Netherguild
- March 27, 2023
- superobot1
Get on Steam"Netherguild is a single-player Fantasy Turn Based Strategy game, where you lead expeditions to cure a plague by descending into dungeon-like environments. Construct bonfires to rest and manage your resources, and engage in combat with enemies, where mastering different strategies and utilizing abilities is crucial for survival. With permadeath and evolving character builds, each playthrough offers a unique challenge."
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Engaging turn-based combat with a good mix of tactical depth and character progression, allowing for diverse builds and strategies.
- Charming voxel art style and unique biomes enhance the visual experience, making exploration enjoyable.
- The developer is highly responsive to feedback and actively works on updates, showing a commitment to improving the game over time.
- The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and management frustrating at times.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as inventory management and character controls, feel underdeveloped and could benefit from refinement.
- The game currently lacks a significant amount of content, leading to repetitive early runs and limited variety in encounters.
- gameplay19 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by simple yet engaging mechanics, reminiscent of titles like Darkest Dungeon and Final Fantasy Tactics, featuring squad-based combat with roguelike elements. Players appreciate the diverse tactics enabled by various classes and skills, as well as the strategic depth added by the initiative system. Overall, the core gameplay loop is intuitive, fun, and offers significant replayability, despite minor UI issues.
“The gameplay loop is reminiscent of Darkest Dungeon (albeit a bit simplified).”
“The combat mechanics are dynamic and well-executed, enhanced by the initiative system that adds a strategic layer.”
“The core gameplay loop is intuitive and fun, with more than enough depth to keep you engaged.”
“The gameplay loop is reminiscent of Darkest Dungeon, albeit a bit simplified.”
“From a gameplay perspective, it's a roguelike with team organization similar to Darkest Dungeon, and combat similar to Final Fantasy Tactics.”
“The gameplay is focused on squad-based combat with roguelike elements, which I really enjoy.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game feature a charming voxel and pixel art style that is both visually appealing and easy to navigate, with distinct unit types and unique biomes. While some players initially preferred more realistic aesthetics, many found the cute art style to enhance the immersive experience, complementing the game's tactical gameplay. Overall, the graphics are well-received, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere and appeal.
“The graphics are charming, and the atmospheric music adds to the immersive experience.”
“I'd highly recommend this game to anyone looking for a rogue-like turn-based strategy dungeon crawler with nice voxel graphics.”
“I usually prefer more realistic aesthetics, so I wasn't initially drawn to this style.”
“[b]Armor changes do not seem to reflect on the character[/b]; this option seems very possible given the chosen art style of the game.”
“The voxel art style is charming -- I am generally not a huge fan of voxel art, but it works here as the foundation of a cute aesthetic mashed up with tactically dense gameplay.”
- story10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The story is described as a non-intrusive yet engaging backdrop that enhances gameplay, featuring an overarching main quest and interactions with various factions. While some find the narrative to be humorously absurd, it effectively motivates players to explore and complete quests, providing a sense of purpose beyond the main objective. Overall, the game offers a mix of main and side quests that enrich the experience without being overly story-driven.
“I like the idea of an overarching main quest interspersed with backstabbing factions.”
“The narrative framing is also engaging; while I wouldn't characterize this as a story-driven game, there's an overarching narrative that's evocative and makes me want to play more to learn what exactly is going on here.”
“The quests and such give each 'run' a nice objective, more than just the overarching objective of 'get the cure'.”
“The story is hilariously stupid; might as well have just skipped it.”
“On the surface, we hire adventurers, buy provisions and weapons, take hunting quests, and interact with various factions.”
“While I wouldn't characterize this as a story-driven game, there's an overarching narrative that's evocative and makes me want to play more to learn what exactly is going on here.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some find the soundtrack and sound effects to be inoffensive and easy on the ears, others praise the high-quality audio for enhancing the atmosphere and overall experience. Overall, the music is described as delightful and atmospheric, contributing positively to the game's charm and immersion.
“I must mention the high-quality soundtrack and sound effects, which create a fantastic atmosphere and enhance the overall experience.”
“The game's core mechanics are fun, the art is simple and charming, and the music and sounds are delightful.”
“The graphics are charming and the atmospheric music adds to the immersive experience.”
“The music is forgettable and lacks any real impact, making it easy to tune out.”
“The soundtrack feels repetitive and uninspired, failing to engage the player.”
“While the sound effects are decent, the overall music experience is underwhelming and does not contribute to the game's immersion.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its high-quality soundtrack and sound effects, which significantly enhance immersion. The charming graphics and effective use of color in the voxel environments contribute to a captivating and engaging experience. Overall, the combination of audio and visual elements creates a fantastic and immersive atmosphere.
“I must mention the high-quality soundtrack and sound effects, which create a fantastic atmosphere and enhance the overall experience.”
“The graphics are charming and the atmospheric music adds to the immersive experience.”
“I enjoyed the voxel environments in particular; very good use of color, great atmosphere.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its cute art style and witty dialogue, though some players find the story to be absurdly silly, suggesting it may not be worth following closely.
“The art style is very cute, and the dialogue is humorous too.”
“The story is hilariously stupid; I might as well have just skipped it.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that Netherguild offers flexibility in grinding, allowing both newcomers and veterans to engage in quick play sessions or invest hours into the game, with progress saved seamlessly.
“Grinding in this game feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding in this game quickly becomes tedious, leading to burnout.”
“While the game offers a lot of content, the grinding required to progress feels unnecessarily stretched out.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its high emotional stakes, creating a deeply engaging experience that enhances the overall drama and intensity of the gameplay.
“A thoroughly engaging, brilliantly realized roguelite where the stakes are high, and the emotional drama is even higher.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's strong gameplay loop, which significantly enhances its replayability, especially considering its affordable price.
“The gameplay loop offers a lot of replayability, and you really can't complain about the game's affordable price.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh due to the variety of choices and outcomes, making you want to dive back in.”
“The random events and different character paths ensure that no two runs are ever the same, keeping the experience exciting.”
