Tower of Time

Tower of Time provides a detailed combat system that requires plenty of tactical thinking, so you get good value for money. There are points which could be refined, but as it stands, this is a good game for strategy/RPG fans.

Starting at $1.91Buy now

Get on Steam

"Tower of Time" is a narrative-driven, real-time tactical RPG set in a beautifully designed fantasy world. Assemble and lead a party of heroes to challenge the ancient Tower, where time has been imprisoned and the past, present, and future are intertwined. Experience a rich and compelling story, make impactful decisions, and engage in strategic combat against formidable foes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,423 reviews

story941 positive mentions

grinding91 negative mentions

Engaging story with interesting characters and lore that keeps players invested.
Unique combat system that combines real-time action with tactical pause, allowing for strategic gameplay.
Beautiful graphics and atmospheric music that enhance the overall experience.

Repetitive combat encounters that can become tedious over time.
Linear progression with limited character customization and choices that don't significantly impact the story.
Some technical issues, including crashes and performance drops during certain battles.

story
2,245 mentions
42 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The story of "Tower of Time" is generally well-received, with many players praising its intriguing narrative and character development, which keeps them engaged throughout the game. While some find the plot to be somewhat predictable or cliché, others appreciate the depth and unique blend of fantasy and sci-fi elements. However, there are criticisms regarding pacing, linearity, and the impact of player choices on the story, with some players feeling that the writing could be improved. Overall, the story is a significant draw for many, enhancing the gameplay experience despite some repetitive combat mechanics.
- “The story is incredible, and the maps are linear while including a bunch of different side stories.”
- “The story is engaging and unique.”
- “The story is very well done and well told through journals you find that are in fact a cut scene and tell you more about what happened.”
- “The story is mediocre at best, the point of it being that you have to reach the last level of the tower of time in order to save the world (yawn).”
- “The narrator of the story is so dry, the plot is a cliche & predictable 'end of the world disaster, hero rises from nothing' trope, and the combat is so boring and dull it will have you falling asleep in your chair.”
- “The story and gameplay held me engaged till the end, and even after that the story kept replaying in my mind.”
gameplay
715 mentions
33 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Tower of Time" is characterized by a blend of tactical real-time combat and exploration typical of RPGs, featuring a unique time-slowing mechanic that enhances strategic decision-making. While many players appreciate the depth of character management, crafting, and the engaging combat system, some criticize the repetitiveness of encounters and a lack of variety in gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game offers a solid experience, though it may not fully satisfy those seeking a more challenging or innovative gameplay loop.
- “Overall, Tower of Time is an excellent game that offers a unique and engaging gameplay experience.”
- “The gameplay is everything you could want in a CRPG and the real-time with slow-time combat is a really nice touch.”
- “The gameplay started a bit slow, but quickly with the 3rd character new gameplay emerged.”
- “The gameplay and quests simply aren't varied enough to keep the average player hooked for this amount of time.”
- “What we have here is an 8-10 hour game, painfully stretched out to 25+ hours with purposefully tedious mechanics, such as nonstop in-game, text-block 'cut scenes' which arrest control from you every 3-10 minutes in order to info dump bloated chunks of story the creators were far too lazy or untalented to intuitively tell throughout the game itself.”
- “The gameplay becomes a little bit of a slog later in the game but I truly enjoyed the narrative so I stuck it out.”
graphics
458 mentions
55 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received a generally positive reception, with many players praising the beautiful art style, detailed environments, and immersive visuals that enhance the overall experience. While some reviews noted that the graphics may not reach AAA standards and can feel somewhat dated in places, they are still considered visually appealing and well-crafted for an indie title. Overall, the game's graphics contribute significantly to its atmosphere and storytelling, making it a standout feature despite some minor performance issues.
- “The game's graphics and sound design are impressive, with detailed character models and environments that create a rich and immersive gaming experience.”
- “Gorgeous graphics bringing to life museum-quality renaissance art style world design as if looking at the ultimate Dungeons and Dragons art book.”
- “Absolutely stunning graphics!”
- “The fact that it is not a big-budget production is particularly noticeable in the lack of voice-overs for the characters and the graphical quality, which is not up to scratch, but it is also far from being an ugly game.”
- “The graphics and textures compare to a budget indie title from 10 years ago.”
- “The visuals start off strong but seriously deteriorate as you progress through the game.”
music
344 mentions
53 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric and immersive qualities that enhance the storytelling and overall experience. While some players find the soundtrack beautiful and memorable, others criticize it for being repetitive or generic, leading to moments of monotony. Overall, the music is often described as fitting well with the game's ambiance, though there are calls for more variety and depth in the composition.
- “The music really is beautiful, memorable and is almost part of the storytelling.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing.”
- “The atmosphere created by the world and the haunting music is great.”
- “Holy moly the music stinks.”
- “I know for a small game like this, the music composition shouldn't be a thing to criticize harshly, but it just is so boring and lackluster.”
- “The music is so empty and lifeless that I just muted it.”
atmosphere
122 mentions
66 % positive mentions
32 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its rich and immersive qualities, enhanced by a haunting soundtrack and beautiful graphics that complement the storytelling. Players appreciate the melancholic and engaging ambiance, which draws them into the narrative and enhances the overall experience. However, some critiques mention pacing issues that can detract from fully experiencing the atmospheric elements.
- “The atmosphere created by the world and the haunting music is great.”
- “From the intro on, the atmosphere captured me... the hopelessness... the 'end time feeling'... and the wonder of ages past... the heroic deeds of the champions...”
- “The game excels in the atmosphere it creates, enhanced by the very interesting lore and story and the way they are presented; this was one of the few games where I was impatiently looking forward to discover new journals and notes to find out more about the lore.”
- “This slows the game down heavily, and while in some games that may be the point, I think it creates a pacing issue that had me focusing on mousing over everything instead of experiencing the atmosphere of the rooms.”
- “No, it is a lovely looking game in parts; it's a pity that there wasn't more effort put into creating an audio atmosphere.”
- “The real issue is one of atmosphere.”
grinding
99 mentions
4 % positive mentions
4 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of "Tower of Time" has received mixed feedback, with many players finding the combat repetitive and tedious, particularly after the initial levels. While some appreciate the lack of traditional grinding due to a fixed number of encounters, others feel that the limited gold supply and the need for save scumming to optimize builds contribute to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game is criticized for its drawn-out mechanics and lack of engaging content, leading to a sense of monotony throughout gameplay.
- “There's no grinding; there's a set amount of battles with extra optional challenges you can pursue for extra resources.”
- “The leveling system doesn't depend on XP to advance your characters, so there's no farming to gain XP.”
- “Unlike most of its kind, it simply has no grinding as there's a set number of encounters per floor, which is a very nice change.”
- “Your limited gold supply is a major reason you are not incentivized to freely switch up party members - gold being the currency used to level up any party members of your choosing, you are bound to prioritize the characters you use and leave others under-leveled with less stats and skill points, unless you want to grind out extra gold from challenges (which are even more tedious battles).”
- “What we have here is an 8-10 hour game, painfully stretched out to 25+ hours with purposefully tedious mechanics, such as nonstop in-game, text-block 'cut scenes' which arrest control from you every 3-10 minutes in order to info dump bloated chunks of story the creators were far too lazy or untalented to intuitively tell throughout the game itself.”
- “Tower of time is an RPG with a boring/cringey story, flat characters and most unforgivably, tedious combat.”
optimization
78 mentions
26 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant frame rate drops and performance issues, particularly in exploration and on lower-end systems. While many users reported smooth gameplay and stability, especially on Linux, others noted that the game struggles with optimization, especially for high-end setups, leading to inconsistent performance across different settings. There is a general consensus that further optimization is needed to enhance the overall experience and address the performance inconsistencies.
- “The game runs smoothly and I encountered virtually no crashes or instabilities in my entire playthrough.”
- “Out of all the fights in the game, only one of them feels unwinnable if you're unlucky with your loot drops or if you get rid of any and all elemental weapons you might have, but beyond that you could realistically beat this entire thing with enough careful planning and proper build optimization.”
- “I recommend it to all players who want to always have a constant challenge with a team that is always optimized to the maximum.”
- “In my opinion, the graphics were great, but the music was a bit generic and elevator-sounding. The game certainly needs some performance optimization, as some areas were causing pretty significant frame rate drops for no real reason.”
- “What hurts the game, however, is poor optimization when exploring: the game runs at around 45 fps at the highest settings and at 50 fps at the lowest, which doesn't make a lot of sense.”
- “Sadly, I have to report that the game is not optimized properly at the moment I am writing this review. The game suffers from huge fps drops and stuttering for unknown reasons even on the lower settings.”
replayability
37 mentions
24 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the potential for varied experiences through different character choices and skill combinations, others find limited incentive to replay due to a lack of new content or meaningful changes after the initial playthrough. The presence of roguelite elements and modifiers adds some replay value, but many feel that once the story is completed, there is little motivation to return. Overall, the game's replayability largely depends on individual player preferences and play styles.
- “I've only played through once and am nearing the end, but it seems like it would be replayable with different characters or different skill combinations that would alter the game considerably.”
- “Great story and the roguelite elements make it very replayable.”
- “I highly recommend this game, there is tons of content and replayability.”
- “Great storyline, good world-building lore, good graphics, average combat experience, low replay value (once you have played through once, there really is nothing worth going through it again for).”
- “Sadly, there is little replay value currently.”
- “Replayability is about zero (at least for me). I don't see the point of going at it again, and there's no new game plus.”
character development
28 mentions
43 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally praised for its depth and variety, allowing players to explore different builds and make meaningful choices that impact the story. While some reviews note that character interactions are limited, each character has distinct arcs that make them relatable and engaging. Overall, the combination of solid storytelling and character progression contributes to a captivating RPG experience.
- “Character development is quite varied and you can try different builds with your characters.”
- “It really has a lot going on with character development which makes you actually consider choices based on what the results will be.”
- “Storywise, there's not much interaction between the characters, but they do have their own story arcs and character developments; just not that much interaction with others.”
- “The character development of party members is a little bit brief, but it is enough to make the characters interesting enough that you will understand their motivations and care about them individually.”
- “Character development is deep without being ambiguous; exploring feels open and direct, and you don't find yourself wandering around aimlessly wondering what to do next.”
stability
22 mentions
27 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
73 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing crashes, freezes, and FPS issues, particularly on high-end systems. However, others report a smooth experience with minimal bugs and commend the developers for their responsive support in addressing glitches. Overall, while there are notable stability concerns, many players find the game largely bug-free and well-supported.
- “The game ran smoothly and was bug-free, making for a great overall experience.”
- “Puzzles make sense, and the game runs smoothly without any bugs.”
- “Runs great on Linux, providing a stable gaming experience.”
- “The game also crashes/freezes every now and then on my high-end system, which is rather annoying, so I am now quick-saving every time I do anything really.”
- “But there are also some FPS issues and mini-freezes at certain points.”
- “Experienced a few glitches with pathing that required a reload.”
humor
12 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game features a predominantly written dialogue that often elicits genuine laughter, showcasing humorous interactions among party members. Players appreciate the option to influence these interactions or let them unfold naturally, adding to the comedic experience. Overall, the humor is described as both overt and subtle, enhancing the enjoyment of the gameplay.
- “The dialogue, while sometimes excessive, made me laugh out loud far more frequently than I expected any game to do.”
- “Seeing the interaction between your party members is pretty humorous at times, and it's nice that you can step in if you so desire and make them do certain things or just let them argue it out themselves.”
- “Great old school RPG with funny battle mechanics.”
emotional
8 mentions
75 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find the story and combat dull, others highlight a stunningly emotional ending that is both touching and thought-provoking. Overall, the game's visual appeal is praised, but its narrative engagement varies significantly among players.
- “Gorgeous game with a stunningly emotional ending and great value for money.”
- “In the end, I think that this game proved challenging and entertaining, but also, to some extent, touching and thought-provoking.”
monetization
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization approach of the game is perceived positively, as reviewers note that it feels designed for dedicated gamers rather than as a cash grab, with no aggressive advertising or monetization tactics evident. However, some criticism arises from the clichéd character designs, which may detract from the overall experience.
- “One thing made clear is that the developers made this game for a specific audience, a game for a gamer to fall in love with, and not another cash grab to fill a developer's wallet.”