Thea: The Awakening

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,396 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • replayability
Thea: The Awakening Game Cover
Thea: The Awakening feels a lot like a cross between The Settlers of Catan board game and The Witcher 3, which is an impressive feat.
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"Thea: The Awakening" is a strategic survival game set in a world of Slavic folklore and monsters, where you lead a group of survivors after an apocalyptic event. The game features turn-based combat, rogue-like elements, and various ways to explore and interact with the world. Your choices in building defenses, resolving conflicts, and uncovering the story will determine the survival of your group.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,396 reviews
story305 positive mentions
grinding107 negative mentions
  • Great mixture of strategy and tactics in a laid back setting.
  • Unique blend of RPG, survival, and card-based mechanics with a rich Slavic mythology theme.
  • Highly replayable with numerous events and choices that impact gameplay.
  • Steep learning curve with a confusing tutorial and clunky user interface.
  • Randomness can lead to frustrating encounters that feel unfair.
  • Limited to one village, which can make the game feel repetitive over time.
  • story927 mentions

    The story of "Thea: The Awakening" is richly woven into its gameplay, drawing heavily from Slavic mythology and featuring a variety of quests that offer multiple resolutions, enhancing replayability. Players appreciate the immersive narration and the depth of the lore, although some note that the main storyline can feel repetitive after several playthroughs, with limited variation in the overarching plot regardless of the chosen deity. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging storytelling and unique atmosphere, making it a compelling experience for fans of narrative-driven strategy games.

    • “With its storytelling, masterfully voiced by a narrator who does all the voice acting in the game, as well as gorgeous art and music, the game masterfully evokes a dark and melancholy fantasy atmosphere. There are many events to explore, and while there were many repeats, I found something new in every one of my playthroughs.”
    • “Thea is beautifully written, the narration and storyline are intriguing and simple to follow, with enough allure to keep it interesting without being overwhelming.”
    • “The story is fun and unique, creating a world that feels magical and mysterious.”
    • “The story and events are written boringly, the resource management is tedious and overly complicated for how interchangeable the tiers of resources are, the card game is boring and too simple, inventory management sucks, the soundtrack is forgettable.”
    • “The story is... there, but sporadically delivered as you explore the world.”
    • “The main story is rather short.”
  • gameplay653 mentions

    The gameplay of *Thea: The Awakening* is a unique blend of roguelike RPG, turn-based strategy, and survival mechanics, featuring a card-based combat system that adds depth and variety to encounters. While the game offers a rich crafting system and a compelling narrative rooted in Slavic mythology, players have noted a steep learning curve and some balance issues, particularly with the crafting mechanics and the repetitiveness of certain gameplay elements. Overall, the game is praised for its innovative mechanics and replayability, though it may require patience to fully appreciate its complexities.

    • “Thea: The Awakening is a fun and interesting hybrid between a roguelike RPG and turn-based 4X game, including research and a highly customizable crafting mechanic, as well as adjustable difficulty levels.”
    • “Thea is a fusion of different styles — 4X strategy, survival, RPG, a unique card battler, and text-based mythical adventure — all of them blending perfectly to form a rock-solid gameplay experience.”
    • “The gameplay is right down my alley: lots of progression, harvesting, gearing up, crafting, staffing your village, all in a calm turn-based 'pick your own adventure' style.”
    • “The gameplay is very slow and sadly very repetitive.”
    • “The game does a very poor job of explaining, yet the card battle is a core gameplay activity that is used to resolve all encounters.”
    • “The card gameplay aspect feels weird and dull.”
  • replayability222 mentions

    The game boasts high replayability, with players able to explore various gods, customizable difficulty settings, and procedurally generated maps that ensure each playthrough feels unique. Many reviewers highlight the extensive options for gameplay styles and strategies, contributing to a rich experience that can last for hundreds of hours. However, some note that after multiple playthroughs, the novelty may diminish due to repetitive elements in the storyline and events.

    • “And just like in the aforementioned titles, replayability here is incredible, with the potential to offer dozens or even hundreds of hours of gameplay.”
    • “The game technically has huge replayability, with quite a few different deities to play as and a leveling system for each.”
    • “All this being said, the replayability of this game is huge, and no two playthroughs will be the same.”
    • “Unfortunately, it felt to me that this is no card game in the sense that you find a challenge and real replay value.”
    • “I wish it was a little more replayable - ultimately you only have a handful of different choices in the main story experience before you're retreading ground - but you can still easily sink in 50 hours before things get to that point.”
    • “The game is definitely worth giving a playthrough, but in the end it is rather easy and unfortunately features very little replay value as you encounter many of the same events, have essentially the same characters, discover a world that is the same, and have little impact on said world while experiencing alternate story endings that are not satisfying enough to justify additional 30+ hour plays.”
  • graphics218 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the unique art style and immersive visuals that complement the gameplay and storytelling. While some find the graphics to be simple or dated, others highlight the beautiful artwork and thematic consistency, particularly in relation to Slavic mythology. Overall, the graphics are generally considered good enough to enhance the gaming experience, even if they don't reach cutting-edge standards.

    • “With its stunning visuals, challenging gameplay, and rich storytelling, this game is an absolute triumph.”
    • “The artwork and storytelling are immersive, with tons of replayability and a unique combat system.”
    • “Beautiful and unique artwork, simple game mechanics, deep lore based off of Slavic mythology and a very different combat system based on cards.”
    • “Graphic-wise it's a disappointment.”
    • “The graphics are not good and I find the interface unintuitive.”
    • “It isn't just that the graphics look a bit dated, but also that the color palette is so drearily brown-grey and lacking in contrast.”
  • music130 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers noting its beauty and immersive nature. However, some players find the soundtrack repetitive after extended play, leading to a desire for more variety. Overall, the combination of music, art, and narration contributes significantly to the game's engaging fantasy atmosphere.

    • “The soundtrack is beautiful and added a lot to my overall enjoyment of the game.”
    • “The music serves as very pleasant background, and I've actually let it run overnight on accident a couple of times because of how soothing it is.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is really nice; I love the music and the sounds.”
    • “The soundtrack is forgettable.”
    • “Unfortunately, there's far too little diversification in the soundtrack - but a few melodies, and it can wear down on you.”
    • “The music gets so repetitive that I muted it, but these don't really matter in a game like this.”
  • grinding109 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, especially in the late game where resource management and inventory control become cumbersome. While some appreciate the depth and mechanics, they note that the micromanagement can detract from the overall enjoyment, leading to a love-hate relationship with the game. Despite these criticisms, a few players still find the game engaging enough to overlook the grind, particularly with features like auto-combat to alleviate some of the tedium.

    • “It is not grindy!”
    • “The crafting system is interesting, but it lacks quality indicators, leading to a lot of trial and error to find the best combination. However, it does not require you to actually make the product to see what the outcome would be, which makes it more annoying at times rather than tedious.”
    • “The combat system is fun initially, but starts to feel grindy after a few times.”
    • “Everything seems extremely tedious to me, especially with an inefficient UI which makes you click things one by one to craft things, to equip things, to create new expedition groups, etc.”
    • “Managing the inventories and equipment of your characters can get pretty tedious and annoying, especially in the late game when you get flooded with worthless trash after every quest or encounter.”
  • atmosphere68 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Thea: The Awakening" is widely praised for its dark, melancholic fantasy setting, enriched by masterful storytelling, captivating art, and immersive music. Players appreciate the integration of Slavic mythology, which enhances the game's lore and replayability, while the charming narration and atmospheric elements create a compelling experience that encourages exploration and strategic gameplay. Overall, the game successfully evokes a unique and engaging atmosphere that resonates deeply with players.

    • “With its storytelling (masterfully voiced by a narrator - who does all the voice acting in the game), as well as gorgeous art and music, the game masterfully evokes a dark and melancholy fantasy atmosphere - there are many events to explore - while there were many repeats, I found something new in every one of my playthroughs.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, as well as the gameplay create a captivating experience that keeps you engaged.”
    • “The whole Slavic mythology and lore give this game a nice atmosphere, that is carried on by awesome artwork and music.”
    • “The post-apocalyptic fantasy world, the cards depicting the characters and enemies, and the atmosphere are something that speaks to me deeply.”
    • “It's not perfect to be sure (the loot and crafting system gets tedious after some time), but the atmosphere and fable/fantasy story elements more than make up for these shortcomings.”
    • “I recommend the game because it has a magical atmosphere and many elements taken from Slavic mythology; however, it will be repetitive after you finish the main quests in the first playthrough.”
  • humor44 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, entertaining dialogue, and incorporation of Slavic folklore, making it both funny and engaging. Players appreciate the blend of corny and ironic humor, with many noting that the game doesn't take itself too seriously, resulting in unexpected comedic moments throughout the gameplay. While some find the humor occasionally overwhelming or modern, the overall consensus is that it adds a delightful layer to the experience.

    • “Awfully funny and well-done voice acting, and actually good writing.”
    • “The game doesn't take itself too seriously and there is plenty of humor.”
    • “The unexpected funny quests make the gameplay hilarious.”
  • optimization17 mentions

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it generally runs smoothly without crashes or significant lag, users report issues with micromanagement interfaces and stuttering during specific actions. Some players experience performance drops in battles with many characters, and the UI is criticized for being cumbersome and not user-friendly. Overall, while the game shows potential, it requires further optimization to enhance the user experience.

    • “The system performance was great, no crashes, no lag, but I did have +999 on some things for a bit and an odd move number indicator randomly getting stuck on the screen floating around; reloading takes it away.”
    • “It has heavy RPG elements reminiscent of Endless Legend, only without the horrid optimization issues.”
    • “Graphic is neat, awesome textures and models, well optimized to run even on low-end computers.”
    • “The game has severe issues with performance.”
    • “Too much poorly optimized micromanagement screens, way too much clicking and going back and forth between separate interface screens.”
    • “Finally, the game, while not exactly great looking, is poorly optimized.”
  • stability10 mentions

    Overall, the game is praised for its stability, running smoothly and bug-free right from installation. While a few users reported minor glitches, such as sound issues, the majority found the game to perform exceptionally well, even on older hardware, making it a reliable choice for players seeking a seamless experience.

    • “The game runs bug free and straight from install with no messing around.”
    • “Works 'straight out of the box' with no messing around and appears to be completely bug free!”
    • “I consider it to be much more complete and bug free than many major games on full release.”
    • “The sound effects are buggy, music can reset randomly, and some sound effects are missing or copy-pasted, like the start combat click among other things.”
    • “I want my games to be value for money and playable without glitches or crashes, but this game has issues.”
    • “There are a few glitches, including a quest I received at the end of every turn that filled up the map.”
  • character development8 mentions

    Character development in Thea is praised for its depth and complexity, featuring a wide array of skills and characteristics that evolve with experience, allowing for unique character identities. Players appreciate the immersive RPG elements and the emotional connection fostered through well-designed characters and engaging quests, although some note limitations in control over development outside of item usage. Overall, the game successfully blends various genres, enhancing the character experience within its rich world.

    • “It has great RPG elements with plot, character development, and quests.”
    • “The character development is very deep, with each character having a few dozen skills and characteristics that can go up as they gain experience.”
    • “It is not RPG (almost no character development - random level ups), not strategy (no real resource management of any kind), not tactical either (card game as resolve to all problems).”
    • “I sympathized with the villagers a lot more than with the ones in other games, also because of the character design through which each of my people becomes unique (different cards with different names, designed fitting to the different classes).”
  • emotional4 mentions

    Players express a deep emotional connection to their villagers, feeling sympathy and a sense of loss with each character's death, which enhances the game's impact. The emotional weight of quests, such as the Monty Python reference, resonates strongly, leaving a lasting impression on players. Overall, the game effectively evokes strong feelings, making players feel both invested and heartbroken.

    • “That game makes me emotionally sympathetic to every one of my villagers.”
    • “When I came across the quest in reference to Monty Python’s Holy Grail, it simply killed me; they shall have my heartfelt praise forever.”
    • “Every single death that happens to your citizens will hurt, both emotionally and rationally.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Reviewers appreciate the game's monetization approach, noting it offers a refreshing experience without relying on excessive cash grab DLCs, contrasting it positively with other titles like Civ VI.

    • “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, which detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “The constant push for in-game purchases takes away from the enjoyment of the game, making it feel more like a cash grab than a genuine experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

66% average critic score

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Play time

28hMedian play time
68hAverage play time
13-50hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 42 analyzed playthroughs

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