Oafmatch
- May 19, 2017
- NCR Games
- 20h median play time
Get on Steam"Oafmatch" is a single-player Role Playing Game that combines traditional RPG turn-based combat with match-three mechanics. In the game, you join Knuckles the Oaf and his companions in an epic quest to save their homeland, utilizing a hybrid combat system to match gems and unleash devastating attacks on enemies. The game features 30 playable classes, 60 unique weapons, dozens of monsters, and a huge campaign with light-hearted dialogs, as well as a roguelike dungeon mode.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Oafmatch offers a delightful blend of match-3 gameplay with RPG elements, providing a deep and engaging experience with a humorous storyline and diverse characters.
- The game features a substantial amount of content, including a lengthy campaign and a roguelike mode, allowing for significant replayability and strategic depth.
- Players appreciate the fun mechanics, variety of characters and equipment, and the addictive nature of the gameplay, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
- The game suffers from balance issues, particularly in the later stages where difficulty spikes can lead to frustrating encounters, requiring excessive grinding.
- Presentation aspects, such as sound effects and music, are noted to be lacking, contributing to an overall unpolished feel.
- Some players find the gameplay repetitive and reliant on luck, which can detract from the strategic elements that the game aims to offer.
- story46 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in Oafmatch is characterized by its humorous dialogue and quirky characters, following the titular oaf, Knuckles, on a quest filled with match-3 combat. While the narrative offers a decent amount of content and amusing moments, some players feel it lacks depth and direction, leading to a repetitive experience as the game progresses. Overall, it appeals to fans of the match-3 genre, particularly those who enjoyed the Puzzle Quest series, but may not satisfy those seeking a more robust storyline.
“The story is enjoyable as well, with witty dialogue and distinctive characters.”
“A true gem with an entertaining story and complicated gameplay.”
“The story mode is surprisingly robust (devs say over 30 hours and that seems about right).”
“The story is very poor even for a game that doesn't take its story very seriously; especially the ending is very shallow.”
“The campaign drags on for quite a while, and you get little pieces of the story only when you beat an encounter, to further the campaign.”
“Compared to Puzzle Quest or Galactrix, this is very basic, because in campaigns of those games not only was there much more freedom in map movement, but also there was something to do between battles, like mining resources, gathering blueprints, and crafting things in Galactrix, or capturing monsters and cities in Puzzle Quest.”
- gameplay27 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Oafmatch is praised for its fun and varied mechanics, combining match-3 puzzles with RPG elements and strategic character builds. While the intuitive controls and humorous dialogues enhance the experience, some players find the gameplay becomes repetitive after a certain point. Overall, it offers a solid mix of casual and deep gameplay, appealing to fans of both match-3 and RPG genres, with a significant amount of content for its price.
“Characters are amusing, gameplay is fun and variable based on equipment and characters.”
“Oafmatch combines deep RPG elements, casual match-3 gameplay, and very silly dialogue.”
“Oafmatch offers a wide variety of strategic decisions in selecting and equipping your party, as well as strong match-3 gameplay that rewards you for thinking ahead, but also throws in some interesting surprises.”
“The dialogues are very funny too, but the story kind of doesn't go anywhere and the gameplay became too repetitive for me on roughly the 4th map.”
“The main problem I have with Oafmatch is in the gameplay.”
“After wave 20 you may get a chance for a special skill drop that is overpowered; I've used them myself quite a lot during my gameplay.”
- humor15 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players finding the dialogues and character interactions to be hilarious and charming. While some note that the humor can be subjective and not always laugh-out-loud funny, it adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience. The writing cleverly plays with RPG tropes and features a mix of cute and dark humor, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate a comedic twist in their gaming.
“A very nice and lengthy match-3 game, with RPG elements (items and character levels) and great humor!”
“I find the characters to be hilarious.”
“There is a great deal of humor here, and while I appreciate humor is subjective, to me, some of the dialogue was pretty hilarious.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as quirky and engaging, reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoons, and enhances the battle and exploration experience. However, some users feel it lacks polish and may not fit the game's overall theme, with suggestions to turn off the game sound in favor of personal music. Overall, while the music adds a fun element, its quality and appropriateness are points of contention among players.
“The music is quirky and engaging enough; sometimes it sounds like something straight from a Saturday morning cartoon.”
“A lot of the encounters feel like they have a theme, which is reflected in the music track that will be played.”
“It has a really fun drawn style and music helps with the battle and exploration.”
“Just turn off the game sound and listen to your own music.”
“The music sounds like it might be from some sort of license-free music library and doesn't fit the game at all.”
“Although I wish some little things about the game were more polished - particularly the sound effects, music, and turn indicators - the core game is outstanding.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Grinding in the game is a necessary aspect that can become tedious, particularly due to the reliance on RNG for success and the need to replay earlier stages for upgrades. While the arena stages and diverse content help make the grinding more enjoyable, many players find the repetitive nature of the gameplay and the lengthy campaign challenging to sustain interest over time. Overall, while the game offers a wealth of content, the grind can detract from the overall experience.
“One of the downsides is the game can be quite grindy with the usual dollop of RNG luck in there; if you can't complete a level and aren't getting lucky with your gem combos, you will need to grind earlier stages to upgrade your stats to continue.”
“Overall, Oafwatch has an absolute ton of content, although with the limited scope of match-3 games, it can get repetitive and grindy.”
“I read that this game has a 30-hour long campaign, but it's hard to imagine sticking with something this simple and grindy for longer than a few hours.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a charming and simple cartoon style that enhances its fun and humorous tone, making it visually appealing despite being less detailed than some competitors. While the artwork is enjoyable and performs well on various setups, players have reported numerous bugs, including graphic issues that can disrupt gameplay. Overall, the graphics are considered cute and add a lighthearted element to the experience, though they may not impress those seeking high-end visuals.
“It isn't as in-depth as Puzzle Quest, but is much more so than most other mashup games I've seen, plus has a fun sense of humor and simple, but enjoyable cartoon-style graphics.”
“The art style of the game is incredibly charming.”
“I have played this game mostly on version 1.03 (and each of the three patches has large bug lists), and I still have encountered about a dozen bugs, varying from graphic and text bugs to game-breaking issues like blank tiles on the board, some equipment not dropping properly, or heroes joining fully upgraded when they are not supposed to do so.”
“The graphics and sounds are amateur but not offensive.”
“The simple graphics mean the game can perform well on most setups, and plays without issue when minimized as you watch a stream or work on something else between turns.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability through its New Game Plus mode, which allows players to unlock additional classes, and a challenging rogue-like mode that encourages repeated play with carry-over unlockables. This combination of engaging campaign content and the addictive nature of rogue-like gameplay ensures players will return for more.
“Upon completion, the game offers a New Game Plus mode that allows you to unlock the 16 classes not used in the initial playthrough, so replayability is high.”
“Roguelike is exactly as it sounds; extremely hard and sometimes unfair, but a real challenge with unlockables that carry over, adding significant replayability to the game.”
“While the campaign is fun and pretty engaging, the rogue-like mode is what gives you that replayability and that 'one more game' itch.”
“Roguelike is exactly as it sounds; extremely hard and sometimes unfair, but a real challenge with unlockables that carry over and this adds some real replayability to the game.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy for the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its fair pricing and lack of intrusive ads. Some users suggest that additional advertising could have been beneficial, but overall, the approach is seen as appropriate for the game's lighthearted nature.
“Maybe some additional advertising could've helped aside from a simple price drop on sale, but well, probably too late for that anyway.”
“Well-executed and lighthearted fantasy RPG match-3 game, priced appropriately and without annoying monetization.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is noted for its solid design, though some users find it occasionally generic and disappointing due to the reuse of character traits and designs, which undermines the potential for deeper individuality and growth.
