No Place for Bravery

An unsettling story coated in a gorgeous art style, but held back by various bugs and lackluster writing.

Starting at $9.70Buy now

"No Place for Bravery" is an indie pixel art action RPG, where a retired warrior, Thora, seeks to find her lost child in a grim world filled with danger and tough choices. The game features challenging combat, deep narrative, and thought-provoking themes. Thora's journey will test her skills and determination, while forcing her to confront the consequences of her past actions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

63%

Audience ScoreBased on 44 reviews

story17 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The pixel art and overall visual design are stunning, creating a captivating atmosphere.
The soundtrack is immersive and enhances the overall experience of the game.
The gameplay mechanics offer a challenging yet rewarding experience, balancing difficulty with a sense of flow.

The combat feels clunky and unrefined, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The story lacks depth and character development, making it less engaging.
There are numerous bugs and design issues that detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

story
46 mentions
37 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and well-paced, while others describe it as boring and overly familiar, revolving around a father’s quest to rescue his daughter. Although the game features strong world-building and atmospheric elements, many critiques highlight issues with player choices that detract from the narrative's impact, leading to a sense of frustration rather than meaningful engagement. Overall, while the story has potential and intriguing themes, it is often undermined by design flaws and repetitive tropes.
- “The music is involving and the story keeps you in the flow.”
- “It won’t give endless texts that you must read and become tiring; the story flows in a perfect way, so you understand well what is going on, what is next, and still keeps you intrigued about what is coming next.”
- “It’s a story about a world torn asunder and the scars it continues to bear because of its faults and its people's choices.”
- “So I tried to play for the story and it's boring as hell.”
- “A fairly rote story by all accounts, and the devs have tried to set No Place for Bravery apart by claiming the story explores the themes of strong father figures, parental obligations, and consequences of their choices, but it's undermined so often that it's rendered meaningless.”
- “When it came to some of the more esoteric elements of the story, such as the reoccurring enemy 'Dark Thorn', I was left clueless about why he existed, where he came from, or what was to be gained by beating him.”
gameplay
25 mentions
28 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its well-crafted mechanics and beautiful pixel art, while others criticize it for frustrating platforming, clunky combat, and a lack of innovation. Many players noted that the game attempts to emulate "souls-like" mechanics but falls short, leading to tedious experiences and poor design choices that detract from overall enjoyment. Despite its aesthetic appeal, the gameplay is often seen as the weakest aspect, with issues like bugs and poorly executed mechanics hindering the experience.
- “From the art to the soundtrack and all the gameplay mechanics, everything is very well-crafted.”
- “The gameplay flows in a great direction as well, with some challenging situations but still 'keeping you alive' so you can carry on.”
- “Good gameplay combined with beautiful pixel art.”
- “I kept playing to see the 'souls-like' gameplay and there isn't.”
- “The pixel art is gorgeous and the OST is incredible, but the platforming (unnecessary and annoying) and the gameplay are awful.”
- “Gameplay is easily the low water mark of No Place for Bravery, with the nadir being the combat.”
music
18 mentions
44 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and emotional depth of the experience. Eduardo Zolhof's soundtrack is described as addictive, dark, and resonant, perfectly complementing the game's art and narrative. Overall, the music stands out as a highlight, contributing significantly to the game's immersive qualities despite some criticisms of gameplay mechanics.
- “The music is involving and the story keeps you in the flow.”
- “Eduardo Zolhof created a phenomenally addictive soundtrack that set a dark and deeply resounding tone for all of the story's powerful and terrifying moments.”
- “The incidental background music for the rest of the game matches each area and helps give the landscape art the extra bit of impact to make each zone stand out.”
- “But atmosphere is more than mere images and story line; it’s also its music.”
- “Music is the only area where No Place for Bravery has no issues.”
- “The soundtrack is urgent and primal.”
atmosphere
8 mentions
63 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "No Place for Bravery" is characterized by a gritty yet captivating pixelated fantasy world, enhanced by detailed visuals and an evocative soundtrack featuring choral elements and tribal drums. While the game's environment and artistic assets are praised for their appeal, some players note that issues with level design can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere is seen as a strong point, with potential for further development in future expansions.
- “It's brilliant, my favorite track being the intensely atmospheric title tune with its choral chanting and rumbling tribal drums.”
- “No place for bravery is a 'souls-like' game that places you into a pixelated fantasy world with a very gritty, yet alluring atmosphere.”
- “When it comes to atmosphere, this game spares no expense in turning a detailed fantasy world into your playground.”
- “But atmosphere is more than mere images and storyline; it’s also its music.”
graphics
8 mentions
63 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their gorgeous art style and impressive enemy design, creating a visually appealing experience. However, some players note issues such as frame rate problems, dizziness from screen movement, and a lack of substance in the overall gameplay, which detracts from the visual appeal. Additionally, retro graphics and bugs have been pointed out as shortcomings that affect the overall experience.
- “I really like the art style, the music is amazing, and the enemy design is great.”
- “An unsettling story coated in a gorgeous art style, but held back by various bugs and lackluster writing.”
- “Art style is good, but the way the screen moves makes me a little dizzy when I play.”
- “The visuals and art style are underwhelming and fail to impress.”
- “The graphics are inconsistent, with some elements looking outdated.”
- “Certain art style choices detract from the overall experience.”
grinding
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while some players enjoy the combat and farming aspects, the overall grinding experience is marred by tedious gameplay, poor design choices, and numerous bugs, detracting from the potential enjoyment of the game.
- “Bugs, poor combat, tedious gameplay, and some awful design mar what could have been an exciting and moving experience.”
- “Some stunning scenes, good music, and a decent story do not make up for the brutal, unfair combat, the tedious back-tracking, a host of obnoxious design choices, and a plethora of bugs.”
character development
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the character designs and world-building, noting that these elements initially captivated them and inspired fan art. Overall, the character development is seen as strong, contributing positively to the game's appeal.
- “I loved the animated trailer; I really liked the world-building and character designs. At first, I was so into that I even did a bit of fan art for it.”
- “The character design is quite good too, for the most part.”
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized, with users noting significant bugs that detract from the experience, overshadowing its potential as a spiritual successor to HLD.
- “What could have been a great spiritual and visual successor to HLD, with a developed main character who has motivation, instead turned into a buggy souls-like mess.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I encountered numerous glitches that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
optimization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for odd bugs that necessitate a reboot and various performance issues, indicating a need for further refinement.
- “There are odd bugs that require a reboot, and I frequently encounter performance issues.”
- “The game suffers from significant optimization problems, leading to frustrating lag and stuttering.”
- “Despite its potential, the lack of proper optimization makes it nearly unplayable at times.”