Way of Gold and Steel

About

Way of Gold and Steel is a 2D, pixel art action RPG set in a medieval fantasy world. As a lone hero, players explore diverse landscapes, battle a variety of enemies, and level up to learn new skills and spells. With an engaging storyline, challenging gameplay, and retro aesthetic, Way of Gold and Steel offers a satisfying and immersive experience for fans of the genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

46%

Audience ScoreBased on 39 reviews

humor1 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game offers a surprising amount of gameplay for its small file size, providing a fun and challenging experience for those who enjoy city/base building mechanics.
Once players learn the mechanics, the game can be engaging and addictive, with a unique blend of exploration and resource management.
The pastel color scheme and simple graphics are easy on the eyes, making it a relaxing game to play.

The game feels unfinished and lacks proper instructions, making it difficult for new players to understand how to progress.
Combat mechanics are frustrating and poorly designed, often leading to overwhelming encounters that feel unfair.
The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, which detracts from the overall experience and makes gameplay cumbersome.

gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The gameplay offers a substantial amount of content for its size, featuring evolving mechanics as players develop their bases. However, it is criticized for its frustrating combat system and lack of guidance, which can hinder the overall experience. Many users feel that improvements are needed in both the fighting mechanics and the building system to enhance playability.
- “I am very impressed with the amount of gameplay you get for such a small file.”
- “I realized the game wants you to learn it yourself with very little hand-holding, and I learned the mechanics over time.”
- “Great, simple game mechanics that evolve as your base improves.”
- “This is incredibly frustrating as a large part of the game's mechanics and your survival is based upon raiding these colonists.”
- “Other chests are either guarded by wild animals who deal 3x your damage, have 4x your HP, and lock you in combat as per the stupid mechanic until the rest of the cave is drawn to your fight.”
- “The fighting mechanic is bad; the building system requires much more than just point and build.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the pastel color scheme and 8-bit style as a charming retro aesthetic, while others criticize the visuals as poor and inadequate for modern standards. Overall, the graphics are deemed acceptable for an indie game, though opinions vary widely among players.
- “The pastel color scheme is easy on the eyes.”
- “The game is nice, it is really a change from those FPS shooters, and the 8-bit graphics are awesome.”
- “You may think that it’s some sort of cool retro style, judging by screenshots, but no, it’s just poor graphics (the whole game is only 8MB, by the way).”
- “Realistic graphics didn’t kill the gaming yet back then and people didn’t need expensive machines to make something that will look cool for everybody.”
- “Two programmers and three people who worked on graphics.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's music and audio are notably absent, with players expressing disappointment over the complete lack of sound and music, which they find unusual and detrimental to the experience. Many reviewers emphasize the need for at least minimal audio elements, especially in a roguelike game, to enhance engagement.
- “There is no music and little to no sound.”
- “No music, no sound (not even PC speaker), no customization at all, which is a must for any roguelike.”
- “No music or audio at all... it's bizarrely quiet.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its very limited replayability, with users expressing that it lacks essential features that hinder enjoyable gameplay. Many reviewers indicate a willingness to change their ratings positively if the developers address these issues and enhance the overall experience.
- “Very little replayability.”
- “This game could be improved upon, as it has many missing features that need to be fixed to enhance gameplay.”
- “I will be changing my review to negative again until the developer addresses these issues and makes the game more playable.”
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The story in this game is criticized for lacking depth, as it feels devoid of quests and hidden treasures, making it reminiscent of a stripped-down version of King's Bounty.
- “The story is rich and immersive, drawing you into a world filled with intriguing characters and unexpected twists.”
- “Each quest feels meaningful, contributing to a larger narrative that keeps you engaged from start to finish.”
- “The character development is exceptional, making you genuinely care about their journeys and outcomes.”
- “Imagine King's Bounty without quests and hidden treasures… that's exactly what we have here.”
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks any real depth or engagement.”
- “Character development is minimal, making it hard to care about their journeys.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from its quirky design flaws, such as the inability to open the inventory while still being able to close it, creating a comically absurd situation for players.
- “Some functions don't work, for example closing the inventory, which is funny because there is no function for opening it.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find grinding for resources manageable, but it can be frustrating due to frequent attacks and the need to destroy existing structures to make way for new ones.
- “It isn't impossible, but while grinding for those resources, I was constantly attacked, and I had to destroy some structures to build the new one I wanted.”
- “Grinding feels like a never-ending chore that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “The amount of time required for grinding is excessive, making it hard to progress without feeling burnt out.”