The Order of the Thorne: The King's Challenge

The Order of the Thorne is a title that is best left to the 80’s for all intents and purchases. Buy it if you are a child of the 80’s or just insanely curious.

79%Game Brain Score

story, music

replayability, stability

86% User Score Based on 160 reviews

Critic Score 45%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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The Order of the Thorne: The King's Challenge is a single player action game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Infamous Quests and was released on January 26, 2016. It received neutral reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

In "The Order of the Thorne: The King's Challenge" , players assume the role of Finn, a bard tasked with completing the King's Challenge to become the "Hero of the Faerie Kingdom." This classic point-and-click adventure allows players to explore the land, interact with various creatures, and solve puzzles using Finn's magic lute. The reward for success? A single wish, granted by the Faerie Realm's ruler, King Quilhairn.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

The Order of the Thorne: The King's Challenge screenshot

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86%

Audience ScoreBased on 160 reviews

story55 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Charming and nostalgic, reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventure games like King's Quest.
Beautiful pixel art and an enjoyable 80s fantasy soundtrack enhance the overall experience.
The puzzles are straightforward and logical, making it accessible for both new and veteran players.

The game is quite short, typically taking only 2-5 hours to complete, which may not justify the price for some players.
Voice acting quality is inconsistent, with the narrator's performance being particularly criticized.
Lacks the witty humor and depth often found in classic adventure games, resulting in a somewhat bland story.

story
182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
66%
4%
The story of "Order of the Thorne - The King's Challenge" is a nostalgic homage to classic adventure games like King's Quest, featuring a simple yet charming fairy tale narrative centered around a bard's quest to find a missing queen. While the game is praised for its pleasant visuals and music, many reviewers note that the plot lacks depth and excitement, often feeling underdeveloped and straightforward. Overall, it appeals primarily to fans of retro point-and-click adventures, though some express disappointment in its simplicity and lack of challenge.
- “In true King's Quest fashion, they play it totally straight from start to finish; and as a result, this humble little game manages to create a heartwarming nostalgic experience.”
- “The story was quite interesting and I would love to see more, as I am quite intrigued by the spider queen's domain.”
- “Overall, this was a very enjoyable game with lots of personality and a nice story, despite being quite short and small-world.”
- “A boring story with no challenge whatsoever.”
- “The plot isn't too exciting and the world is a bit generic.”
- “Game is a little short (3ish hours) and the storyline seems underdeveloped, since this is only the first what seems to be quite a few games (intros are never that good, as the world and characters have to be setup).”
music
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The music in the game is generally praised for its charming 80s fantasy vibe, enhancing the overall atmosphere with a colorful and sprightly soundtrack. While the bard theme and music mechanics are enjoyable, some players feel they could have been more fully developed, particularly regarding the song-learning process. Overall, the music complements the game's visuals and story, creating a pleasant and immersive experience.
- “Lovely 80s fantasy soundtrack, pixel art, and general mood.”
- “The music is easily enjoyed.”
- “Playing beautiful songs as a bard was the best thing for me in this game.”
- “The whole bard theme feels underutilized, even though you do get to play a song here and there.”
- “It's part of the puzzle (especially if you want to get all the achievements), but I felt like it wasted time showing you each song, and you couldn't just look at what each song was without having to go through the demonstration each time.”
- “Music was mostly all right but nothing special, bordering on annoying in some places.”
graphics
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
57%
7%
The graphics of the game are intentionally designed in a retro style reminiscent of early 90s point-and-click adventures, appealing to fans of pixel art. While many players appreciate the nostalgic visuals and beautiful artwork, some criticize the graphics for being outdated and unplayable, especially given the game's 2016 release. Overall, the graphics evoke a charming throwback to classic fantasy quests, though opinions vary on their execution and quality.
- “First off, the graphics are intentionally meant to look retro in the style of early 90's point-and-click games.”
- “Graphically, the game is retro-beautiful.”
- “It hearkens back to the fantasy quests of twenty years ago while still being fun and relevant, and the graphics are a fun step back into the 90's as well.”
- “The graphics are horrible to the point of being unplayable.”
- “The dilemma comes with the reasoning that since the game came out in 2016 it should look and feel much better than the classics as these games did not have the technology to produce the graphics we have today.”
- “Graphics was pixelated and the game did not work in full screen (monitor could not handle the resolution).”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
The gameplay is a nostalgic homage to classic point-and-click adventures, featuring simple yet satisfying mechanics, particularly a well-integrated lute system that enhances the experience without feeling forced. While the game successfully evokes memories of titles like Loom and King's Quest, some players express a desire for fresher ideas in its puzzles and story. Overall, the mechanics are solid, with minimal bugs reported, making it a delightful throwback for fans of the genre.
- “Simple, yes, but extremely satisfying, with a music mechanic that never feels clunky or forced.”
- “The game mechanics are solid, and except for problems from the Steam overlay, I couldn't find a single bug.”
- “With thirty years of hindsight, you'd like to see them find ways to incorporate some fresher ideas, whether in the story, the puzzles, or the mechanics.”
- “This is one of those games that takes on 'King's Quest' or 'Quest for Glory' mostly in style, rather than in gameplay.”
- “The game is a wonderful throwback to old-school point and click adventures, more so in the realm of Loom, The Bard's Tale, and King's Quest; albeit not as convoluted in gameplay or problem solving.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its heartwarming and nostalgic storytelling, which immerses players in a charming and humorous experience despite its lack of challenge. While some find the narrative boring, many appreciate the engaging character interactions and the overall flow of the game, making it a delightful journey.
- “In true King's Quest fashion, they play it totally straight from start to finish; and as a result, this humble little game manages to create a heartwarming nostalgic experience.”
- “It flowed well and the characters made me feel immersed in the storyline.”
- “It’s short, lovely, funny, and heartwarming.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
Overall, the game has minimal replayability, with most players noting its short duration of 7-10 hours and repetitive tasks. While there are a few secrets to discover, many feel that the limited content does not justify the price, making it more suitable for purchase on sale.
- “So there are a few secrets to uncover that lend the game a little replay value.”
- “So short, there's really no replay value.”
- “I recommend it if you get it on sale for $4.99 or less as it is a very brief game, 7-10 hours at most with little replay value as the same tasks will have to be done.”
- “Minimal replay value.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted to be lacking compared to classic titles like "Quest for Infamy," with some reviewers expressing disappointment in its inability to deliver quality writing and comedic moments. While it is described as short, lovely, and heartwarming, the absence of humorous character deaths further detracts from its comedic potential. Overall, it seems to fall short of evoking the nostalgic humor associated with its inspirations.
- “It’s short, lovely, funny, and heartwarming.”
- “It was disappointing that your character can't even die (in funny ways).”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's atmosphere is described as cozy and nostalgic, effectively capturing the essence of the late-80s and early-90s media landscape. While the music is atmospheric, it is noted to be simple, complementing the overall delightful and quirky experience of playing a lute within the game.
- “The atmosphere is nice, the music is decent, and the quirk of the game is playing a lute.”
- “The entire atmosphere of the late-80s, early-90s media landscape is encapsulated in this one, delightful game.”
- “This game has to have one of the most comfy atmospheres.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report a generally enjoyable experience with the game, though they note the presence of minor glitches and issues, particularly with the achievements system, which appears to be buggy.
- “Only complaint is that the achievements seem buggy.”
- “Only complaint is that the achievements seem buggy.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly noting that the movement mechanics contribute to a frustrating experience.
- “Moving around can be tedious”

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45%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Order of the Thorne Review - Hide and Seek
The Order of the Thorne is a title that is best left to the 80’s for all intents and purchases. Buy it if you are a child of the 80’s or just insanely curious.
Techraptor.net
45%

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2h Median play time

3h Average play time

2-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Order of the Thorne: The King's Challenge is a action game with fantasy theme.

The Order of the Thorne: The King's Challenge is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing The Order of the Thorne: The King's Challenge.

The Order of the Thorne: The King's Challenge was released on January 26, 2016.

The Order of the Thorne: The King's Challenge was developed by Infamous Quests.

The Order of the Thorne: The King's Challenge has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

The Order of the Thorne: The King's Challenge is a single player game.

Similar games include Quest for Infamy, Creepy Tale, Willy Morgan and the Curse of Bone Town, King's Quest, Kathy Rain and others.

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