The Ouroboros King
- February 27, 2023
- Oriol Cosp Games
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"The Ouroboros King" is a challenging precision platformer where players control a mysterious snake-like creature. Traverse through neon-lit, geometric levels filled with deadly traps and obstacles. The game features a unique mechanic that allows you to rewind time, adding a strategic element to the fast-paced gameplay.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Linux
PlayStation
Reviews
- The game offers a unique twist on chess with a variety of new pieces and mechanics, making it fun and engaging.
- Adjustable difficulty settings allow players of all skill levels to enjoy the game, providing a good balance of challenge and accessibility.
- The strategic gameplay encourages players to take initiative and experiment with different tactics, leading to a rewarding experience.
- The AI can be frustrating to play against, often leading to drawn-out games with perpetual checks and unbalanced matchups.
- The game lacks depth in content, feeling short and repetitive after a few runs, with limited progression and unlocks.
- There are significant balance issues with certain pieces being overpowered, which can diminish the strategic element of gameplay.
- gameplay48 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its strategic depth and variety of mechanics, reminiscent of chess but enhanced with roguelike elements and unique units. While the learning curve can be steep, players find it rewarding as they adapt and discover new strategies, although some feel the game lacks replayability and balance, particularly in its AI and infinite mode. Overall, the mechanics are engaging, but improvements such as a sandbox mode and more substantial progression systems could enhance the experience further.
“I really like the strategy-based gameplay.”
“The gameplay makes you think but is also very rewarding.”
“Extremely fun mechanics; I would like to see a sandbox mode where players could make their own pieces, but it is really good at what it does.”
“It's hard to come back from even a small imbalance in chess, but it is very easy to draw out a game to a ridiculous extent long after it's clear that victory is not an option, and rogue-likes are often designed around making large imbalances as part of the gameplay.”
“I feel like attacked squares should just automatically be highlighted all the time, because memorizing all of the attacks of each unique enemy type is a tedium that becomes a bad part of the gameplay.”
“I think it could do with some more replayability; however, the mechanics begin to get a bit stale around the 3-5 hour mark.”
- replayability20 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers good replayability with various strategies and content, appealing to players seeking multiple playthroughs. However, some reviewers noted that the experience can feel limited due to its short length and the absence of an endless mode, leading to a sense of staleness after a few hours. Despite these concerns, many players appreciate the game's potential for future updates to enhance replay value.
“The game has a nice yet extraordinarily simple story-line, cute art, and lots of replayability.”
“Simple and effective game with a ton of replay value considering the price.”
“Enticing gameplay, wide variety of units allows for replayability with different strategies, but does not have an endless mode.”
“On the other hand, it is rather short and replayability is limited.”
“I think it could do with some more replayability; however, the mechanics begin to get a bit stale around the 3-5 hour mark.”
“Enticing gameplay and a wide variety of units allow for replayability with different strategies, but it does not have an endless mode.”
- story18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally perceived as simplistic and underdeveloped, with many players finding it bland and the characters forgettable. While some appreciate the cute art and potential for replayability, there is a strong desire for a more engaging narrative and additional content. Overall, the story feels minimal and lacks depth, leaving players wanting more.
“The game has a nice yet extraordinarily simple story-line, cute art, and lots of replayability.”
“I love the game, it's amazing, sadly not much content at the moment, but I'm strongly hoping to see some more pieces, and some more to the story. This is a great experience, I can't wait to see what the developer has planned.”
“Fairy chess with a story.”
“There might as well be no story; playtime for a run is very short, and there aren't really any bonuses carried from run to run.”
“Lastly, I think I expected a story of some sort, but it was kind of just PNGs. This made me kind of sad, but I understand not wanting one.”
“But I would really like it if the story just kept going.”
- stability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with users noting a few glitches and bugs, but it functions well for the most part. It runs particularly well on the Steam Deck, provided players adjust the settings to full screen.
“Runs great on Steam Deck, just make sure to go into settings and hit full screen.”
“Very cool game, a bit buggy but works very well for the most part.”
“Very good, a few glitches.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, often feeling that a significant portion of gameplay is spent on drawn-out matches that should have concluded earlier. Achieving all accomplishments can take around 14 hours, with much of that time dedicated to grinding for particularly challenging achievements that depend heavily on luck.
“It took me about 14 hours to get all the achievements, though most of that was simply grinding for the hardest one, since it relies largely on getting lucky enough to get enough good pieces to stand a chance.”
“It's hard to blame the team for not making an AI that can recognize when it should surrender since that is an incredibly difficult challenge, but without it, this game feels like 80% of the time is spent tediously trying to mop up a game that should have ended a dozen turns prior.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are described as simple yet visually appealing, effectively fitting the game's theme. Players recommend them, particularly for those who enjoy chess.
“The graphics are nice and fit the theme.”
“Graphics are simple and nice to view; I recommend them to players of chess.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by amusing elements, such as quirky robot antics and overpowered units that provide comedic moments initially. However, this humor tends to wear off quickly as players find themselves relying on the same strategies, leading to a repetitive experience.
“Haha, funny robot step go brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.”
“A few units are really OP and can basically defeat every single enemy every time, like the martyr, which is funny the first few times but gets boring pretty quickly. I usually just end up resetting until I get Rook, Viking, and Leper, and I win every time.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the pleasant soundtrack that complements the game's vibe and style. However, some users have expressed frustration over the inability to turn off the music while playing.
“- The vibe, style, and UI of the game are very nice in my opinion, with a lovely soundtrack to accompany it.”
“I don't know why I can't move any pieces or turn off the music.”
“I don't know why I can't move any pieces or turn off the music.”
