The Vagabond Emperor

About

"The Vagabond Emperor" is a 2D RPG set in a fictional Middle Ages with a spreading curse. Begin as a vagabond and make decisions to become emperor, build relationships, fight enemies, and establish factories, towns, and kingdoms. Create a family, continue playing as an heir, and explore dungeons to find artifacts and treasures. Your character's actions and choices will determine your path to the throne.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 13 reviews

humor4 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game has a great premise and a lot of potential, with engaging gameplay and humor.
Visually stunning and polished, showcasing the developer's effort and attention to detail.
Offers a unique experience with a family tree mechanic and the ability to build and grow over time.

The game is unlikely to be finished due to the developer's passing, which raises concerns about its future.
Gameplay can be overwhelming and unbalanced, with issues like slow turn-based combat and frustrating mechanics.
Character creation and combat systems are poorly designed, leading to a lack of engaging gameplay.

gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The gameplay features a complex system of choices that can affect player reputation and karma, leading to varied interactions with NPCs. However, it suffers from numerous bugs, poorly explained mechanics, and placeholder graphics, indicating that it is still in a rough early access state. Despite these issues, players who enjoy exploration and diverse gameplay options may find it worth trying.
- “Overall, if you enjoy discovering various options and complex gameplay, I highly suggest trying it out.”
- “It has some issues with the gameplay; you lose respect by working as a beggar or due to events, earn or lose karma, and you will get lords as enemies.”
- “Great premise, which is why I purchased it, but it's not ironed out and has some really odd mechanics.”
- “Having just been released into early access, this is an incredibly rough draft. Bugs and poorly described mechanics abound, and a lot of the graphics seem like placeholders (particularly dungeons, which I hope will see a substantial rework at some point).”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is well-received, with players appreciating the clever details and funny dialogue that enhance the experience. While the comedic elements contribute positively to the story and gameplay, some users note that the humor can become repetitive over time. Overall, the game's humor is a standout feature, adding enjoyment to the combat and narrative.
- “There's also so many little details and humor in the story which makes it easier to follow through.”
- “The humor behind the game is good, but the world such a simple system was able to create is even better.”
- “The combat is fun and the dialogue is hilarious, but one of its few flaws is that it kind of bogs down after playing for a while.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
The story features a challenging narrative where players face insurmountable odds, often leading to unavoidable deaths that require reverting to earlier saves to progress. Despite this, the inclusion of humor and intricate details enriches the experience, making the plot more engaging and easier to navigate.
- “There's also so many little details and humor in the story, which makes it easier to follow through.”
- “The plot twists are unexpected and keep you on the edge of your seat, making every decision feel impactful.”
- “The character development is rich and engaging, allowing you to form a deep connection with the story.”
- “They will have better stats than you, leading to a plot against you that you can't protect yourself against. This will lead to you getting murdered with no way to stop it other than loading an earlier save and tracking down the murderer to kill him. This leads to a death spiral, and you get killed in the end anyway.”
- “There's also so many little details and humor in the story which makes it easier to follow through.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the graphics in the game are considered subpar, with many users noting that they appear to be placeholders and are in need of significant improvement, especially in areas like dungeons. While the game has potential, it currently suffers from various bugs and poorly executed visual elements.
- “Overall, the graphics are mediocre. The English is horrible, and there are some bugs that can be quite annoying.”
- “Having just been released into early access, this is an incredibly rough draft. Bugs and poorly described mechanics abound, and a lot of the graphics seem like placeholders, particularly in the dungeons, which I hope will see a substantial rework at some point.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the early game excessively grindy and unenjoyable, characterized by repetitive button pressing to earn minimal resources for expeditions, which often result in failure and further financial setbacks.
- “The early game is extremely grindy in a non-fun way; you'll be doing a ton of begging, which entails pressing three buttons over and over just to scrape together the money for your first expedition, where you'll probably get clobbered by the guardians and left penniless again.”
- “Grinding feels like a chore rather than an engaging part of the game. It takes away from the enjoyment and makes progress feel tedious.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay invested in the game. It often feels like I'm just going through the motions without any real sense of achievement.”