While the Iron’s Hot
- December 5, 2023
- Bontemps Games
- 12h median play time
Reforge a blacksmith’s village on an isle of the land’s finest artisans! Step into the boots of an expert smith for a crafty adventure filled with mystery and charm. Explore the land of Ellian, and prove that a hammer, anvil, and your wits can overcome any challenge. Switch version reviewed. While the Iron’s Hot is an interesting take on a blacksmith simulator, but it feels like the game can be a tedious chore sometimes.
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"While the Iron's Hot" is a crafting adventure game set in the land of Ellian. As a journeyman blacksmith, forge, smelt, and assemble works of metal to grow your smithing skills, discover new items, and restore a abandoned blacksmiths' village. Explore the island, solve puzzles, and interact with fellow artisans to ultimately become a true master smith.
Reviews
- Engaging and addictive crafting system that keeps players invested.
- Beautiful pixel art and a relaxing soundtrack create a cozy atmosphere.
- The story is enjoyable with interesting twists and character development.
- The game can feel repetitive and grindy, lacking meaningful progression.
- Quality of life features, such as inventory management and crafting mechanics, need improvement.
- The save system is unreliable, leading to potential loss of progress.
- story41 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, described as fun, light, and engaging, with some surprising twists and a charming narrative that connects players to its characters. However, many reviewers note that the storyline feels linear and somewhat shallow, lacking depth and scale, which can lead to a repetitive experience. While the crafting and exploration elements are enjoyable, they often overshadow the story, leaving players wanting a more robust narrative experience.
“The story is fun and light, and there are lots of secrets to find.”
“Its compelling storyline, beautiful graphics, and well-crafted puzzles make it a must-play for fans of adventure and puzzle games.”
“A beautiful little story told in roughly 10 hours of playtime with plenty of additional time to be invested for the completionists among us.”
“The story is quite linear and non-inspiring.”
“It was some nice ideas but the gameplay and story are incredibly boring.”
“Imo, this game needed more time, both to squash bugs and to flesh out the barebones story.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by polished crafting mechanics and engaging puzzles, offering a mix of challenge and relaxation. While the core mechanics are enjoyable and the colorful world adds charm, some players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in depth, particularly in terms of resource management and motivation. Overall, the experience is described as fun and addictive, though it may not sustain long-term interest due to its simplicity and grindy nature.
“The gameplay in 'While the Iron's Hot' is both challenging and rewarding.”
“Additionally, the ability to upgrade other towns within the game would add another layer of depth and strategy, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.”
“The gameplay is engaging, addictive, coherent, and fun.”
“It's a shame as the overall arc does give you a decent reason to keep going, but all the mechanics are very mediocre and there are just better games out there.”
“The crafting mechanics are neat but can grow rather tiresome over time, especially when crafting the more complex goods.”
“Post-endgame on the 'good' path doesn't make sense based on the lore presented moments before, and the gameplay loop consists of building and upgrading, and filling a makework 'museum', so you can dress your ox in goofy outfits.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received positive feedback for their stunning pixel art style, which enhances the immersive experience and complements the game's theme. Players appreciate the beautiful visuals and charming atmosphere, although some note that the scale of elements may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's engaging adventure-puzzle experience.
“While 'While the Iron's Hot' is an enthralling addition to the realm of adventure-puzzle games, it offers players an immersive experience that combines a captivating storyline, stunning graphics, and engaging puzzles.”
“The art style perfectly complements the game's theme, enhancing the overall experience.”
“The game has a charming pixel art style and a relaxing soundtrack that create a cozy atmosphere.”
“I like the graphical style, but I don't like the scale of everything.”
“Beautiful pixel graphics overcome the lack of fine detail to keep you entertained and enthralled at beautiful scenery.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's music is widely praised for its relaxing and ambient qualities, enhancing the overall cozy atmosphere alongside its charming pixel art. Reviewers highlight the well-selected soundtrack and sound effects, which contribute to both the enjoyable gameplay and the challenging puzzles, making it a highly recommendable experience for fans of both cozy and puzzle genres.
“Lovely game, very polished crafting mechanics, cute pixel art, and good soundtrack.”
“Not only is it beautiful in its own pixel way, but also the ambient music, sound effects, surprising and exciting storyline, and especially the individual mini-games make the game all-round recommendable and are ideal both as a cozy game and for puzzle lovers.”
“The music and sounds overall are selected well.”
“The game has a charming pixel art style and a relaxing soundtrack that create a cozy atmosphere.”
“Not only is it beautiful in its own pixel way, but also the ambient music and sound effects contribute to a surprising and exciting storyline, making the game recommendable for both cozy game enthusiasts and puzzle lovers.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and shallow, with some tasks, like crafting specific materials, feeling overly repetitive. Despite being relatively short, the game requires significant effort to achieve completion, leading to a mixed reception regarding its grindiness.
“The game is grindy and feels shallow.”
“It's rather short (not difficult to get the 'credits' in under 10 hours of gameplay), yet also grindy.”
“Lastly, please don't fix the ability to turn crafted bars back into full bars as I found making Damascus steel and glass the correct way to be pretty tedious.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a rich and engaging narrative that captivates players throughout their journey. While it may not introduce groundbreaking elements, it offers a wholesome and relaxing experience that resonates positively with players.
“Players are taken on a rich, emotionally charged adventure that keeps them invested from beginning to end.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by detailed environments and character models, enhanced by atmospheric effects that foster immersion. Its charming pixel art style, combined with a relaxing soundtrack, contributes to a cozy and inviting ambiance.
“The detailed environments, character models, and atmospheric effects come together to create a vivid and immersive world.”
“The game has a charming pixel art style and a relaxing soundtrack that create a cozy atmosphere.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that while the game is generally solid, it suffers from bugs related to quest tracking and persistent glitches, particularly towards the rushed ending.
“Keeping track of your quests is also buggy.”
“The ending is a bit rushed and some glitches persist, but in other elements, it's pretty solid.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features witty dialogue and an engaging story, complemented by humorous interactions within its towns, contributing to an overall lighthearted experience.
“It has funny dialogue, a nice story, and charming towns.”
“The humor is spot on, making every interaction a delight.”
“I couldn't stop laughing at the witty banter between characters.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game excels in character development, skillfully intertwining complex plot points that foster a strong emotional connection between players and the protagonists.
“The game's ability to weave intricate plot points and character development ensures that players feel a deep connection to the story and its protagonists.”
Critic Reviews
While the Iron’s Hot Puts You to Work as a Blacksmith
Reforge a blacksmith’s village on an isle of the land’s finest artisans! Step into the boots of an expert smith for a crafty adventure filled with mystery and charm. Explore the land of Ellian, and prove that a hammer, anvil, and your wits can overcome any challenge. Switch version reviewed. While the Iron’s Hot is an interesting take on a blacksmith simulator, but it feels like the game can be a tedious chore sometimes.
60%While the Iron’s Hot Review – Burned out
While the Iron’s Hot provides an authentic crafting experience for players looking to not engage with enemy combatants, survival aspects, or other variables that come with so many crafting games. With the game’s story, characters, and gameplay repetitive and forgetful to the end, the visuals and soundtrack ignite a spark that regrettably ends up burned out.
45%While the Iron’s Hot Review – Forging a new adventure
While the Iron’s Hot offers diverse gameplay packed with an immersive narrative, innovative ideas, and crafting depth. However, there are some quality-of-life improvements needed, mini-games lack challenge, and you may find yourself with an overflow of work orders without incentives to complete them. Overall, the game delivers a captivating blacksmithing experience with some limitations that may unfortunately impact player satisfaction.
60%
