Fabled Lands

Fabled Lands
N/A
Metacritic
80
Steam
71.937
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$14.99
Release date
26 May 2022
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
80 (395 votes)

Fabled Lands is a challenging old-school narrative RPG set in an open world. Complete quests, fight, trade goods and develop your character. Explore a vast land of adventure: travel across the war-torn kingdom, survive the plains of howling darkness, and escape the Court of Hidden Faces.

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Fabled Lands system requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: Windows XP SP2+
  • Processor: 1.5 GHz
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Hardware Accelerated Graphics with 1GB memory
  • DirectX: Version 9.0
  • Storage: 2 GB available space

Recommended:

Recommended requirements are not yet specified.
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Robrecht
Robrecht

I'll leave a review while waiting for the refund to come through...

Fabled Lands is very much a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book experience... With all the good, but also all the bad, that entails.

Unfortunately, the bad in this case is that the game 'gives you complete freedom'.
The freedom, that is, to wander blindly around until you stumble into an unwinnable fight you had no way of knowing was coming and then dying.

And since the game has permadeath (with a single 'get out of death free' card if you play one the easier difficulties).

People often forget about CYOA books was that the way to play them 'properly' was to essentially cheat by methodically keeping notes during play and then, if you died, starting over with those notes in hand, so you'd know where all the deadly traps and pointless combats were.
And let's be honest: Most of us playing them as kids would just cheat outright by going back to the previous entry if something bad happened.

You can't do either of those in a CYOA book video game (ok, technically you can keep extensive notes, but you can't, for instance, keep a list of all the numbers that are deadly traps or pointless deaths so you can avoid them).

And that makes the ones that don't remove the tendency of those books to dump random pointless deaths on you (and Fabled Lands doesn't) a chore to play.

Brindle
Brindle

I bought the game because it promised an open/free roaming world. This is only true in that you can go anywhere, but you won't be able to do anything outside of the small area where you have the skills to make the frequent 'die rolls' that are based on a given stat - a stat roll that usually doesn't have anything to do with your class. In addition, nothing is random world building wise, so once you do a quest/rumor etc it is the same every play through. The frequent die rolls often are all or nothing. You succeed, or you die. So you die a lot in a game with literally every action needing a 'success' die roll against some stat. Often the stat required won't be known until it is 'roll time'. for instance, get a quest to save a kidnapped daughter - go to location as a warrior and find out that you need to pass a 'magic' roll. - ooops dead....

When you die, there goes all your items - quest items, items that you can only find once etc.. it will all be gone. I find the best way to travel and do missions is to go naked with nothing equipped unless i know for sure i might need an actual combat. For example, to kill the city governor requires two hard rolls (kill him - escape). If either fails you will die. It is simply much more cost effective to buy 'endless' 200 gold resurrections that to lose 1000 gold in items every time you fail - when those items usually only increase you roll by at best +1.

I just didn't find the all or nothing nature of an extremely random number (die rolls galore) outcome fun. Really, not much strategy - just roll and hope you get lucky. Therefore, I can not recommend this game.

Talons
Talons

Just got this since I liked some of the reviews but have one dislike/concern: can we bypass the boot up screen prompting for graphics settings every time? I like the option to input that but not everytime I start the game.

Auchit
Auchit

This is a cute game that is heavier on story than the role playing elements. Tactical fights were ludicrously easy. Just sit back and wander the map and enjoy the immersion. There are quest to follow but no single leading story or mission; you're done with you've explored everything or just get bored or too powerful.

Worth playing as it is easy to pick up and put down unlike other tactical or RPG games; a niche that appreciated. Unless you're a completist or a repeat the same game type player you'll get less than 20 hours out of this.

chappy06
chappy06

Most of the negative reviews for this game have missed the point entirely. This is a faithful PC adaptation of a series of choose your own adventure books from the 80's and 90's. It is not a ground breaking play system and does not compare to modern RPG's BECAUSE ITS NOT MEANT TO!
If you ever read the books and thought to yourself "i wish i could play this on the PC instead" you will like this game.

If you had no idea the books existed before you saw this game, and are not a fan of choose your own adventure books, then this game is not for you.

I repeat: This is not an RPG, it is a faithful adaptation of a series of CYOA books!
It will get repetitive if you re-trace your steps, just like it would in the books, because you would be reading the same paragraphs each time you pass the same area. If it did not do this, it would not be Fabled Lands!

austinwulf
austinwulf

10ish bucks on sale, the game is well worth it. Can be a bit frustrating and unforgiving, but if you pay attention, you can make quick coin, (there may be a bug where you can tell a Knight about a damsel and each time he sees you he gives you a 400 shard lance that you can keep selling)
This is definitely one you want to safe often.
I'm not sure if its early access or not right now. I've got 9 hours in and might be half way through, (rank 5, 34 out of 73 achievements) At a dollar an hour, (less, because I'm sure I have more to go) its a fun little game.

The Great Thot
The Great Thot

Unfortunate for me that I waited as long as I did to try this game cause now I can't refund it. Made by the kind of people that genuinely think "challenging = dice rolls". Don't waste your money or time on this.

bleukreuz
bleukreuz

I liked the gameplay and the artstyle. It's is very RNG with the dice, but thankfully you can save and reload if you fail. I like the concept of the open world, but I would love it if there's actually an end goal to finish the game properly. I feel like I've done almost everything I want to do in this game, and have finished most quest, only to find out you can't really end the game... it just feels unfinished. Oh well.

xxxjaggedgodxxx
xxxjaggedgodxxx

I would recommend this game. The main caveat is that the game is both brutal in the beginning and holds you to the whims of chance and poor choices. Save scumming is a must.

SuperPositionn
SuperPositionn

Starts out very fun and interesting. Quickly turns into a game of RnG and obnoxious map travel. In the end game there seems to be no objective. You just wander around the map encountering the same RnG events for the bajilionth time trying to figure out what the heck to do! gets worse and worse the longer you play!

Bujinkan
Bujinkan

Still in early release a good game with lots of potential always has been have played all of the game books I can which this game is based on number 7 in the series finally got released thanks to a crowdfunding campaign there are 12 in all.

AsheDarksbane
AsheDarksbane

Great bit of fun and a lot to explore!

Zatio
Zatio

I am not having much fun in this game at the moment. I think its simply not my type of game.

Got a headache after playing for 3 hours, got tired of reloading the game to get another outcome or to trigger a new event. Died allot while exploring, i did not know that each region was setup to be harder and harder as there is no clear route to go in this game it caused me allot of problems. Marlock City is the starter location you should go to in the region Sokara for level 1 players but the game lets you go into harder starting areas with no way of telling you that unless you check out the steam guide something i did not until i was told about it by the dev of this game.

This game relay to much on luck with dice rolls to decide things, you only rank up by doing special quests that i hear there are only two of in each region making leveling up different from other games. Combat feels like its all over the place, some fights are easy some are difficult and others impossible to do for new players even on easiest mode.

I simply dont like games that work this way. Its less of a choose your own adventure and more of a roll for your adventure.
I am sure that people that love challanges, dice rolls and figuring things out on their own will love this type of game.

Thats my opinion about the game at the moment.

jsmoove3139
jsmoove3139

The game from what I have played so far is quite enjoyable. I enjoy the freedom the game allows for the story, and the agency you have over your own character. the game isn't perfect, one of the things in the game I don't enjoy is that when you are travelling over areas which have already been explored, you still have the option to roll the same options that you have gotten before, but there is no further exploration prompted by this. I isn't a big deal, but when travelling over similar areas trying to figure out what to do, it can become quite tedious. another issue presented by the game could be the inability to improve your character to complete certain missions. for example, there is one area of the game where you require a decently high magic score in order to accomplish it, however if you have chosen a class with low magic, even after adding items to improve the character's magic, it still becomes quite difficult to pass because failure of the mission leads to instant death. just some of my thoughts, overall, I did have a lot of fun with the game and I hope they will continue to improve it :D

Havok 13
Havok 13

your never sure what will happen in this game . so save a lot and be bold it can pay off . all in all a fun game that doesn't take up all your time unless you wont it to .

Wildjäger
Wildjäger

This game is bullshit. Wasted literal hours of proress because I'm locked in a conversation with that stupid ass golem and I don't know the password. Then he squashed me.

MrObnoxiousUK
MrObnoxiousUK

I played this back when it was a collection of books in the Fabled lands series,if i remember correctly it got up to book 6 and was then discontinued which pissed off 14 year old me immensly.
This ticks all of the nostalgia buttons without the pain in the arse tedium of recording all the passwords in pencil in the books and keeping loads of dice on hand.
The best thing is the way ease in which you can transition from book to book with limited fuckery, it retains a modicum of difficulty due to ability to be killed or lose your items(wish there was a way to steal items back if you are robbed,forced into slavery ect)

Les
Les

As an indie developer myself I can say - WELL DONE!!

Very interesting game, offers its unique progression system with many spells and skills. I hope developers will finish at least six existing books.

Solidcondor
Solidcondor

Loved Jamie Thomson's (and Mark's) "Way of the Tiger" game book series as a wee lad in the 80s. Very happy to find out he's been working all this time on a bunch of other series.

The game takes me right back to my gamebook days with a new slick UI. The lore is deep and the art is fantastic . Game's a little tough (combat) and had to play it on the easiest level to keep engaged after multiple do overs. Maybe a future implementation of a reverse time option like Inkle's Sorcery! game would be a great help, but probably too much to ask.

Fingers crossed for a new Way of the Tiger game adaptation!

Frithgar
Frithgar

I played these books as a teen, it's fantastic to see them updated into a playable game. Love the combat system and the option to play casual or hardcore is brilliant. It will be a very different gaming experience for some people, but it's something that's definitely worth a try.

Elle ♡
Elle ♡

This is a really solid start which is keeping the magic of the original gamebooks alive. Anyone who enjoys turn based RPG is sure to love this. It's a little tough at the moment with limited combat options and dice roll outcomes, and I'd like to see it a little more streamlined when it comes to travel across the map and keeping track of your quests and objectives, but a lot of thought has been put into this before EA release and it shows.

WhamyKaBlamy
WhamyKaBlamy

I loved the Fabled Lands books as a kid and this has really brought them to life. The developer seems to be making a good balance between updating some of the gameplay mechanics while keeping true to the books.

I'll admit I wasn't sure about the combat system when I first got the game, but actually really enjoy it, along with the skills/passives system that has been introduced. I think it's a great addition to the content of the books.

There's a steep learning curve, like there always was, but the addition of different game modes and the ability to save-reload on non-iron man mode gives nice options.

I love the game, I'm really looking forward to seeing how it turns out. If you liked the original books and/or other adventure books I think it'd be hard to dislike this. If you like RPGs in general it's definitely worth a look at it.

GuiltyScarl3t
GuiltyScarl3t

If you like CYOA gamebooks , there's a good chance you will like Fabled Lands
It also reminds me of the game Sorcery! which I love, Fabled Lands has a more RPG, questing, open world feel to it
Beautiful maps, nice character designs

sirdantares
sirdantares

I loved the book series as a child, and this is a pretty faithful reconstruction of the first few books. I would love to see them go on and recreate all the books, plus write the areas which were never released!

5 Bears On Patrol
5 Bears On Patrol

A really satisfying translation of the old book series to a computer format. Can't wait for additional books to be added. It's currently 2 books worth with more to come.

Khai
Khai

THE game book that need to became video game. and it do

fireangel148
fireangel148

Back in the 90's in Germany Ravensburger released the first four of the Fabled Lands solitaire-RPG game books in German under the Trademark "Sagaland" (not the Board Game). Already the first book "Kampf um das Königreich" ("The War-Torn Kingdom") got me deeply involved in the world of Harkuna and the mechanisms of the books. Although I already had known the Fighting Fantasy Classics game books like "Death Trap Dungeon" there was nothing like the "Fabled Lands"-Series.

Those books are outstanding and unique in every way: You could travel back and forth in the book itself, from book to book, buy ships and become a sea trading mechant, the books "remembered" your decisions and changes the world accordingly.

Unforetunately Ravensburger canceled the german series after book #4 and didn't realease the rest of the six english books. The english series also only released six of the originally planned 12 books. Many years later a 7'th book got successfully crowdfunded showing that fans of Fabled Lands are still out there. In Germany Mantikore-Verlag re-released the first four books in German and also released the remaining book #5 and #6. As far as I know, there is no German translation of book #7.

With this game you are able to revive your youth and finish uncompleted adventures. This game is so retro, so cool and so entertaining. I catches the spirit of the original books in an awesome manner and introduces a way better combat system than the original game books.

Be warned: The game is hard especially in "Ironman"-difficulty and therefore awesomely rewarding!

As today the Release-Version of the game already included Books #1, #2, #4 and #5 with hopefully more to come! Maybe even a version with German texts :)

Please bare in mind: This video game tries to be a book. There's no speaker/reader reading the text to you. As in the books you'll have to read the texts yourself. There's sound effects and the fights have their own improved fighting system.

Arashi
Arashi

Trip down memory lane, always been a fav of mine and now its on my fav platform as well!

eyllv
eyllv

Good story, fun battles and it looks amazing. Thumbs up!

Saievo
Saievo

This game has potential but the RNG makes it incredibly frustrating to play. I've consistently lost rolls where my odds were 92%. Another reviewer mentioned the game "Sorcery" -- also a CYOA-style game -- with an awesome rewind mechanic core to its game-play. That feature (or something very similar to it) would perfectly compliment this game. As it stands Fabled Lands is horribly flawed as is and I would recommend not purchasing it. Check back in a year and see if they've implemented something better than auto-death upon a bad RNG roll.

triplzer0
triplzer0

I like the art style and the presentation. Other than that the game didn't do anything super interesting -- for example I think Wildermyth has more going for it and feels like it's in a similar space.

I'm not sure how I'm supposed to keep going with this game other than save scumming. I know I'm rolling dice like in a TTRPG but feels like every run goes like this: fail a roll and lose all my money and half my health in one event. Then I try to travel somewhere else on the map, get in a fight, and die instantly.

Not very fun.

Candecomp
Candecomp

As an avid player of the original game book series both back in the day and once again more recently with the re-release I'm thoroughly enjoying this adaption. Beautiful artwork, great soundtracks and excellent game play combine with improvements to the original game rules and skilful adaption of the game to the new medium. Obviously a labor of love for the developers I am looking forward for all the original books in the series to be adapted and hopefully all the unpublished ones as well. To be able to finally go adventuring over the entirety of the Fabled Lands would be something indeed! Keep up the great work!!

owhawell
owhawell

Fantastic recreation and, dare I say, improvement of one of the finest gamebook series ever written. If you don't mind reading text - and exploring an open ended sandbox fantasy world you'll love this game.

TrueMole
TrueMole

TLDR; This is an absolutely fantastic and faithful creation of the fabled lands gamebook series in a digital medium. For fans of the series or anyone who likes the idea of a choose your own adventure in an open world this is an easy recommend.

Fabled lands is a game-book series from the 90's. One of the key distinctions of the series was to an attempt an open world, linking 12 books (of which only 6 were published at the time, although a 7th has been recently released in 2018) that formed a world map where the player was able to pretty much go wherever they wanted to go and form their own story to a greater or lesser extent. The books absolutely achieved that aim even if the world was incomplete with half the planned books not being published.

This digital version of the books was one I tried initially and bounced off, actually requesting a refund after purchasing at the beginning of early access, the interface was a little clunky and there was still alot that needed to be added. I took the plunge to try the game again this week and I have to say I'm really glad I did.

The interface is much improved, there is useful signposting to help you keep track if you come back after a break from the game and there are enough of the books incorporated to give a true sense of the scale of the world (books 1,2 and 4 are in here already with book 5 on the way).

As much as it pains me to admit as a fan of the original books there are places where this game has improved upon the original system as well, Allowing characters to embark on quests for other professions [after a skill check] while keeping the largest rewards from those quest-lines profession specific this makes each play-through richer and the game more respectful of your time. The full colour map you play on helps bring the world to life even more vividly and art direction/palette of the game is fantastic, perfect for a fantasy open world choose your own adventure game.

As for criticisms, I don't have many - obviously you have to be happy reading lots of text. Most of the joy here is in the player decisions and story-telling, both of which are primary delivered through text, there is strategy to the game in terms of how you approach a problem and how that fits your characters skill set but if you don't enjoy reading you'll hit a limit on how much you can get out of the game.

Other than that the only thing I wish there was more of was some of the illustrations that were present in the game books, would love if a few more of those made them into the game, particularly for some of the more dramatic story-lines and quests you undertake!

The rest is just the wait for more of the world to be included!

Internet Algae
Internet Algae

A very well-made adaptation of the Fabled Lands gamebook saga, which is one of the best gamebook series of all time; the additions are both welcome and make the game into something much more - new items, SRPG fights, new quests, excellent map navigation, graphics, etc.

Mu Shu Fasa
Mu Shu Fasa

A relaxing game with a great aesthetic. Could use some QOL improvements, for example there are many rolls which would make sense for the game to remember your result once you've succeeded but it doesn't. Fast travel could use more options, and I wish there was more character artwork/ your character model would change based on what gear you have equipped but that's a pretty big ask. If that were to happen in dlc form I'd buy it. All in all its a nice game, 8/10

Talana 💃
Talana 💃

This is a beautiful old school turn-based point-and-click rpg adventure , and I heartily recommend it .
It is based on fantasy game-books - so you need to like reading ; if you are unfamiliar with this type of game, I would suggest you check out some gameplay videos before you buy it. Not only to find if it is your thing - I believe such a video could make you hooked on it ;) Here is a 3-minute very informative one :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkGtfJJIwpk

Do you like to throw dices ?
Fairytales ? Fantasy ?
Roaming the lands planning to be a hero or shero ?
Just want to be a treasure hunter ?
Revolutionary ?
Or hunting down the revolutionaries , working for the existing regime ?
Sailing the seas ? Trade ?
Not overly interested in fighting, and just want to play a story ?
Or do you want a tough challenge and to go ironman ?
Or roguelike ?
Or are you a save-addict ?
Do you like secrets and mysteries ?
Loads of treasure ?
Do you enjoy relaxing games ? But still challenging ?
Warrior ? Mage ? Wayfarer ? Troubadour ? Priest ? Rogue ?
The choices are yours !
Hugely Replay-able !

It is amazingly addictive! Very finished, - very bug free so far , 66 hours in atm -
And for the huge game world and all it`s content, it a true bargain !

I also want to mention there are ( at the moment) two great guides for beginners here on Steam, and they helped me to understand the game a lot better. Though the in-game tutorials are really good !

Munchkin
Munchkin

was not a fun time - much work and a lot of paitence for very little reward

NirodCire
NirodCire

I am only 3 hours in, but i am loving the game. Great music and fun choices/outcomes and the battle system is simple but fun. Growing you character has been fun as well!

ice_strength
ice_strength

loving the game. easy to play but deep and many options

nisenholz.michael
nisenholz.michael

Really awesome game but after updating 0.17.2 every time I go into battle after I use all my battle points I can no longer move to all the turns until the battle is over and I die, can anyone help?

Tibet
Tibet

Fabled Lands is a game that I added to my wishlist because it looked amazing and I couldn't resist the cheap price. As an RPG fan, it's a pity that the great potential of this game is wasted due to major issues. I hope these problems will be fixed before leaving early access.

Combat is simply incredibly unexiciting, easy and boring. I only died 4 or 5 times in 12 hours because of combat. If I had 2 more health potions with me at those fights, I probably would never died. The enemies are just practice dummies, our character is bland, the combat mechanics are bad, so everything is highly unenjoyable. I never felt like I was fighting in a fantasy universe, but rather in a bar fight. Skills are meh and there is no skill tree. We learn skills by buying scrolls or books from the market. Unfortunately, the gameplay part of the game is disastrous.

There is no purpose or story in the game. We just go from city to city and work like an errand boy. Our character does not have any personality, all the existing choices are meaningless. In addition, even though you have done everything in a place the question mark still appears, making the game even more tiring. It's annoying to keep rolling the dice for the same things every time. It would be much more enjoyable if these were random events on the road instead of being fixed events in a location. Because although the chance of dying in combat is low, the chance of dying in these events is very high. Therefore, you will either save abuse or always start with zero items.

My last problem with the game is that there is no companion or side character. Wherever you go in the open world, there is no one you can communicate with. All NPCs are talking about giving a task and thanking you when the task is over. This was another reason for the emptiness I felt while playing the game. There's a huge sense of purposelessness in Fabled Lands, and it completely undermines the overall enjoyment of it. Maybe this game will be so great after early access but unfortunately it's a disappointment for me in its current state.

romeno
romeno

Fabled Lands, despite being on early access, is an incredibly fun experience with high replayability. It's exactly what I'd expect from a game adaptation of a fantasy gamebook. It feels like an open world and a PnP lovechild with all its pros and cons. Fabled Lands is an unforgiving world, so play accordingly (reloading is your best friend). The only guidance you have are map markers, but paying attention to seemingly random conversations and world lore is key.

Remember: it's still an early access game, so expect bugs, unfinished questlines and short runs for now.

the.jester
the.jester

So this is an early access review. I can only comment on the state of the game as at the time of the review, things might be re-worked later. Plus, I did not finish the game yet, suspect I'm aorund 60-70% through as of the content that there is right now.

Basically, I like the style of the game. The map is beautiful, the GUI is rather simple but the game focusses on what's actually essential for a RPG, namely the story-telling and the decision-making, plus dice-rolls to determine your success. The character-system is simple but it does its job. You have a few stats for each field of expertise (like magic, scouting, thieveing, combat, etc.), depending on your character class plus (equally class-dependant) special skills.
You can during the game increase those stats both by completing quests and through magical items (one item slot for each field of expertise). As far as I take, around half-way through the game you also get opportunities to learn the special skills the other classes sart with. For each fight you have a fixed amount of slots to fill with those skills (4 active and 3 passive), so you can adjust those for the fights.

Which brings me to the part I'M not so very happy with: The fighting system. It is so simple that it is actually not very fun. Plus, it somehow doesn'T manage to get to the part of "challenging". In early game some fights were really hard, but the only way to win was to hope for an advantageous setup of terrain (which is donerather arbitrarily based on a few given parameters, as far as I could figure it out), plus hoping for some luck on the rolls (mostly its a hit/miss chance, plus a damage roll). At current state I can hardly find an enemy that would even challenge me.
Another part I found rather bothering about the system is how you take your actions in a fight: You basically have 6 action points to use each round. Moving a space costs 2, maybe more, if it is a "difficult tile". Your special skills plus the weapon attacks cost an amount of action points depending on the type of weapon or skill. Thing is, I regularly find myself in a situation, where I have action points left but cannot find anything to do with them in the current round, which means they are wasted as you cannot carry over any action points to the next round (this is, for instance, because my main weapon is a spear taking 5 action points, and the one left-over is just not worth anything). Down-grading to a 4 point would not seriously improve the situation as "move one tile" at best is of advantage when entering close combat. Swords however require you to stand right beside an enemy while the spear lets you stay 2 tiles away, giving you a way better radius of action while at the same time cutting on the need to actually move. And so on...
This is a part I would recommend to the devs for re-working. While fighting is maybe not the most integral part of this game, it still is an important part and would be nice to feel more rewarding and maybe giving more tactical options.

I'Ll give this a "thumbs up" for now, but got to say that improvement would still be needed, esp. considering what the price-tag and what you get for it right now.

eyal.evenchen
eyal.evenchen

Great adaptation of the gamebook, great artwork.

Uncanny Games
Uncanny Games

Fabled Lands: 3 Min Review Video

https://youtu.be/kkGtfJJIwpk

TLDR in case you don't want to watch the video:
- Extremely text and word heavy with no voice acting; so get ready to do lots of reading!

- Mostly told through a literal book page, but with the UI and world map to make things a lot more visually appealing and easier to manage (compared to the classic game book series that its based on)

- The story is great, as well as the side quests and characters. Also; your journey can take some really unexpected and exciting turns!

- Unfortunately, it inherits the classic TTRPG 'dice roll RNG'; so if you're playing on the higher difficulty which does not allow saving the game, or if you simply forget to save the game, a bout of bad luck can cut your run short prematurely. Even a high skill level is still subject to bad luck sometimes.

Would recommend to fans of classic TTRPGs and game books, who don't mind to do a bit of reading to experience a great story!

Mikael
Mikael

Bored simulator of dice rolling and a huge amount of text reading. I expected more fights but...

Rope
Rope

For me personally, it's not fun. Feels like save-scumming: the game. And there was no quick-save/quick-load feature for it. I am sure other may find it fun, but rolling dice and just dying aren't fun to me. A save-scum treadmill that I don't think is worth getting on.

Newheart
Newheart

I randomly picked a "start a new game" card. Seems there are too many weird and difficult skill checks like this.

Royal Rat
Royal Rat

Fabled Lands may be one of the most important book series for me. As a kid, I had a yellowed and tattered copy of The War-Torn Kingdom that I had received from a garage sale maybe? The hours I spent reading and rolling dice were ones of mystic wonder that I continue to draw upon in my own creative endeavors. I know all of Yellowport like the back of my hand, the Knights are my companions, and I still fear the dragon in the lake.

And it's all here. It's like I am coming home to the exact places I stepped as a kid but through a wonderful new artist rendering. Somethings have changed, yes. The combat is fresh and far more interesting then the past iteration, but not exactly a reason to play the game. But that's MY Yellowport. Just as I left it.

Which, I will admit, is just as much a detriment as it is a bonus. The old jank of Adventure Books is stitched into the core DNA of the whole experience. It took me about 15 minutes to resort to my classic pearl farming exploit so I could play through the whole adventure with the best gear. The ingrained routes and best choices remain burned into my head all these years later, and admittedly the replay value is *in* the nostalgia. Save scumming is almost encouraged, as single die rolls can kill your character and without foresight they may be lost forever and that's precisely how I managed to figure out the "optimal" path through Sokara as a kid.

This is not a game for everyone, nor is it a good video game frankly. This is a truly inventive fantasy world you get to explore at your own pace and through your own volition. It's a masterwork that's been restored and reframed for a modern audience without touching what made Fabled Lands great in the first place. If you want a video game, this isn't really it. But if you want a beautiful and (frankly) convenient way to experience and excellent fantasy book series? >$20 is a STEAL. Thank you Prime, you've done well!

JayXan
JayXan

In 6 minutes I got bored. Too much reading.

zanzibar_hero
zanzibar_hero

It's a cute pick your own adventure game. I agree with most of the criticism that save scumming is encouraged, especially as you advance into the game. There are ways to buy lives, so to speak, but they are quite expensive. The problem is also that a lot of challenges require multiple skill checks or you die.

Ethan9000
Ethan9000

I owned the Fabled Lands books since I was a kid, this is AMAZING! They've faithfully recreated much of the series and I was so glad to see the reasonable price. Its a brutal, choose-your-own adventure style game with simple yet effective mechanics and wonderful storytelling.

Aldrenas
Aldrenas

It's a good game but it really does feel like save scum simulator. I'd recommend it if you like sorcery but save often. Game needs some kind of checkpoint system/autosave

Wizard Worm
Wizard Worm

Love RPG? Make sure to Follow my Wizard Worm RPGs Universe Curator Page for plenty more!

A good cover hides a weak product. The fights are very boring and not exciting, there is no replayability at all, there is no great mission, only monotonous quests. Who is your character? Why is he here? There is no answer, the hero simply has no personality. Character development - nope. Very disappointing.
I do not recommend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiS3_BQQ7h4

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Truewhit
Truewhit

Really makes you feel like you are a tourist exploring a fantasy world. Though it lacks a main quest makes up for it with great setting.

inSane
inSane

Leaving this positive review to offset some negative ones...

You have to be truly "special" to buy a video game based on a Choose your own adventure books and then leave a negative review saying "Too much reading".

Game is great at what it does, it looks beautiful and the UI is simple and intuitive.
The adventures are hard and dice-based, but you can play on easier setting and load/save whenever you want.

Cheers.

kupoberry
kupoberry

Loved the seven books, loving this digital version even more!

mgoctopusboy
mgoctopusboy

It is fun, if you like reading and the choose your own adventure style.

The "save scamming' complaints are silly, and I suspect come from people who have never read, or are not familiar with, the choose your own adventure style. You can "save scam" all you want in those books. You read, dont like the result, go back and pick the other one. It's like a corner stone of choose your own adventure books. Or, you discipline yourself and end it when it ends. The devs accomplish both of these styles with the normal, and iron man modes.

Combat is quite basic, but that should be expected in this style game. Combat is not the focus here.

If you want a full fledged rpg this is not for you (especially if you are the kind of person who complains about no voice acting). But if you want a game/book hybrid, you will love it.

My only sort of gripe is that from the description it appeared (at least to me) as if you could make any character you wanted, when really there are a limited amount of professions, with very limited visual choices. Not a huge deal, but be aware, you don't just make any character you want. Also the game world is not really all that "huge". Do not get me wrong, it is big, and there are lots of locations, but personally I think "huge" over does it lol.

Ryock
Ryock

Save Scum: The Game.

This looked fun at first. But you quickly realize that there are practically no random events. This wouldn't be so bad, but the entire game is one big dice roll. Whenever you're done with a spot, save, move on to the next one. Rinse and repeat. On one hand, it feels like the game is meant to be played in iron man mode. But on the other hand, since most of the events are set in stone, you can somewhat reliably move from spot to spot if you know what happens there anyway.

The game has a very strange mix between predictability and getting screwed over on dice rolls. The optimal way---and very unfun might I mention---to play this game is as follows:

1. Move to a spot and play out the event.
2. Observe and see what happens.
3a. If it was a favorable event, save and move on.
3b. If if was not a favorable event, reload from last save and try again.

That is the whole game. On top of that, the game does not use a traditional leveling system---which, fine. If you do it right, then it can be an interesting mechanic. Some games have done things like that and had it work. It doesn't work here. Not at all. Because since ranks(your level) are rewarded from events and quests, and not experience or combat, etc, once you know which events and quests give you ranks, you ignore most of the other events on the map.

The game is frustrating because it is equal parts predictable and broken.

Da-Xia
Da-Xia

very nice game with some combat and choices

Space Hamster Family
Space Hamster Family

If you are a fan of choice/interactive books this will be a dream come true. However, you are not restricted to the pages of a book in this game. There is an open world for you to explore based on the various Fabled Land books that is beautifully placed within an interactive map. As a result, there are tons of quests, puzzles, and interesting places to explore. Be warned the dice gods rule this game, a bad role could mean the end. If you are fearful of playing this way, they made an easy mode for you to save the game. With the variety of classes and quest paths you can expect a lot of replay, making the price for this game a great deal.

Sparzard
Sparzard

If your a fan of being told you'll like something if you like something similar... then you'll like this. Do you like RPG's that require reading? Then you'll like this. Do you like reading that requires RPG? Then you'll like this. Did you like Dragon Age 2 more than Origins? Then you'll like this. Did you enjoy the first Dragon Age more than the second one? Then you'll like this. Did you enjoy Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age 2 equally? Then you'll like this? If you never played any game ever and the first few moments of your conscience existence is reading this review... then you'll like this. If you remember playing Halo 3 at a party and there was a guy that was there that wasn't friends with anyone and wasn't invited, and made playing Halo 3 a terrible time for everyone... than you'll like this. If you're still not too sure what the difference is between 'then' and 'than'... thn you'll like this game. If you liked reading this review... thn you'll like this game.

If you like multiple paragraphs in game reviews... thn you'll you like this game.

If you like reading, thn you'll like this game. If you played and absolutely loved this game prior to reading reviews of it, thn you'll like this game. If you enjoyed anything ever thn you'll like this game.

Yogurtking
Yogurtking

if you like gamebooks like Sorcery! you will like this, lots of interesting little events, with the added ability to explore in any direction. the world seems big at 5 hours in.

be advised this is not a game where you are supposed to specialize, your warrior should have high magic, your rogue should get more scouting asap.

also, the troubadours mirror image ability is really strong with ranged weapons.

Crazy Lou's Theremin Warehouse
Crazy Lou's Th…

All I wanna know is, are they going to add more of the books?

RequiemOfLights
RequiemOfLights

I'll keep this short and sweet.

Pros:
Great Storytelling
Amazing Art
Awesome Soundtrack

Cons:
Combat is a little simple and the animations could use a bit of work to breathe life into the scenarios but that is being pedantic really.

Just to Clarify
Save Scumming - Not a Negative. This is how Choose Your Own Adventure Books are and anyone who thinks this is a negative hasn't done their research.
Too Much Reading.... Please... just no... These reviews are silly. Its a text based game. It doesn't hide that. Like come on.

I highly recommend this game, it was a masterpiece of a game in book form and now is insanely good in digital form. DO yourself a favour and check it out!

Lakbay
Lakbay

You need to go in knowing this is just a digital adaptation of a gamebook and you'll be doing save-scumming to see everything. Play on explorer mode like the game suggests.

chromatium
chromatium

This is as spot-on a conversion for a choose-your-own-adventure book as one could hope for. I've dipped only my toe in, but I'm excited for more. The game is a labour of love from the side of the studio, based on one of the great series in this (admittedly) slightly out-of-fashion genre.

scififan42
scififan42

A really neat adaptation of the book series. It has excellent writing (of course), but also smooth gameplay and a clean and user friendly interface. Its expansive map features so many areas to explore, all with their own unique atmosphere and quests. It is very much true to its roots, so there is quite a bit of reading involved, but the battles feature nicely drawn characters and the map is beautifully detailed.

I'm only at the beginning of my journey in the Fabled Lands, but from what I've seen so far, I can tell this game will provide hours upon hours of classic RPG goodness.

cHaoS
cHaoS

I had a ton of fun exploring the Fabled Lands for yet another time. I got intrigued by the book series this is based on when learning game design. An open world RPG in the form of books? This has so many interesting concepts. I later played a digital version that was basically a carbon copy of the books, but with automatic hyperlinks and book keeping. With an image of a map open, this already gave a really good feeling of traveling the world.
This game now is a really faithful adaption, for better or worse. It has all the intrigue, but also all the "quirks" and kinks of the original. Which is ok for me, as it means it leaves the original experience intact. The graphics are good, as is the music and sound. I was at first a bit taken aback by the added hexfeld combat, but it does not detract too much from the original experience and plays quite well. I still prefer the original with simple dice rolls to resolve combat.
I also wanted to make a game out of the fabled lands books, even had a prototype of the isle of druids running. And then this got announced. But I think you did a very good job, probably better than I could have.
I definitely recommend this game for RPG fans, who prefer exploration over combat, who don't mind reading a lot and are not scared of by sometimes unfair old-school game mechanics. But it is really something else, you can't get this kind of game from big studios like Bethesda.

inky1031
inky1031

I'm really enjoying Fabled Lands! The story is immersive and I enjoy the personalities of the characters whether they're giving quests or just the local patrons of the taverns. They each have a unique voice.

I'm also enjoying traveling between lands, some needing more preparation than others.

I do wish there a clearer path for return quests. When you rack up quests as you go, it'd be really nice if in the quest log there was an option to 'return to *place* for reward' or whatever. I get a little mixed up playing for long bouts.

The graphics are also really beautiful. I'd love it if there was a bit more movement when moving across the map (for your character), though.

Overall, I think this game is super fun and I look forward to playing the different characters.

tobias.nickel
tobias.nickel

Game mostly stays faithful to the game books written in the 1990s, with a few very nice additions (e.g., improved combat and class system). The graphics are beautiful and really add to what is an immersive adventuring experience, appealing to fans of pen and paper rpgs and game books.

Reader
Reader

Noooooooo you can't do this to me!!
Dice go br br

Still better then modern companies

Fletcho
Fletcho

Cool concept but boiled down to the roots... Encounter event and roll to see how it plays out. The problem is that so many of them make you lose all your stuff or just die. You can prepare the right equipment, with the right blessing, make the right decision...and lose hours of gameplay with a bad roll. Sorry, you're dead.

I love fantasy lore and am very forgiving of game mechanics but some design choices here are just bad.

Bastilean
Bastilean

This game is really fun. It reminds me of a lot of the text heavy games I played growing up like Might & Magic 2. Great music. Beautiful drawings.

mindyjt
mindyjt

I didn't like it very much... some of the character sheet stuff could be in the UI

The Real Ace Rimmer
The Real Ace Rimmer

A classic retro-style RPG/game-book adventure. It's an adaptation of a game-book series so expect a pen and paper type play style. You can go anywhere you want and do just about anything you want: Defeat dragons, assassinate a king in exile or help him take back the throne, get lost in mysterious woods, find a haunted castle, explore strange dungeons and ruins, charm your way to the top of the courts of the various countries you come across etc. Or you can buy a house, a ship, and become a trader and merchant and avoid the politics and infighting. If that gets boring, you could always turn to piracy to get rich and find lots of loot.

The beauty of Fabled Lands is you can just wander off and do whatever. It's not like Skyrim where you constantly have people giving you dire warnings if you don't get around to solving the main plot, because in Fabled Lands the world merely exists for you to interact with. If you want to participate in a civil war and change the political situation of a country, you are free to do so. But you don't have to and the world keeps going either way. It is truly a sandbox RPG and I love it. The world is interesting and tantalizing and I am always looking forward to see what I will stumble upon or what I can learn next. Interesting creatures, cultures and encounters around every corner.

The game can also be brutally difficult, but there are difficulty settings and save states to help with that. Still, sometimes messing up just adds to the adventure and you never always know what will happen next.

Also want to give a shout out to the beautiful art style, I love the maps, sprites and battle backgrounds. The music is perfect for a classic fantasy adventure and the background sounds add a lot of depth to really make it feel like a true-blooded classic RPG.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Faithful implementation of the books, with just enough extra added on to make it a bit more fun.

Feanor
Feanor

Really entertaining old school RPG. It caught me without me even noticing it!!! it is really a must.

Vynticator
Vynticator

Great game - a very playable modern spin on the classic hardcore gamebooks. Varied character builds, totally open world structure and non-linear narrative with differing options based on your roleplaying choices. You can dungeon delve, explore the wilderness, or build up a trade empire in the bustling cities and along the coastlines. Combat is turn based and tactical, you can mix and match weapons, summons, and spells. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

jedimaester
jedimaester

This is a fantastic retelling of a true classic. If you enjoy 90's game books, I can't recommend this enough. And if you haven't played one, this is a great introduction.

This game is all about exploring a new world. You aren't forced into any adventure you don't want to do. You pick and choose where you want to go and why. The game can be brutal, allowing a feeling of true accomplishment when you succeed. And each location varies greatly, you never know what you'll encounter next.

PotatoKnight
PotatoKnight

I've been a fan of Fabled Lands since a decade ago I came across an unofficial fan computer version, at a time when none of the books and no official computer adaptation was available. I've since purchased and played with all 7 existing books and am psyched to see this computer version that invites me once again into this huge--and yes, oft-infuriating--world which it feels like I've only scratched the surface of.

Fingers crossed this game is a huge hit and gives the push to fit the 3 remaining books as DLC and maybe, just maybe, gets us some of the remaining blank spots filled in.

Avatorn
Avatorn

The balance feels way off. You basically have to play on Story Mode to learn the game (which feels dumb). Playing on "Normal" is effective playing on "very hard" in any normal (and the game goes out of it's way to warn you that), but again, that seems like a poor development choice.

Even on Story Mode, the game can be punishingly difficult--failed rolls can leave you without any items, gold, and gear--and since you need ALL those things to even have a chance to do any more quests, you're effectively dead. So why not just kill the character? Just seemed dumb.

The game also just doesnt feel interesting, and some relatively simple (and uninteresting) quests rely very heavily on RNG....forcing you to explore a specific spot over and over until you get the desired result.

Combat is very simplified and uninteresting--but that doesn't mean it's easy. It's just there is no finesse to it. It will always come down to almost the exact same order of abilities/movements/attacks--almost every single combat. Anything else will result in your death.

The writing is fine. I get it's based off an interactive novel. So that's fine. It's just as far as a game goes, it's not balanced well. Also the shops are just "FULL" of items unnecessarily ( the game also makes a point about this), and again it feels very superfluous.

borislav.traikov
borislav.traikov

I am a gamebook fan since childhood. However, I have never played-read the Fabled Lands series of gamebooks - just know that they are an open-world fantasy adventure.
I am VERY pleasantly impressed by the level of quality and diversity that the indie game adaptation has to offer. The graphics are pretty, the setting is exactly what I was hoping for - a big call to adventure. No world-saving, "you are the chosen one" shenanigans - you are an adventurer and you ... adventure!
Lot of things to discover and interact with. Lots of game mechanics to discover and fiddle with - owning ships, trading, combat, relations with people and peoples.
And the music ... is so nice! I really enjoy listening to it and diving into the adventure in these Fabled Lands.

mounrou
mounrou

I loved Fabled Lands the Game Books. I still have the first 6, and you'd have to get past my dead body to reach them.

It was amazing: A multi-volume, truly open-world book SERIES of a gamebook, at a time when open-world wasn't a concept at all outside of Tabletop Roleplaying, and the few "open-world" computer games we had were the Ultimas, Elder Scroll Arenas and a few Japanese games like Uncharted Waters, Lunatic Dawn and Taiko Risshiden - All of which aside of Ultimas were all on Steam BTW, and still really worth your retro salt if you can get past the language barrier (with patches in some cases), or the region-lock barrier for UW4 and TR5? I just don't get why Koei still do region locks nowadays...

Anyhow, despite only getting half of it out, nobody in the gamebook industry ever managed anything like it, before or since. It was a bet that didn't quite work out, but nonetheless if you knew your Gamebook, you NEEDED to know about Fabled Lands.

Well... Notice that its all in the past tense?

Okay, Fabled Lands the "Gamebooks" were great.
It's the exact same words we're getting, with very few modifications to fit with the computer environment. I mean, getting rid of the keywords is a nice move, since back then its the only way for papers to clear the open-world, cross-book elements it heavily held. And despite the combat being so different, I actually don't mind it at all, seeing its sort of a HM&M-lite thing.
We should, in all fairness, be getting the same experience as the book.

The computer version didn't feel like it did when I pick up the book, even as I flip through mine right now.

Fabled Land the computer gamebook, isn't really different from the other gamebook games we have on Steam or any other platform right now. The bite-sized minor encounters we've had self-contained in one book, actually feels kinda loose and chunky when you collect all of them into one single computer game.

But is it a bad game? Nope. You want to get an authentic Fabled Lands experience without losing too much, this is as close to it as you can get.
And the entries are solid, just as it always have been.
It just, in this format, doesn't have that "special-ness" the books had. It just feels... Average? Like Conclave was kinda doing the same thing and it would've been a better game... if it was singleplayer and still alive. And I think the reason was specifically Conclave was designed to be PC-based, and Fabled Lands was the adaptation of books.

Buy still. You should buy this.
If you like Computer Game Books, and never had the books. This would be a non-issue for you. (And I suspected that this would be a non-issue for many of you who've brought the books back in the day as well.)
As a long term Fabled Land fan, I want to know how the full series turns out.
I want all of them. I would definitely pay for their DLCs.
...And hopefully it'd sell enough to print book versions again, so that I can finally complete my collections after all these years.

Welp, a guy can always dream.

(BTW, any plans to offer the TRPG as DLC as well? There are a few games that have done it, like Shadowrun, Cultist Simulators, and a few homebrew ones.)

Mandalore
Mandalore

Short, but very enjoyable, Just like you.

orbawyn
orbawyn

A very good game. I was totally sucked in for the last 5 days. tons of places to visit and quest to discover.
Combat is interesting and fun if a bit simple.
I ended up keeping a note book just like I was playing a great table top campaign with a 'Mad' DM.
Sudden death is annoying. Using quick save and having a regeneration location makes it bearable.
in Early stages money is a bit scarce but pretty early on found a few ways to generate lots of cash so it became a non issue

AABATTERY
AABATTERY

I liked this, very faithful to the original work.
As for complaints of 'Save Scum' - If you don't want to save, don't.
You don't need to take the choice away from people who do...

Nice
Nice

First and foremost I would suggest to watch some gameplay videos if you're indecisive whether you should buy the game or not. Do not base your decision solely on this review, bear in mind that this is only my point of view, which may not correlate with your preferences. Also minor spoiler alert: though I'll talk about some events and outcome, I won't tell any specifics, but be warned anyway.

So let me start with giving you some inside on my first few runs. (reminder: I saw some comments claiming you should play on ironman mode so I gave it a try)
After pretty much completing and leaving the start isle I ran into a canibal cult trying to eat me. Knowing that this could be my end I decided to join them and they let me leave. A bit offset by the harshness of the immediate consequences of a random event I laid low and only favoured safe looking places. That went quite well for a time, but I felt weak af. I feared combat since I nearly died right of the start of the game but some times later I gave it a try once again: got smashed.
Ok, I thought, that went horrible, let's try a different approach. So here we go, seconds run: got killed by a fire ball in a random event with no chance to survive. Cool, now I'm a bit frustated, but let's try again. After being enslaved (in a random event), my character fought in an arena. I fled once I had the chance, only finding myself with no gear in an area, where everything would kill me. That happend one more time, when I failed to convince a bunch of townsmen that the barkeep was in fact the evil guy. Was beaten up by them down to 1 HP with (once again) no gear in the middle of nowhere.
Now the frustration got big enough that I tried to lower the difficulty, maybe saving and reloading helps in keeping the worst outcome at bay? Well yes but it made the game worse in a way. Yes you can repeat events, but does the win feel deserved? Certainly not.
On this point I tried to find the most secure path with slow but steady advance in the story. Got easier after I found an infinite money exploit and I could afford any wishable item, still beeing smashed in random events. I remember (in a different run) having all key items for one specific event and going around like 10 times between this spot and the adjacend until I finally got a decent dice roll so I could progress to the event I came for.

Apart from that, there are still parts about this game I like. I enjoyed the reading, thou it gets repetitive after the first encounter of an event. The artwork looks amazing, ngl I truely do love this style. I heard the game is based on a book series, sadly I haven't read them but that might be a reason to buy the game if you enjoyed the books.
I would still not recomend this game, unless you enjoy TRUE randomness as core part of a game. Yes you can favour the outcome in a certain direction, but sadly not through clever decisions (at least I haven't found any where that'd be the case) but solely through a dice roll. Best I could explain how this felt to me is like that:
DM describing the surrounding in an epic manner
Player: I want to go to XY
DM: ok, roll an ability check for me
Player: 10
DM: you die

Raven
Raven

A real gem of a game - it captures the old-school charm of gamebooks and tabletop roleplaying games in video game format wonderfully. With vivid descriptions of the gameworld and a beautiful art style, it contains all sorts of quests, monsters, and plot hooks that any DM can take inspiration from for their own games. Fabled Lands has only just come out of early access but I am already eagerly awaiting more game updates!

10/10 would recommend

Everend Dracmarr
Everend Dracmarr

Ironman....Because its the only way to play....

Joseph Joseph
Joseph Joseph

This will be the first negative review I'll write for a game. Thats solely because the combat feels very uninspired and boring. The game seems to be set up in such a way that makes it almost tedious to play. I realized three hours in I'd rather read the story then die in combat and have to go back and do the same content again / save a bunch. I found it exceedingly difficult on the lowest settings INCLUDING generally good - amazing dice rolls... The customization is lacking and the game just feels like it murders the story its portraying.

EDIT :
To add more details for the developer and some shower thoughts about this game from a later date, there is potential here, but currently I feel like that is all it is. I would not consider trying to play this as of right now. I'm quick to learn most games and never have a problem in finding the "success" in gameplay. I love DND ( and almost 90% of the time there is an RNG mechanic in the game ) if there were incorporation's to the game to add some randomness to the events in the game it would have kept me playing for much longer. Instead its go to X place have the exact same 1-2 potentially life threatening situations, 1-2 perhaps for nothing to happen and another for some loot or something along those lines. Other places on the map other than the starting area will just outright murder you without warning, so exploring really is just a punishment and makes the open world your enemy. Its like a linear game with good storytelling while it has uninteresting non-linear game-play. It just feels honestly insulting to have the first quest, at least the one closest to the starting area rely on going back and forth trying to get the specific dice roll to initiate a scenario in which you can then complete the quest. Its simply just outright frustrating and I personally think ineffective in an open-world and ineffective at forming the sense of accomplishment you'd typically have from completing a "Quest". It makes the world feel extremely small and as well as lacking detail. Every quest is like this by the way, at least from what I can tell. The appeal quickly wears off. The character creation is abyssal in terms of options. IIRC there are three options for each character in terms of their weapon, offhand, and miscellaneous clothing articles such as capes or jewelry. Hair shouldn't even have arrows because its just short, slightly shorter or bald, and then long. I feel like most free-to-play games without MTX's have more care put into them. The game comes off as a cash grab with teeth grinding game play. I enjoyed what little story I got through and wish the difficulty wasn't so hair pulling that it made me uninspired to even attempt to get to level 2. I would love to see the creator have a friend who loves DND / choose your own adventure type deals attempt to play their game and see what they think. I shouldn't need to grind saves on lowest difficulty just to get to the story, introduce a difficulty where I can experience the story without dying every two encounters. Introduce warnings and tips and things like (* dont go here yet if x *) literally the second quest I get takes me to a part of the map where everything but said quest would have zero difficulty killing me if I missed even one attack in combat. But the actual combat for the second most obviously available quest is rather easy and there is little to no chance to die. unless you missed 2-3 attacks in a row. For a person looking to experience story with an RNG component and creating some semblance of your own character in a unique world, you will not get that with this game. On the lowest difficulty i'd figure your odds of not having to save within the first ten - fifteen minutes is 0%. I was enamored by the setting, the writing, and the artwork that wasn't the characters. I was absolutely shocked by the gameplay. It does not feel like the "Dice gods" as much as it feels like you are set up for failure in a way that shouldn't be present. There should be more care put into a game like this. Feels like absolutely zero testing went into this game. I would rather play games I discovered as a child and I don't say that lightly. I would say this is a great concept executed awfully.

Most games have a unique pacing to them, I feel like the pacing of games dictates their entertainment value and overall appeal. If I had to describe the pace of this game it would be like if you had to take a pop quiz except instead of multiple choice questions you roll a single dice and just pray it doesn't end up being below 10 because even on the lowest difficulty it still felt like I was a level 1 monk going into a level 4 full party encounter. Anytime I tried to make progress. After dying once in the game, the motivation to play again is similar to having to watch the same romance movie with your girlfriend two nights in a row. And to be quite frank I don't understand the other reviews some have left. Some seem genuine like the experience I had, others seem fake or perhaps from a 57 year old man that hasn't played a game with a dice roll mechanic yet and still worships solitaire. If it wasn't for the reviews I wouldn't have bought this game. This is the first game that I've found on steam where the positive reviews being a majority have lead me to a game that I think is fundamentally just not good or worth twenty dollars. Hell I wouldn't even say ten and I'm trying to hold back comments that aren't constructive. To sum it up imagine your worst session of DND ever, like the day where everyone just had comedy gold at the expense of your shitty RNG. Now make that day a game where you are alone and the only hand hold to exist in the game is saving and reloading. No random encounters, once you die you will experience the same death, the same way. Every single time. I would be okay with it if saving wasn't absolutely necessary. I shouldn't feel the need to look up a guide to progress in a game either. Even if I were to use one I feel like the experience of the game wouldn't change a bit and it would still seem like a great story with awful and neglected mechanics. The aftertaste of this game would be like if someone gave you sprite and it was actually water. Beeeeeware.

If you don't believe me buy it yourself and see if you last three hours. Be sure not to go over though .

Scorba
Scorba

The game is charming - but that's not enough. One bad roll of the dice and you can lose everything. Why would not not save before every roll? Why would you not reload every time?

In addition, quest tracking is not as interactive as I'd like. Where did I get that quest (on the map)? Where are there more quests?

I find myself wondering where to go next - most of the things seem too hard - but maybe that's just the nature of the game. Or maybe I have not found the right location. Super hard to know, and feels arbitrary.

Bottom of the Well
Bottom of the Well

Its a good game. Its really good for those that enjoy make your story and DnD style stuff.

Makadus
Makadus

I have not had this much fun in ages with a game.

Easy to jump into, feels like the old endless quest books from D&D with mechanics! This is a must buy folks!

O V
O V

As a child I had over 150 gamebooks.... I didn't have a PC/console or any kind of video game system... therefore most of my childhood was spent replaying some of those games. This game brings some nostalgia for the old days!
I believe the developer did incredible job to make a digital adaptation of this game.
Well done !

ZenGamer
ZenGamer

Love the game ,music and story and lore. The descriptions and the background stories of things, events cities. I noticed some hints to a second continent willlove the story of that too.

FUNgineer
FUNgineer

I find that this game is too random, forces randomness constantly, and no matter how well geared out you are the random elements are there just to mess with your, or in the worst of cases, kill you out right. I was excited to play this game, but find it to be unenjoyable for me.

nemuaff
nemuaff

This is an Excellent game! A true love letter to the original Printed book versions.
Closer in adaptation to the book versions then any move every got to its source material.

This is a Solo RPG/Openworld game, and its made the transition from Printed game book to PC Game wonderfully! The Devs are active and working on more content!

thenikus
thenikus

An incredibly dry choose-your-own-adventure game that leaves me confused, unfulfilled, and wanting my money back.

TheSepulcher
TheSepulcher

A fun little rpg with choose your story style. Encountered a few bugs, one being game breaking.

Iselia
Iselia

This is a choose your own story type of game mixed with RPG elements. The map is open world from the perspective that you can reach any spot without plot advancement. However, you will want to stick to starting areas until you improve your skills and gear.
The game looks good from an art perspective. It also offers an interesting mix of story choices.
All that being positive, I am not recommending this game, as I have yet to have any fun playing it. A game needs to be fun, not a chore, or I don't want to play. The part that gets to me is the heavy reliance on success rolls. You will roll for success on every encounter area. Every one of them. Every single last one. If your skills/gear are good enough, then you can succeed most of the time. But otherwise, you will die and have to resurrect (if you bought a contract), be jailed, sold into slavery, etc. All of these bad things, which are all triggered by bad dice rolls and not story choices, result in losing all of your gold and inventory items (even required quest items).
True, you can protect yourself a bit by storing your inventory in a house (which you have to buy in each new town), or by saving the game before each encounter area and reload when you get bad results. However, this often led me to have to reload my game, re-drink the same potion to boost my skill, then click through the dialog yet again to win certain encounters.
This ruined the enjoyment for me on an otherwise well produced game. I finally quit after about 10 hours of save scumming when I failed a 72% roll three times in a row.
I will not ask for a refund, the game was good enough to reward the efforts of the developers. But, I do not recommend the game to those who do not really like choose your own adventure type games and are willing to put up with the continuous saves and reloads.

astronaut0001
astronaut0001

Great conversion. I hope for book 3,6 and 7 to be covered in the next installment. Great fun even if you're not a fan of the books.

Ardan
Ardan

I got mixed feelings for this game. I rate it positive because it is different and fresh, but only barely. 5.7 out of 10.

TLDR: It is a smooth, good looking game in which fighting plays a minor role, and rolling virtual dice at almost every location (often multiple times) is by far the major part of this game. As some dice result are very punishing this led me to abuse quicksafe and quickload tremendously. Which in the end became a grind. Also doing all quests and achievements plus rewards is a real puzzle.

- The Good:

- Looks good
- Game currency is very easy to come by and gets you pretty decent gear.
- You get meaningful rewards for certain missions/quests/encounters.
- Has good music and a nice fantasy atmosphere.
- Combat is moderately challenging and pretty quick.
- All fighting encounters have different enemies.
- Cheap price for the content it has (I got it on sale).
- The two guides for gameplay and achievements on steam are great.

- The Neutral:

- It has a lot of text. In some way it is half a visual novel. I hate lore and reading a lot during games, but sadly it is needed to get pointers.

- The Bad:

- It is really obscure how to proceed with quests and achievements. The quest logs hardly give you good leads where to go preciscely and what to do. The game can only be played perfectly by so much playthroughs that you know everything, or by following a (steam) guide step by step.
- It is an open world without a main story or real finish.
- Some results from choices or dice rolls are so very punishing, that you either need to know every choice in advance, or save and load a lot.
- It is absolutely unclear in advance which choices result in what without trying.
- You have a very small backpack, and get dozens of gear and quest items, which you then have to carry to towns with a stash, adding grind.
- It is an open world game, but when you roam freely without advance knowledge you risk shutting off a lot of quests/achievements and rewards. I missed out on the best weapon in game (I found out later) because I prematurely entered some lair or dungeon.
- I had hoped this was a game with a lot of fighting, but instead it is more reading and virtual dicerolling, as the fights take up 20% or so of all encounters.

I think the game is seriously flawed, but I still like the effort and originality, and would advice the makers:

- Make the game less enigmatic and more childish: State clearly in which location by what choice a quest is progressed. The yellow ! marks were not very helpful, as they appeared on locations that were not available any longer.
- Give warnings if free roam will harm future progress.
- Make fighting more rewarding (Half of the fights do not seem to have any reward, be it XP be it loot).
- Less lore and texts, more fights. This will make the game less original and more mainstream, but that is what people like.
- Give upgrades to backpack capacity.
- Have some kind of finish/ending, a cumulation of all effort, as how it is now you wonder after seeing so many quests and achievements being screwed by not following a guide, that any point is enough to call it a day. I just did not bother at a given point.

Get this game if you like dicerolling and getting your character geared up for that. Because that is 70% of the game.

zounds90
zounds90

If you liked the books you'll love it.

If you never played the books, you'll love the world.

Streamlines, nice UI, great game.