Those Who Rule

About

Those Who Rule is a single player tactical role playing game with medieval and historical themes. It was developed by Eldin Turulja and was released on January 27, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

Those Who Rule is a tactical turn-based RPG that puts you in command of new recruits in a low-fantasy, morally ambiguous world. Assemble and train your party, customize your equipment, and out-think your enemies as you unravel the secrets behind a conflict that threatens to tear the land apart. Will your leadership turn the tide of war—or will you be crushed beneath it? Fight Tactical Battles Ma…

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 739 reviews

story184 positive mentions

stability15 negative mentions

Engaging and challenging turn-based tactical combat with meaningful positioning mechanics such as zone of control and flanking.
Strong character customization with multiple classes, personal skills, weapon variety, and upgrade/refinement options allowing for diverse builds.
Compelling, mature, and well-written story with meaningful player choices and a grounded political conflict narrative.
Very active and responsive solo developer addressing bugs and quality-of-life improvements rapidly.
Good length and pacing for a solo indie tactical RPG, with replayability via different builds and choices.
Art style for character portraits and music well received, fits the game's tone and enhances the experience.

Lack of mid-battle saving or checkpoint system leading to frustration when missions are failed late or by a single mistake.
User interface and inventory management considered clunky and unintuitive, with some information hidden behind multiple menus.
Endgame missions tend to lack variety with many rout-style battles and fewer side objectives compared to early/mid-game.
Some technical issues and bugs present at launch, including occasional crashes and freezes (mostly addressed by patches).
Story pacing and character development declines in the last quarter with some characters underused or story threads unresolved.
Some classes and scaling feel unbalanced, with a few promotions and units clearly stronger than others.
Limited replay value due to linear story with few divergent paths and missable achievements depending on choices.

story
568 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
66%
2%
The story in this tactical RPG is generally praised for its grounded, mature, and politically nuanced narrative that explores morally complex themes without relying on typical fantasy tropes. While the early and mid-game storylines and character developments engage players with meaningful choices and well-written dialogue, the latter part of the campaign is often seen as rushed, with some plot points feeling unresolved or less impactful, and limited side quests reducing narrative variety. Overall, it offers a solid, if sometimes linear, story experience that complements its strategic gameplay, earning particular appreciation for its emotional depth and character interactions despite some missed opportunities and pacing issues.
- “The story is the main issue of the game, but it is well written and presents multi-faceted issues for the player to engage with; some decisions are much more difficult than others, especially when viewed from every perspective given.”
- “I’m a huge fan of the genre and while I also really like Lost Eidolons and its spin-off, I think Those Who Rule reigns supreme with an inspiring and charming dev at its helm who masterfully blends an engaging story, a diverse cast of lovable characters, beautiful art, and challenging but fun game mechanics into a really damn good game.”
- “The story is in my opinion the strongest point of the game; it's a relatively simple story of war between nations (and within nations) with a lot of political intrigue, in a medieval world without any fantasy elements whatsoever.”
- “The story also kind of meanders for 3-4 chapters during the ‘desert’ arc that doesn’t really seem to impact the ending despite the player’s actions.”
- “Some of the prominent story characters, Shiva and especially Wesley, fade into the background and never comment on story developments when realistically they’d absolutely have a say.”
- “The story is also straight up bad, mostly because it feels like 70% of it was cut out and you just see the snippets that are left.”
gameplay
264 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
57%
2%
The gameplay is widely praised for its solid, engaging turn-based tactical combat featuring a hex grid system, zone of control, and innovative shield mechanics that add strategic depth and variety. While largely reminiscent of Fire Emblem and classic SRPGs, it offers meaningful class customization, positioning tactics, and a satisfying progression loop, though some players note late-game drag and occasional UI or tutorial shortcomings. Overall, the mechanics are well-designed, challenging yet accessible, making it a highly enjoyable experience for strategy fans despite minor rough edges.
- “A fun turn-based tactics/strategy game with well-designed gameplay mechanics, an interesting story, and an enjoyable gameplay loop that doesn't overstay its welcome, making this a very good value at its price and definitely worth it for strategy fans on sale.”
- “Nearly every single mechanic is well thought out and interacts with the rest of the game in interesting ways.”
- “The gameplay is absolutely stellar, with a good difficulty curve that only gets thrown off a bit late game, but it's offset by interesting late game enemies gaining unique abilities and properties that force you to think beyond just comparing stats.”
- “The gameplay mechanics don't evolve much past level 20, when you get your last set of abilities, and the late game drags on a bit.”
- “The core gameplay loop is fine when it's working but there are several freezes, softlocks, characters being de-leveled randomly, and gold being lost from save/loads.”
- “Managing 12-14 units per turn is unnecessary and does not add to the gameplay experience.”
graphics
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
43%
7%
The game's graphics feature a distinct, albeit simple and indie-quality, art style that combines detailed illustrated character portraits with readable, organized battlefield visuals reminiscent of tactical RPGs and visual novels. While some find the graphics blocky, generic, or inconsistent in polish, many appreciate the charming, crisp art, smooth animations, and effective design that support gameplay despite lacking AAA-level detail. Overall, the visuals effectively complement the tactical experience though they may not appeal to all aesthetic preferences.
- “Character portraits displayed during dialogue scenes feature detailed illustrated artwork reminiscent of visual novels, emphasizing facial expressions and emotional reactions during important conversations.”
- “The graphics are perfect for top down strategy—character models pop from the background, are easy to see, easy to identify, and are pleasant to look at.”
- “It features a great art style, both in battle and outside of it.”
- “I appreciate the little things: blood effects, the lightly animated sequences when units attack and get it on the map, the character portraits having changing expressions (just images but still), the lighting and detail on some maps seems quite nice, etc. but it isn't hard to say that the visuals are blocky, generic, and generally pretty rough-looking.”
- “Visuals in game itself are not impressive and are lowpoly purchased unity assets.”
- “Somebody give this developer enough money for a sequel... with a normal graphics... because my eyes are bleeding...”
music
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
43%
10%
The music in the game is generally praised for being atmospheric, thematic, and fitting well with the gameplay and narrative, enhancing immersion and emotional tension. However, some players note issues with repetitive tracks, occasional odd placement, and a lack of variety, though these are often attributed to the limitations of a solo developer. Overall, the soundtrack is considered solid and enjoyable, with standout themes and a desire among players for an available OST.
- “The soundtrack consists of orchestral and atmospheric pieces that shift depending on the context of the scene. These musical transitions help maintain emotional tension throughout the story while adding weight to major narrative moments.”
- “The music is deceptively epic and a joy to listen to as you march your toons across the battlefield or while clicking through your management menus.”
- “The story, characters, writing and music are also great but the gameplay is superb.”
- “The dang rock song at the very start was so inappropriate for the vibe of the game, and I heard it every time I beat a mission.”
- “Also once I noticed the lack of song variety it was very noticeable.”
- “The sound design for leveling, turn changes, background music, and ambience was just terrible.”
replayability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
46%
18%
Replayability opinions are mixed, with many praising the game's multiple choices, leveling system, and varied roster for encouraging repeated playthroughs. However, some criticize the lack of procedural generation, limited impact of choices, and a locked storyline, which reduce motivation for replaying. Overall, the game offers solid replay value for those interested in exploring different options, though it may feel limited for others.
- “This game is well worth your time and has great replay value!”
- “I've done 2 playthroughs already and plan on doing at least 1 more because the replayability is very good.”
- “There is a strong replayability factor in story (choices), roster (impossible to field everyone), and just plain fun factor.”
- “It's too short, has no procedural generation, and offers next to no replay value.”
- “There is no replay value since the choices don't affect the gameplay much.”
- “Replay value is limited; unless you want the achievements, one playthrough is probably all you need.”
stability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
The game initially launched with significant stability issues including frequent crashes, freezes, and bugs affecting menus and gameplay, making it frustrating or even unplayable for some. However, the developer has been highly responsive, actively releasing patches that have substantially improved stability, with users noticing fewer crashes and smoother performance over time. While not yet flawless, the game's stability is steadily improving and shows strong potential once remaining bugs are resolved.
- “I've encountered two game crashes to desktop in the ~18 hours of playing, so it's not 100% stable and bug free, but plenty good enough.”
- “Also: no bugs, no freezes, no stuttering, no clipping, nothing.”
- “By all means, the game isn't bug free yet.”
- “It constantly freezes and the load time to boot up the game goes well over 2 minutes.”
- “Unfortunately, this game is currently an unplayable buggy mess.”
- “The core gameplay is fine when it's working but there are several freezes, softlocks, characters being de-leveled randomly, gold being lost from save/loads, etc.”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
87%
The game minimizes grinding through its linear story progression, providing a generally balanced difficulty, but some players find resource and unit management tedious and upgrades cumbersome. The lack of optional grinding stages and low character levels in later battles contribute to a sense of grind, while frequent chapter restarts after small mistakes add to frustration. Overall, grinding is present mostly in late-game progression and management mechanics, which some users find repetitive and time-consuming.
- “The hex-based movement feels great—tactical, but not tedious.”
- “There are no grinding stages and my character's levels seem low for the current battle.”
- “I spent so long grinding weapon tiers for all types just to hit chapter nineteen and see no SS weapons before the final chapter.”
- “I'm on the last 2 missions, and it is getting a bit grindy for me, because in the last 4-5 missions, nothing changes much, and all the introduction of new characters etc. falls off.”
- “Some of the levels can get tedious as you move your big army of units forward together.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The game evokes strong emotional engagement through detailed character dialogues, expressive portrait art, and mood-enhancing music, deepening player connection to the story. However, some players felt the large cast lacked depth and diversity, and the story's ending was unsatisfying without clear resolution of character outcomes. Additionally, frustrating gameplay elements and unremarkable narrative and mechanics somewhat diminished the overall emotional impact.
- “These conversations reveal personal histories, motivations, and emotional conflicts that deepen the player’s understanding of the characters.”
- “Character portraits displayed during dialogue scenes feature detailed illustrated artwork reminiscent of visual novels, emphasizing facial expressions and emotional reactions during important conversations.”
- “These musical transitions help maintain emotional tension throughout the story while adding weight to major narrative moments.”
- “Boring story, boring classes, boring skills.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game features mostly smooth performance with no significant bugs or stuttering, which is impressive for both AAA and indie standards. However, optimization is spotty, as the game runs unusually hot and could benefit from further performance improvements.
- “Also, while the developer has made some optimizations, I think it should be optimized more since the game runs unusually hot like a demanding AAA title for some reason.”
- “Performance and bugs are almost flawless.”
- “No bugs, no freezes, no stuttering, no clipping, nothing.”
- “Game has spotty optimization for what it is.”
- “While the developer has made some optimizations, the game should be optimized more since it runs unusually hot like a demanding AAA title for some reason.”
- “In 2025, whether AAA or indie, you usually expect a lot of problems with either performance or bugs.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is praised for its clever, character-appropriate funny lines and amusing gameplay moments, such as quirky squad compositions and integrated story elements. However, some dialogue occasionally feels out of place due to modern slang, and unintended music overlaps unintentionally create awkward yet humorous situations. Overall, the humor adds charm without detracting from the experience.
- “I was pleasantly surprised by the gameplay to story integration, such as the hilarious scene of Marcus getting the HP growth increasing ring, as well as a Shura/boots moment regarding a late-game character's stats/skills.”
- “That said, characterizations of the other companions remain coherent, with a roster of characters that feel distinct and mostly authentic, with a few clever funny lines that never seem out of character.”
- “I found it somewhat funny that I ended up having 3 assassins in my final squad... and all three used greatswords.”
character development
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
Character development in the game is generally well-received, highlighting enjoyable class specializations and meaningful promotion choices that enhance strategic combat. While some users find the character designs and storytelling less impressive, many appreciate the depth and progression offered throughout gameplay. Overall, character growth contributes positively to the experience despite minor aesthetic criticisms.
- “A very enjoyable medieval style turn based game with character development and different class styles (plus specialization).”
- “Give the game a chance and you will see deep strategic combat and nice character development.”
- “Story was good, character development was good, difficulty is challenging even on normal setting and non-perma death.”
- “While in a game where character development and story may not be the main focus, I can't in good conscience give a positive review to one that goes out of its way to toss these episodes out there as they are.”
- “Perhaps let people know they will be choosing promotions every 10 levels so they can get excited about future character development!”
- “The music is not very good, and the character designs are not especially attractive.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its clear, distinctive art style and immersive orchestral soundtrack that dynamically adapts to the scene, creating a compelling and atmospheric experience.
- “The art direction favors clarity and atmosphere rather than technical spectacle.”
- “The soundtrack consists of orchestral and atmospheric pieces that shift depending on the context of the scene.”
- “Music is fantastic and atmospheric, and the graphics have a very unusual art style which I really like.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect is indirectly criticized, with users suggesting gameplay improvements like switching weapons rather than relying on potentially costly weapon perks that add weight. This implies a preference for more skill-based progression over paid enhancements.