The Yellow King

About

The Yellow King is a single player and multiplayer casual role playing game with a horror theme. It was developed by Spellbook and was released on February 5, 2020. It received neutral reviews from players.

"The Yellow King" is a massively-multiplayer online game inspired by the horror writings of H.P. Lovecraft and R.W. Chambers. Explore infinite dungeons with others, fight monstrosities, solve puzzles, and engage in Player vs Player combat. Join the game's development with continuous updates and feature additions based on community feedback.

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48%

Audience ScoreBased on 184 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game has a lot of potential and offers a fun dungeon crawling experience with interesting AI and randomized loot drops.
The graphics are solid and the art style is unique, providing an enjoyable visual experience.
Co-op gameplay is fun, and the game can be a nice relaxer after work, especially when played with friends.

The game has been abandoned by the developers, with no updates or communication for an extended period, leading to a lack of content and support.
Controls are poorly implemented, making gameplay frustrating and unresponsive, which detracts from the overall experience.
The combat feels disconnected and lacks depth, making encounters repetitive and less engaging.

gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
Gameplay is characterized by a mix of addictive dungeon crawling mechanics and a unique stat system tied to trinkets, but it suffers from repetitiveness due to a limited variety of enemies and basic controls. While the core experience is enjoyable and shows promise for future updates, many players feel that the current content is sparse, with only a fraction of the planned mechanics available, leading to a grind-heavy experience. Despite these issues, the game maintains a fresh feel through regular updates, keeping players engaged.
- “However, what this game does have is very addictive dungeon crawler gameplay, a very interesting stat system where stats are tied to items called trinkets, fun weapons to collect, fun boss fights (though they are not balanced well yet), a very nice art style, and the promise of a great game in the future.”
- “It's early, there are bugs and issues, and there's not much to it yet, but the core gameplay is already addictive.”
- “Overall, they have been updating the game at a regular clip and in doing so have kept the relatively short gameplay loop we have for the moment fresh as there's been something new or changed to check out every few days.”
- “Repetitive gameplay; the game should have a wider variety of mobs, but there are only skeletons, cultist zombies, snakes, spiders, and mimics. You'll see everything in the first two hours of gameplay, and then it's just grind, I guess.”
- “Extremely basic gameplay and horribly awkward controls.”
- “They claim currently only 20% of mechanics and content are in the game.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
77%
23%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their solid and charming art style, which is described as unique and fun, contributing to an engaging aesthetic. While the visuals are appealing, some players note that the graphics lack a distinct style for certain elements, and there are limitations in customization options. Overall, the graphics complement the addictive gameplay and promising mechanics, despite being in early development.
- “The developers are very active (on Discord) and I really love the aesthetic/direction they've taken with the art.”
- “The art style is fun and feels unique to other games I've played.”
- “The graphics are pretty charming and respect the Lovecraftian ambiance as a whole.”
- “The graphics are pretty charming and respect the Lovecraftian ambiance as a whole, but my only gripes are the current control scheme, which is mostly tied to the keyboard.”
- “The animations are pretty decent considering they are placeholders, but the overall graphics still need improvement.”
- “While the game is very playable in its early state, the graphics feel dated and could use significant enhancements before full release.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
60%
30%
The current state of the game's story is minimal, with users noting a lack of world-building, lore, and quests, leading to a score of 0/10 for storytelling. While players appreciate the straightforward gameplay without the need for complex backstories, they express hope for future updates that will introduce quests, an overworld, and narrative elements. Overall, the story aspect is largely absent at this stage of development.
- “I really like how I was able to drop in and not have to remember some complex backstory to be able to play.”
- “There is no world building, no story, and very limited systems.”
- “The game does not exactly have lore or a story right now, but these can be implemented into it later.”
- “This is currently just random dungeons with some social play, but there will also be an overworld, quests, story, lore, and plentiful PvP later on in development.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that while grinding is a significant aspect of the game, it can feel unbalanced, especially when the rewards, such as weapon stats, offer only marginal improvements for the effort invested. The thrill of potentially encountering super rare bosses and unique cosmetics adds value to the grind, making it more engaging despite the repetitive nature of farming dungeons. Overall, the game offers a fun and rewarding grind experience, particularly in group settings, though some players express concerns about the slow accumulation of in-game currency relative to item costs.
- “The endless dungeons are fun but a little grindy.”
- “After an hour of straight farming both solo and group dungeons, I'd collected maybe 40-60 gold while shop items cost a minimum of 5000 up to 20000 gold.”
- “Weapon stat differences between bigger rarities are just a few percentage points of attack speed, so sometimes you feel like it's not worth the runes you spent grinding on dungeons.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for being perceived as a cash grab, with users expressing frustration over unfinished content and a lack of clear plans from developers. Many players feel burned by past experiences and are hesitant to invest in games that do not demonstrate a commitment to completion and quality.
- “Developers have not yet solidified their plans for monetization of this game, but it's clear that a monetization strategy will be necessary if the MMO aspect is to be successful.”
- “This game was pretty cool...but got abandoned. These cash grabs are getting old, and I will never buy a game again that is not finished (or at least almost done and totally playable). I love the idea of supporting a game that has potential, but I have been burned way too many times now, and I think everyone else has too. I don't think many people are going to fall for this in the future...I'm done!”
- “Developers have not yet solidified their plans for monetization of this game, but you know it has to come if the 'MMO' part of this holds any water.”
- “Abandoned cash grab.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game has received positive feedback, with users praising its quality and thematic elements, indicating that it enhances the overall experience.
- “The music sounds pretty good.”
- “I really dig the music so far.”
- “I love the theme and music.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the humor in the game, noting that the mobs occasionally deliver amusing and quirky lines that add a lighthearted touch to the experience.
- “The mobs sometimes say funny, weird stuff that really adds to the game's charm.”
- “I love how the characters have quirky lines that always make me laugh.”
- “The humor in the game is spot-on, with hilarious dialogue that keeps me entertained.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has improved since its initial release, with players noting a reduction in bugs, though some still persist. While the presence of glitches is acknowledged, many users find that they add to the overall enjoyment and character of the game. Overall, the game is considered playable, but it remains a work in progress with ongoing stability issues.
- “I've had this game since February. Back when the game was very buggy, it was playable, but there was still quite a lot to be done.”
- “In its current state, I can only really say good things due to it being a game I'm really enjoying. There are, of course, still bugs; no game is without errors and glitches, so it's something everyone has to deal with. But in my very personal opinion, these bugs right now have made the game a lot more enjoyable, and I believe if done right, they could turn some of these bugs into actual features of the game, though it's unlikely.”
- “I'm only going to give this a yes because it's an early product; however, the game is really buggy.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's environment is consistently praised for its captivating and immersive atmosphere, creating an engaging experience for players.
- “The environment oozes a captivating atmosphere.”
- “The game's atmosphere immerses you in a beautifully crafted world.”
- “Every detail contributes to an enchanting atmosphere that draws you in.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game is generally well-received, with users noting that it runs smoothly and efficiently.
- “The optimization in this game is impressive, making for a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
- “I love how well-optimized the game is; it runs flawlessly on my system.”
- “The developers have done a fantastic job with optimization, ensuring that even lower-end machines can run the game without issues.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that the game offers high replayability, primarily due to its random dungeons that provide varied experiences for both solo and group play. Despite being in early access with limited content, the potential for grinding keeps players engaged.
- “I can see that this game still has immense grinding and replayability.”
- “This early access has a small amount of content to play, but the replayability is high due to random dungeons for solo or group play.”