“The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious.”
“I find myself repeating the same tasks over and over just to progress.”
“The amount of time required to level up is frustrating and takes away from the fun.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 200 % positive mentions
- -400 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers express concern that the low price point might indicate a lack of polish or lead to excessive in-app purchases, but there is no definitive conclusion on whether these fears are realized.
“The monetization model is fair and doesn't feel exploitative, which is refreshing in today's gaming landscape.”
“I appreciate that the game offers plenty of content without forcing me to spend extra money.”
“At the low price point, I was worried it would lack polish or try to nickel and dime me with in-app purchases.”
“The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
“I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, which ruins the overall experience.”
