Stones Keeper
- September 17, 2021
- SK Team
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Stones Keeper is a turn-based strategy game with elements of exploration and story quests, set in a floating island-fortress. Develop your castle, hire warriors, and engage in combat using upgradable systems. Explore the world, discover ancient ruins, and uncover secrets in the vein of Age of Wonders, Warhammer Fantasy, and Heroes of Might and Magic."
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique and appealing visual style with hand-drawn graphics and a good soundtrack.
- Combat is challenging and requires strategic planning, with a variety of units and upgrade paths available.
- The game offers diverse missions and gameplay elements, including a flying castle and opportunities for cooperative play.
- The combat UI is clunky and unintuitive, leading to frustration during battles.
- Many aspects of the game feel rushed or unfinished, including poor English translation and lack of comprehensive tutorials.
- There are significant balance issues with unit limitations and questionable mechanics that detract from the overall experience.
- story12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is generally considered lackluster, with many players finding it "meh" and feeling that it lacks depth and exploration opportunities. While some missions, like the wagon escort and freeing captives, are highlighted as favorites, others are criticized for frustrating design and AI issues. Overall, the narrative does not seem to engage players significantly, and there are doubts about its potential for improvement as the game progresses.
“The wagon mission, freeing the captives, and defending the church are my favorite missions right now.”
“The game can offer us 3 modes, including: multiplayer (but small online), single combat (11 missions), and story campaign.”
“And so, the games are cool, the drawing is divine, pumping and collecting resources, plot and multiplayer, a huge plus is the musical accompaniment.”
“Start with the skirmish mode maybe since the story is 'meh' and see how much depth you can discover in that time.”
“Some missions are pure cancer to play: 'escort the wagon' (ch.1) and 'orc camp with 2x healing totems and 1x summoning totem' (ch.2) missions took me about 20-30 attempts each to complete due to ridiculous design choices and AI patterns.”
“Maybe the storyline and conversations will get darker later, but I doubt it.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a turn-based strategy system that combines RPG elements, featuring challenging tactical battles that require careful planning. While the addictive nature and appealing art style keep players engaged, issues such as a clunky interface, questionable mechanics, and frequent crashes during combat detract from the overall experience. Players express a desire for more interactivity in the global map and improvements based on community feedback to enhance gameplay further.
“The gameplay is addictive; it is interesting to play and study the game.”
“Turn-based strategy with RPG elements, aggressive and dangerous enemies, a good combat system, simple but pleasant graphics, excellent soundtrack, and enjoyable gameplay.”
“Gameplay-wise, the game is still pretty fun, but it could get even better if the developers would listen to their audience and update it regularly.”
“After a prologue chapter, the main gameplay loop is traveling around the map in turns, picking stuff and getting into fights.”
“Very clunky interface, questionable battle mechanics, uninspired upgrade system.”
“Ok gameplay, but crashes way too much during combat.”
- music9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received positive feedback, with many players appreciating the chill soundtrack and likening it to the nostalgic tunes from the 2003 "Pirates of the Caribbean" game. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect, enhancing the gameplay experience alongside good graphics and engaging mission design.
“The soundtrack is not bad.”
“Good graphics, good special effects, and musical accompaniment; in general, the strategy is normal, there is no pressure, they have other goodies.”
“The UI is clunky and unintuitive, you can fail or be forced into story points based on a number of factors. The voice acting and sounds are honestly just better off muted, and various parts of the game in every aspect feel like they could be explored or expanded upon further.”
“I must say right away that I really liked the music in the game; for some reason, I remembered the music from the 2003 game Pirates of the Caribbean.”
“The games are cool, the drawing is divine, pumping and collecting resources, plot and multiplayer, but a huge plus is the musical accompaniment.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics received positive feedback for their appealing hand-drawn style and immersive quality, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. While some users noted that the visuals resembled those of browser games, others praised the good special effects and pleasant aesthetics that complemented the game's soundtrack and combat system. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's charm and engagement.
“I really like hand-drawn graphics.”
“The art style was very appealing, and I found myself getting lost in the gameplay for more than a couple of hours without noticing it, which does not happen to me often nowadays.”
“Good graphics, good special effects, and musical accompaniment; in general, the strategy is normal, there is no pressure, they have other goodies.”
“Graphically, it looks like it's on the level of browser games.”
“The graphics are top-notch; I really liked the overall atmosphere.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly during floating castle exploration, but appreciate the combat mechanics and the variety in unit builds, expressing a desire for more mercenary options.
“The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I find myself doing the same tasks over and over just to level up, which quickly becomes boring.”
“The amount of time required to progress through grinding is frustrating and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
