Tainted Grail: Conquest

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 7,582 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Tainted Grail: Conquest Game Cover
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"Tainted Grail: Conquest" is a strategy role-playing game set in a dark, twisted version of Arthurian legends. Players must navigate through the island of Avalon, battling enemies and making story-altering decisions in this challenging and immersive world. This game is a part of the Tainted Grail franchise, which first gained popularity as a board game.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 7,582 reviews
story912 positive mentions
optimization86 negative mentions
  • Engaging dark fantasy atmosphere with excellent voice acting and music.
  • Variety of classes and cards that allow for diverse gameplay strategies.
  • Persistent progression system that rewards players for each run, making it feel less punishing.
  • Performance issues and optimization problems, leading to lag and crashes.
  • Some classes feel underpowered compared to others, leading to balance issues.
  • Repetitive gameplay and encounters can become tedious over time.
  • story2,324 mentions

    The story in "Tainted Grail" is a compelling blend of dark fantasy and Arthurian legend, featuring rich character development and immersive storytelling that unfolds over multiple runs. Players appreciate the depth of the narrative, enhanced by excellent voice acting and a variety of quests that provide meaningful choices and consequences. However, some critiques highlight pacing issues and a reliance on RNG for quest progression, which can lead to repetitive gameplay and frustration in completing story arcs. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging story and atmosphere, making it a standout in the roguelite genre.

    • “Great storytelling and endless motivation for replaying the whole thing, because you unlock upgrades with every defeat of 'the true boss'.”
    • “The story is captivating, filled with intriguing characters, moral choices, and multiple branching paths.”
    • “Tainted Grail presents a rich and immersive dark fantasy experience that captivates players with its atmospheric storytelling, strategic gameplay, and intricate world-building.”
    • “The quest system also adds nothing because each run is random, there is no continuity or stakes because you might not see a character for awhile, meaning it's just a bunch of fetch quests.”
    • “The story starts off strong but then basically becomes background noise to wandering around in the dark and dying to samey encounters.”
    • “The story is ridiculously convoluted, irrational, implausible, and mundane.”
  • gameplay1,818 mentions

    The gameplay of "Tainted Grail: Conquest" is a blend of tactical roguelite mechanics and deep deckbuilding, drawing comparisons to games like "Slay the Spire" and "Darkest Dungeon." While many players appreciate the variety of classes and the strategic depth of the card mechanics, some find the gameplay repetitive and the learning curve steep due to poorly explained mechanics. Overall, the game offers an engaging experience with a rich atmosphere, though it suffers from balance issues and a lack of clarity in certain systems.

    • “Tainted Grail: Conquest is an incredible blend of tactical roguelite gameplay and deep deckbuilding mechanics.”
    • “It's a perfect mix for fans of card games and dark fantasy settings, providing hours of engaging gameplay with a compelling storyline.”
    • “The gameplay itself is very addictive, its music and arts mesmerizing.”
    • “The gameplay loop gets repetitive quickly, unlike Slay the Spire and some other games from the genre.”
    • “None of the gameplay elements that make Elder Scrolls or ARPGs interesting are present here, just pointless camera fiddling and endless running for its own sake.”
    • “The gameplay feels so generic and plain... but everything else is so damn good.”
  • music1,316 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many players praising its atmospheric and immersive qualities that enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack, featuring a mix of dark Nordic and Celtic influences, is noted for its ability to evoke a strong sense of setting and emotion, particularly during combat and boss encounters. However, some players have pointed out that the limited variety of tracks can lead to repetitiveness over extended play sessions, though the quality of the music remains a standout feature.

    • “Great deckbuilding game (similar to STS but much darker) - some of the best music I've heard in a game!”
    • “The music is brilliant in this game because of it I have started to listen to Danheim which is now a favorite.”
    • “The music absolutely slaps and the gameplay loop is fun and engaging.”
    • “Poor music, sound effects, etc. seems unfinished in some places.”
    • “On the negatives its the grinding required to reach the 'true ending' (I won't spoil but you don't miss much even if you don't reach it, kind of disappointing) the OST, although having some nice tracks, gets repeated a lot and because of the huge re-runs required they can turn tiring and boring quickly; I just played YouTube music in the background after a while.”
    • “The thing that hurts this game the most is the music, especially the battle music at the moment it is the same track for all regular enemies and it sounds very dull and monotone.”
  • graphics1,186 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the dark and atmospheric art style that enhances the overall aesthetic, reminiscent of titles like Dark Souls and Diablo. However, some players have noted performance issues, including stuttering and low frame rates, particularly on lower-end systems, which detracts from the experience. Overall, while the visuals are often described as beautiful and immersive, there are concerns about optimization and consistency in quality across different graphical elements.

    • “This is an incredible version of a card-crawler with amazing graphics, mini-stories, and animations.”
    • “The graphics are great, and it's really fun, and especially challenging at first.”
    • “The graphics are quite good, with the developers constantly updating models & textures as the game matures, there are some things that could look a bit better, but for the most part it looks really good!”
    • “I read every report from others, tried a variety of graphic options, and it appears to be, in my opinion, unplayable.”
    • “The graphics are shit.”
    • “I'm by no means a graphic enthusiast, but this game is, apart from the actual combat screen, outright ugly.”
  • atmosphere666 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, immersive qualities, drawing comparisons to gothic and dark fantasy themes reminiscent of titles like Dark Souls and Diablo. Players appreciate the haunting visuals, excellent voice acting, and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, creating a rich and engaging world filled with intriguing lore and character depth. However, some critiques mention that occasional mismatches in voice acting can detract from the otherwise strong atmospheric immersion.

    • “Tainted Grail presents a rich and immersive dark fantasy experience that captivates players with its atmospheric storytelling, strategic gameplay, and intricate world-building.”
    • “The game's atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful, with gorgeous graphics and a haunting soundtrack that perfectly captures the game's sense of foreboding.”
    • “The atmosphere is dark and the music suits every fight.”
    • “The very little atmosphere there is, is promptly ruined by the voice-over.”
    • “This game is supposed to be atmosphere but the graphics basically kill the atmosphere.”
    • “Gameplay seems like a solid deckbuilder, with a dark atmosphere but the writing is way too silly and without any passion.”
  • replayability444 mentions

    The game boasts high replayability, primarily due to its diverse selection of 9 classes, each with unique playstyles and progression systems. Players appreciate the variety of gameplay experiences, including different character builds, random events, and unlockable content, which encourage multiple playthroughs. However, some users note that the game can become easier over time, potentially diminishing the challenge and replay value for seasoned players.

    • “Great game, lots of replayability without feeling endless!”
    • “Lots of replayability, with 3 'main' classes (fighter, archer, mage) each with 3 'sub' classes that all play completely differently.”
    • “The replayability is enormous here.”
    • “The only downside is that it seems to fall a bit shorter when it comes to replayability and gets a bit too easy once you know what you are doing.”
    • “Not much replayability besides endless mode or weekly challenges.”
    • “I enjoyed most of the time I played, but right now I am at the point where I don't see any replay value anymore.”
  • optimization276 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance, frequent stuttering, and high resource demands even on capable hardware. While some users have experienced smooth gameplay, the overall consensus indicates that the game is not well-optimized, leading to frustration and a recommendation to wait for future patches to address these issues. Despite its potential and engaging gameplay, the optimization problems detract from the overall experience.

    • “A shining example of indie early access. I have a whole library of AAA games and yet this is the game I've just played for 10 hours straight. I haven't had any performance issues or crashes. Wish the devs the best of luck.”
    • “I will gladly give this game a positive review considering that this game will be polished a bit more performance-wise.”
    • “Got this game, played it every day for hours, and loved every second of it. I love the world and gameplay; it is amazingly fun. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes deckbuilders. It has some minor performance issues, but that is a minor issue compared to how amazingly fun the game has been.”
    • “That said, please note that this game has very bad / weird PC optimization - I had to choke all the settings to medium on a rig that runs most AAA games smoothly on ultra, just to set your expectations.”
    • “The second issue is performance; the game looks okay on higher settings but it just has no right to put so much stress on a high-end system as it does. The optimization was clearly not ironed out properly.”
    • “Unfortunately, it's a stuttering mess that sends CPU and GPU temps through the roof.”
  • grinding204 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly in the late game where progression feels slow and reliant on grinding for upgrades. While some appreciate the strategic elements and the potential for rewarding gameplay, others criticize the grind as overwhelming and unbalanced, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable but marred by a grindy progression system that could benefit from adjustments to improve pacing and engagement.

    • “The loading screens between runs and combat aren't tedious, and playing cards/chaining cards keeps up with how fast I want to play them.”
    • “The permanent upgrades (across playthroughs) are too grindy.”
    • “It is so tedious to kill the enemies and they respawn and multiply and many have as much health as the player while being able to slowly deplete the player's health over time; it isn't a very fun gameplay loop.”
    • “The mechanics of the game are fun, but the grinding system is a bit overwhelming; there's an unlocking order that feels too slow.”
  • stability94 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with many players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly with controller support and pathfinding. While some users noted minor glitches and a generally enjoyable experience, others experienced game-breaking bugs that hindered progress, leading to frustration. Overall, the game appears to be in an unpolished state, resembling early access rather than a fully released product.

    • “Very polished, has a lot of features, has a lot of content, and all of it seems planned out, bug free, and is actually useful in the game.”
    • “A very enjoyable bug-free 20+ hours.”
    • “There are some minor ease of use issues, but largely, the game feels polished and bug free.”
    • “Game often crashes my PC with blue screens and freezes.”
    • “The game crashes and freezes an absurd amount for a game with the kind of reviews it has.”
    • “After playing a fair few hours, I've come to the conclusion that the game is simply too buggy and not fun.”
  • humor36 mentions

    The game's humor is characterized by a blend of dark and twisted elements, with some players finding it clever and entertaining, particularly praising the writing and voice acting, especially the British-accented goat. However, opinions are divided; while some appreciate the humor and find the story engaging, others feel it lacks lightness and emotional depth, leading to a mixed reception regarding its comedic aspects. Overall, the humor is seen as a significant but polarizing element of the game.

    • “Very dark game with some twisted humor, but I generally like the deck-building roguelike loop.”
    • “The story is a little bit on the simple side, but thanks to the amazing writing and voice acting (I'm looking at you Aussie goat), it becomes a dark and humorous tale that keeps you entertained along the way.”
    • “Basicly you go into an area, fight a mob, talk to a weird person, and either save them, kill them, or rob them, etc. Good humor.”
  • character development26 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its depth and complexity, featuring morally ambiguous choices and engaging storytelling that keeps players invested. While some critiques mention subpar character model designs, the overall writing and voice acting are highlighted as mature and immersive, enhancing the player's connection to the characters. The game successfully combines various artistic styles and mechanics, contributing to a rich narrative experience.

    • “The game presents a sprawling and intricate story, filled with morally ambiguous choices, deep character development, and branching paths.”
    • “All characters I've met have been voice acted, and greatly so, bringing the characters to life. I really want to underline how much I'm enjoying the writing - in a lot of media it is so shallow that I'm just looking at it, seeing my own reflection and feeling my wrinkles grow; in Tainted Grail, the character design and dialogue is interesting and mature, and even the dialogue options given make it feel like the player/protagonist is naturally reacting to the situation and putting some thought into it.”
    • “It has the card mechanics of Hearthstone, the art style of Diablo, the character development of World of Warcraft, and some really good storytelling I didn't feel the urge to skip, like I do in most games.”
    • “The design of the character models looks like that of amateurs, or maybe from an asset they bought on the UE marketplace. I could do that better, and I have in the past many times. Character design is one of my special abilities offered to clients. It's part of my job, and I tell you: they delivered a subpar result.”
    • “Player character design is a bit meh.”
    • “Deeper character development, more progression, an actual story.”
  • emotional20 mentions

    The game evokes a strong emotional response through its touching narratives and character relationships, often described as both sad and uplifting. Players appreciate the wholesome dark aesthetic and the depth of storytelling, which keeps them engaged across multiple runs. However, some feel the lack of humor and emotional weight in certain voice lines detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Simply a must play - the fact that there are still developers out there investing in and elevating the deckbuilding genre in the 2020s makes me emotional.”
    • “And most of all, some parts are so emotionally touching that... I will probably never forget them.”
    • “The stories are very attractive and the relationships between characters are also very touching, especially when you listen to the conversations that are narrated with emotion.”
  • monetization8 mentions

    The game is praised for its lack of exploitative monetization practices, distinguishing it from many AAA titles, and is seen as a refreshing change. However, some players express disappointment over misleading advertising regarding the number of character classes, which may detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is viewed as a well-crafted product that prioritizes quality over profit.

    • “The biggest reason I give it a 'no' is because of the advertisement of 9 classes, when in reality there are 3 classes with some very limited choice in starting skills.”
    • “When you see a game like this that is made well at a great price, and doesn't come with any of the BS monetization that most AAA titles do these days, it's very refreshing.”
    • “This game was put together with an objective to create something excellent - it's not a cash grab.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

20hMedian play time
25hAverage play time
9-40hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 118 analyzed playthroughs

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