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Rogue Hero

Rogue Heroes: Ruins Of Tasos Review – Simple Pleasures
Rogue Hero Game Cover
80%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
stability, grinding
80% User Score Based on 2,003 reviews
Critic Score 82%Based on 14 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchPCCloudNVIDIA GeForce NOWWindows
Rogue Hero Game Cover

About

Rogue Hero is a single player and multiplayer role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Heliocentric Studios and was released on February 23, 2021. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

Rogue Hero is a 4 player action rpg with roguelike elements, combining procedural dungeons and an expansive overworld full of secrets. Take down the various dungeons, build up your village, or just fish, farm and swim around Tasos.

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80%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,003 reviews
gameplay102 positive mentions
stability140 negative mentions

  • Captures the nostalgic Zelda gameplay and aesthetic with charming pixel art and music.
  • Engaging cooperative multiplayer experience supporting 1-4 players with scalable difficulty and interesting class system.
  • Combination of roguelike dungeon crawling and town-building mechanics offers satisfying progression and replayability.
  • Multiplayer is plagued with desyncs, bugs, crashes, and softlocks that heavily impact playability.
  • Several design flaws such as unbalanced classes, awkward controls, and poor UI hamper the overall experience.
  • Dungeons can be repetitive due to limited room variety; the game suffers from bugs, frustrating puzzles, and sometimes unclear quest design.
  • gameplay
    354 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos offers a gameplay experience heavily inspired by classic Zelda titles, combining action RPG combat, puzzle-solving, roguelite dungeon crawling, and town-building mechanics that create an engaging core loop. While generally praised for its smooth, fun combat and cooperative multiplayer experience, the game suffers from balance issues, underwhelming class differentiation, frustrating design choices, and bugs that can hinder progression. Despite some mechanical shortcomings and repetitive elements, its nostalgic feel and variety of systems provide satisfying gameplay, especially in co-op, making it a recommended pick for fans of Zelda-like and roguelite genres.

    • “The game combines elements of roguelike dungeon crawling with town-building mechanics, creating a dynamic and engaging gameplay loop.”
    • “Rogue heroes: ruins of tasos blends classic Zelda-style adventure with roguelite mechanics, offering a fun and engaging dungeon-crawling experience.”
    • “The core gameplay revolves around exploring procedurally generated dungeons filled with traps, puzzles, and enemies.”
    • “Frustrating game mechanics, RNG that is absolutely against you, and jumping off a ledge 50 times because you got a bit too close and of course you want to jump into the lava.”
    • “There are some control/visual/mechanical bugs that either prevent gameplay from progressing until the run is abandoned, or make your co-op partner have to finish a room solo to knock your character loose.”
    • “Extremely important mechanics and interactions, like the ability to cut down shortcuts with the sword, burn piles of wood with the lantern, and throw pots at switches in dungeons, are never explained, and can leave the player feeling extremely frustrated and confused at their seeming inability to progress further.”
  • story
    242 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is generally considered simplistic, shallow, and forgettable, serving mostly as a basic framework for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. Many reviewers note poor quest design, including hidden or confusing quest objectives and a lack of an effective quest log, which hinders progression and immersion. While side quests and world exploration add content, the overall storytelling, character development, and plot are minimal and do not strongly engage players, though the game shines more in its cooperative gameplay and dungeon crawling aspects.

    • “The pixel art is awesome, the story is simple but great, the other characters all serve a significant role and most importantly this game perfectly blends the methods of a Zelda game with the rogue-lite formula.”
    • “Playing in both solo and multiplayer (completed 60%+ of the story online with a friend) went well. At 25h of playtime, I finished the main quest (multiplayer), all side quests, and maxed out my character and tools (solo play).”
    • “You never get bored as long as you have company, trying to maximize your stats, unlocking new stores, expanding your town, acquiring new classes, etc. It's cool exploring dungeons and finishing your quests as you try to find clues about the world.”
    • “Some of the quests in the main quest chain are literally hidden; if you don't explore you won't be able to find them, which means you won't be able to get certain items, causing your progress to stall.”
    • “The game features no proper level design or game/story flow/plot, as they opted to try to use samey repetitive procedural generation algorithms as a substitute for adding such content, avoiding doing the important job of level and map design.”
    • “The quests are really poorly written and confusing; I don't understand when they can be fulfilled and sometimes the instructions are very unclear, so I had to resort to Google a lot because of this.”
  • stability
    146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from numerous stability issues, especially in online multiplayer and co-op modes, with frequent bugs such as desyncs, softlocks, crashes, and game-breaking glitches that often disrupt progress. While single-player is relatively more stable, multiplayer experiences are commonly marked by frustrating glitches, network disconnections, and inconsistent behavior that significantly impact playability. Despite its fun core gameplay, the game currently requires patience due to its pervasive and persistent instability.

    • “Pretty much bug-free experience for me so far, which is refreshing since most games these days release littered with bugs making them almost unplayable.”
    • “It's a fun game and relatively bug-free in single player, and if that's all you will do, I recommend it.”
    • “Again, I think people complained of wonky hit boxes, but they're only wonky in the sense that they can sometimes fail to meet expectations - but they are consistent and not buggy or unpredictable.”
    • “The game is buggy online, with desyncs causing rooms to not play out consistently, resulting in odd outcomes and softlocks that force you to quit your run.”
    • “The game is extremely buggy in multiplayer, and I've lost multiple hours of progress due to these issues.”
    • “Insanely, unacceptably buggy mess; almost all the fun has been finding new ways the game breaks and softlocks.”
  • grinding
    144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is a significant aspect, often described as tedious and time-consuming, especially for progressing upgrades, leveling, and collecting resources. While procedurally generated dungeons help reduce repetition, many players find the grind to unlock classes, complete puzzles, or max out stats to be frustrating and sometimes unrewarding. Farming and fishing are present but generally considered shallow, slow, and mostly pointless beyond minor currency gains, lacking meaningful impact on gameplay or progression.

    • “Overall, I think it's pretty easy, but also not grindy which is super nice.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The upgrades for your class being locked behind the spheres is rather tedious, but also, most classes are either kinda pointless or lose their value.”
    • “This is one of those games where it has enough visual polish to appear well made and full of potential, but once you get beneath the surface what you find is a very barebones, unimaginative roguelite with subpar controls and very limited, grindy gameplay that doesn't even really attempt to be mediocre, let alone live up to its potential.”
    • “However, as time goes on, the grinding system is too much. I don't understand why I have to spend almost 15 hours out of my 24 hours of playing time grinding: for damage you have to grind in different shops, for tools you have to grind in different shops, for defense, stamina, magic, and class also...”
  • graphics
    133 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics feature a charming, nostalgic pixel art style heavily inspired by classic SNES-era Zelda, which many players find visually appealing and suitable for the gameplay. While some praise its cute and bright aesthetics that enhance immersion, others criticize the simplistic, sometimes amateurish visuals and lack of graphical options or polish, with a few noting technical issues on systems with integrated graphics. Overall, the graphics successfully evoke retro vibes but lack modern refinement, making them enjoyable for fans of pixel art and retro-style games but potentially underwhelming for those expecting contemporary visuals.

    • “This is one of the most graphically charming games I've ever played, so I'll give it another star for that.”
    • “Rogue heroes’ 16-bit pixel graphics look fantastic.”
    • “Rogue heroes: Ruins of Tasos is retro top-down SNES "Zelda: A Link to the Past" goodness with more features and an art style that's perfect for the experience.”
    • “The game does not launch or crashes on the load screen if you have an integrated graphics card, even if it's able to handle the game.”
    • “Visually, this is a hamfisted mess, a dog's breakfast of bad visuals, and this kind of laziness and poor quality should never be foisted on gamers.”
    • “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
  • music
    86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally described as nostalgic and atmospheric, often drawing comparisons to classic Zelda-style soundtracks, but many players find it generic, repetitive, or lacking in variety. While boss and certain theme tracks receive praise for being catchy or immersive, the overall soundtrack is criticized for limited presence, frequent silence, and use of royalty-free or stock music rather than original compositions. Technical issues, such as music cutting out or minimal background music, diminish the audio experience for some, though sound effects and ambiance contribute positively to the game's atmosphere.

    • “The soundtrack complements the visuals well, with a score that enhances the atmosphere and immerses players in the world of Tasos.”
    • “The music and sound effects are great and immersive, the art is amazing and impressive, and the combat is brilliant; progression is authentic, and there are many things to do, so if you get bored you have many other things to explore, side quests to do, games to play, etc.”
    • “The immersive music and sounds made me feel completely engaged in each area.”
    • “There was little to no music in the game; sure, it had jingles every time I found a secret or went up against a boss, but most of the time, it was dead silent other than the sound effects from enemies and my character.”
    • “Music audio often stops working; a fragment of the boss intro music kept playing then abruptly stopped, which was arguably worse than if it were just silent.”
    • “The music is mostly royalty-free tracks which lean more toward being 'atmospheric' rather than exciting and adventurous, potentially detracting from the appeal of a Zelda-style game.”
  • replayability
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Replayability is generally seen as moderate, with enjoyment enhanced by cooperative play, randomized dungeons, character upgrades, and town-building elements; however, many reviewers note that dungeon layouts become repetitive and the game lacks long-term incentives after 15-20 hours, limiting its lasting replay value. While some praise the cooperative depth and progression systems, others find the gameplay loop and content insufficient to sustain extended replay.

    • “Great game with lots of replayability both solo and in co-op!”
    • “The depth, replayability, and cooperative focus make it an absolute must-have for any gaming enthusiast.”
    • “If re-playable dungeons and character customization weren't enough, there's also building of your town, upgrading and decorating your house, gardening and selling crops, fishing (a must for a Zelda style game), and more.”
    • “Replayability is very minimal after the 20 hour mark, so let that be your guide.”
    • “It was fun for a playthrough, but doesn't have much replay value.”
    • “The minigames are easy to miss entirely, the farming element progresses far too slowly and there is little incentive to complete it, the character classes all play too similarly to offer replay value, town customization is limited to placing buildings on a grid, and the collectibles are frustrating to keep track of because the game never erases the clues for where to find them after they're collected, forcing players to waste tons of time backtracking or to remember each of the hundreds of locations they've already visited.”
  • humor
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is characterized by lighthearted, often silly dialogue, amusing glitches, and funny cooperative moments, especially when playing with friends. While some bugs and odd mechanics can be frustrating, many players find these quirks entertaining and enhance the overall fun and charm of the experience. The mix of unique character classes, unexpected in-game situations, and playful interactions creates a consistently humorous and enjoyable atmosphere.

    • “With its 'The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past' inspired graphics and sound, its mild difficulty ramp, humorous but not lewd dialogue, plethora of unlockables, and co-op gameplay, it's the perfect game for introducing newbies to the genre or for just vibing with a very rewarding and relaxing game you can sink hours into without much notice.”
    • “Throwing bombs are your teammate and watching them auto catch them is hilarious and this game just makes you want to keep playing... and playing... and if it wasn't for us having a life where we have to actually do work and, you know, sleep, we would have probably been at over 100 hours already.”
    • “Bought it on a whim because I saw two guys in my Discord playing it; spent the last two hours laughing my butt off from us testing to see how everything works.”
  • atmosphere
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is praised for its nostalgic and immersive qualities, effectively supported by visuals and a fitting, atmospheric soundtrack. While the music enhances the mood, some note it lacks memorable or exciting themes, which may slightly dampen the adventurous feel typical of Zelda-style games. Overall, the combination of charming graphics and cohesive world-building creates a warmly engaging environment.

    • “The soundtrack complements the visuals well, with a score that enhances the atmosphere and immerses players in the world of Tasos.”
    • “Rogue-like, Zelda style, 4 players online and local multiplayer plus light town building on top... this is a multiwin combo to me and the whole thing is well wrapped with simple yet adorable graphics and atmosphere.”
    • “The overworld submerses you into a well-tied-together atmosphere.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users had mixed emotional responses: while some found the contact damage and janky hit boxes frustrating, others appreciated how these mechanics enhanced immersion and made their in-game decisions feel meaningful. The immersive music further deepened emotional engagement throughout the game.

    • “I really enjoyed this design choice and it made me feel like my decisions for my town mattered.”
    • “The immersive music and sounds made me feel completely engaged in each area.”
    • “Touching an enemy causes damage, which adds to the tension and immersion of the gameplay.”
  • optimization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is mixed, with reports of poor performance and stuttering even on high-end hardware, though some users experience solid performance. As it is a day-one release, there are hopes that developers will address bugs and performance issues to improve stability and smoothness.

    • “Solid performance”
    • “Performance”
    • “First is the bugs; while I ran into a few when playing single mode, this is day 1 of its release and hopefully the devs will work out all the kinks to keep the game running smoothly.”
    • “Poorly optimized, and constantly stutters on a 32GB RAM & 5.3 GHz computer.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features distinct and colorful character designs within richly detailed environments, but offers minimal to no character development, as the story is very simplistic. Additionally, some reviewers feel that expecting deep character growth misses the game's intended focus.

    • “The story is very simplistic; there isn't much, if any, character development within the game at all.”
  • monetization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization primarily relies on microtransactions, which some users find intrusive while others see them as optional for enhancing gameplay. Overall, opinions are mixed regarding their impact on the gaming experience.

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13h Median play time
14h Average play time
7-20h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 26 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Rogue Hero is a role playing game with fantasy theme.

Rogue Hero is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Windows, Cloud and others.

On average players spend around 14 hours playing Rogue Hero.

Rogue Hero was released on February 23, 2021.

Rogue Hero was developed by Heliocentric Studios.

Rogue Hero has received positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked Rogue Hero for its gameplay but disliked it for its stability.

Rogue Hero is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

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