In Rogue Lords, you play as the devil, reaping souls and commanding a dark council of minions in a roguelike adventure. You'll need to balance resources, manage your minions, and outsmart enemy agents to succeed. Each playthrough offers unique challenges, with procedurally generated levels and an array of skills and relics to discover. Your choices and strategies will determine the fate of your dark dominion.
Rogue Lords features a unique and engaging combat system that allows players to manipulate the game mechanics through the Devil's powers, adding a fresh twist to the roguelike genre.
The art style and voice acting are top-notch, creating a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
The game offers a variety of characters with distinct abilities, encouraging players to experiment with different team compositions and strategies.
The game suffers from significant balancing issues, particularly with enemy difficulty spikes that can feel unfair and punishing, especially for new players.
There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with skills not functioning as intended and game-breaking encounters.
The pacing of the game can be slow, with long runs and tedious navigation through the overworld, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.
gameplay
367 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
54%
5%
The gameplay of "Rogue Lords" is characterized by its innovative mechanics, particularly the unique "devil mode" that allows players to manipulate combat and events, adding a strategic layer to the roguelike experience. While many players appreciate the depth and variety of choices, some criticize the game's balance and complexity, which can lead to confusion and frustration, especially for newcomers. Overall, the game offers a challenging and engaging experience, but it requires players to invest time in mastering its intricate systems.
“Excellent storytelling paired with engaging gameplay mechanics makes this a very good experience.”
“Every run feels different, with a wide variety of choices, events, and outcomes, which keeps the gameplay exciting and unpredictable.”
“The devil's essence is a really interesting mechanic that adds an interesting level to the strategy of it all, and even though they call it cheating it's just part of the mechanics, not cheating.”
“The initial allure of its setting and mechanics is hard to sustain in the face of its balancing issues and unforgiving difficulty.”
“Great concept and overall execution of the theme, however the gameplay is very buggy and the balance isn't great.”
“The gameplay makes no sense.”
story
216 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
72%
2%
The story in "Rogue Lords" is generally considered engaging but somewhat simplistic, revolving around the devil and his disciples on a quest against Van Helsing. While the narrative framework and character interactions are praised for their originality and charm, many players find the story repetitive and lacking depth as they progress through the chapters. Overall, the game offers a unique storytelling approach that complements its gameplay, but it may not satisfy those seeking a more intricate narrative experience.
“Excellent storytelling paired with engaging gameplay mechanics makes this a very good experience.”
“The story framing of being the devil and the characters your disciple in a revenge quest against Van Helsing is a pretty fun concept, the book framing and narration is fine.”
“The game really has a lot of personality, even with its story being ultimately a little forgettable.”
“The story is weak; I think an inferred narrative would have been more effective.”
“The story felt like it offered little more than a backdrop.”
“Too much repetitiveness, too much sameness, since the story doesn't really hold your attention that much.”
graphics
147 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
36%
3%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the unique and beautiful art style, atmospheric visuals, and polished character designs that enhance the dark, gothic theme. However, some players criticize the graphics as being stiff or subpar compared to other titles, noting that while the aesthetic is charming, it does not compensate for gameplay issues. Overall, the visuals are often highlighted as a strong point, contributing significantly to the game's appeal despite some technical shortcomings.
“The dark, gothic atmosphere is visually striking, with an art style that perfectly complements the game's eerie and fantastical world.”
“The game is presented as a dark fairy tale, complete with striking visuals, atmospheric music, and voice-over narration that brings the world and characters to life.”
“The art style is gorgeous and has a strong identity of its own.”
“Horrible graphics”
“There's not much to say, the game's graphics are too stiff and not as good as those of mobile games.”
“This is an odd game to review, I don't think I have seen such a big gap between gameplay quality and graphic quality.”
atmosphere
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
23%
6%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning dark, gothic visuals and immersive sound design, which includes atmospheric music and engaging voice-over narration. Players appreciate the eerie, fantastical world that effectively captures a spooky fairy tale vibe, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. The combination of art direction, thematic elements, and complex mechanics creates a captivating environment that draws players in, making it a standout feature of the game.
“Visually, the game is stunning, with dark, gothic art that perfectly captures the eerie atmosphere.”
“The game is presented as a dark fairy tale, complete with striking visuals, atmospheric music, and voice-over narration that brings the world and characters to life.”
“Rogue Lords takes the best of the genre and creates a familiar yet new experience by combining the successful ideas of the past with an engaging horror atmosphere to make its own unique experience.”
“The atmosphere is darkish.”
“Really love the dark atmosphere of the game and the medieval legends; you can really tell that a lot of love for evil went into the game.”
“Although the gameplay seems heavily inspired by Slay the Spire, the art direction, voiceover, and general atmosphere is gothic and very well done.”
grinding
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
6%
91%
The grinding aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players finding it tedious and frustrating. Reviewers note that the mechanics often inflate playtime without providing a satisfying sense of progression, leading to repetitive gameplay and a steep difficulty curve. While some enjoy the unique character skills, the overall experience is marred by the need for excessive grinding to advance, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging challenge.
“Each of the characters are very unique and interesting to play, with lots of different skills to unlock (and not all that grindy) - Dracula and Baron Samedi are my favorites.”
“This game is fine on its own as a small experience for a small price, but it really outstays its welcome by trying to inflate the playtime through dumb mechanics. Only buy on sale and don't hesitate to drop the game if it gets too grindy.”
“I have been grinding and making new parties and new strategies each time, but no matter what I do, I cannot get past the second chapter... it's a very frustrating game that doesn't provide any real feeling of progression.”
“A tedious, frustrating, repetitive, and unbalanced mess I bitterly regret buying.”
replayability
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
63%
9%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the diverse characters and mechanics that encourage multiple playthroughs. However, some express frustration with linear progression and repetitive strategies that diminish long-term engagement. While certain features and modes enhance replay value, others feel that once the main content is completed, there is little incentive to return.
“The replay value is very high because all the characters play differently.”
“The map is always different, giving this game infinite replay value. There is a lot to enjoy here, and I hope to see them continue to add more things to the game.”
“Death as a part of your journey, as opposed to being the end of it, brings with it a considerable amount of replay value as you hone your strategy with new tools after each loss.”
“The runs are too long to offer a lot of replay value.”
“As it is, the replayability is low, since after you defeat the main campaign books there's really nothing else to do.”
“The game really just doesn't have much replayability because the power climb is exactly the same every run - get terror up, focus on events and buff damage, then get skills, in that order every time.”
music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
38%
9%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players noting its atmospheric quality that complements the dark and gothic theme. While some find it catchy and fitting, others describe it as forgettable or inoffensive, serving its purpose without standing out significantly. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the immersive experience, aligning well with the game's visuals and narrative.
“Really great game with a beautiful art style, nice sound design, great music, and flamboyant animations. If you enjoy Darkest Dungeon and find Halloween or gothic stuff cozy, this will be right up your alley.”
“The game is presented as a dark fairy tale, complete with striking visuals, atmospheric music, and voice-over narration that brings the world and characters to life.”
“The music fits the theme just perfectly, and the graphics are very aesthetic.”
“Music was instantly forgettable.”
“And then when you realize the music doesn't vary between areas, you'll mute that, too.”
“The music so far hasn't stood out as being anything to write home about, but it's inoffensive and seems to fit the mood well.”
stability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs affecting gameplay mechanics, achievements, and combat interactions. While the visuals and overall concept are praised, the persistent glitches and unresponsive interface detract significantly from the experience, leading many to describe it as a "buggy mess." Despite some improvements since launch, the game's stability issues remain a major concern for players.
“I don't remember if it was the same the first time I played it, or maybe it's due to some updates, but currently the game is extremely buggy: damage or statuses sometimes work and sometimes don't, effects proc when they shouldn't and don't when they should, and some achievements don't work as they should - you can get an achievement 'you did x' when you didn't do x, and vice versa, no achievement for doing something that should give it.”
“Great concept and overall execution of the theme, however the gameplay is very buggy and the balance isn't great.”
“This game is a buggy mess.”
character development
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
9%
27%
Overall, the character development in the game is praised for its unique and interesting designs, as well as engaging backstories that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some players express concerns about the balance and diversity of characters, particularly regarding the representation of male characters and the limitations of certain characters in later stages. Despite these issues, the character design and lore are generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's appeal.
“Fantastic lore and character design as well.”
“Great characters, great character development.”
“Woke character design; I've played nearly 20 hours and the only characters I've unlocked are women who greatly outshine the 2 men that you start with.”
“The character design, voice acting, and world design are all great.”
“The character design and backstories of the characters really add some nice spice to the game.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of dark and quirky, with some players finding it genuinely funny and enjoyable, particularly in the context of its challenging gameplay. However, the repetitiveness of voice lines and jokes can lead to diminishing returns, causing the humor to become stale for some players. Overall, while the game has its comedic moments, the execution may not resonate with everyone, especially those seeking a more relaxed experience.
“Very funny, the art is cool, and the combat can be psycho hard until you figure out the right combo of folks and skills.”
“The story was dark, a little messed up, and had a nice touch of dark humor.”
“It might be humorous at times and not take itself too seriously, but it is difficult, especially for people who thought this was a relaxed after-work game.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's optimization has seen improvements since the demo, with many performance issues resolved, though some users still report occasional bugs and random performance hiccups. Players are encouraged to focus on effective team-building and strategy optimization to enhance their experience, despite some frustrations with challenging battles.
“These complaints about hard battles fail to see that their strategies are garbage and that effective team-building begins with optimization of skill and relic selection, recognizing that you cannot spread yourself thin, how to emphasize your advantages and minimize disadvantages.”
“Unfortunately, it's let down a little by the occasional bug and random performance issues.”
“But boy, is it a tricky performance!”
“They fixed a lot of the performance issues I saw during the demo week, so thus far no major bugs.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users note that the main menu contains remnants of a Discord advertisement, including links and text that are loaded but not displayed, suggesting potential issues with the monetization strategy or user interface.
“Not to forget, in the main menu there was probably once an advertisement for Discord.”
“At least images, Discord links, and an advertising text are loaded, but not displayed.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to be an emotional rollercoaster, balancing moments of empowerment through skill and progression with the frustration of sudden, overwhelming challenges. The strong visual style and heartfelt effort contribute to the overall emotional impact, making the highs and lows of gameplay feel particularly intense.
“The visual style is strong, and you can feel the heartfelt effort that has been put into the game.”
“In its current state, it feels like an emotional rollercoaster, where you experience the thrill of being incredibly powerful with skills, artifact synergies, and stat increases, but also the frustration of being one-shotted by normal enemies.”