SOVL: Fantasy Warfare

About

SOVL is a ruleset for playing fantasy wargames. It can be played with miniatures on a table or digitally on Steam. Fantasy armies meet on the battlefield and fight until one side is the bloody victor. Units of soldiers maneuver on the table and the outcome of melee combat, volleys of arrows and destructive spells is decided with dice rolls. Features in the digital version: Campaign mode: &quot…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,408 reviews

gameplay49 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The game captures the essence of classic Warhammer Fantasy Battles, providing a nostalgic experience reminiscent of old White Dwarf battle reports.
The roguelike campaign mode is engaging and offers a good amount of replayability, allowing players to build and upgrade their armies over time.
The base game is free, making it accessible to a wide audience, and the additional factions available as DLC provide further variety for those who want to support the developers.

The use of AI-generated art has been criticized for lacking quality and cohesion, detracting from the overall presentation of the game.
The game suffers from balancing issues, with some factions being significantly stronger than others, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
There is a lack of tutorials and in-game explanations for mechanics, making it difficult for new players to understand the rules and controls.

gameplay
171 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
64%
8%
The gameplay of this free-to-play game closely mirrors traditional fantasy tabletop wargames, featuring turn-based mechanics such as charges, counter-charges, and unit positioning that require strategic thinking. While the core mechanics are simple and accessible, allowing for a fun and engaging experience, players have noted issues with balance, repetitive gameplay, and a lack of depth in unit upgrades and variety. Overall, the game offers a solid tactical experience with potential for growth, though it currently suffers from some mechanical quirks and a need for clearer explanations of its systems.
- “Gameplay modes include a roguelite campaign where you build an army as you earn gold through random battles and encounters, a skirmish mode, and competitive multiplayer.”
- “The graphics are very plain but functional, and the gameplay has a lot of depth both in battle (where good positioning is absolutely key) and in your army building strategy.”
- “Sovl's gameplay is engaging and well-designed, perfectly balancing complexity and accessibility.”
- “The gameplay itself seems alright, but the logic is ridiculous.”
- “The game's mechanics are shallow and simple; units cannot have their width adjusted in combat, so you have to plan ahead without having any idea what you are fighting against, which leaves the game feeling even less tactical.”
- “Unfortunately, what is there leads to a poor gameplay experience.”
graphics
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
70%
8%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the reliance on AI-generated artwork, which they find lacks cohesion and quality. While some appreciate the simplistic and functional design that suits the gameplay, others express a strong desire for more polished, original art to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are described as basic and minimalistic, serving the gameplay but leaving room for significant improvement.
- “The graphics are charming, mechanics are well made and simple to understand because all the calculations are up to a computer.”
- “I hope they eventually add graphics for all the miniatures, but it's great fun just as it is!”
- “Way better than I expected, no fancy graphics, but very solid gameplay!”
- “Really fun, but I cannot state enough how much I absolutely hate AI images; which this game uses for every single piece of 'artwork' that is in the game.”
- “Until the AI images are removed and replaced with actual artwork, it's a negative review.”
- “The only noticeable marks against the game are a few bugs, a boring UI, and perhaps the worst offender: AI artwork.”
replayability
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
32%
8%
Overall, the game boasts high replayability, primarily due to its roguelike elements, diverse factions, and varied gameplay mechanics. Players appreciate the free access to content and the ability to explore different strategies and army compositions, although some express concerns about balancing issues and the impact on enjoyment. The combination of single-player campaigns and potential multiplayer options further enhances its replay value, making it a compelling choice for strategy enthusiasts.
- “There is loads of replayability as well, and I haven't even gotten to play it multiplayer yet!”
- “The roguelike aspect of different paths, hoping to be able to get the right unit in the shop is enjoyable and helps replayability.”
- “With a variety of interesting factions which each have their own strengths and weaknesses, there is a significant amount of replayability, especially in the roguelike mode.”
- “I think it may have a lack of replay value in some ways, and the dev could implement a combat autowin mechanic for when you have a unit wiped out already, but overall very solid 3/5 going to a 4 because it's free.”
- “The campaign has a fair bit of replayability, but multiplayer does not.”
- “However, its balancing issues, lack of save functionality, unreasonable difficulty spikes, inadequate troop replenishment mechanics, inadequate gold accumulation, terrible replayability mechanics, and overall tabletop BS taken to the max make it more frustrating than enjoyable.”
story
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
65%
18%
The game currently lacks a cohesive story, with many users noting that the campaign consists of random encounters rather than a structured narrative. While some players appreciate the gameplay mechanics and rogue-like elements, they express a desire for a more developed storyline in future updates. Overall, the absence of a meaningful story is a common point of criticism, though some feel it may not be essential to the game's enjoyment.
- “Expect more plot twists than a pretzel factory.”
- “Sovl is an intriguing and captivating game that offers a unique blend of strategy, storytelling, and immersive gameplay.”
- “There is a huge campaign in a rogue-like style/slay the spire-styled map, with choices, events, battles... no real story yet that I've seen, but still amazing for a free game.”
- “Story: n/a - there is no story”
- “The campaign doesn't have a story, it's just a series of random encounters.”
- “When you label something an 'act' you expect there to be at least 3 - because that's how most story arcs are (not that there's a story here).”
music
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
65%
18%
The music in the game is criticized for its lack of variety, featuring only a repetitive, short loop that fails to enhance the gameplay experience. While some players appreciate the sound effects, many find the music dull and sterile, suggesting that it detracts from the overall atmosphere. Overall, there is a strong desire for more diverse and engaging musical tracks to accompany the gameplay.
- “Very well made, love the music and progression.”
- “The musical score is a solid, atmospheric tune that quickly fades into the background but provides the necessary spice to the battles.”
- “Ideally, there would be more music - but you can just mute it and play your own music in the background.”
- “As for presentation, the music is one very short loop of a track, and it is a very slow tempo and laid back and in no way reflects the anxiety of the rolls occurring on the screen.”
- “The seemingly only one repetitive music track does not help either.”
- “The music is a loop that lasts for less than thirty seconds, and it isn't a good thirty seconds.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, often requiring significant time investment to progress, especially for unlocking harder difficulties and acquiring new units. While some enjoy the roguelike mode, many express a desire for more variety and content to alleviate the grind. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a major drawback, detracting from the enjoyment of the game.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “What I don't like is locking hard difficulties behind hours of grinding.”
- “This repetitive grind becomes tedious very, very quickly.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with users reporting occasional bugs such as unit movement issues, combat interruptions, and unresponsive controls that can disrupt gameplay. While some players find the experience enjoyable despite these glitches, others express frustration over the frequency and impact of these bugs, suggesting that the game may need further refinement to enhance its overall stability.
- “Overall, the game is currently a little barebones, low on maps, creation tools, settings, etc. However, I feel that this game will shape up well and is generally bug-free.”
- “The game can be a little buggy sometimes; units get moved when they are too close and combat breaks. I had one weird movement bug as well, but in 51 hours, that's all.”
- “Unclear charge distances, buggy collision, and poorly drawn indicators will absolutely kill you.”
- “It will occasionally just lock your units out of being used, forcing you to forgo part of your turn and just get tabled... not because of bad dice rolls (the fact that the RNG is actually not RNG for dice rolls but actually stacked against you is another issue altogether) or because you made bad decisions... but because you just can't move your units because they're highlighted as if you've already selected them even though you have not. It just gets to be too much, and you end up having to restart more times over bad input response or buggy input response than any other reason.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting its funny elements and lighthearted approach to the wargame experience. Descriptions of the game include amusing campaigns and a whimsical take on fantasy warfare, making it an enjoyable and entertaining experience overall.
- “This is a good game, funny, and made with love.”
- “For me, it's a big thumbs up; the game is funny and succeeds in recreating the wargame experience.”
- “Strap on your elf boots and prepare for the most hilarious mid-life crisis, sovl: fantasy warfare!”
monetization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's monetization model is primarily based on DLC, which users generally view positively, especially given that the base game is free. However, some players feel that in-game purchases are somewhat expensive, leading to mixed opinions about the overall monetization strategy. Overall, the model is seen as fair, with potential for improvement.
- “For a game that is literally free, with monetization only via DLC, I'd say this is a good game with a lot of potential to be a great one.”
- “Great game, awesome monetization model too.”
- “Was hoping for an actual vassal port or something, but nah, this is just an 'AI' cash grab.”
- “In-game purchases feel a bit expensive, but the base game is free, so I guess it balances out.”
- “What's better than flipping off one scummy company with questionable monetization practices?”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its engaging elements and overall pleasant ambiance, enhanced by a solid musical score that subtly complements the gameplay without overpowering it.
- “It also helps everyone understand the different elements of the tabletop games and creates a very nice atmosphere overall.”
- “The musical score is a solid, atmospheric tune that quickly fades into the background but provides the necessary spice to the battles.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, running smoothly on older hardware without any bugs, contributing to an enjoyable experience.
- “It is bug-free, runs smoothly even on an older laptop, and is immensely fun!”
- “The optimization is impressive, allowing for seamless gameplay without any noticeable lag.”
- “I appreciate how well the game is optimized; it maintains high performance even on lower-end systems.”