The Hungry Lamb: Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty

About

In "The Hungry Lamb: Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty," players assume the role of Liang, a bandit tasked with escorting four girls to a wealthy lord in Luoyang. Traverse through dangerous territories, encounter various events, and uncover the hidden truth behind the girls' journey, all while trying to keep them safe from a sinister secret. This action-adventure game is set during the Chongzhen Reign, a period marked by land annexation, domestic issues, foreign invasions, and widespread starvation.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

The Hungry Lamb: Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty screenshot

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 810 reviews

story238 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The Hungry Lamb features a beautifully crafted story that explores deep themes of revenge and redemption set against the backdrop of the late Ming Dynasty.
The game offers stunning visuals and a haunting soundtrack that enhance the emotional impact of the narrative, making it a memorable experience.
Players appreciate the character development and the multiple endings that provide a sense of agency and replayability, allowing for a rich exploration of the story.

The game contains mature themes and graphic content, including depictions of violence and child abuse, which may be disturbing for some players.
Some players found the translation to be inconsistent, with occasional awkward phrasing that detracted from the overall immersion.
Certain scenes and character interactions have been criticized for being uncomfortable or inappropriate, leading to mixed feelings about the narrative's handling of sensitive topics.

story
508 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
52%
2%
The story of "The Hungry Lamb" is a deeply engaging narrative centered on themes of revenge and redemption, set against the backdrop of the late Ming dynasty's turmoil. Players navigate a well-crafted plot filled with emotional depth, historical context, and character-driven storytelling, though it does not shy away from dark themes such as cannibalism and human trafficking. While some reviews note minor translation issues and a few predictable elements, the overall consensus highlights the story's compelling nature, rich character development, and significant replay value through multiple endings.
- “The story is focused on two themes: revenge and redemption.”
- “The characters are well thought-out, the setting is marvelously explained, the story is very well written, and the consequences of your decisions are a lot more disturbingly realistic than I was expecting.”
- “The hungry lamb takes players on a dark, emotional journey through the late Ming dynasty, offering a story that explores the harsh realities of war, poverty, and corruption.”
- “The story still has a lot more places where it could have added more content to really flesh out the characters and take it to the next level, but you can't really complain given the game's relatively cheap price.”
- “Warning to all people that some parts of the narrative involve cannibalism and famine that drive people to the edge of sanity, combined with some acts that are considered child abuse; the story might not be for you.”
- “I heard the good reviews of this game and I barely played any game developed by Chinese companies, so I wanted to show my support, but this game's plot is a bit uncomfortable because it has some plots that are kind of sexualizing underage children characters, which is disgusting.”
music
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
40%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the storytelling, with many reviewers noting its fitting atmosphere and cultural relevance. While the soundtrack is described as powerful and well-designed, some users mention a lack of variety, with a few repetitive tracks. Overall, the combination of music, voice acting, and visuals creates a compelling and immersive experience.
- “The soundtrack is phenomenal, even after finishing the game I still go back to listen to the beautiful songs that really capture the atmosphere and time period the game is in.”
- “The storytelling is phenomenal with compelling characters and no shortage of heart-wrenching moments paired perfectly with its music.”
- “The music is so well made and sets the atmosphere so well, characters are great in their reasoning, backstory, etc., the voice actors did an incredible job, and my god the art is beautiful.”
- “Much of what was used had an older feel; there were no modern-sounding soundtracks helping add to the immersion of being present in ancient China.”
- “The soundtrack, unfortunately, kinda lacks diversity, but still does a pretty good job at setting up the mood.”
- “Despite a few translation issues and some repetitive music, the audio-visual presentation significantly enhances the narrative experience.”
emotional
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its deeply emotional storytelling, featuring a compelling narrative that explores dark themes of history, war, and personal tragedy. Players report experiencing a wide range of emotions, often leading to tears, as they connect with well-developed characters and their heart-wrenching journeys. The combination of beautiful art, music, and voice acting enhances the emotional impact, making it a memorable experience for those who appreciate rich, emotional visual novels.
- “The storytelling is phenomenal with compelling characters and no shortage of heart-wrenching moments paired perfectly with its music.”
- “Its touching and tragic story made me reflect on my own life, values, and family.”
- “The voice acting adds emotional depth to the characters, while the haunting soundtrack underscores the game's themes of despair and hope.”
graphics
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
29%
5%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning artwork, which blends traditional Chinese art with modern animation, creating a unique and captivating aesthetic. While the visuals are described as beautiful and detailed, some players noted a lack of variety in environments. Additionally, the game features strong cultural connotations in its art style and music, enhancing the overall experience, though some graphic depictions may be unsettling for certain players.
- “The artwork is awesome, and the voice acting and sound effects are great too.”
- “Jaw dropping artwork and a captivating cast, this game was really worth playing.”
- “The game’s visual style combines traditional Chinese art with modern animation, creating a distinct aesthetic that reflects the historical setting.”
- “The graphic scenes get too descriptive in my opinion, but it does work in setting the tone of the story.”
- “Moreover, I wish there were more visuals in the game.”
- “They're beautifully drawn, but I wish there were some variations of the forest and inn visuals because they're frequently used in the game.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
41%
14%
The atmosphere of the game is described as dark and immersive, significantly enhanced by stunning art, particularly in flashback scenes, and a phenomenal soundtrack that captures the game's time period. The engaging writing and strong voice acting further contribute to the overall experience, although some users noted occasional immersion-breaking moments. Overall, the unique historical setting and well-crafted design create a compelling atmosphere that resonates with players.
- “The art is really well done in its flashback scenes; it has these beautifully crafted ink drawings that are amazing and really help enhance the atmosphere of the visual novel quite well.”
- “The soundtrack is phenomenal; even after finishing the game, I still go back to listen to the beautiful songs that truly capture the atmosphere and time period the game is set in.”
- “The writing is engaging, and the voice acting enhances the immersive atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere and the whole (pretty rare) late Ming setting is pretty cool, but delivery sometimes off, breaking the immersion.”
- “6 only for the uncommon historical setting & solid atmosphere in design.”
- “The translation was solid and effectively conveyed the game's atmosphere.”
character development
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
17%
17%
Character development in the game is highly praised, with reviewers noting that it significantly enhances the storytelling experience. The characters are well-designed and their growth is integral to the plot, contributing to a compelling narrative of villainy, revenge, and redemption. Overall, the combination of expressive art, music, and voice acting further elevates the impact of character arcs, making them memorable and engaging.
- “Characters: 9/10. I love the character designs and the character development here.”
- “What makes stories great is character development, and this game does a fabulous job.”
- “All aspects of the work are high quality, with expressive art, tone-setting music, fluent voice acting, wonderful character development, and a compelling plot all interweaving to tell a touching story of villainy, revenge, and redemption.”
- “I don't want to explain the scene because it's important for their character development, but there is an entire dialogue (and internal monologue) in regards to how crazy such an idea is and how can someone even dare to think of such a possibility.”
- “This could be compared to watching a movie 1/10 of the way and thinking it terrible, without seeing its plot twists or character development, deciding that it would be worthy of a 1/10.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game offers significant replayability due to its branching narrative and multiple endings, which encourage players to explore different paths and outcomes. Many users highlight the beautiful story and educational elements, noting that replaying the game is rewarding until all chapters and endings are experienced. Overall, the combination of engaging storytelling and player-driven choices enhances the game's replay value.
- “Beautiful story, surprisingly educational for the non-Chinese player, and incredible replay value until all chapters are read and endings reached.”
- “The branching narrative and multiple endings provide replayability, allowing players to explore different paths and outcomes.”
- “Multiple endings influenced by player decisions enhance replayability.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
Gameplay is highly praised for its emotional depth, effectively conveying themes of hunger and poverty that foster a strong connection to the characters. While the mechanics are well-executed with good functionality, the experience is somewhat limited by its short duration of approximately 5-6 hours. Overall, it receives a high rating, despite the simplicity of some interface elements.
- “The feelings during gameplay—hunger, poverty, the emotions of the characters—make you feel deeply connected.”
- “Mechanics (GUI + programming): nicely done, good functionality, has story representation sections; the main menu and log are a bit simple, but that's fine.”
- “10/10 for the visual novel, with the only small downside being that it is a bit short in terms of gameplay, roughly 5 - 6 hours.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is praised for its strong performance and beautiful art, contributing to an overall positive experience. However, specific details regarding technical optimization are not mentioned, suggesting that while the game excels in artistic elements, its optimization may not be a focal point in user reviews.
- “The beautiful art and performances of the voice cast made sure of that.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of farming, noting that the effort put into the activity often does not yield sufficient financial returns to justify the time and resources invested.
- “I've been trying my hand at farming since last year, but the sales don’t even cover the water bill.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of bittersweet and lighthearted moments, providing players with both comedic relief and emotional depth.
- “It's not without its bittersweet and happy or funny moments!”