The Amber Throne

About

"The Amber Throne" is a turn-based strategy game set in a dark fantasy world. As a deposed king seeking revenge, you'll recruit a team of heroes, explore randomly generated maps, and battle evil forces in tactical combat. With permanent death and permissive save scumming, each playthrough offers a unique challenge.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 136 reviews

story52 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The Amber Throne features stunning hand-painted artwork and a beautiful soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
The game offers an intriguing story with unique characters and a compelling world, reminiscent of classic JRPGs.
The combat system is engaging, utilizing a stance mechanic that encourages strategic thinking and exploration of enemy weaknesses.

The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs that can lead to game-breaking situations and a lack of controller support.
The story can be confusing and difficult to follow at times, with some plot points feeling underdeveloped or rushed.
The resolution is locked at a low setting, which can detract from the visual experience, especially on larger screens.

story
132 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
57%
4%
The story of the game is described as intriguing and beautifully crafted, with a mix of dark themes and engaging ideas, though it often suffers from confusion and a lack of clarity. While many players appreciate the artistic presentation and emotional depth, some find the narrative difficult to follow, with loose threads and underdeveloped elements that can detract from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the story is noted for its potential and the interesting concepts it explores, making it a compelling aspect for those willing to invest the time to unravel its complexities.
- “The story is very interesting and tackles some interesting ideas about how regulations bind us, how we should forge our own destinies, and how you should let go of vengeful desires instead of letting them consume you.”
- “The ending was bittersweet as a warning, but overall the story and characters really pulled me into the game.”
- “The artwork is lovely, the gameplay is very intuitive, the characters are interesting, and the story, man, the story.”
- “The only downside was that the story was really difficult to follow.”
- “Meanwhile, the story introduces various unexplained lore and unexplained events that leave the player in complete ignorance; it just moves so fast and absolutely nothing is explained.”
- “It's a case of someone having an idea of what makes a story dramatic or meaningful, but not being able to organize any of it into a coherent set of motivations, causes, and effects.”
graphics
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
37%
5%
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their beautiful, hand-painted artwork and unique watercolor style, reminiscent of classic 90s JRPGs. Reviewers highlight the cohesive integration of visuals and music, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the storytelling experience. While some players noted minor navigation issues due to the art style, the overall aesthetic and graphical design are considered standout features that elevate the game.
- “The graphics are breathtakingly beautiful and all the art is hand-drawn.”
- “It's beautifully realized in its aesthetic and its identity, bringing us possibly one of the most visually fleshed out worlds ever in RPG history.”
- “The hand-painted artwork is gorgeous and tasteful, the soundtrack is really good, and the story is well thought out and intriguing.”
- “That technicality aside, graphics-wise it's very pastel to watercolor styled.”
- “Additionally, it is often difficult to determine where the main character can walk on screen due to the low-res graphics.”
- “Knowing where to go was confusing (a lot of walking into invisible walls ensued), because of the watercolor art style there weren't clear lines as to where the path was.”
music
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
45%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience and complementing the stunning artwork. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, with a diverse range of tracks that effectively set the tone for the gameplay. While some found the music to be simple or not as remarkable, the majority agree that it significantly contributes to the game's charm and emotional impact.
- “The soundtrack is amazing and one of the best game soundtracks I've heard in a while.”
- “The painted locations paired with the music give the game a very distinct tone and atmosphere, which is the main selling point.”
- “The art is amazing, the soundtrack is spot on and wonderful, and the gameplay, while simple, doesn't get stale and really keeps you engaged and interested throughout.”
- “The music of this game is very simple, no grand scores or epic pieces.”
- “The story is good, and even if I personally didn't find the soundtrack to be as remarkable as some reviews said it would be, it's still satisfying.”
- “Has some issues like after the stranger joins your party the music stops and doesn't come back, the UI isn't really that nice to move around with, windowed mode screen size is horrible and I was not able to use a controller in game.”
gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
50%
9%
The gameplay is generally described as simple and intuitive, with some unique mechanics that initially engage players, but it tends to become repetitive and tedious over time. While the art and music enhance the experience, many reviewers noted that the combat can feel unbalanced and lacks depth, leading to boredom in longer sessions. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable moments and frustrating mechanics, making it a mixed bag for players seeking a compelling gameplay experience.
- “There were many unique game mechanics that I felt helped balance and keep me interested in the combat.”
- “The art is amazing, the soundtrack is spot on and wonderful, and the gameplay, while simple, doesn't get stale and really keeps you engaged and interested throughout.”
- “As far as the combat is concerned, there is a neat form mechanic that makes combat a little more engaging than standard RPGs.”
- “But the actual gameplay gets pretty boring.”
- “I love the story, the art, and the ideas behind the battle system, but the actual gameplay gets boring really fast.”
- “I don't remember much of the gameplay or story, but to be honest I remember getting extremely bored of the game and eventually just stopping, even though like so many others I really wanted to like it.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
13%
63%
Overall, players appreciate the lack of grinding in the game, noting that it allows for a more enjoyable experience without the pressure of essential party members or excessive leveling. While some players mention the need to manage healing items carefully, the combat system is designed to minimize grind, making any necessary grinding feel painless. The game's art style and streamlined mechanics further contribute to a non-grindy atmosphere.
- “No grinding either, which a lot of games like this on Steam have been leaning towards lately.”
- “It would take a lot of grinding to try and bring them up to speed with the rest of the party/enemy difficulty.”
- “Very small skill tree, very 'dumb' combat, but not grindy or annoying.”
- “Love the art style and it's not too grindy either.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with many users reporting frequent bugs and glitches, including crashes and issues with specific mechanics like airship landings. While some players experienced only minor incidents, the overall consensus indicates a notably unstable experience.
- “It's still buggy.”
- “It's very buggy.”
- “There are glitches that occur that will remind you of some of the battle mechanics.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers a heartfelt experience with a creatively nuanced story that touches on modern themes, making it emotionally resonant for players seeking depth. However, some reviewers find it challenging to form a strong emotional attachment to the silent protagonist, relying instead on dreams and journal entries for connection. Overall, it balances emotional engagement with a rich narrative, appealing to those who appreciate thoughtful storytelling.
- “There are some nooks and crannies that are yet to be uncovered, so if you are looking for a heartfelt experience rather than a challenge to overcome, with an interesting story that takes place in a well-thought-out world, then this game is a good choice.”
- “Heart-wrenching.”
- “Then there's the story, which is extremely creative and nuanced, touching surprisingly on quite a few modern topics that can parallel perfectly with the real world.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its atmospheric soundtrack and beautifully painted locations, which together create a distinct tone that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the combination of compelling storytelling and a satisfying sense of exploration as key elements that contribute to its immersive atmosphere.
- “The painted locations paired with the music give the game a very distinct tone and atmosphere, which is the main selling point.”
- “It's a solid RPG with excellent atmosphere and artwork, along with a compelling storyline and satisfying sense of exploration.”
- “Atmospheric and fitting soundtrack.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the funny and interesting characters, though players noted a frustrating inconsistency in difficulty levels that could shift dramatically between encounters, sometimes leading to a jarring experience.
- “The characters were funny and interesting.”
- “The difficulty level seemed to vary from laughingly easy to dead-in-two-turns between fights, for no discernible reason.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
While the game's visuals and soundtrack are praised for their quality, many users feel that the lack of character development hinders emotional attachment to the characters.
- “I completely failed to grow attached to the characters, and that's probably due to a lack of character development.”
- “The characters felt one-dimensional and lacked any meaningful growth throughout the game.”
- “I was disappointed by the shallow character arcs; they didn't evolve in a way that made me care about their journeys.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Reviewers feel that the game's replayability is limited due to a lack of diverse playable characters, which restricts strategic adaptability during gameplay. More character options are needed to enhance the overall replay value.
- “The variety of characters and strategies keeps the gameplay fresh, making me want to replay levels to try different approaches.”
- “Each playthrough feels unique due to the diverse character abilities and the dynamic enemy encounters.”
- “The game encourages experimentation, allowing players to discover new strategies and combinations with each replay.”
- “I know the point of such a system is to make the player switch between characters to adapt their strategy to the current enemy, but you need way more playable characters to be able to do that!”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play again. The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying feel pointless.”
- “The game offers very few variations in gameplay on subsequent playthroughs, which makes it hard to stay engaged after the first run.”