Wizards and Warlords
- September 25, 2020
- Valravn Games
- 13h median play time
Get on Steam"Wizards and Warlords" is a real-time strategy game set in a fantasy world. Players must build commissioned armies, cast spells, and conquer rival cities to expand their kingdom. The game includes a variety of units, spells, and buildings, offering strategic depth and replayability.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Incredible depth and complexity, reminiscent of classic 4X games like Master of Magic.
- Active developer who is responsive to community feedback and regularly updates the game.
- Offers a unique blend of strategy, role-playing, and sandbox elements, allowing for diverse playstyles.
- User interface is cumbersome and not intuitive, making it difficult for new players to navigate.
- Many game mechanics are poorly explained or undocumented, leading to confusion and frustration.
- The game is still in early access with numerous bugs and balance issues that need addressing.
- gameplay124 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a steep learning curve and complex mechanics that offer depth and variety, reminiscent of classic 4X titles. While the game captures the "just one more turn" appeal and features engaging economic and military systems, it suffers from balance issues, a lack of intuitive tutorials, and an overwhelming amount of information as players progress. Despite its old-school graphics and interface challenges, the game shows promise with regular updates and a dedicated community, making it a worthwhile experience for those who enjoy exploring intricate game mechanics.
“It has a rather steep learning curve, some balance issues, and the graphics are definitely old school, but the UI is functional and well done. The overall game mechanics work well, and it captures that elusive 'just one more turn' fun factor that seems so absent today in most 4X games.”
“The random world generation throws up all sorts of variety, and if you're willing to use your imagination a bit, the systems and emergent gameplay will really help you build some stories.”
“It's an extremely deep 4X with a lot of fascinating mechanics that seem a bit like common sense now that I've seen them, yet I've never seen them before.”
“Every mechanic in this game is so poorly thought out that the game eats itself in an endless cycle.”
“There are too many deities and a lot of the mechanics are non-intuitive or hidden behind an encyclopedia rather than a thorough tutorial.”
“The problem is that the basic gameplay loop is still quite flawed.”
- graphics60 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as "old school" and rudimentary, lacking the polish and flashiness of modern titles. While some players appreciate the simplicity and find it charming, others criticize the graphics as being basic and inconsistent, particularly in character portraits. Overall, the consensus is that while the visuals may not impress, the gameplay mechanics and depth compensate for the lack of graphical sophistication.
“You will not be dazzled by brilliant graphics, but you will be captivated by brilliant gameplay.”
“The graphics are not flashy, but I don't think it needs to be; the simplicity of icons is okay for what it does, and what it lacks, it makes up for with under-the-hood mechanics.”
“Visually, despite its simple graphics, it's rather appealing to the eye, at least to me it is.”
“If you love slow grind-fests with graphics slightly better than Microsoft Excel where nothing is ever great.”
“There are no flashy graphics or animations, and in fact a lot of the unit cards and the like in the game are little more than stock placeholders.”
“It needs a graphics update.”
- story40 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 85 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is described as a mix of emergent storytelling and procedural generation, with some players finding it lacking in structured narrative and event chains. While it offers a rich world with unique cultures and histories, many feel that the storytelling relies heavily on player imagination rather than in-game events. However, for those who enjoy crafting their own narratives within a 4X fantasy setting, the game is seen as a compelling story generator that enhances the strategic experience.
“What it is, however, is a fascinating story and world generator, which creates random worlds with unique cultures, histories (well, bits of them) and cosmologies, with a plethora of units (including semi-randomly generated units for each generated culture), spells, summons, and options.”
“For those of you who like to use the 4x fantasy setting as a vehicle for storytelling and world-building, this game is truly magnificent.”
“It feels like a mix between Dwarf Fortress and Master of Magic, a rich 4x style of play, in a procedurally generated world that fosters emergent storytelling.”
“In my experience, there is essentially zero story, procedurally generated, or otherwise.”
“There are no event chains at all, and any 'emergent storytelling' needs to occur entirely in your head, because no events that even hint at potential motivations ever happen.”
“A lot of people call this a strategy game, which it is, but even more it is a story generator, and not just the story of your ruling wizard or warlord, but the story of all that serve him.”
- music14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised as solid and atmospheric, with some reviewers noting its quality surpasses expectations for the genre. However, there are criticisms regarding its originality, with comparisons made to other works, and a desire for a longer soundtrack. Overall, while the music is well-received, it lacks the charm and uniqueness found in more polished titles.
“Intuitive UI and atmospheric music.”
“I also wish the (excellent) soundtrack was twice as long (by the way, Stevie Wonder called and wants his intro to 'My Cherie Amour' back).”
“Music is solid, if not stolen from Deity Empires.”
“You know, 'gameplay', 'interface', 'soundtrack', all this sort of stuff.”
“Music is better than I would figure for this kind of entry.”
- stability12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
The game is described as a "bare bones, buggy" experience with several annoying bugs and glitches, though none are game-breaking. While it shows potential, users caution that it remains unfinished and unstable, particularly on certain platforms.
“Runs great on my iMac with Big Sur.”
“Unfinished buggy mess”
“There are bound to be bugs and glitches and things that need redoing.”
“Be warned, it's still buggy.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players often find grinding in games to be frustrating and tedious, particularly when poor balancing encourages farming exploits rather than genuine engagement with the game's mechanics. While some improvements have been made to the user interface and overall experience, the repetitive nature of certain tasks, like managing acknowledgment lists, can still detract from enjoyment.
“Poorly balancing games leads to players farming exploits instead of actually engaging with the game mechanics creators spend their time and money obsessing over.”
“Kind of interesting, neat to see all the details, but in the end pretty grindy and frustrating.”
“- the acknowledgement list becomes a bit tedious every turn to have to manage.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's exceptional replayability, noting its extraordinary depth and numerous unique paths that enhance the overall experience. The current state of the game allows for a focused evaluation of gameplay, further contributing to its impressive replay value.
“I think it's in a state now where it doesn't detract from the game anymore, and the actual gameplay itself can be judged, which has extraordinary depth and a lot of unique paths through the game for replayability.”
“So much replay value, it is amazing.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the game's intuitive user interface and atmospheric music, which together create an engaging and immersive experience.
“The intuitive UI combined with the atmospheric music creates an immersive experience.”
“The atmospheric music enhances the overall mood and draws you deeper into the game world.”
“The combination of intuitive UI and atmospheric music makes for a captivating gameplay experience.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find the humor in the game lacking, noting that it fails to present funny or intuitive methods for learning its mechanics.
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game successfully captures the addictive 'one more turn' experience and offers substantial depth, but it suffers from optimization issues related to its interface and the clarity of its mechanics.
“It gets the 'one more turn' feel just right, and has enough depth to keep things interesting, but is a bit unoptimized in terms of interface and mechanical transparency.”
