Waiting For The Raven

About

Waiting For The Raven is a single player role playing game with fantasy, mystery, medieval, historical and others themes. It was developed by Musclebird and was released on December 22, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Become Master of Spies, plant connections and agents in the underworld. Who will you join? Who may be betrayed? Decipher Letters, Solve Mysteries, Manage Businesses, Spy, Bribe, Abduct, Murder, Seduce in an experimental atmospheric hybrid of first-person & top-down espionage experience.

+11

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 67 reviews

story11 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

Unique and engaging espionage and grand strategy gameplay blending management, puzzle solving, and story elements.
Immersive atmosphere with compelling voice acting, cryptogram puzzles, and a richly detailed world that rewards detective-like play.
Active and responsive developer with ongoing updates, including new content and improvements to game mechanics and storytelling.

User interface is clunky, unintuitive, and becomes increasingly frustrating to use as the number of agents grows, severely impacting gameplay.
Presence of bugs, crashes, and technical issues with some game mechanics and features feeling unpolished or unfinished.
Steep learning curve and confusing design choices that may overwhelm new players and hinder overall accessibility and enjoyment.

story
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
66%
7%
The story is praised for its unique blend of espionage, business management, and puzzle-solving, featuring impactful choices that influence outcomes and a compelling, immersive narration that sets a fitting gloomy atmosphere. However, some find the espionage mechanics simplified and the narrative heavy, which can limit replayability and player agency, with characters often feeling numerous but underdeveloped. Overall, the storytelling is well-crafted and integral to the gameplay, earning strong recommendations despite a slow buildup and occasional UX challenges.
- “There are choices you can make that impact the outcome of the story, so anyone saying the gameplay is shallow likely hasn't even completed the first few missions.”
- “The narration makes it feel very immersive and the gloomy atmosphere really sets the mood for the period accurate storyline.”
- “Well done, story well written and the graphics are amazing.”
- “It's supposed to be a story about espionage, but a lot of the time the 'espionage' is simplified to nothing more than a few values and button presses.”
- “Maybe I'm just not good at it, but I never figured out what the actual story was or who my character was when I had already become the city's largest drug dealer, smuggler, and casino magnate, and was figuring out how to conquer everything I didn't own when I lost all enthusiasm.”
- “However, despite the fact that you are playing as a specific character, I would say the characters and the story aren’t really a focus of the game.”
gameplay
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
78%
8%
The gameplay is mechanically complex and rich, offering strategic depth through espionage, manipulation, and puzzle-solving that appeals to fans of grand strategy games. However, it is often criticized for a clunky, unintuitive UI and insufficient instructions, which can make the learning curve steep and the experience frustrating for some players. Despite these design flaws, many find the intriguing mechanics and unique features, such as deciphering puzzles, engaging and rewarding once understood.
- “There are choices you can make that impact the outcome of the story, so anyone saying the gameplay is shallow likely hasn't even completed the first few missions.”
- “Good spymaster game, with some very interesting mechanics and good puzzle solving that give you the feeling of running a spy ring.”
- “The progression tree covers the main categories of options available in terms of gameplay: business, espionage, manipulation, and aggression.”
- “This is a horribly unpolished game with a clunky UI and shallow gameplay.”
- “For a game that is so complex mechanically, the gameplay experience is hindered by the overall game design not being particularly intuitive and sometimes failing to provide adequate instructions on how to play.”
- “The game makes no sense as a mystery or intrigue challenge; you're a thug taking over a city with a gang, and everything else is pretense that adds nothing to the gameplay.”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
35%
18%
The graphics receive mixed feedback, ranging from acceptable and decent to impressive for an indie or solo-developed game, with particular praise for the art style that effectively conveys the game's medieval ambiance. While not always striking or standout, the visuals are appreciated for complementing the gameplay and narrative. Some users suggest room for improvement but overall consider the graphics adequate or better, especially given the game's price and development context.
- “Impressive game considering this comes from a solo dev, graphics are not bad at all, nice touch with the voice actors!”
- “Well done, story well written and the graphics are amazing.”
- “A good strategy game, decent graphics, good voice acting.”
- “The graphics, screenshots, and trailer didn't make me interested in this game, although the premise made me a little curious.”
- “- Improve the graphics.”
- “I thought this was another cheap indie game, but what it lacks in graphics, it more than makes up for in gameplay.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as fitting and enjoyable, with some players calling the soundtrack "badass." While the tracks complement the game's style, they are not particularly memorable or standout. Notably, music intensity can be adjusted through in-game wardrobe choices, adding an interactive element to the audio experience.
- “+ good music”
- “+ fitting music”
- “The sound and music are great, 3D has its unique style, though the UI needs some polish, it takes some patience to get into the game mechanics.”
- “Similar to the art and graphics, the musical tracks are pleasing but not particularly noteworthy or memorable.”
- “It is interesting though that you can change the music’s intensity by selecting different clothes in the wardrobe.”
- “In the options you will find settings for quality (fastest, fast, simple, good, beautiful and fantastic), resolution, anti-aliasing, texture quality, anisotropic, shadow cascades, sound and music volume sliders, bloom, window, mouse sensitivity, invert mouse, tutorial screens (reset tutorial), key bindings and reset game progress.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is highly immersive, effectively capturing a dark, mysterious, and period-accurate tone that complements its espionage theme. Its minimalistic yet tense environment keeps players on edge, enhancing engagement through detailed narration and thematic elements. Overall, the mood is well-crafted to draw players deeply into the story and gameplay.
- “The atmosphere is very well done, and I found myself anticipating jump scares with just how on your toes some things can get you, and how immersed you can be as you read letters, decipher coded puzzles, and contemplate the next steps you'll take.”
- “The narration makes it feel very immersive and the gloomy atmosphere really sets the mood for the period-accurate storyline.”
- “Even though it is rather minimal, the atmosphere managed to successfully get me immersed into the dark and mysterious tone of the game.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game offers substantial replayability through multiple scenarios, though it may lack some elements typical of grand strategy games that enhance long-term engagement. Achievements provide an additional layer of replay value for some players, potentially influencing overall replayability based on individual preferences.
- “There is a lot of replayability here, as well as different scenarios you can play.”
- “For some players, achievements can create replay value.”
- “Depending on that, the game could potentially gain or lose replay value.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is somewhat inconsistent, with occasional bugs and a clunky, unfinished feel. However, the developer is actively addressing issues, and despite rough edges, the gameplay remains enjoyable for those tolerant of its current state.
- “Game looks like an unfinished project, so clunky, buggy, outdated, and hard to get any info about anything.”
- “It's buggy, feels unfinished, but it is actually fun if you don't mind some very rough edges.”
- “The problems of the first session could only be some buggy UI display and issues with the strategy management part.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game receives mixed feedback, with some users finding empire management tedious due to a poor UI, while others appreciate the steady progression and ongoing opportunities for research and investment that prevent it from feeling overly grindy.
- “Most of the 'grand strategy' in this game consists of grinding.”
- “But the terrible UI makes empire management tedious and boring.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor is well-balanced with the horror elements, providing a blend that enhances the overall experience without overshadowing either aspect.