Yaga

84%
Game Brain Score Based on 187 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Yaga Game Cover
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"Yaga" is a single-player comedy role-playing game, set in the world of Slavic folklore. Play as Ivan, a one-handed blacksmith cursed with bad luck, in an action RPG with a charming, adaptable narrative and an emphasis on humor. The game boasts excellent graphics, fabulous music, and engaging gameplay.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 187 reviews
story45 positive mentions
grinding10 negative mentions
  • Charming story inspired by Slavic folklore, with engaging characters and humor.
  • Beautiful hand-drawn art style and an exceptional soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • Multiple endings and choices that matter, providing good replayability and a sense of player agency.
  • Combat can become repetitive and lacks depth, leading to a tedious gameplay experience.
  • Crafting system is poorly designed, with weapons breaking too quickly and unclear mechanics regarding durability and upgrades.
  • The game suffers from pacing issues, with some levels feeling drawn out and lacking variety in enemy encounters.
  • story139 mentions

    The story of the game is a charming blend of Slavic folklore, featuring well-defined characters and a fairy tale-like narrative that emphasizes player choices and their consequences. While many players appreciate the engaging storytelling and humor, some find the pacing slow and the side quests repetitive, which can detract from the overall experience. The game excels in its artistic presentation and soundtrack, making it a delightful journey through a whimsical world, despite some gameplay mechanics feeling tedious.

    • “This game reminded me of a lot of Slavic folk tales I used to read as a kid, and I think that story is its main strength.”
    • “The storytelling and interactions are where this game shines.”
    • “The storyline unfolds like an Eastern European folk story, combining elements of Romanian and Slavic folklore and weaving them into a beautifully narrated fairytale.”
    • “The story is bland; there's nothing really happening to grab my attention, but that isn't the main problem.”
    • “By the time I got to the bride quest line, I was starting to feel the repetitiveness, and then when Maria starts up another three quests for you to accomplish, I was at the point of just skipping through dialogue to hurry up with the story.”
    • “The story is mostly fetch quests.”
  • music102 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its unique blend of traditional Eastern European folk melodies and modern beats, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. The soundtrack is often described as captivating and addictive, with some players expressing a desire to listen to it outside of gameplay. However, a few critiques mention that while the music is excellent, the gameplay can become repetitive, detracting from the overall enjoyment.

    • “The music seamlessly blends traditional Slavic folk melodies with contemporary beats, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The soundtrack is one of the strongest pros of Yaga, to the point where I listen to it every day even when not playing the game!”
    • “Yaga delivers on every front, from the beautifully crafted art and visuals to the soundtrack by Subcarpați and the gameplay.”
    • “Would be better off just listening to the OST for an hour on YouTube and not buying it frankly.”
    • “Despite having a great pick of songs and nice artwork, its repetitiveness gets tedious quick.”
    • “The worst thing about the music is that it sometimes descends into a dubstep wub-wub-wub and I dislike that a great deal.”
  • gameplay74 mentions

    The gameplay in Yaga is generally viewed as decent but repetitive, with many players finding it lacks depth and engagement, particularly in combat mechanics. While the personality system and crafting offer some interesting choices, the overall experience can feel tedious and joyless, especially as weapon degradation and basic mechanics detract from enjoyment. Despite its charming art and soundtrack, the gameplay is often criticized for being basic and unbalanced, leading to mixed feelings about its overall quality.

    • “The best mechanic in the game is the personality system; it impacts leveling as well as gives players a lot of choice in the story they're creating.”
    • “While it may not be for everyone due to its challenging gameplay, those who appreciate folklore-inspired tales and atmospheric adventures will find Yaga to be a gem worth exploring.”
    • “The gameplay is smooth using a controller, the combat is dynamic, if a bit hectic at times, but makes for a welcome adrenaline rush.”
    • “The gameplay loop gets tedious after a while.”
    • “The gameplay is painfully tedious - combat is dull and repetitive and doesn't have much depth.”
    • “But it's just the same exact game mechanics repeated over and over for each level on a map that only has a few variations and is reskinned every so often, with increasingly difficult enemies.”
  • graphics44 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful hand-drawn art style, captivating visuals, and smooth animations, which contribute to an immersive experience. Many reviewers highlight the charming aesthetic and the effective integration of music and storytelling, although some note that the gameplay can become repetitive, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the art direction and visual presentation are considered standout features, making the game visually appealing and engaging.

    • “Its striking visuals, captivating storytelling, and unique musical score create an immersive experience that's hard to forget.”
    • “A true gem of a game in terms of visuals and presentation.”
    • “The graphics are done in beautiful 2D, with nicely rigged animations and some truly outstanding art.”
    • “Despite having a great pick of songs and nice artwork, its repetitiveness gets tedious quick.”
    • “In both of these respects, Yaga feels like a game made by graphic artists with game design as an afterthought.”
    • “Great story, good art style, great music, awful gameplay.”
  • humor23 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and clever writing, with players enjoying the ability to shape the protagonist Ivan's responses, leading to hilarious outcomes. Many reviews highlight the blend of dark humor and Eastern European mythology, creating a unique and entertaining experience. While some found the humor to be hit-or-miss, the overall consensus is that it significantly enhances the game's appeal, making it a fun and engaging adventure.

    • “I like that you can pick how Ivan responds, and this shapes his character; some choices are simply hilarious.”
    • “Yaga offers you a very amusing and well-staged action role-playing game, which scores with its charm and humor.”
    • “The main story and the shorter ones were extremely funny to witness.”
  • grinding10 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly criticizing the combat mechanics for their lack of depth and variety. Many reviews highlight that the gameplay loop becomes monotonous over time, making it a challenge to stay engaged with the story. Additionally, some players note that grinding is necessary to progress, especially towards the end of the game.

    • “The gameplay is painfully tedious - combat is dull and repetitive and doesn't have much depth.”
    • “Despite having a great pick of songs and nice artwork, its repetitiveness gets tedious quickly.”
    • “The only bad thing for me personally was the combat; it becomes very tedious after a while with not much variety in the enemies and a bit imprecise hitbox.”
  • atmosphere9 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its seamless integration of traditional Slavic folk music with contemporary beats, creating an immersive experience that complements the fairytale narrative. Players appreciate the engaging dialogues, well-crafted characters, and vibrant art style, all of which contribute to a rich storytelling environment. While the gameplay may be challenging, the overall ambiance and sound design are considered standout features that enhance the game's appeal.

    • “The music seamlessly blends traditional Slavic folk melodies with contemporary beats, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.”
    • “They are obviously made with all the care and love that befit a work of art and fit in perfectly with the fairytale atmosphere.”
    • “Very positive with great soundtracks and Slavic atmosphere.”
    • “The game's atmosphere is severely undermined by its lack of engaging mechanics, which detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “While the story and atmosphere have potential, the execution falls flat, leaving players feeling disconnected.”
    • “The atmosphere is marred by repetitive gameplay and uninspired design choices, making it hard to stay immersed.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    The game offers high replayability due to its choice-driven mechanics, allowing players to experience multiple endings and varied quest outcomes based on their decisions and character traits. While the game may be relatively short, the engaging hand-drawn art, addictive music, and diverse interactions encourage players to revisit the story for different experiences. Overall, it presents significant replay value that enhances the gameplay experience.

    • “Beautiful hand-drawn art style, addictive music, and great replay value.”
    • “+ massive replay value not only due to multiple different endings, but also different outcomes for various quests throughout the game based on your choices and predominant personality traits.”
    • “Replayability is obtained with the system of choices you can make during the main quest, such as helping or not helping villagers on secondary missions, the attitude of your main character, and the solutions to the main quests that can lead to multiple endings and interactions.”
    • “+ Massive replay value not only due to multiple different endings, but also different outcomes for various quests throughout the game based on your choices and predominant personality traits.”
    • “It might be a short ride, but with replayability in its light RPG elements and endearing characters, it's a journey worth rethreading.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development is praised for its appealing design and artwork, but some players find that certain game mechanics detract from the overall experience, making gameplay somewhat frustrating.

    • “The artwork, the dialogue, and the character design are all exceptional.”
    • “The character development is rich and engaging, making each character feel unique and memorable.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, with their backstories and relationships deepening as the story progresses.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with anyone in the game.”
    • “I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; they didn't evolve in any meaningful way.”
    • “The characters seem one-dimensional, and their growth throughout the story is almost non-existent.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players report a deep emotional connection to the game, particularly those with ties to Slavic culture, as it resonates with their personal backgrounds and evokes a sense of nostalgia and belonging. The overall experience is described as having wholesome vibes that enhance this emotional engagement.

    • “As my parents came from the former country Yugoslavia, which has Slavic culture, I felt a very strong emotional connection with the game.”
    • “- wholesome vibes”
  • stability2 mentions

    Users report significant stability issues, with many expressing frustration over the game's numerous bugs that hinder gameplay. Overall, the consensus indicates that the game is currently too unstable for enjoyable play.

    • “I'm over playing buggy games.”
    • “Too buggy to play currently.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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