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"Rogue Empire is a single-player Fantasy Role Playing game with awesome gameplay, wonderful graphics, and a compelling soundtrack. Explore the huge map of Ethistos, play through two story campaigns, or tackle randomly generated dungeons with unique challenges. Create your unique character through a trading card-style class building system and collect legendary items with special effects. Engage in battles against champion monsters and bosses, and prepare to face permadeath with soul essence rewards upon death."

Rogue Empire screenshot
Rogue Empire screenshot
Rogue Empire screenshot
Rogue Empire screenshot
Rogue Empire screenshot
Rogue Empire screenshot
Rogue Empire screenshot
Rogue Empire screenshot
Rogue Empire screenshot
Rogue Empire screenshot
Rogue Empire screenshot
+8

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 614 reviews
gameplay42 positive mentions
grinding20 negative mentions

  • Rogue Empire offers a unique leveling system where players can choose from randomized ability cards, adding variety to each playthrough.
  • The game features a good mix of classic roguelike elements with modern mechanics, making it accessible for newcomers while still engaging for veterans.
  • The developer is very active and responsive to community feedback, regularly updating the game and addressing bugs.
  • The game suffers from a lack of polish, with issues such as a clunky UI, awkward controls, and some bugs that can disrupt gameplay.
  • Many players find the game repetitive, with a limited variety of enemies and environments that can lead to a dull experience over time.
  • The hunger system and time pressure mechanics can be frustrating for some players, detracting from the overall enjoyment of exploration.
  • gameplay
    154 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its strategic depth, innovative mechanics, and engaging progression systems, while others criticize it for being repetitive and buggy. Many appreciate the balance between complexity and accessibility, making it enjoyable for both newcomers and seasoned roguelike fans, though some feel it lacks the polish and variety found in more established titles. Overall, it offers a blend of classic roguelike elements with modern twists, but opinions vary on its execution and overall enjoyment.

    • “The granularity of the characters and gameplay is where it shines: leveling up, choosing 'feats', balancing your equipment.”
    • “I especially like how the gameplay changes as you progress, and how talents and certain items can make a big change in playstyle.”
    • “In summation, Rogue Empire provides a fairly accessible and well-rounded experience with content and mechanics that are sufficiently different from other roguelikes to give players interesting new challenges to solve.”
    • “To top it off, I have already encountered a numerous amount of bugs during my 2 hours of gameplay, and even without them, the game was just too dull for me to go on.”
    • “It's a shame such a great system is wasted on a game with such middling gameplay.”
    • “Ugly, boring, and slow, with uninspiring gameplay.”
  • graphics
    110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many reviewers praising the colorful and detailed artwork that enhances the overall aesthetic experience. While some players noted that the graphics can appear unpolished or strange at times, particularly in the overworld compared to the dungeons, the ability to zoom in and out adds a layer of comfort and accessibility. Overall, the visuals are considered a significant improvement over traditional roguelikes, making the game visually appealing and enjoyable to play.

    • “The artwork is also lovely and very pleasing to look at.”
    • “One of the best true roguelikes on Steam with some of the best graphics you'll find in this genre.”
    • “Graphics are colorful, flowing with tabletop liveliness and rich with detail where you can zoom in or out of the map.”
    • “Pacing is sometimes slow, and dungeons can feel tediously large; the graphical UI is occasionally clumsy, requiring awkward zooming or even resizing of the application window to get one's whole field of vision onscreen in especially narrow dungeon levels; and occasional graphical or engine bugs will be encountered.”
    • “[*][b]Overworld map graphics[/b] - they are bafflingly awful by comparison to the dungeon graphics (I play Tome a lot, so I'm not desperate for great graphics, it's just weird how much uglier the overworld graphics are than the dungeon graphics).”
    • “At first I thought this was my underpowered tablet (Intel Core M, integrated graphics, 8GB RAM, SSD) but when I switched over to playing on my aging gaming rig (Intel Quad i7, 16GB RAM, SSD, GTX 970) I didn't notice much difference.”
  • music
    74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its diversity and quality, featuring a mix of heavy metal, retro RPG tunes, and gothic melodies that enhance the gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the expansive soundtrack, noting its ability to set the mood for various in-game activities, from monster hunting to leveling up. However, some users have reported issues with choppy playback at times, though the overall consensus is that the music is a strong highlight of the game.

    • “The music is fantastic, full of soothing retro fantasy flavor mixed with heavy metal 1970's excellence along with gothic horror melodies, all coming together into a fine audio alchemy mixture of action-packed and relaxing invigorating tones as one travels the lands visiting towns and roadside inns while scoping out the evils of the land such as dark dangerous dungeons.”
    • “There are probably 25+ unique tracks in this game, from overland music to dungeon delving, each with its own flair and style, truly a pleasure on the ears and a perfect accompaniment to wading through hordes of enemies.”
    • “Fluid and entertaining gameplay, beautiful art, and music that (literally!) rocks.”
    • “The theme of the game is all over the place with heavy metal music one minute, then midi-style old RPG music the next.”
    • “The music is odd; I had many times during my run that the music would become extremely choppy, and I had to go to the settings to change the track (which fortunately is an option), and that would make it better temporarily until it happened again.”
    • “The music, as another reviewer noted, isn't much more than serviceable.”
  • story
    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in the game is generally considered average, serving as a backdrop rather than a primary draw, with a typical good versus evil fantasy theme. Players appreciate the presence of a solid main campaign and a tutorial-like starter dungeon, but some find the quest system lacking and the repetitive nature of early gameplay can detract from the story experience. Overall, while the narrative is not the standout feature, it is deemed acceptable for a roguelike, with some players enjoying the balance of story and gameplay elements.

    • “I recommend this game because it has great gameplay and an interesting story campaign.”
    • “A short premade adventure to get a general idea of the game mechanics (it is not a tutorial), then a solid storyline to follow in the main (randomized) mode, and a great infinite challenge mode.”
    • “I've been experimenting pretty heavily with roguelikes lately, and to be honest, this is one of the most balanced games I've tried in terms of checking all the boxes for me personally: story, combat, character development, progression systems.”
    • “The story is just okay, but it's not the selling point of these kinds of games.”
    • “There is a story I'd like to follow, but it's simply impossible for me to stomach losing 20 hours of play.”
    • “The story is okay for a roguelike.”
  • replayability
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game boasts high replayability due to its diverse character classes, races, and a randomized ability system, which encourage players to experiment with different builds and strategies. The procedural generation of dungeons and various game modes further enhance replay value, making each playthrough unique and engaging. Overall, players express excitement about the multitude of choices and mechanics that contribute to a rich and varied gaming experience.

    • “The variability of what skills the player is presented not only greatly increases the replay value of the title, but also, in combination with a simple class/race system, makes for a magnitude of interesting decisions during the current playthrough.”
    • “An accessible roguelike RPG with lots of replayability thanks to the number of races, classes, and the randomized ability system.”
    • “Rogue Empire features a variety of race and class options, several distinct game modes, and limitless replayability.”
    • “It adds an immense amount of replayability and a fair amount of aggravation early on when you want a certain card, but have not yet unlocked the soul essence (what you use to get between run upgrades) sink which gives you a chance to reroll them.”
    • “I think it will add to replayability in the future and that's important for me when I buy a game.”
    • “The game has a lot of replay value, even in its current state!”
  • grinding
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some describe it as tedious and slow, particularly with the food system and large dungeons, others appreciate the sense of progression and gratification that comes with leveling up and acquiring better equipment. The game does require significant grinding for achievements and resources, but many still find it enjoyable despite the occasional clumsiness in the UI and bugs. Overall, the grinding can feel heavy at times, yet it contributes to a rewarding gameplay loop.

    • “The game felt extremely tedious.”
    • “Pacing is sometimes slow, and dungeons can feel tediously large; the graphical UI is occasionally clumsy, requiring awkward zooming or even resizing of the application window to get one's whole field of vision onscreen in especially narrow dungeon levels; and occasional graphical or engine bugs will be encountered.”
    • “A lot of the achievements will require a lot of grinding or skill.”
  • stability
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability remains a concern, with users reporting persistent bugs and glitches, particularly in the new engine, though it is an improvement over the previous version. While some players find the issues manageable and not game-breaking, the lack of save and load features in a roguelike context can lead to frustrating experiences. Overall, the game is still considered incomplete and unbalanced, with occasional glitches in dungeon generation.

    • “I really wanted to like this game, and at first it was very enjoyable; however, it's still pretty buggy, and that in a roguelike with no save & load can screw you up badly.”
    • “The random dungeons have occasional glitches or oddly generated rooms.”
    • “I came back to try the new engine and it's still buggy, but better than the old, even buggier engine where it was impossible for me to remap keys.”
  • character development
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Rogue Empire excels in character development through a unique blend of streamlined and randomized elements, making it a standout in the roguelike genre. Players appreciate the balance it strikes between story, combat, and progression systems, highlighting its appeal for fans of turn-based dungeon crawling RPGs. Overall, the game offers a compelling and tactical character development experience.

    • “Where Rogue Empire stands out is a mix of streamlining and interesting randomized character development.”
    • “The randomized character development is a core aspect of the game, and it's quite intriguing.”
    • “If you like turn-based dungeon crawling RPGs with interesting character development and deep, tactical combat, then I highly recommend that you give Rogue Empire a try.”
  • atmosphere
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere is characterized by a compelling blend of vibrant natural settings and dark, menacing dungeons filled with villains and monsters, effectively creating an immersive experience. However, some reviewers suggest that more impactful games offer environments that significantly influence gameplay or evoke distinct atmospheres.

    • “Atmosphere is a nice mix of living environments in nature and grim, death-drenched villain/monster-filled dungeons.”
    • “It manages to create a very appropriate atmosphere.”
    • “Better games have an environment that has bearing on the game or provide a different atmosphere.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that the game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to performance drops and inconsistent frame rates. Players have noted that the lack of efficient resource management and poor graphical settings adjustments contribute to a subpar gaming experience. Overall, the optimization shortcomings hinder smooth gameplay and detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “What lack of optimizations are going on under the hood?”
    • “What lack of optimizations are going on under the hood?”

Buy Rogue Empire

7h Median play time
7h Average play time
7-10h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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