MARDEK

About

MARDEK is a single player role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Tobias Cornwall and was released on June 3, 2020. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"MARDEK is a single-player, fantasy role-playing game with a focus on a deep, intriguing story and beautiful game mechanics. As Mardek, a young man with the consciousness of a dead alien wizard, players will explore a lore-heavy world that blends fantasy and sci-fi, complete with vast dungeons, unique skillsets, and memorable characters. The game's initially lighthearted story evolves into a exploration of moral ambiguity, featuring plenty of humor and thought-provoking dialogue."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+23

Skip User Reviews

100%

Audience ScoreBased on 406 reviews

story78 positive mentions

grinding30 negative mentions

MARDEK is a nostalgic homage to classic RPGs, featuring a compelling story, engaging characters, and witty dialogue that balances humor with deeper themes.
The game offers a unique skill mastery system tied to equipment, allowing for diverse gameplay and strategic combat that keeps players engaged.
Despite its age as a Flash game, MARDEK has aged remarkably well, providing over 30 hours of content with a rich world and memorable music.

The game is unfinished, with only three chapters released out of the planned eight, leaving players without a complete story.
Some dialogue and humor may feel dated or problematic, reflecting the era it was created in, which might not resonate with all players.
The lack of quality-of-life features, such as customizable controls and a chapter select option, can hinder the overall experience for modern players.

story
202 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
60%
1%
The story of the game is rich and engaging, featuring a diverse cast of characters and a blend of humor and drama that resonates with players. However, it remains unfinished, with only three of the planned eight chapters developed, leaving many eager for a continuation that is unlikely to come. Despite its incomplete nature, the narrative is praised for its depth, clever writing, and nostalgic appeal, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of story-driven RPGs.
- “The humor was on point, the gameplay was massively streamlined, it added half a dozen new(-ish) playable characters, each with their own niches and playstyles, and the storyline made me laugh, made me cry, and made me shake my head in disbelief as characters went about their way in unexpected and dramatic fashion.”
- “With witty yet masterfully-woven storytelling, a leveling system akin to Final Fantasy IX, catchy soundtrack, and combat that keeps you engaged with timing-based bonuses, there's something for everyone to love about Mardek.”
- “This game boasts 30+ hours of solid retro-RPG gameplay, punchy, tongue-in-cheek dialogue that can swing between hilarious and heartbreaking, ridiculously catchy music, and a surprisingly deep and well-crafted story.”
- “The story will never be finished.”
- “Don't get engrossed into the story as the series will never 'finish.' The creator originally wanted to make 8 chapters but stopped after chapter 3.”
- “My one negative is that, as things stand, it is an unfinished story.”
music
130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
58%
2%
The music in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic and well-composed MIDI-style tracks, reminiscent of classic RPG soundtracks like RuneScape. Many reviewers highlight the developer's solo effort in crafting an impressive and immersive soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience, with some even considering it the game's standout feature. The recent Steam port has improved the audio quality, allowing players to fully appreciate the music's charm and emotional depth.
- “The soundtrack is amazing, environmental and combat, and I have a lot of love for the main menu music (also available to be bought with the OST & extras packaged in as a separate game).”
- “The music in this game is wonderful, and I was excited to see that it is higher quality in this version.”
- “Mardek has one of the best soundtracks on earth.”
- “The music is a bunch of MIDI-style fantasy songs that would sound right at home on a RuneScape soundtrack, which is just more of a reason why it's a brilliant time capsule.”
- “The volume is simply on/off for sound effects and music, no sliders, and the sound effects in particular can be disproportionately loud compared to the music.”
- “You can turn off the awful music, thank god.”
gameplay
122 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
46%
2%
The gameplay of Mardek is praised for its solid mechanics, engaging turn-based combat, and a deep progression system that offers a satisfying experience over 30 to 100 hours. Players appreciate the humor, character diversity, and the balance of exploration and combat, although some note minor gameplay balance issues and a lack of modern quality-of-life features. Overall, it combines nostalgic elements with a compelling story and unique mechanics, making it a standout in the retro RPG genre.
- “This game boasts 30+ hours of solid retro-RPG gameplay, punchy, tongue-in-cheek dialogue that can swing between hilarious and heartbreaking, ridiculously catchy music, and a surprisingly deep and well-crafted story.”
- “The most impressive aspect of the game is the combat system and mechanics; there's a surprising amount of depth there, and beating the hardest bosses takes a not insignificant amount of planning, knowledge, and patience.”
- “Chapter 2 is much better, but a good deal longer, and still has mostly static gameplay throughout, being a more apt intro chapter.”
- “Gameplay feels a little flat but otherwise, still feels good playing it as it does a decade ago (even more since I know what I'm doing this time).”
- “The gameplay is also very deep and diverse with its AP and skills system.”
humor
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and balance with serious moments, featuring a distinctively British wit that has aged well since its release. Players appreciate the engaging dialogue, which is filled with funny, quirky remarks and meta-commentary, making it a standout aspect of the experience. While some humor may lean towards the crass or immature, it generally resonates well with fans of retro RPGs, providing a nostalgic and entertaining journey.
- “The humor was on point, the gameplay was massively streamlined, it added half a dozen new(-ish) playable characters, each with their own niches and playstyles, and the storyline made me laugh, made me cry, and made me shake my head in disbelief as characters went about their way in unexpected and dramatic fashion.”
- “This game boasts 30+ hours of solid retro-RPG gameplay, punchy, tongue-in-cheek dialogue that can swing between hilarious and heartbreaking, ridiculously catchy music, and a surprisingly deep and well-crafted story.”
- “With its epic battles, beautiful music, charming art style, compelling story, and hilarious writing, there's something in this game for everyone.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
64%
7%
The graphics of the game evoke a sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of early RPGs, with a charming and unique art style that reflects the developer's passion. While not technically advanced, the visuals are endearing and fit well within the game's rich lore and character design, appealing to fans of classic turn-based RPGs. Players should not expect cutting-edge graphics, but rather a heartfelt artistic expression that enhances the overall experience.
- “While it is not the most technically impressive artwork, the style fits perfectly to be symbolic of this era of gaming.”
- “I love how the world is given such detail (looks and feels alive!), even though the graphics aren't cutting edge.”
- “Don't expect at the end of the day, this is just a collection of connected flash RPGs so the graphics aren't the best and there are some frame rate drops at times during battle (this was an issue when playing it on its original, web-based release).”
- “Don't approach this game if you're looking for extreme state-of-the-art visuals.”
- “The graphics look like a passion project from a young person who was just finding their style on DeviantArt, drawing their own anime and furry OCs, and it's very endearing.”
grinding
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while many players find it enjoyable and integral to the RPG experience, allowing for skill and ability progression, others view it as tedious and repetitive, particularly for new players. The quirky combat and exploration can make grinding feel rewarding, but it can also lead to frustration, especially when farming for rare items or maxing out skills. Overall, the game offers substantial gameplay hours without relying on forced grinding, though some players may still find certain elements overly grindy.
- “If you are a new player, understand that the game can be quite tedious: battles become repetitive; stats and skills are abundant and difficult to track; the dialogue suffers from verbosity and lack of depth.”
- “Most RPGs, especially JRPGs like the kind Mardek parodies, have one universal, *hated* thing in common: grinding.”
- “It's tedious.”
optimization
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The optimization of Mardek 3 is a mixed bag; while the level curve is well-tuned for the game itself and offers decent customization in combat, players report significant performance issues, particularly during battles with heavy effects, leading to frustrating slowdowns and awkward controls. Despite these drawbacks, the overall gameplay experience remains engaging and rewarding.
- “The music is fantastic, the combat mechanics are simple but work well and have a very decent amount of customization and optimization, and exploration is always rewarding without dragging on, and every character is interesting.”
- “Mardek 3 is about 70% of the game and the level curve is optimized for Mardek 3, not Mardek 1/2/3.”
- “Again, on low performance this shouldn't impact you regularly.”
- “The game has some odd performance issues for me and the controls can be quite awkward at times.”
- “Performance: the game slows down a lot for many common battle effects.”
- “Performance issues on higher qualities even with a good computer; the game lags when casting spells with heavy particle effects.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively blends humor with emotional depth, featuring a storyline that elicits laughter and tears through unexpected character developments. Players appreciate the self-aware dialogue and well-crafted music that enhance the emotional experience, making it a standout in the retro RPG genre. Overall, it offers a rich narrative that balances serious moments with lightheartedness, creating a compelling emotional journey.
- “The storyline made me laugh, made me cry, and made me shake my head in disbelief as characters went about their way in unexpected and dramatic fashion.”
- “It mixes serious moments, emotional moments, great humor, and 4th wall breaking, and it all just feels right.”
- “The dialogue runs from self-aware jokes about RPG tropes to serious and emotional character development.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
Overall, the game boasts excellent replayability due to its abundant content, diverse character options, and multiple story approaches. Players appreciate the engaging gameplay and retro charm, which contribute to a delightful experience that encourages multiple playthroughs. While some note a slight lack of replay value, the overall enjoyment and variety more than compensate for it.
- “A fantastic game that's aged remarkably well due to its retro texture, capacity for silliness, and insane replay value (nearly every character is good).”
- “Also, there's a lot of party combinations you can do and ways to approach the story in this game, so lots of replayability.”
- “A great story, fantastic music, engaging gameplay, and very solid replayability.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development is highlighted by a blend of self-aware humor regarding RPG tropes and moments of serious emotional growth, creating a dynamic and engaging narrative experience.
- “The dialogue runs from self-aware jokes about RPG tropes to serious and emotional character development.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report minor glitches in both fullscreen and windowed modes, but the Steam port enhances stability with quality of life improvements. However, some resources remain limited despite an increase in availability for others.
- “I've encountered a small amount of glitches considering fullscreen and windowed modes. While the Steam port does provide quality of life improvements, such as reducing AP costs for many skills and making some items like jade and bloodopal farmable, some items, despite being increased in amount, are still limited, like candriathope and silver/gold ores.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The atmosphere of the game is highlighted as a key element, contributing significantly to the overall experience alongside its gameplay, art direction, and humor. Reviewers appreciate how the atmosphere enhances immersion and engagement within the game world.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world with its stunning visuals and sound design.”
- “Every corner of the game is filled with a unique atmosphere that enhances the storytelling and keeps you engaged.”
- “The combination of haunting music and detailed environments creates an unforgettable atmosphere that lingers long after you finish playing.”