Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors
- September 14, 2023
- BKOM Studios
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam"Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors" is a roguelite survivor game set in the Pathfinder universe. Choose from three unique characters and explore 16 floors of Gallowspire, battling fierce bosses and mini-bosses. With over 67 abilities and 36 talents, enjoy endless strategy and community-requested features like hyper mode and detailed character sheets. Discover official Pathfinder art collectibles for hero improvements.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Fun way to kill some time with engaging gameplay mechanics.
- The game features a unique companion system that adds depth to the gameplay.
- The boss battles are well-designed and provide a nice challenge.
- Progression feels grindy and slow, with minimal impact from upgrades.
- Limited character classes and abilities lead to repetitive gameplay.
- The game lacks meaningful connections to the Pathfinder universe, feeling generic.
- gameplay94 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a repetitive and grind-heavy experience that lacks depth and excitement. While some appreciate the unique mechanics, such as the companion system and boss fights, others criticize the clunky controls, uninspired upgrades, and a general feeling of tedium. Overall, the game shows potential but requires significant improvements to make the gameplay more engaging and varied.
“A respectable bullet heaven game; considering the price point, I'm getting more than my money's worth of gameplay hours.”
“The pace of gameplay is brisk, and the skill animations are impressive.”
“The core gameplay is indeed outstanding; the boss fights are unique and a lot like a full-fledged game.”
“The gameplay loop is as bland as it gets for this kind of game.”
“The overall feel from controls, UI, and mechanics feels a bit on the 'cheap' side, like a jam project or something.”
“The chest mechanic is detrimental to the game loop; it is disorienting, and tied with the rolling mechanic, it becomes annoying after a short period of time.”
- story41 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally perceived as weak and underdeveloped, with many players finding it shallow and lacking engagement. While some appreciate the lore and setting, particularly its connection to the Pathfinder universe, the quests often feel repetitive and low-effort, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, a few players enjoy the gameplay loop and the minimal story elements, suggesting that while the narrative may not be the main draw, it still adds some charm to the game.
“Great game, having a lot of fun with the upgrades and enjoying advancing the story.”
“It has a satisfying gameplay loop, more of a story than most entries have, and a decent amount of personality.”
“I like the art, the story dialogue, and the presentation of the lore, though I do feel that more could be - and from what I hear, will be - done to really cement this as a game which takes place on Golarion.”
“The story is not all that engaging and it is easy to skip.”
“The story, lore, and writing are weak and not fleshed out, understandable for an early access rogue-like.”
“It is a very shallow bullet heaven with a very thin plot that is very thinly attached to an RPG system.”
- grinding32 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players consistently find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unfulfilling, with many expressing frustration over the slow and convoluted progression system that feels more like a chore than an engaging gameplay loop. The lack of meaningful upgrades and repetitive mechanics contribute to a sense of monotony, making the grind feel excessive and less rewarding compared to other titles in the genre. Overall, while some appreciate the traditional leveling grind, the overwhelming sentiment is that it detracts from the enjoyment of the game.
“The grinding is still too heavy, even compared to many free mobile games.”
“Bland design, dull gameplay, incredibly grindy progression.”
“It feels like the developers are trying to pad out the game by making it impossible to progress without grinding.”
- graphics29 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the polished visuals and art style, particularly on handheld devices, while others criticize the basic animations and lack of distinctive design. Overall, the aesthetics are deemed satisfactory for the game's price point, but many reviewers feel there is significant room for improvement, especially in terms of creativity and variety. Despite these criticisms, some players find the graphics enjoyable and fitting for the genre, contributing to a pleasant gaming atmosphere.
“The overall art style, progression, variety of locations all for under 10 bucks is a great deal and a great way to kill some time watching YouTube or something.”
“Nice graphics, and lots of builds.”
“The boss fights have been fun so far and the music and visuals make for an enjoyable atmosphere.”
“And the visuals do this no favors.”
“I don't usually like to judge a game by its graphical qualities, but this one makes a mess of a style that should be more easily executed.”
“In-game (non-meta) progression doesn't feel very good; I was disappointed by the class options feeling very distinctly generic instead of opting for any of Pathfinder's more interesting classes, and a lot of the effects and visuals feel very rushed.”
- replayability11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits a mixed reception regarding replayability. While many players appreciate the unique class mechanics and meta-progression elements that enhance replay value, some feel that the gameplay lacks sufficient variety to sustain long-term interest. There is potential for improvement, but current feedback suggests that replayability is a notable strength for some, while others find it lacking.
“Each class adds a unique twist, enhancing replayability.”
“Fun roguelike with good replayability.”
“Abilities feel far more powerful, and each run is less of a slow burn, plus there are more meta-progression elements to collect in preparation for higher difficulties, giving the game more replayability.”
“I see a lot of potential with this game, but more work on the developers' side is definitely required to improve replayability.”
“The replayability, a characteristic feature for this genre, is not really there.”
“When all attacks don't call for any real change in gameplay, you just kind of fall back into running in circles, and that doesn't bring too much replayability.”
- stability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with many players reporting frequent freezes, random crashes, and buggy abilities, particularly during boss stages and when interacting with mini-bosses. While some users have experienced fewer issues, the overall consensus indicates that the game is plagued by stability problems, making it feel unpolished and not ready for release.
“It's been pretty bug-free for me, but that's about the best thing I can say about it.”
“Not too buggy.”
“50% of the time when I reach the boss stages, the game just freezes.”
“There is a bug where sometimes upon killing a mini-boss that spawns a big chest, it freezes the character in place.”
“This is a buggy mess not fit for release.”
- music9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its thematic and atmospheric qualities, although some find it too somber for the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the option to turn off in-game music to play their own, and while the music enhances the overall ambiance, there are calls for more variety and distinctiveness in the soundtrack. Overall, the sound design, including music and voiceovers, contributes positively to the game's presentation.
“The sound, music, voiceover, and graphics are all very good.”
“The idea is solid, the presentation is good, the music is amazing.”
“The boss fights have been fun so far and the music and visuals make for an enjoyable atmosphere.”
“The music is thematic, but the gloomy, somber nature of it doesn't get me pumped to play like other games in the genre.”
“The music is pretty fantasy-based, which isn't what I would really look for in a game like this.”
“There's some other things they should really do, like adding more class options, making more music, and making the art style more distinctive, but those can come over time.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues such as stuttering and screen jerking, particularly when using variable refresh rates. While visuals and performance are commendable on handheld devices, there are calls for better AI optimization and clearer metrics on how character attributes impact performance. Overall, the game is seen as poorly optimized, despite some positive aspects.
“Nothing groundbreaking, but the visuals and performance are great on a handheld, and you have a constant sense of progression.”
“We need to know exactly, in a quantified way, how the increase in each attribute affects the performance of the characters.”
“Very poorly optimized.”
“However, the game has grave performance issues.”
“I think the AI needs to be more optimized; they're very dull and their movement is poor.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players feel it resembles a cash grab leveraging the Pathfinder name, others appreciate the absence of in-game purchases and find the $6 price point reasonable for the content provided. Overall, the lack of predatory practices is seen as a positive aspect.
“I am perfectly happy paying $6 for this game; there are no in-game purchases, just the game, and that is nice to see. They have to pay for the people working on the game.”
“The monetization model is refreshing, as it focuses solely on the initial purchase without any additional costs or microtransactions.”
“I appreciate that the game is a one-time purchase, allowing me to enjoy the full experience without worrying about in-game purchases.”
“The game just feels like a cash grab on the name of Pathfinder.”
“In summary, the game plays like a predatory incremental mobile game without the cash grab.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of Gallowspire is highly praised, with users appreciating its engaging visuals, music, and story snippets that enhance the overall experience. Despite some concerns about animation quality, the immersive environment and enjoyable boss fights contribute to a compelling atmosphere that many recommend.
“I really like the overall atmosphere of Gallowspire, and the story snippets you get to see are quite nice.”
“The boss fights have been fun so far, and the music and visuals create an enjoyable atmosphere.”
“I do, however, really like the overall atmosphere of Gallowspire, and the story snippets you get to see are quite nice.”
“Once the animations get tightened up a bit, I would recommend the game for the atmosphere alone.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is initially engaging, particularly with the dice mechanics, but it can become frustrating for players who frequently miss out on rare rewards, leading to a sense of disappointment rather than amusement. Overall, while some find the humor entertaining, it may not resonate with everyone, especially those who experience repeated letdowns.
“I thought this was funny, but it might disappoint people who repeatedly see themselves miss out on rare or legendary nat 20 rewards only to end up with the randomly selected common loot as the reward when they finally land the lucky die roll.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is perceived as underwhelming and weakly implemented, with players expressing a desire for more depth in the RPG elements. However, the setting, graphics, and character design are appreciated, along with the inclusion of a brief RPG story between levels.
“I like the setting, the graphics, the character design, and the little RPG story in between levels.”
“The RPG element of character design is underwhelming and weakly implemented.”
“Character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful choices.”
“The progression system is uninspired, making it hard to feel invested in character growth.”
