Tower Song

About

Tower Song is a single player role playing game with fantasy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Ishin Iwasaki and was released on June 20, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Tower Song" is a single-player Fantasy Turn-Based Strategy game that combines Classic JRPG and CRPG genres of the 1990s. The game features a unique mixture of deliberate turn-based combat and colorful pixel-art worlds. Players must choose heroes with unique battle mechanics, explore different areas of the world, and recruit powerful allies to liberate them from a naga invasion. Every encounter is unique, with deadly foes executing strategic attacks, making Tower Song a challenging and engaging 10-hour campaign.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 49 reviews

story16 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The combat system is engaging and strategic, with each character having unique abilities that enhance gameplay variety.
The game respects player time by eliminating grinding, fully healing the party after battles, and refreshing consumables, making encounters feel significant.
The worldbuilding and character design are impressive, creating an interesting and immersive experience reminiscent of classic JRPGs.

The combat can become overly complicated with numerous status effects and enemy buffs, which may detract from the overall enjoyment.
Some players found the story and character progression to be confusing or lacking depth, making it hard to stay engaged.
The controls may not be intuitive for everyone, particularly for those who prefer keyboard play over gamepad.

story
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
43%
9%
The game's story is generally regarded as interesting and engaging, with a rich universe and character dynamics that enhance the experience. While some players find the narrative initially confusing, it becomes clearer as the game progresses, encouraging players to pay attention to nuances and lore. Overall, the storytelling is complemented by charming graphics and music, making it a compelling aspect of the game despite some minor issues.
- “The game's story universe is really interesting, and here's to looking for more from this developer!”
- “The story's only just begun, but it's plain to see that this is a world with a great deal of thought put into it.”
- “I really got hooked on the story and wanted to continue advancing to uncover more!”
- “I ultimately dropped the game because I didn't vibe with the artwork, story, character progression, or exploration.”
- “The story is a little confusing at first; they thrust you straight into it and start introducing new characters back to back. The prologue has an epic climax, and then you start to play the real game and begin understanding the world and lore around you. It's quite refreshing and not complex at all, plus the dialogue can be quite quirky and comedic at times.”
- “While the story can be a bit confusing at first, it seems intentional as you're immediately thrown into the action.”
music
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
48%
12%
The music in "Tower Song" is widely praised for its ability to set the mood and enhance the overall gaming experience, with many reviewers highlighting its nostalgic quality reminiscent of SNES-era RPGs. While some noted minor issues with sound design and mixing, the soundtrack is generally described as fantastic, immersive, and a standout feature of the game. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's atmosphere, making it a memorable aspect for players.
- “The music is absolutely fantastic, and I really dig the art style.”
- “Music is stellar and it always sets the mood for where you are and what's to come.”
- “The music and art really set the game apart and make it a cool experience.”
- “Kudos to the soundtrack, honestly one of the few games I've played where I haven't had to turn off the music.”
- “Both the art style and music are probably my favorite things so far about it.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
64%
18%
The gameplay is a nostalgic nod to classic SNES and PS2-era JRPGs, featuring unique mechanics and abilities for each character that promote strategic combat without grinding or handholding. Players appreciate the easy-to-understand yet engaging mechanics, which allow for diverse gameplay experiences and encourage experimentation with different character combinations. However, some users expressed disappointment over the inability to rebind certain keys for more convenient controls.
- “The gameplay is reminiscent of the classic SNES games I used to play.”
- “It has very easy to understand mechanics that nevertheless allow for a great amount of strategy and engagement with the combat.”
- “Each character has unique mechanics and gameplay styles, which helps keep things fresh.”
- “As someone who prefers playing with a keyboard, I was a bit disappointed to find that I couldn't rebind the interact key (bound to enter) to a more convenient key for single-hand gameplay, such as E.”
- “Though a traditional JRPG in many ways, it has unique mechanics for every single party member; from a sniper who needs to reload between high damage shots, to a street fighter who builds up 'combo' with his attacks to unleash a devastating finisher.”
- “I've died to wolves three times, but you can be strategic with your turns and the encounters vary with the intention mechanic.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their distinctive and visually appealing art style, featuring a gritty, futuristic post-apocalyptic aesthetic and charming pixel graphics reminiscent of classic RPGs. Many players appreciate how the visuals complement the game's music and overall atmosphere, enhancing the immersive experience. However, some users noted that the artwork did not resonate with them personally, leading to mixed feelings about the game's visual presentation.
- “The artwork is distinctive and visually appealing, with a gritty, futuristic post-apocalypse feel that really draws you in.”
- “Both the art style and music are probably my favorite things so far about it.”
- “I ultimately dropped the game because I didn't vibe with the artwork, story, character progression, or exploration.”
- “The aesthetics really fit well, the combat system has depth to it without being overly crunchy, and there's a really neat range of characters to play!”
- “It has wonderful music, an interesting story, a deep crafting system, unique turn-based encounters, and charming pixel graphics.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players appreciate the absence of grinding in the game, as level-ups occur at specific story milestones rather than through repetitive tasks. This design choice allows for a more streamlined experience, respecting players' time while maintaining engagement through unique combat mechanics and solid writing.
- “Which is just as well because level-ups only happen after certain story beats, so grinding would be rather pointless anyways.”
- “You level up as a group at certain story moments, so you are never behind or need to worry about leveling and grinding to progress.”
- “The audio is top notch (the boss music is a true banger); the lack of grinding and the short campaign really respects players' time.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The game offers solid replayability through multiple routes and the option to choose different characters, enhancing the overall experience and encouraging players to explore various storylines.
- “It's a solid experience with a few routes for great replay value.”
- “Replayability is built into the game!”
- “It's nice to be able to choose which character you would like to play through the story with, which adds to the replayability.”
- “So replayability is built into the game!”
- “It is nice to be able to choose which character you would like to play through the story with, which adds some replayability.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers praise the character development for its inventive design and engaging combat system, which enhances player interaction and strategy. The unique character kits, such as Solace's smart rifle abilities, break traditional archetypes, while the overall aesthetic and music contribute to a richly fleshed-out world.
- “The combat system combined with the inventive character design makes for encounters that are always engaging each turn, and the modern amenities like the lack of truly random encounters (fights are started by sprites with vision cones) and end-of-combat party healing keep the game focused on the parts that really count.”
- “On top of the well-tuned combat, the character design and music are also super refreshing, with certain tunes taking on a more experimental electronic vibe, and characters like Solace featuring a kit built around smart rifle use that I really like (I have a soft spot for fantasy gunslingers that break the standard pistol duelist archetype).”
- “The environment and character designs are great and make the world feel fleshed out.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in this indie title is noted for its superior writing compared to typical AAA games, with witty dialogue that enhances the exploration experience. Players appreciate the clever prompts, such as the "do you want to proceed?" dialogue, which adds a humorous touch while encouraging exploration.
- “I always think it's funny when some indie title has way better writing than your typical AAA title, and this is one.”
- “The dialogue can be kind of funny too, and I enjoy exploring and the 'Do you want to proceed?' dialogue, so I know when to keep exploring before committing to a new area.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a cozy, nostalgic feel, enhanced by impressive attack animations that elevate the intensity of encounters.
- “It feels like a cozy game I've played in the past; the flow is so nostalgic, with some really insane attack animations that add a lot to the atmosphere of each encounter.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game exhibits some minor bugs and glitches, but overall, it remains stable and is highly recommended for fans of old-school RPGs.
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I encountered several game-breaking bugs that ruined my experience.”
- “The stability issues are frustrating; I lost progress due to unexpected crashes.”