Onyx

About

Onyx is a single player casual role playing game with a anime theme. It was developed by Valkyria Games and was released on April 21, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Play as Rowan, a secluded witch with a bad temper, in this intense adventure worth 30-40 hours of gameplay!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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64%Audience ScoreBased on 28 reviews

story5 positive mentions

monetization3 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay with strategic turn-based combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving suitable for fans of classic RPGs.
Compelling story and character interactions led by a sarcastic and memorable protagonist, Rowan, adding humor and personality.
Large, atmospheric world with many secret rooms and optional content rewarding exploration and extending playtime.

Repetitive gameplay with slow pacing and limited innovation in combat mechanics can cause boredom during longer sessions.
Visuals and animations feel dated and sometimes stiff, with inconsistent presentation and some graphical glitches.
Technical issues such as clunky controls, bugs, inconsistent save points, and poor keyboard support reduce overall polish.

story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
63%
14%
The story centers on Rowan, a solitary witch on a personal quest to recover a stolen heirloom, which evolves into a broader narrative involving larger forces and hidden truths. While the plot follows familiar RPG tropes and can start slowly, its character-driven dialogue, atmospheric world, and engaging moments make the story compelling and rewarding for players who appreciate classic, narrative-focused adventures. However, some criticism notes a lack of depth and polish, along with uneven pacing between story and gameplay segments.
- “The story follows Rowan, a solitary and often irritable witch whose life is disrupted when an important heirloom tied to her past is stolen.”
- “What starts as a straightforward personal quest slowly expands into a broader narrative involving hidden truths and larger forces at work.”
- “The story might be slow at the start but it’s worthy to play to see how events will turn to save the world; the conversations about the plot and the character’s memories are very interesting.”
- “The balance between story progression and gameplay can occasionally feel uneven, particularly when extended sequences of combat or exploration slow the narrative momentum.”
- “Just like this 'developer' doesn't actually do any game development, they also didn't do any plot development, this is a ripoff of an anime called 'Tales of Berseria'.”
- “Not great, graphics quite redundant; but manageable for its story.”
gameplay
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
52%
16%
The gameplay features traditional turn-based combat and exploration with straightforward mechanics that are engaging but lack innovation, leading to some repetitiveness and pacing issues in later stages. While strategic combat and puzzle-solving elements add depth, the controls can feel clunky, and the balance between gameplay and story progression is sometimes uneven. Overall, it appeals to fans of classic RPGs but may not satisfy players seeking fresh or polished gameplay experiences.
- “Gameplay is rooted in traditional turn-based combat and exploration, offering a structure that will feel immediately recognizable to fans of the genre.”
- “Engaging gameplay mechanics include strategic combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving, providing a challenging yet rewarding adventure.”
- “The overall mechanics are good, with easy controls using either the keyboard or the mouse.”
- “While the early portions maintain a steady and engaging rhythm, the later stages can feel stretched, with repeated gameplay loops that do not always introduce new ideas.”
- “The lack of innovation in gameplay systems means that it rarely surprises, and the repetition inherent in its structure can become noticeable over time.”
- “The gameplay is repetitive, with clunky controls, and I can't recommend it based on its current state.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The graphics feature beautiful hand-drawn artwork and appealing scenes, though animation can feel stiff and less fluid at times. However, the game's outdated engine and lack of modern graphical options, like fullscreen optimization and HD support, may disappoint dedicated PC gamers. Overall, while visually charming, the presentation occasionally suffers from technical limitations.
- “While it may suffer from pacing issues and limited exploration depth, its beautiful artwork and challenging gameplay make it a worthwhile experience for fans of fantasy RPGs.”
- “Onyx features beautiful hand-drawn artwork, although the animation quality may occasionally feel stiff or lacking in fluidity.”
- “Art work and music are pleasing with an assortment of scenes and themes that help propel the game.”
- “As with all RPG Maker games, the poor quality engine displays badly in fullscreen and lacks full HD support or any graphics tweaking options, making this unacceptable for any dedicated modern PC gamer.”
- “Graphics feel like a 90s screensaver; puzzles drag on forever, but I keep hitting start because the glitches are oddly entertaining.”
- “Visuals and animation: while Onyx features beautiful hand-drawn artwork, the animation quality may occasionally feel stiff or lacking in fluidity.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
Users praise the game for its richly detailed, atmospheric world and compelling story that enhance narrative depth and exploration. However, some note that despite the immersive environments, the exploration depth can feel somewhat limited. Sound effects support gameplay effectively but do not significantly enrich the atmosphere.
- “ Atmospheric world and story: the game presents a richly detailed world with a compelling story that unfolds as players progress.”
- “From ancient ruins to mysterious forests, Onyx's atmospheric environments add depth to the narrative and exploration.”
- “Onyx offers an engaging adventure with its strategic combat, atmospheric world, and compelling story.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is distinctive and character-driven, adding charm and lightness to the story even when the plot is familiar. It features self-aware, witty dialogue that enhances player engagement and provides entertaining moments throughout.
- “This gives the dialogue a distinct tone, adding moments of humor and character-driven interaction that help carry the story even when the plot itself follows a familiar trajectory.”
- “One of the more distinctive elements of Onyx is its use of humor.”
- “I like the self-aware humor of how hard it is to find objectives.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The music effectively supports exploration and combat by maintaining the game's tone without drawing too much attention to itself. Players find the soundtrack relaxing and pleasing, with a variety of themes that enhance the overall experience.
- “The soundtrack provides appropriate background music for exploration and combat, helping to maintain the overall tone without becoming a standout feature.”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “Artwork and music are pleasing with an assortment of scenes and themes that help propel the game.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization is heavily criticized as a greedy cash grab, with a price of around $5 USD that is deemed unjustified given the game's low quality, numerous flaws, and reliance on generic assets. Many view it as shovelware that harms the reputation of amateur developers.
- “It's horribly basic, riddled with grammatical and spelling errors, full of stock copy-pasted RPG Maker assets... no real game development has taken place here, this is just a cash grab, shovelware polluting Steam for profit.”
- “This kind of cash grab construction kit shovelware from bad actors like Andorlea gives amateur developers a bad name.”
- “Onyx has the greedy, cash grab price of around $5 USD; it's not worth it given the defects and shortcomings of the product, especially considering the sheer number of completely free, much higher quality games on Steam.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel that the game’s replayability could be enhanced by incorporating more branching narratives and diverse gameplay decisions, which would boost player engagement and encourage multiple playthroughs.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marked by frequent glitches that, while technically flaws, add an oddly entertaining charm. Despite dated graphics and slow puzzles, these quirks contribute to a unique, if somewhat unstable, experience.