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.
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.
Charming and nostalgic art style reminiscent of classic point-and-click games like King's Quest.
Engaging story with a light-hearted fairy tale theme, featuring a lovable protagonist, Finn the Bard.
Simple and intuitive gameplay mechanics, including a unique lute-playing feature that adds a fun twist to puzzles.
The game is quite short, typically taking only 2-5 hours to complete, which may not justify the price for some players.
Lack of challenging puzzles and depth in the story, making it feel simplistic and potentially boring for seasoned adventure game fans.
Confusing map layout and excessive backtracking can lead to frustration, as well as some mediocre voice acting.
story
302 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
72%
3%
The story of "The Order of the Thorne: The King's Challenge" is a lighthearted fairy tale adventure that follows Finn the bard on a quest to find the queen as part of a king's challenge. While it evokes nostalgia for classic point-and-click games like King's Quest, many reviewers noted that the narrative is simple and straightforward, lacking depth and complexity. Overall, it offers a charming experience with humorous dialogues and a pleasant atmosphere, making it enjoyable for fans of retro adventure games, despite its brevity and occasional predictability.
“You join Finn the bard on his quest to write 'the greatest ballad ever' as he undertakes 'the king's challenge'.”
“The story is well written and dialogues are quite humorous.”
“Overall this was a very enjoyable game with lots of personality and a nice story, despite being quite short and small-world.”
“The quest is ordinary for the most part and only takes a couple of hours to complete, though I did look at a walkthrough sometimes.”
“A boring story with no challenge whatsoever.”
“The plot isn't too exciting and the world is a bit generic.”
music
128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
67%
2%
The music in the game is generally well-received, featuring a lovely 80s fantasy soundtrack that complements the pixel art and overall atmosphere. Players appreciate the incorporation of a lute mechanic, allowing them to play songs that influence the environment, although some feel the variety of songs could be expanded. While the soundtrack and voice acting are praised, there are mixed opinions on certain character voices and the simplicity of the music puzzles, with some finding them enjoyable and others wishing for more complexity.
“Lovely 80s fantasy soundtrack, pixel art, and general mood.”
“The music puzzles are a nice touch and not too difficult.”
“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.”
“Music was mostly all right but nothing special, bordering on annoying in some places.”
“Nothing really stands out in the music department other than the fact that it can get a bit loud despite being on the lowest setting.”
graphics
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
70%
4%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming pixel art style that pays homage to early 90s point-and-click adventures, featuring detailed backgrounds and character portraits. While many players appreciate the retro aesthetic and find it nostalgic, some criticize the graphics for being outdated, especially given the game's 2016 release. Overall, the visuals are well-received by fans of retro gaming, though they may not appeal to everyone.
“The character portraits are beautifully rendered and the graphics are lovingly done.”
“Graphically, the game is retro-beautiful.”
“The throw-back graphics and vibes were combined well with the medieval/fantasy elements.”
“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.”
“Pixel art graphics and childish story didn't appeal to me.”
gameplay
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
74%
7%
The gameplay is a nostalgic throwback to classic point-and-click adventures, featuring inventory management, dialogue interactions, and a unique lute mechanic that allows players to influence the game world through music. While the mechanics are solid and satisfying, some players wish for more variety in the songs and fresher ideas in puzzles and story elements. Overall, the gameplay is linear and straightforward, reminiscent of titles like King's Quest and Loom, but could benefit from additional innovation.
“The gameplay includes going around the world, gathering things, using those things to do other things and get other things, and playing songs on your lute.”
“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.”
“Simple, yes, but extremely satisfying, with a music mechanic that never feels clunky or forced.”
“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.”
“The gameplay is mostly linear and straightforward as you will be told what your next step is as soon as you complete a given task.”
“This is one of those games that takes on 'King's Quest' or 'Quest for Glory' mostly in style, rather than in gameplay.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mixed bag; while some find the dialogues and writing to be charming and reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures, others feel it falls short compared to titles like "Quest for Infamy," lacking the same wit and comedic depth. Overall, the game is noted for its lighthearted and heartwarming moments, but some players were disappointed by the absence of humorous death scenarios and a more engaging story.
“Well good luck! Thank you, lovely fairy! Like... literally... a point and click in the style of Lucas or Westwood is nothing if there are not crunchy dialogues, witty texts, and hilarious descriptions, in a Pratchett kind of style.”
“The story is well written and dialogues are quite humorous.”
“It’s short, lovely, funny, and heartwarming.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its heartwarming and nostalgic storytelling, reminiscent of classic adventure games like King's Quest. Players appreciate the lighthearted and wholesome narrative, which immerses them in a charming world where the upbeat protagonist, Finn the bard, interacts positively with various characters. Despite its lack of challenge and combat, the game successfully evokes feelings of joy and nostalgia, making it suitable for players of all ages.
“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
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
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 that add slight replay value, many recommend purchasing it only at a discounted price due to its limited content.
“The game is a lot more playable than those classics though.”
“So there are a few secrets to uncover that lend the game a little replay value.”
“Not the sort of thing I'd normally play nowadays, and not much in the way of replay value, but it was a fun, nostalgic game to play through.”
“So short, there's really no replay value.”
“Minimal 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.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its nostalgic encapsulation of the late-80s and early-90s media landscape, creating a comfy and delightful experience. While the music is described as atmospheric yet simple, it complements the charming art style and quirky gameplay, particularly the unique element of playing a lute. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, enhancing the game's appeal.
“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.”
“The king's challenge certainly delivers on atmosphere and art style.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and uninteresting, with some noting that movement can also feel cumbersome. However, the option to switch between hard and easy modes at any time provides a degree of flexibility for those who may find the grinding challenging.
“All in all, this was rather tedious and uninteresting.”
“Moving around can be tedious.”
“Good game, but a little tedious.”
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.”