The King's Dilemma: Chronicles
- January 29, 2023
- Big Trouble
Get on Steam"The King's Dilemma: Chronicles" is a narrative-driven strategy game where players advise a medieval monarch in a series of moral dilemmas, with choices impacting the kingdom's future. Players engage in cooperative decision-making, balancing personal beliefs and the common good, and face the consequences of their actions in subsequent playthroughs. This Steam edition compiles the base game and its expansions, providing an immersive and thought-provoking experience.
Reviews
- The game features a well-crafted story with engaging narrative elements and beautiful visuals.
- Players who enjoyed the original board game may find nostalgia and enjoyment in the digital adaptation, especially with the opportunity to explore different story branches.
- The game offers a unique experience for solo players, allowing for more control over decisions compared to the multiplayer board game.
- The gameplay mechanics do not translate well to a single-player experience, leading to a lack of meaningful choices and player agency.
- Many decisions feel arbitrary, with outcomes that do not align with player expectations, resulting in frustration.
- The game is relatively short and lacks replay value unless players are focused on achieving all achievements, making it feel overpriced for the content offered.
- story46 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its depth and intriguing narrative, drawing heavily from the original board game, but many players feel that the linearity and reliance on resource management diminish the impact of their choices. While the writing is strong and offers a rich experience, the gameplay mechanics often force players into decisions that conflict with their desired narrative paths, leading to a sense of frustration and disappointment. Overall, the story is compelling, but the execution leaves some players feeling that it lacks meaningful engagement and continuity.
“A very nice, story-driven narrative.”
“This is an excellent way to get the board game's story if COVID messed up your group's chances of finishing.”
“Get ready for a frustrating start trying to learn the gameplay systems - but if you don’t mind lots of reading and trial and error, then you’ll be rewarded with one of the richest and most intriguing story experiences in recent years!”
“The story feels very linear, and instead of picking the choices you think are good, you are forced to pick the choices that help you get the right resources.”
“Very disappointed in the game; I got this because I wanted to get invested in the choices and story, but the balancing system they have in place is the ultimate decider, so it ruined my enjoyment of the game sadly.”
“It's structured into several self-contained story arcs that have nothing to do with each other, which makes for absolutely horrid continuity errors and a general feeling of meaninglessness.”
- gameplay35 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its poorly designed mechanics that struggle to translate from a board game format to a single-player experience, leading to a disjointed narrative and a lack of engaging interactions. Many players found the mechanics overly complex and obscure, detracting from the overall enjoyment, while others noted that mastering these systems could lead to a rewarding story experience. Overall, the gameplay is seen as frustrating and lacking depth, with many recommending it only for those more interested in the narrative than in meaningful gameplay.
“The charm of the board game is that you have to push your agenda and make deals with other players, persuade them or straight up trick them, which makes for interesting gameplay.”
“For better or worse, the complex gameplay systems are difficult to master - but the game rewards that mastery with an excellent branching story experience with tons of replayability.”
“Get ready for a frustrating start trying to learn the gameplay systems - but if you don’t mind lots of reading and trial and error, then you’ll be rewarded with one of the richest and most intriguing story experiences in recent years!”
“Frankly, the game mechanics actively work against the narrative, which otherwise would be the point of this game.”
“The game has a slew of absolutely pointless mechanics, and would be better off without them.”
“It's an exceptionally poorly designed game, with occasionally great writing, but an incredibly disjointed narrative and totally pointless gameplay.”
- music6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its soothing quality and ability to enhance the storytelling experience, with each story event accompanied by unique hand-drawn art. While there is no voice acting, the soundtrack is considered great, making the overall atmosphere engaging and enjoyable.
“All the reading is brought to life with nice pictures and a beautiful OST that makes it not annoying at all, but more like a living book.”
“Art and music are on point - nearly every story event/thread has its own unique hand-drawn art.”
“No voice acting so far and nothing fancy when it comes to the music.”
“Okay, it has a few sound effects, but it's mostly music that you'll be listening to, and the music is great.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while it offers a branching story that rewards mastery of its complex systems, many players find the overall experience too short for the price, limiting replay value unless pursuing achievements. However, it does provide opportunities for multiple playthroughs, typically lasting 4-6 hours each.
“For better or worse, the complex gameplay systems are difficult to master - but the game rewards that mastery with an excellent branching story experience with tons of replayability.”
“While I do like the concept of the game, it is too short for the price, and the replay value is rather low unless you want all the achievements.”
“It'll probably take you 4-6 hours to get through a single playthrough, and the game gives opportunities for multiple playthroughs thanks to its replayability potential.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users describe the emotional aspect of the game as deeply impactful, with some finding it heart-wrenching and evocative.
“I found it heart-breaking.”
“The story left me in tears; it was incredibly moving.”
“I felt a deep connection to the characters, their struggles resonated with me.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, while some users experienced glitches that could disrupt gameplay, they were manageable enough to avoid, allowing for an enjoyable experience.
“I encountered several glitches that could potentially ruin gameplay if exploited, but I managed to avoid them and still had a good time.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which severely impacted my gameplay.”
- graphics1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their great visuals, showcasing impressive detail and artistry that enhance the overall gaming experience.
“The graphics are stunning and truly immersive.”
“The visuals are incredibly detailed and vibrant.”
“The art style is unique and beautifully crafted.”
