Songs of Silence

About

"Songs of Silence" is a fantasy 4X strategy game with deep, tactical gameplay and fast-paced autobattles. The game features a unique Art Nouveau-inspired graphical style and an engaging narrative. Players can delve into an extensive single-player campaign, as well as various multiplayer modes for endless replayability. The game explores a world where two human civilizations, Starborn and the defeated Firstborn, navigate their destinies in a world torn by the Gods' war.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 887 reviews

story126 positive mentions

grinding18 negative mentions

The art style is stunningly beautiful, reminiscent of Art Nouveau, and the soundtrack is superb, enhancing the overall experience.
The gameplay offers a unique blend of auto-battler mechanics and strategic decision-making, keeping battles engaging and dynamic.
The game features a rich narrative with well-developed characters and voice acting, making the story enjoyable and immersive.

The campaign is relatively short and can feel restrictive, with some missions being overly prescriptive in terms of strategy.
There are issues with pacing and clarity in the user interface, making it difficult for players to understand unit strengths and battle mechanics.
The game currently lacks depth in certain areas, such as city management and card diversity, which may lead to repetitive gameplay.

story
399 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
64%
4%
The story of "Songs of Silence" is generally well-received, featuring engaging lore and a visually stunning art style that draws players into its fantasy world. However, many reviewers express frustration with the campaign's prescriptive mission design, which often limits strategic flexibility and can lead to tedious gameplay experiences, particularly in certain missions. While the narrative has potential and is enriched by strong voice acting, the overall execution and pacing of the campaign leave room for improvement, especially given its short length and reliance on timed missions.
- “The campaign draws me in quickly, and the accompanying story remains thrilling throughout.”
- “The presentation, music, and voice-acted story create an immersive experience that draws you in from the start.”
- “The storyline is well-written and engaging; it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the other quality games in the genre.”
- “The campaign is totally on rails, with a vague and tedious plot that you will tune out immediately if you value your sanity.”
- “The second mission was just god awful, and I had to stop playing before reaching the third mission.”
- “The story leaves a lot to be desired.”
gameplay
360 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
61%
3%
The gameplay of "Songs of Silence" is characterized by its innovative blend of auto-battler mechanics and card-based strategy, offering a unique experience that stands out in the genre. Players engage in tactical battles with distinct factions, each featuring unique mechanics, while the game emphasizes strategic planning and resource management. However, some reviewers noted that the gameplay can feel shallow over time, particularly due to a lack of depth in certain mechanics and the introduction of a controversial stealth element that detracts from the overall experience.
- “Solid gameplay mixing auto-battlers with Heroes of Might and Magic 3, featuring a unique art style of 'fantasy art nouveau / art deco' and strong story writing that evokes nostalgia for well-written strategy games.”
- “The gameplay is engaging, offering a unique mix of strategic planning and real-time decision-making that keeps you on your toes.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are intricately designed, rewarding every ounce of strategic thinking and planning, ensuring each move feels deeply meaningful and satisfying.”
- “The scenario design of this game is absolutely terrible, forcing the player to play the way the dev wanted you, instead of exploring the mechanics and learning through your own methods.”
- “I just seem to bounce off hard as some of the mechanics just never clicked for me.”
- “As a big fan of HOMM and tactical strategy games, I find it frustrating that the game makes it so difficult to understand precisely what is happening during gameplay.”
graphics
341 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
30%
1%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning art nouveau-inspired visuals, which create a unique and captivating aesthetic that sets it apart from typical fantasy games. Reviewers highlight the beautiful illustrations, intricate designs, and vibrant colors, noting that the artwork significantly enhances the overall experience. While the visuals are a standout feature, some players feel that the gameplay may not fully match the depth of the graphics, leading to a somewhat repetitive experience over time.
- “The art style is absolutely gorgeous and the gameplay is quite good.”
- “The visuals are gorgeous and the maps feel like real art pieces!”
- “The art nouveau-inspired visuals are stunning, and the soundtrack perfectly complements the fantasy setting.”
- “Yeah, I've given this game a decent shot, but it seems kind of shallow and tedious despite the pretty graphics.”
- “The pretty art style drew me in, but as a strategy fan, I would say no to this game sadly.”
- “It is rare that a hand-drawn art nouveau style fits in with in-game 3D content, but 'Songs of Silence' does this very well; adding lots of tiny details that match the artwork's filigree brushwork (although the battles often come out way too pastel and bright).”
music
251 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
42%
2%
The music in "Songs of Silence" has received widespread acclaim for its beautiful composition and atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall gaming experience. Composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, known for his work on the Final Fantasy series, the soundtrack is described as both immersive and evocative, perfectly complementing the game's stunning art style. While some players noted a tendency for the music to become repetitive, the majority found it captivating and integral to the game's emotional and strategic depth.
- “The atmospheric soundtrack composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, known for his work on Final Fantasy Tactics and Valkyria Chronicles, complements the visuals perfectly and enhances the overall experience.”
- “The music is mesmerizing, sticking in my head long after I stopped playing, but it never felt repetitive or tiring.”
- “The beautiful artwork and amazing music create an immersive atmosphere.”
- “Game is okish but unskippable dialogs and the repeating music after every small victory is annoying.”
- “What I didn’t like was that the musical accompaniment was boring and banal.”
- “The soundtrack, meanwhile, is well done if a smidge too repetitive—would love to see more music added by 1.0, because what’s here is quite good.”
optimization
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
71%
13%
The optimization of "Songs of Silence" is currently a mixed bag, with many players reporting significant performance issues and bugs typical of an early access title. While some users note that the game runs smoothly even on older hardware, others express frustration with long turn times and a need for user interface improvements. Overall, players recommend waiting for further optimization patches before fully committing to the game.
- “The graphics are beautiful and it runs smoothly.”
- “Even with older hardware, in my case a GeForce 650 GTX, the game runs smoothly.”
- “Generally stable but still in early access; players may encounter occasional bugs and performance issues as the game continues to be refined.”
- “Performance is pretty bad.”
- “Recommendation staying at a no for now due to long turn times, but I'll revisit after optimization patches.”
- “👎 [b]performance concerns:[/b] as an early access title, 'Songs of Silence' is experiencing performance issues and occasional bugs.”
atmosphere
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
21%
13%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful graphics, immersive soundscapes, and a soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, drawing comparisons to Tolkien and Warcraft. Players appreciate the blend of art nouveau-inspired visuals and calming music, which create a cozy yet adventurous environment that invites exploration and evokes a range of emotions. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as both captivating and soothing, making it a standout feature.
- “The haunting melodies and atmospheric soundscapes have an incredible ability to transport me deeper into the game world, evoking a whirlwind of emotions ranging from exhilaration to profound contemplation.”
- “The atmospheric soundtrack composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, known for his work on Final Fantasy Tactics and Valkyria Chronicles, complements the visuals perfectly and enhances the overall experience.”
- “The atmosphere in the game reminds me of Tolkien's and Warcraft stories with a spirit of adventure.”
- “To me, Songs of Silence is a unique game that tells its story through both dialogue and a powerful atmosphere.”
- “A plethora of subtle to bold VFX add depth to the world and create an atmosphere that truly brings the game to life.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
Overall, the game offers high replayability through its multiplayer options, skirmish mode with random maps, and diverse factions with multiple classes. However, some players noted a lack of card diversity that could limit strategic depth. With ongoing updates and various quests to unlock new content, the replay value is expected to evolve positively, despite some current shortcomings in campaign content.
- “Each faction has multiple classes, adding plenty of depth and replayability.”
- “High; with ongoing updates, procedural elements, and various factions to explore, the game offers significant replayability and evolving content.”
- “It is early access and still needs a lot of quality of life improvements and some content for campaign and replayability.”
- “That being said, I've enjoyed my time with the game so far, though I'm curious to see the replayability when I get through the story.”
- “Plus, the skirmish mode generates random maps, so there’s endless replayability.”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, with many criticizing the drawn-out dialogue and on-rails campaign that detracts from enjoyment. The mechanics for unlocking heroes and classes are seen as overly cumbersome, requiring repetitive gameplay without offering meaningful rewards. Overall, the game struggles to balance innovation with engaging gameplay, leading to a shallow experience that feels more like a chore than entertainment.
- “The campaign is totally on rails, with a vague and tedious plot that you will tune out immediately if you value your sanity.”
- “I wish the interface did a better job of streamlining gameplay - both by surfacing information more clearly and requiring fewer tedious clicks.”
- “Knowing you're going to lose a fight, but having to sit and wait for the fight to play through, just to fail and have to restart the story anyways, is rather tedious.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its beautiful art and music, which create a serene and meaningful atmosphere. While the voice acting can be inconsistent and sometimes disrupts the pacing, the overall dialogue is concise and impactful, contributing to a wholesome community experience.
- “The beautiful art and music set a quiet, non-hectic and emotional mood, while the dialogue is short but meaningful.”
- “The art style is so amazing and the community is quite wholesome :)”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is described as charming but suffers from notable stability issues, including glitches and AI inconsistencies that can negatively impact the overall experience.
- “Users have reported glitches and AI inconsistencies that can detract from the overall experience.”
- “A charming, albeit buggy strategy game.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is closely tied to a card deck mechanic, allowing players to create and customize their decks, which enhances the gameplay experience. The art and character design are praised for their quality, contributing to the overall appeal of character progression within the game.
- “The battles are primarily fought through a card deck mechanic or the creation of card decks with accompanying character development.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has faced criticism for violating FTC compliance due to misleading pricing practices, as it advertised a discounted rate for early access that turned out to be higher than the actual release price. This has raised concerns about transparency and ethical monetization strategies.
- “Violated FTC compliance for misleading sales by changing their price at launch after advertising a discounted rate for early access, which in fact was more expensive than the price charged at release.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing visual of a neutral plant army carrying flags, which adds a whimsical and lighthearted element to the gameplay.
- “It's hilarious to see a neutral plant army marching with flags!”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, especially the quirky character interactions.”
- “I can't stop laughing at the absurd situations the characters find themselves in!”