Waven

About

Waven is a single player and multiplayer tactical role playing game. It was developed by Ankama Studio and was released on August 16, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Set sail for a multiplayer tactical RPG with unique graphics

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78%

Audience ScoreBased on 658 reviews

gameplay29 positive mentions

monetization7 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and animations, reminiscent of the Dofus and Wakfu universe, making it visually appealing.
It offers a complex and engaging gameplay experience with a variety of classes and build options, allowing for strategic depth.
The game is free-to-play friendly, with no pay-to-win mechanics, and players can enjoy it without intrusive ads.

Many players experience significant login issues, including being unable to create accounts or access the game, making it unplayable for some.
The controls, especially on mobile, are often criticized for being clunky and unintuitive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
There are concerns about the game's future, including a planned reset of player progress and a lack of meaningful updates, which has left some players feeling disheartened.

gameplay
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
43%
5%
The gameplay is generally praised for its fluid mechanics, engaging tactical turn-based combat, and deep deck-building elements, making it enjoyable for both solo and group play. However, some players find the core gameplay loop to be grindy and repetitive, with a lack of user-friendly mechanics and tooltips. Despite these criticisms, many appreciate the game's aesthetics and the absence of pay-to-win elements, highlighting its accessibility for beginners and the variety of character builds available.
- “Gameplay-wise, it is very fluid and the features are deep on so many levels.”
- “Great gameplay and progression complemented by pleasing aesthetics and graphics that make you want to keep playing more and more.”
- “Waven is far more accessible to beginners and solo players than both previous games, without sacrificing key features such as build/character diversity and fluid turn-based tactical gameplay.”
- “The gameplay loop is a massive grind, but if you enjoy the gameplay, you won't notice it until you have finished the first book of the main story.”
- “Big con is lack of tooltips for mechanics.”
- “However, the mechanics are not user-friendly, often causing pauses with each move, which makes a single round take about 5 minutes.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
19%
12%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their unique art style, smooth animations, and vibrant visuals that enhance the overall gameplay experience. Players appreciate the appealing aesthetics, which are reminiscent of previous titles by Ankama, and the game's ability to maintain high performance on mobile devices. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's charm and encourage continued play.
- “The graphics look unique and they've done a great job on the animations!”
- “The animations are smooth and the art style is lively and fun to look at.”
- “Great gameplay and progression complemented by pleasing aesthetics and graphics that make you want to keep playing more and more.”
- “Well, the graphics are lacking.”
- “New-gen style graphics, looks and sounds like one of those fake game ads.”
- “The graphics are underwhelming and do not meet modern standards.”
story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
31%
14%
The game's story is generally praised for its engaging and light-hearted narrative, complemented by charming graphics and character designs. Players appreciate the variety of quests and the comedic elements, although some express frustration with pacing and gameplay mechanics that detract from the overall experience. While many find the storyline enjoyable and immersive, a few reviewers note that it can feel dull or repetitive at times.
- “This strategy deck-building game has a wonderful story and easy to learn mechanics.”
- “The story is also great, light-hearted, and comedic!”
- “Wakfu is an incredible story, and Waven is the next stage in this vibrant world of 12!”
- “The gameplay loop is a massive grind, but if you enjoy the gameplay, you won't notice it until you have finished the first book of the main story.”
- “Not bad game but I kept attacking myself instead of the monster and I really didn't know what skills I should use. A better guide would help with this. Then I ran out of things to do around level 10; my next story level was 16. I kept island hopping hoping I could do the mission, but it was taking forever for me to figure out stuff and I lost interest.”
- “Story is quite dull.”
monetization
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
15%
54%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn mixed reactions from users, with some expressing concerns about potential pay-to-win elements and high prices for in-game purchases. While many appreciate the absence of ads and find the game enjoyable without spending money, there are calls for lower prices on microtransactions and a more transparent approach to monetization. Overall, players hope for a balance that enhances the experience without compromising accessibility.
- “Still has a good handful of microtransactions, but so far I haven't felt like I need to spend any money.”
- “No ads, good turn-based gameplay, a little complicated, and premium options are too expensive.”
- “Then I find out the devs aren't happy with the monetization and want to delete everyone's progress at the end of the year so they can start the game from scratch to make it easier for them to make money from it.”
- “I hope they lower the prices of in-game purchases.”
- “Advertising was not their strong suit on selling what it really is but it's a pretty fun fast-paced card-like game.”
grinding
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews on the aspect of "grinding" highlight a mixed experience; while some players find the grind enjoyable and fitting within the game's core loop, others criticize it as excessively tedious and time-consuming. Many express frustration over the lack of quality-of-life features that could alleviate the grind, such as faster transitions and more engaging content. Overall, the consensus suggests that while grinding is a common element in these games, its execution can significantly impact player enjoyment.
- “You just end up in an endless loop of grinding.”
- “I literally spent 6 hours farming just to get 1 skill from level 29 to 30.”
- “Very tedious to play without auto.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
15%
14%
The music in the game is widely praised for its incredible quality, enhancing the overall experience with beautiful soundtracks that complement the mesmerizing character designs and engaging gameplay. Players appreciate the variety and effectiveness of the music, particularly during combat, which adds to the enjoyment of the tactical turn-based mechanics. Overall, the soundtrack, along with voice acting, significantly contributes to the game's immersive atmosphere.
- “The maps and character designs are mesmerizing—with a beautiful soundtrack that will have you sitting on your phone just listening.”
- “Good character design, good music, a variety of skills/spells, fun dialogue at times, and good scene design.”
- “I've only been playing it for 2 days, as far as I see it, it is great, the character designs, the music, the voice acting, the quest story, side quest stories.”
- “The graphics and music, along with the fact it's tactical turn-based, piqued my interest here.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its captivating character designs, engaging dialogue, and a rich soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. While some players appreciate the variety of skills and the depth of the quest narratives, others criticize the character design and gameplay quality, indicating a mixed reception. Overall, the game's aesthetic and storytelling elements contribute positively to character development, despite some negative feedback.
- “Good character design, good music, a variety of skills/spells, fun dialogue at times, and good scene design.”
- “The character design and game effects are beautiful.”
- “I've only been playing it for 2 days, but so far, it is great. The character designs, the music, the voice acting, and the quest story, including side quest stories, are all impressive.”
- “One of the worst games on the app store with horrible character design and some of the worst gameplay ever conceived by human beings.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game boasts impressive graphics and smooth performance, with users reporting no significant performance issues. However, some players find the random number mechanics confusing, which can detract from the overall enjoyment and understanding of equipment synergies.
- “Haven't had performance issues or anything this far, so super good!”
- “Runs smoothly for me, and combat is always fun and engaging.”
- “Either than that, quite a developed game for the phone type, with nice graphics and good performances.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is well-received, with players appreciating its funny storyline and clever design that complements the strategic gameplay. Overall, the combination of engaging graphics and humor contributes to a positive gaming experience.
- “All the beauty, humor, and strategic gameplay I grew to love with Ankama in a fresh design.”
- “Nice graphics and a funny storyline.”
- “Pretty good game... funny and well made, congrats.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, highlighting its significant impact on their well-being during difficult times. The impending changes evoke strong feelings of sadness and nostalgia, underscoring the game's role as a source of comfort and joy.
- “I just read the changes coming in the reset set for December 2025, and I actually want to cry.”
- “I'm not exaggerating when I say I want to cry; this game made me happy during a time when I'm not doing okay in real life.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is highly inconsistent, with some users experiencing severe freezing issues during login, while others enjoy the gameplay despite minor glitches and a grind towards the end. Overall, the negative feedback on stability suggests significant room for improvement.
- “Garbage game. Trying to log in causes the game to freeze. When I hit 'play without an account', the game also freezes. I'm on a Samsung Tab S6, so it's not my device. Fix the problem, because until I can play it, it's a bad game and I don't recommend it to anyone.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its charming visuals and clean graphics, which enhance the experience of traveling between zones. Players appreciate the easy-to-learn controls that contribute to the overall enjoyable ambiance.
- “A turn-based game with easy-to-learn controls, featuring fun and clean graphics that create a charming atmosphere as you travel from zone to zone.”