The Elder Scrolls: Castles
- September 28, 2023
- Bethesda Game Studios
- 4h median play time
Get on Play Store"The Elder Scrolls: Castles" is a single-player Fantasy Role Playing game with good mechanics, pretty visuals, and good music, but can be very grinding and is full of bugs. As a castle lord, you manage your kingdom over years, build and customize your castle, and make key decisions impacting your legacy, while ensuring your subjects' happiness and resources. Despite some issues, the game offers plenty of humor and a wholesome story for players to experience.
iPad
iPhone
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Android
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Tablet
Reviews
- Engaging gameplay with a mix of castle management and character interactions.
- Fun and charming art style that appeals to Elder Scrolls fans.
- The ruling system adds depth and consequences to player decisions.
- Frequent crashes and freezing, especially during ruling decisions.
- Heavy reliance on microtransactions, including a costly battle pass that limits rewards.
- Lack of offline play and constant need for an internet connection.
- gameplay303 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has drawn mixed reviews, with many players noting its similarities to "Fallout Shelter" but criticizing it for lacking depth and becoming repetitive over time. While some enjoy the mechanics and find the initial experience engaging, others feel that the game is bogged down by microtransactions, bugs, and a tedious gameplay loop that relies heavily on waiting for timers. Overall, the game offers a fun premise but suffers from stability issues and a lack of meaningful progression, leading to a sense of stagnation in gameplay.
“The gameplay is solid so far, although it's a bit early to say long-term.”
“Great game with lots of fun mechanics.”
“I love the gameplay, but it's slow-paced indeed.”
“This translates to an inevitable stagnation in gameplay, freshened only by the periodic events.”
“The main gameplay loop is waiting to upgrade certain stations while dealing with decisions that could be way more interesting but tend to become old and cliché very fast.”
“There's very little gameplay outside of waiting for timers and clicking off the 'offers' the shop spams you with at every opportunity, and it gets old fast.”
- monetization265 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 59 % negative mentions
The monetization in the game has been widely criticized for being excessively aggressive and predatory, with numerous microtransactions and a lack of meaningful rewards for watching ads. Many players feel that the game is designed primarily as a cash grab, with high prices for in-game purchases and a subscription model that does not effectively enhance the gameplay experience. While some users appreciate that ads are not forced, the overall sentiment is that the monetization strategy detracts significantly from the enjoyment of the game.
“Microtransactions are pushed but not required.”
“This is a great fun game that yes has microtransactions, but you don't need them.”
“2 stars for the following: -paid subscription does not remove ads -there is not even an option to remove ads -it happens often, when watching an ad to speed up a workstation or get 'free' stuff, the ad will complete and you do not get the reward, nothing happens -the monetization is the typical garbage conversion rates and absurd prices.”
“The monetization is excessive.”
“The game is good but the microtransactions are disgusting.”
- graphics231 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the art style and visuals as "nice" and "cute," while others criticize them as outdated, glitchy, or reminiscent of older consoles like the PS1 or Wii. Many users report performance issues, including lag and crashes, particularly when graphics settings are high, suggesting that optimization is needed. Overall, while some appreciate the aesthetic and detail, a significant number find the graphics lacking and not up to modern standards.
“Very well done, can just watch the visuals for hours.”
“Absolutely amazing game with great graphics and gameplay.”
“Great graphics, peaceful setting, laid-back game.”
“The art style is very blocky, boring, looks like a baby AI upscaled some Minecraft x Lego mashup textures.”
“The graphics are terrible.”
“The game is Fallout Shelter but at 10 fps on the lowest settings with a modern phone, as well as relatively bad graphics for mobile terms.”
- story216 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it lacking depth and engagement. While some appreciate the initial setup and the potential for character-driven narratives, others criticize the repetitive and linear quest structure, which often feels disconnected from the overarching storyline. Additionally, the reliance on microtransactions and the clunky quest mechanics detract from the overall experience, leaving players desiring a more fleshed-out narrative and greater player agency in shaping their kingdom's story.
“The small story in the beginning is a great introduction to the roleplay aspect of owning a kingdom, and the evolving story that unfolds as you play.”
“You have to progress the story of your kingdom and players will progress differently depending on your choices, and those choices will branch out to various more choices in the future.”
“I enjoy the story you get to make as your kingdom grows; keep up the great work.”
“Without a story, it lacks a lot of deep content.”
“There is almost no story and progression is very linear; even compared to Fallout Shelter.”
“The quests aren't fun at all.”
- stability205 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes and freezes, particularly during key interactions like making rulings. Many players express frustration over the game's performance issues, which often require them to restart the app multiple times to continue playing. While some acknowledge that the game has potential, the overwhelming consensus is that it is currently too buggy and unstable for a satisfying experience.
“It runs great and doesn't have many problems for a game that just released.”
“Amazingly fun, runs great.”
“After waiting a year, I figured this game would be feature complete and bug free.”
“The biggest issue I have is that the game consistently crashes/freezes during the starting of a ruler decision (when clicking on the card on the left for the first time to reveal choices and also when trying to select and move a choice, both have happened repeatedly). I'm currently pretty disappointed with the experience.”
“Crashes a lot, freezes a lot, jitters a lot, performance is terrible, burns up my phone so bad the OS disables charging to protect my overheated battery.”
“Every time I have to make a ruling decision, the game freezes and I need to reload.”
- optimization74 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 32 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with users reporting frequent crashes, freezing, and significant performance issues across various devices. Many players experience overheating and battery drain, making the game nearly unplayable, even on high-end phones. While some users note smoother performance on specific devices, the general consensus is that substantial optimization improvements are urgently needed to enhance the overall experience.
“As a Pixel 9 Fold user, I can attest to its exceptional performance on this platform.”
“It is fun, is optimized well in my opinion, and has a cute (though basic) 3D style.”
“Runs smoothly on my Samsung Galaxy A54 5G.”
“Intermittent crashing, freezing, and performance issues are taking away from the overall experience of the game.”
“The game is constantly stuttering, freezing, and crashing; I can't keep it open for more than five seconds without it bugging out.”
“Completely unplayable as it's not optimized at all.”
- grinding60 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, often leading to frustration and boredom. Many reviews highlight the slow progression, reliance on microtransactions, and the cumbersome management tasks that detract from the enjoyment. While some appreciate certain elements of the game, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding experience becomes a significant barrier to sustained engagement.
“The longer you get into it, the more you get pummeled with things that cost money or a lot of grinding, and it just stops being interesting within a couple of days because of it.”
“It's a boring experience that gets repetitive and tedious very quickly.”
“After about 7 days of play you hit a wall where progressing in the combat portion of the game demands either real cash or endless grinding.”
- music50 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and beautiful qualities, enhancing the overall experience and immersion. Many players express a desire for more tracks from the Elder Scrolls series, particularly from Skyrim, while some note issues with sound quality in recent updates. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“The soundtrack is beautiful, absolutely perfect.”
“The music is very calming.”
“The music alone is so relaxing and entertaining I accidentally leave the game idle and my subjects starve from no food often.”
“I'm confused by the limitation here... the Halloween update has made the sound output for the music very harsh.”
“I feel like the music is right on the edge of several lawsuits; I'm able to compare four songs closely to existing music.”
“Something is wrong with the music; it has static in it.”
- humor31 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding the character interactions, quirky dialogue, and absurd situations—such as marrying multiple characters or dealing with the consequences of poor decisions—particularly amusing. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke laughter through its charmingly chaotic mechanics and the humorous antics of NPCs, despite some technical issues that add to the comedic experience. Overall, the blend of lighthearted storytelling and funny character dynamics contributes to a vibrant and entertaining atmosphere.
“I accidentally made a child with the wrong Argonian and the one I married was pissed off at me for like a year and randomly developed the volatile trait because of it, which was hilarious.”
“The characters' dialogue can also be pretty funny to follow, and making decisions as king adds a nice touch of interaction with the world and people.”
“It's hilarious and cute.”
- emotional9 mentions
- 89 % positive mentions
- -22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is marked by a mix of frustration and poignant moments; players express disappointment over bugs and design flaws that detract from enjoyment, while also noting the impactful music and character dynamics that evoke strong feelings. The emotional swings of characters contribute to a chaotic narrative, leaving some players feeling heartbroken yet engaged, despite the overall gameplay issues.
“Characters have wild emotional swings that mean people keep getting murdered.”
“What a heartbreaking truth.”
“The music makes me want to cry; it's so good.”
“The tutorial had a boring storyline that failed to engage me emotionally.”
“I felt no emotional connection to the characters or their struggles.”
“The game lacked any real emotional depth, making it hard to care about the outcome.”
- character development8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted for its accessibility and layered mechanics, allowing for bonuses based on different characteristics. However, many users express disappointment with the lack of depth in character development and the uniformity of character designs, which fail to reflect the diversity of races and ethnicities. Overall, while the game offers some fun, it is criticized for its simplistic and repetitive character aesthetics and development.
“Easy to pick up and play but has multiple layers of character development with different characteristics adding bonuses to certain areas.”
“Pretty straightforward and true to the genre with Mii-style character design.”
“Game is solid, but could use more content like deeper character development or use of the castle yard.”
“Not a fan of the simple character designs either; everyone looks the same regardless of race.”
“Somewhat like Fallout Shelter but no tactics or character development involved, just a time suck.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Users note that the game offers some replayability due to its variety of options, but combat missions and the lack of multiple save slots limit this aspect significantly. While some players find the game loop enjoyable and comparable to Fallout Shelter, they express a desire for improvements to enhance replay value further.
“The variety of options lends itself to replay value, not microtransaction value.”
“So far, I'm enjoying the game loop like Fallout Shelter, but it seems to have more replayability.”
“Could have been 10 times better if it allowed replayability just like Fallout Shelter.”
“Combat missions have limited replay value and rewards.”
“Also the fact we can't have multiple saves like in Fallout Shelter is kind of iffy since there's by design no replayability.”
“Could have been 10x better if you could allow replayability just like Fallout Shelter.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with many noting its meticulous attention to detail that rivals the quality of an Elder Scrolls title. Players feel instantly immersed in the environment, contributing to a captivating and engaging experience that deserves top marks.
“A lot of attention has been given to detail, and the atmosphere is right up there with what you would expect from an Elder Scrolls game.”
“You can also make the same type of game with a village atmosphere.”
“I never write reviews, but the atmosphere you're immediately enveloped in gets 5 stars.”
