Ruler by Default

About

"Ruler by Default" is a fantasy comedy drama visual novel where you play as a 21 year old male who is accidentally summoned to another dimension and becomes the successor to an evil overlord. With a year until you can return home, you must build relationships with characters from different dimensions and navigate 5 different character routes with 42 different endings. The game contains strong language, blood, and violence and features over 150,000 words, 50+ CGs, and estimated 6-20 hours of gameplay.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 27 reviews

story14 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Engaging story arcs with fun and charismatic characters that make players feel attached.
Multiple routes and varied endings provide significant replay value and choices that impact character relationships.
Charming artwork and expressive character sprites enhance the overall experience, making it visually appealing.

The game suffers from minor bugs and grammatical issues that can detract from the experience.
Some routes may feel underdeveloped or abrupt, leading to a lack of depth in certain storylines.
Initial gameplay can be jarring due to inconsistent visuals and missing elements from the original concept.

story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
57%
8%
The game's story is engaging and well-written, featuring a simple yet charming plot that allows players to explore multiple character arcs and endings through a "choose your own adventure" style. While the character interactions are highlighted as the main strength, some players noted that the overarching plot could feel secondary at times. Overall, the narrative is complemented by fun characters and humor, making it a memorable experience for players who enjoy rich storytelling and character development.
- “The story is interesting, the writing charming in so many ways, and the characters will be some that will stick with me for a long time.”
- “It tells the story of a young nameable protagonist who one day finds himself being transported to another dimension, and once he's there, he ends up being crowned as the new overlord of that foreign kingdom.”
- “Throughout the game, the player is given choices to move the story along, but also to integrate themselves into the game’s universe and to build relationships with the characters.”
- “However, some of these plot points, and even the overarching plot of being an overlord in a land can be kind of forgotten.”
- “If I could change anything, I would just try to integrate the character's route more into all the characters and overarching story of how you are supposed to be this overlord from the first act.”
- “At first, I wasn't sure what to expect, and if I was being blatantly frank, I wasn't sure I'd like the art style or the storyline much because I had the bias of coming from super-high-budget games... but I'm happy to say that feeling went away pretty fast.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charming and unique art style, which effectively conveys character and setting without relying on recycled avatars. While the scene selection screen's visuals may feel inconsistent with the rest of the game, the overall artwork is considered well-crafted and engaging, enhancing the player's connection to the characters and the adventure.
- “Please play this game! I've only played a tiny bit because I've been pretty sick these past few days, but from what I've seen, it's adorable, original, and the art style has already swept me off my dorky feet!”
- “Many different routes to experience combined with nice graphics and an overall feeling of adventure.”
- “The artwork is surprisingly charming; you can tell each avatar and scene was made with detail and care to convey a character or setting, instead of just copy-pasting avatars like some I've seen. It's very well done!”
- “The visuals for the scene selection screen every new week don't quite match the rest of the game in a way that was initially jarring.”
- “At first, I wasn't sure what to expect, and if I was blatantly frank I wasn't sure I'd like the art style or the storyline much because I had the bias of coming from super-high-budget games... but I'm happy to say that feeling went away pretty fast.”
- “My only request is to get the artwork in the game as desktop wallpapers, considering how great they are.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its charming and humorous storytelling, featuring a variety of routes that elicit frequent laughter and emotional responses. Reviewers highlight the clever writing and character design, noting that the developers possess a strong sense of humor that enhances the overall experience. Overall, it exceeds expectations in delivering both cuteness and comedy.
- “There's just an unbelievable amount of charm, humor, and empathy.”
- “The writing, combined with the changing character images had me laughing, smiling, and practically teary-eyed at parts.”
- “+ The devs have an excellent sense of humor; it's not often a visual novel gets a laugh or chuckle from me as often as this one did.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Gameplay reviews for the game are mixed, with some players feeling disappointed by the lack of promised features and the sense of an unfinished product, while others appreciate the gameplay time and variety of paths available after the initial setup. The game has undergone a troubled development, resulting in minor errors and remnants of removed mechanics, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, some players find value in the gameplay for its price.
- “For its current price tag, this game is actually pretty good and offers a lot of gameplay time.”
- “I've completed only 1 route, which took me roughly 2 hours to complete (considering I mashed through dialogue because I'm a fast reader). I was honestly surprised by how the game will give you a lot of different paths to go down once you get through the first half hour of gameplay, which sets up the world and story.”
- “I felt like I wasted money on this game, even if it was only $10. I saw a YouTube video that got me to play the game, and the guy was able to actually level up and improve character stats, but there's no such function in this game. I feel like I paid for an unfinished or incomplete version of the game, and that's insulting. I hate buying a game and not getting the full experience.”
- “This game went through an extremely turbulent development process, and that definitely left its mark. There are a lot of minor errors throughout the whole experience and tons of leftovers from removed dating sim mechanics, like non-existent skill checks and flavor text about stat gains.”
- “I've completed only one route, which took me roughly 2 hours to finish. I was honestly surprised by how the game offers a lot of different paths to explore once you get through the first half hour of gameplay, which sets up the world and story.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game, while not particularly memorable, effectively complements the story and enhances the overall experience. Reviewers noted that the pleasant soundtrack, along with appealing art and expressive sprites, contributes positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack may not be memorable, but it fits with the story and enhances it appropriately.”
- “Even the art, while simple, was very nice to look at and the sprites were very expressive, giving a lot of personality to the whole cast, and the music was very pleasant to listen to.”
- “+ appealing art and music”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a standout story arc that delivers significant impact, complemented by great emotional moments and a light romance. Players appreciate the unique and likable characters, with a balance of humor and touching scenes that enhance the overall experience.
- “Everything else was still pretty solid, but usually didn’t even come close to the enjoyment and emotional impact of that one story arc.”
- “+ great emotional moments and (tame) romance.”
- “This was good fun to read as the characters are all unique and likable in different ways (Mori being my favorite) and there is a good amount of humor along with some more touching moments which balance out well.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is generally viewed as decent, though some players found the sudden shifts in character designs and backgrounds jarring, requiring an adjustment period to fully appreciate the changes.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players appreciate the game's replayability due to the ability to balance interactions with multiple characters, allowing for different endings and experiences with each playthrough. This feature encourages exploration of various relationship dynamics, enhancing overall engagement.
- “The ability to balance time spent with different characters means you won't get locked into a specific ending with just one girl, which adds significant replay value to the game.”
- “The multiple story paths and character interactions encourage you to replay the game to explore all the different outcomes.”
- “Each playthrough offers new choices and experiences, making it enjoyable to revisit the game and discover something different every time.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices, making it feel like there's little incentive to replay it.”
- “Once you've experienced the main storyline, there's not much left to draw you back in.”
- “The limited branching paths and predictable outcomes significantly reduce the game's replayability.”