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

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 54 reviews

story28 positive mentions

Engaging story arcs and well-developed characters that evoke emotional responses.
Multiple routes and endings provide significant replay value and choices that impact character relationships.
Charming artwork and humor that enhance the overall experience, making it enjoyable and memorable.

The game suffers from minor bugs and grammatical issues that detract from the experience.
Some routes may feel incomplete or assume prior knowledge of other paths, leading to confusion.
The absence of certain gameplay mechanics and features that were expected based on promotional material leaves a feeling of incompleteness.

story
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
61%
4%
The game's story is engaging and well-written, featuring a simple yet charming plot where the player, as a young protagonist, becomes the overlord of a foreign kingdom. Players appreciate the "choose your own adventure" style that allows for diverse character interactions and multiple endings, although some feel that certain plot points could be better integrated into the overarching narrative. Overall, the characters and humor stand out, making the story memorable and enjoyable.
- “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.”
- “I recommend getting this visual novel if you're looking for a well-written story with good characters and fun dialogues/situations.”
- “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 would 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.”
- “Everything else was still pretty solid, but usually didn’t even come close to the enjoyment and emotional impact of that one story arc.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The graphics of the game are praised for their charming and unique art style, which effectively conveys character and setting without relying on recycled avatars. While the visuals for the scene selection screen initially feel jarring compared to the rest of the game, the overall artwork is considered well-crafted and engaging, enhancing the player's attachment to the characters. Many players express a desire for the artwork to be available as desktop wallpapers due to its quality.
- “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!”
- “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, so it's very well done!”
- “Many different routes to experience combined with nice graphics and an overall feeling of adventure.”
- “- 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 being completely honest, 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.”
- “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 three avatars over and over like some I've seen.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and clever writing, often eliciting genuine laughter and emotional responses from players. Reviewers highlight the engaging story, amusing character designs, and the developers' excellent comedic timing, making it a standout in the visual novel genre. Overall, the game delivers a delightful mix of fun and humor that exceeds expectations.
- “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
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players feeling disappointed by the lack of promised features and the sense of an unfinished product, while others appreciate the game's depth and variety of paths after the initial setup. Despite minor errors and remnants of removed mechanics, many find the gameplay engaging for its price, offering a decent amount of content and replayability. Overall, the game shows potential but suffers from a troubled development history that affects the player experience.
- “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.”
- “Gameplay 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, where the guy was able to actually level up and change 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 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
8 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 soundtrack is pleasant to listen to, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere alongside its appealing art and expressive character sprites.
- “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
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a standout story arc that delivers significant impact, complemented by unique and likable characters. Reviewers appreciate the balance of humor and touching moments, along with the presence of tame romance, which enhances the overall emotional 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
2 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
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
Players appreciate the game's replayability due to the ability to balance interactions with multiple characters, allowing for various endings rather than being locked into a single outcome with one girl. This feature encourages multiple playthroughs to explore different relationship dynamics and endings.
- “You can balance time spent with different characters, which means you don't get locked into a specific ending with just one girl, giving the game more replay value.”
- “The ability to explore various storylines and character interactions encourages multiple playthroughs, enhancing the overall replayability.”
- “Each choice you make leads to different outcomes, making it fun to replay the game and discover new paths and endings.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices, making it feel repetitive after the first playthrough.”
- “Once you've seen all the endings, there's little incentive to replay the game.”
- “The limited branching paths and predictable outcomes diminish the overall replayability.”

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Ruler by Default
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