Zane: Let me start the formal interview process by thanking you for taking the time to have this chat. I really appreciate it.

Joe: I definitely appreciate your time.

Zane: Founding a studio and creating a game of this scope aren’t small tasks by any means. What made you decide to become an indie developer, and found your studio?

Joe: Well I basically learned to write code about 19 years ago or so and started with writing BBS door games and moving on from there. I’ve worked at a few studios here in Toronto and in San Diego but eventually found myself working in other industries. The core game and ideas for Empyrios is actually a design I’ve been toying with for probably 4-5 years before the actual start of development and something that I’ve wanted to build for a long time.

Zane: Ah! Admittedly, I was curious which came first: Empyrios, or Creoterra.

Joe: Creoterra was really born in order to focus attention on building the types of games that we really wanted to play, to be honest. The core ideas and gameplay definitely predate us striking out and founding the studio, and we had a lot of world design and gameplay mechanics to start with. Once we found Jove—our artist—and he came on board with the project, is when things really started to come together from both a design and aesthetic point of view

Zane: Your aesthetic does have that old-school fantasy game feel. There are a number of areas where you’re doing things differently. For instance, I notice you’re not going with the traditional fantasy races. Even the dvergar as ‘dark dwarves’ in concept are very rarely seen compared to, say, dark elves.

Joe: Well that was one thing that we really spent a lot of time on because we really wanted to create a new world for the game to take place in. We do have a human race, the Aduro, and then the Dvergar as you mentioned, but we really wanted to have a fresh feel rather than sticking with ‘old proven’ so we’ve tried to come up with a lot of different concepts. Jove was also a big part of this and we worked very well going between art and design. One example would be the ‘Shade’ race, which our original design had more as a traditional type of undead. Jove wanted to try something new and he took the backstory of them being outcast for refusing to stop playing with necromancy and other dark arts, and tied it into the overall race. So now instead of having, say, the usual skeletal minions you might see elsewhere, the shade are basically a humanoid spirit, but with various parts of different types of living beings kind of moulded together.

Zane: Even the Aduro have a unique feel compared to the tried-and-tested staple of Humans. It’s great to see all these unique options. I can’t resist, though: are there any races that are developer favourites?

Joe: We’ve really tried to give all races, and the entire world for that matter, a really unique feel both through art style and ability design. Regarding favourites I can say that the Lithos are quite popular and we usually feature the Brute character out of game, but beyond that everyone seems to have their own favourite to play. I play a lot of the Caelum (avian race) myself and would definitely say they’re one of my personal favourites. Some people like sticking mainly with one race in their team composition, but a lot of people actually like to select from various races in whichever faction they’re playing.

Zane: I’m glad that you came to the topic of factions. You probably get this question a lot, but what is the Prophecy of Flame, and how does it relate to the two factions and their agenda?

Joe: Well the Prophecy of Flame actually stems from the Aduro race but has ramifications across the world. The human race in this part of the world started to have visits from very strange humans from other lands. They spoke of Pyrios, the god of flame, and began to recruit others into their religion and follow their beliefs. This had huge ramifications as once the Aduro Nation became the largest sect, they went from a passive view to being more aggressive, and banning and outlawing various forms of magic. This is what led to the Shade, as they are actually exiled Aduro who wanted to continue their research and practice into the darker arts. Whether that was a good idea or not is yet to be seen. I can’t go into the actual prophecy itself, as I don’t want to spoil the plot of either campaign, but it encompasses the entire world and story.

Zane: No worries! We wouldn’t want to spoil any surprises. The two factions, the Mystic Covenant and the Shadowlord Pact, they’re then centred around the Aduro and Shade, and their positions regarding Pyrios and his word?

Joe: Well their battle is one component, but every race actually has their own goals in mind, and they the factions are alliances of purpose and convenience. One example is how during their exile a high mage of the Shade actually created the Lithos race through necromancy and spirit magic. This impacts the Dvergar as you now have these wild destructive creations born in the mountains who start attacking the mines and trade routes. On the other hand, you have the Caelum who have forged a pact with the Sylvan to protect the wooded lands, and by making it seem as if the Reptilis attacked them first they’ve drawn the Sylvan into their battle. The Prophecy of Flame also foretold of the ‘beasts from the desert’ which later emerge as the Az’Modai, something the story goes into in more detail. So really the factions are actually created out of necessity, trickery, or something in between. They are much looser than say a conventional alliance where different races are friends for no reason, and it’s always been that way.

Zane: Wow. Suffice to say, there’s been a lot of preparation and fore-thought. All of this no doubt creates a rich back-story to set the current campaign’s events against.

Joe: Each faction’s campaign story isn’t actually just a linear point A to point B narrative. Sometimes you might have 2-3 options open to you on the map and you have to make a decision. Do you help the Dvergar town or the Aduro town, or do you ignore both to support the Sylvan on the front lines in the forest? Each campaign is different depending on the choices you make and the outcomes of the battle.

Zane: Strategizing well is clearly a big part of the game, and using your environment to your advantage is a core component thereof. What are some of the key elements of Empyrios’ tactical combat?

Joe: Well you hit on one key component which is trying to take tactical advantage by using the environment. Some units can set traps or alter the environment in small ways. To that effect. map control and positioning is pretty big. Another is that each unit has a set of 3 skills that vary in power cost, so you have to decide on whether you want to use ability X now, or wait and use something that costs less until you can get into a better position for a larger ability. Ouside of the battles the units in your army gain levels, have a skill mastery tree, and even one additional customization system that we’re still working on. So just because an enemy is using a Lithos Brute, you can’t be sure if he’s using it as a traditional ‘tanky’ type build, crowd control, or focussing on raw damage. And of course setting up team synergy and combos and planning your strategy is something that gives a nice edge.

Zane: Wow. Multiple campaigns with non-linear story-lines and player controlled outcomes, and then full control in a tactical environment with a myriad of options…have to say, you guys have put a lot of thought, effort and passion into this project.

Joe: Yeah it’s actually been quite the undertaking! As I mentioned early the core game concept and ideas were coming together for years before development started (actually using HeroQuest miniatures on a cardboard map), and we’ve been in full production for quite an insane amount of time.

Zane: What have been some of the major challenges of going Indie and working on Empyrios?

Joe: Well the biggest challenge for me has been the switch over to production. I spent the majority of my career, both in and out of games, in software engineering and technical direction. So while I worked hand in hand with producers, artists, and designers, I was still heavily tech focused. I had a million and one things to learn, and a lot of mistakes to make, but having someone like Jove on the project was absolutely huge as he took care of the aesthetic direction and really helped bring this idea and story on paper to life. Also, scope was a huge issue as the amount of work was pretty staggering on all fronts, whether it be code, design, art, anything! Although on a positive note we knew going into the project that it wasn’t something we would be building quickly and that we were in for the long haul project… so it wasn’t like we were surprised or hammered by scope creep.

Zane: I can imagine with something like an RPG, where you have to cater for every individual player contingency, as well as test to ensure the combinations are compatible, that it’s a huge undertaking.

Joe: The testing is actually a major part, especially with the team composition and customization. I build a lot of in-house tools and we’ve basically had bots playing the game 24/7 against each other for over a year constantly collecting data. It was quite fun, actually, because the bots were building teams and combos based on statistical analysis. Quite a few times the AI created some monster teams where we immediately knew we had to go in and fine-tune some abilities. The bots came up with a few team compositions that we never would have dreamed of using… but if the AI found them, players definitely would have at some point.

Zane: In that case, mental note to self: only play against other humans. You mention a variety of game modes, including the campaign and multiplayer. What are the modes on offer for the release?

Joe: We have the campaign mode, which is has a full non-linear campaign for each faction individual faction. Then there’s online multiplayer, local multiplayer, and practice. With online games we have a full infrastructure and matchmaking system so you can play ‘ranked’ games or just friendly games against friends. There are even unlockables and achievements. Local multiplayer is just what it sounds like: multiple friends against each other, playing on the same device. Practice mode is essentially local multiplayer versus bots.

Zane: Whom we’ve just established might be much nastier than your friends, depending on your difficulty level (and friends).

Joe: Hehehe very true.

Zane: I know this is probably your least favourite question as a developer, but the journalist code of honour dictates that I ask. Without us forcing you to commit to it, do you have a rough release date in mind?

Joe: Well our target is Q4 this year, but depending on development we may run into Q1 of next year. We’re actually 100% art complete at this stage (and we’re working on the first update actually), and majority code complete. Right now a lot of the work is in continuing to work on unit balancing, story/campaign, and heavy polishing across the board. Of course no promises with time as we want to make sure everything is extremely polished and as perfect as we can build it in our view.

Zane: That’s exciting news! Is there any way our readers can help show their support or keep up to speed with the latest progress reports and news?

Joe: Well we always massively appreciate support on Twitter and Facebook which we’ll be updating with news much more often. We’ve been ‘working in a dark cave’ for the last about 5 weeks while trying to get our latest alpha build ready and in testing so we haven’t had the stream of updates I’d like to see but there will be a lot more in the coming weeks. Also we’re hoping to have both the empyrios.com website and steam green light page online within the next 3-4 weeks or so. And of course players can check our company site where there is more information on the game and will be continually updated

Zane: Thank you very much, Joe. Do you have any final words of advice or inspiration you’d like to share with any aspiring indie devs who might be reading?

Joe: Well for me I think the biggest thing is that if you have a great game idea that you’d like to realize, you have to build it. In some cases, like with Empyrios, the design morphed from tabletop gameplay builds over the years, and writing the backstory as a hobby, into building out the entire game in production. Just be very mindful that if you haven’t produced a AAA or indie title in the past, you are going to learn a million new things, your time estimates will be derailed, and you’ll probably hit a host of unforeseen problems. As we’re wrapping up development on Empyrios I am definitely really happy with the overall process and what we’ll have achieved in the end, and I hope that players will feel the same way.

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

The developers have been kind enough to share their alpha gameplay footage, saying, “We’re making an effort to be more open about development – about the progress we make, the lessons we learn, and the incredible fun we have building this game.”

Check out the footage below, or visit the game site at www.emberconflict.com.

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Multiple armies will be available for players to command in either 1v1 or 2v2 matches. Each army will feature units that fit within the classic roles of Infantry, Ranged, Cavalry, and Support. Substantial Games is trying to make every unit in the game as unique as possible, like the Berserker who constantly regenerates health, or the “Puglings” who spawn a new Pug every time they kill an enemy unit, to help ensure that no two battles play out the same.

Matches are won by eliminating the opposing army, or by controlling Points of Capture (POCs). While complete annihilation is the most likely way you’ll win or lose a match, be on the lookout for crafty players who seek to control all of the POCs on a map, which will result in an immediate victory.

The Ember Conflict has a lot of potential to offer an engaging and innovative mobile gaming experience, and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a playable demo in the future.  A release date hasn’t been announced yet, but the developers are aiming for Fall 2014. Until then, you can check out some screen shots, enjoy the amazing concept art, and sign up for updates on the game’s website, www.emberconflict.com

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Super Obstacle Boy is a retro-style platformer for iPhone & iPad from indie developer, Matthias Falk. You’ll play as (spoiler alert: Super Obstacle Boy) as you run and jump, and then run and jump some more through 125+ levels of pixely, 8-bit glory to save your girlfriend who’s been kidnapped by the evil Dr. Negative. If it sounds like Super Meat Boy, that’s because it does (they’re not related, but they did meet at a party once). SOB will feature Game Center integration, achievements, and online leaderboards so you can compete with friends, family, and random people who totally hacked the game, because we all know there’s no way they scored 999,999,999. I mean, come on. My score is only 11,349. Don’t they have anything better to do?

A release date hasn’t been announced yet, but Falk is hoping to have the game available in the App Store later this month. For now, enjoy the trailer below, complete with chiptune soundtrack!

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Khaba at first seems like a simple enough puzzle game. Using statuettes and mirrors, players reflect and direct a beam of light onto a door which leads to the next level. It is a simple and logical concept that would probably become boring after a while if not for all the little tricks and additions Hello There pulls off. There are other doors acting as obstacles in your path that can only be opened by directing light towards certain orbs. Some of these doors remain open, while others close up again if the direction of the light is changed.

A few levels in, another type of light is introduced as well: dark light. The beam of dark light can only be activated if the beam of sunlight continually hits a blue orb. Both of these kinds of light must be used in tandem to reach the final door, but there are a few conditions. There’s only a limited amount of reflecting statuettes and mirrors, and the dark light and sunlight cannot use these objects simultaneously. What at first seems like a simple game ends up offering a satisfyingly cerebral challenge as players have to test out different set ups and figure out in what order to open certain doors and other obstacles. Unfortunately for some, the sheer level of challenge might put them off. Khaba has a few tutorial levels followed by some levels with a fairly reasonable difficulty curve, but then suddenly ramps up the difficulty to a point that might end up causing a lot of frustration. A few levels definitely forced me to walk away for a bit and try to come back later with a different perspective. This isn’t exactly conducive to quick bouts of gaming on the go, but might appeal to someone looking for a hard puzzle when they have a meatier chunk of time available to them.

Besides its difficult and cerebral puzzles, what sets Khaba apart from a lot of mobile puzzle games is that it features a fully voic-acted narrative tied into the puzzle mechanic. Players take the role of Michael, an explorer seeking vast treasures and excitement within the pyramids. Mysteries abound as Michael ventures deeper into the pyramids, and it actually ends up being a neat little story. Besides small “cutscenes”, collectable scarabs are introduced which not only add another element of challenge to the puzzles, but also give up more tidbits of the overall narrative. These aren’t mandatory to collect, but offer an extra reward for players that find interest in the story. Probably my only nitpick story-wise is that Michael’s voice acting is a bit cheesy, but not so much that it really detracts from the game.

However, my biggest issue with the game is its touch controls. I have small hands and I still found myself getting frustrated when the game would misinterpret my finger touches and I would end up moving statuettes entirely when I just wanted to change the direction of the light beams. Certain parts also required an amount of precision that had me re-doing things so many times because objects would move when I lifted my finger up from the screen. This is mainly a problem with playing Khaba on a mobile device with a smaller screen though–playing the game on a tablet was significantly easier. Nevertheless, I found myself wishing there was also a desktop version as the idea of playing this game with a mouse really appeals to me.

So, while not for folks looking for a lighter puzzle game to play on short car rides or on quick breaks in between other obligations, Khaba does provide for folks looking for something with a little more substance in their mobile gaming needs. If you can get past the sometimes frustrating controls, Khaba is a real treat. The game is available for both iOS and Android tablets and mobile devices, and more information about it can be found on the developer’s website.

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ 

What does this score mean?

An Android review copy of the game was provided by the developer for that purpose.

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Droidscape has a heavy science fiction theme, though the story is brief. I won’t divulge too much of that backstory, but the ultimate goal is to free the protagonist from his holding cell using a robotic avatar. Along the way, players will be introduced to factoids about the game’s universe and the occasional story advancement shown in a kind of animated comic book style. I actually would’ve loved to learn more about the history and motivations of the different groups involved in the plot. A few more cutscenes would have also helped it feel like the story was advancing at a steady pace.

Plot your course through robotic enemies.

Players take on the role of the protagonist who’s managed to remotely take control of an advanced robot. On each level, the player must navigate the robot to an exit path through a series of isometric rooms. Play on each level consists of two phases, and in the first phase players draw a complete path from start to finish that their robot will follow. Part of that path must include grabbing color-coded keys to unlock doors, stopping at energy recharge stations (movement costs energy taken from a finite reserve), and avoiding robotic sentries that will kill the player on contact. As the game progresses, other types of obstacles are introduced that add an extra bit of a challenge. I felt like these changes came too far apart early in the game, which led to some slight boredom before picking up speed later.

The second phase of play is where things get interesting. Now that the path has been set, players control the robot’s movement speed using a slider control. The robot will only advance along the path if the slider is shifted to the right, and speed is controlled by how far from the center the slider is held. The robot’s course can also be reversed by moving the slider in the opposite direction. The tutorial tries its best to explain the process, but it can really only be fully understood by playing through the early stages and making a few mistakes along the way. Since the robot’s path can’t be adjusted during this phase, the player may find that he/she has to go back to the path-setting phase to adjust the robot’s course for a chance of success.

The game offers a secondary method of controlling the slider using motion-tracking through the mobile device’s camera. A turn of the player’s head in either direction is supposed to shift the slider accordingly. I never could quite get this to work consistently on the iPad despite multiple attempts in different levels of lighting. Even when I could get the robot to move, I never felt like I had the degree of control achieved when playing using the standard touch controls. Because timing is so key, I stuck almost exclusively to the touch controls. I hope the kinks will eventually be ironed out just for the novelty of being able to use it successfully.

Control your robotic avatar once the path is set.

Players are rewarded on their performance in a few areas including how quickly they complete the level, how many gems they are able to pick up along the way, and so on. Perform well, and players can spend their hard-earned currency in the Droidscape store. The one-use wares offer some small advantages like extra shielding, a longer countdown timer, or an energy refill – each of which may be the key to success on the more difficult levels. If nothing else, the gold/silver medal system is there for completionists.

I think what I eventually found most interesting about Droidscape: Basilica is that it’s basically two games in one with each level containing both a strategy puzzle and an action-based challenge. Each of those elements are both tied to the player’s success, but they offer wildly different paces and experiences. I felt like the game had some early pacing issues to overcome, but by the end I found it a very recommendable puzzle experience for iOS users.

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ 

What does this score mean?

This game was reviewed using the iPad version 0.2. It’s available for purchase through the App Store.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

It’s no secret that mobile gaming doesn’t have the best reputation amongst more traditional game enthusiasts. Whether mobile gaming needs to be more like console/pc gaming or those conventional forms should take a hint from the mobile sphere is something that constantly sparks heated arguments. Well, whatever side you’re on, Hardscore Games is attempting to make a statement with Star Admiral, their first game: mobile gaming can be better.

Star Admiral is set to be a massively multiplayer competitive strategy game for the mobile space, set in, well, space! Featuring PVP and tournaments, Star Admiral has players commanding a fleet of spaceships from a variety of races using mechanics reminiscent of trading card games. Players will upgrade their fleets and use all sorts of tactics and strategy to defeat their opponents. Like any good TCG or TCG-esque game, Star Admiral seems to have some really nice visuals and designs, albeit in 3D rather than art on cards. I’m a sucker for sci-fi settings and cool looking ships, so I’m looking forward to seeing the release of this game.

Hardscore Games promises a strong community focus and is standing against the standard “pay to win” model plaguing mobile games. The developer is also offering some incentives to get people paying attention to Star Admiral sooner: be one of the first 5,000 to sign up to  their newsletter and you’ll get an exclusive ship to use in the game. Be one of the first 1,000 to register for the forum, and get a Founding Member forum title. Finally, like their page on Facebook and you’ll have a chance at beta access.

Star Admiral currently has a ‘late 2013’ release date and will be free to own on iOS and Android. For more information, check out the game’s website.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

It’s a big world and only you can save it.

Kingdoms Fall tells the classic hero’s story of a young man as the lone warrior who can save his kingdom from an advancing evil. In a twist, our hero isn’t a nameless farmer or peasant, but the son of the king and destined to save the land. As in Zelda, the player guides the hero through on overworld map littered with monsters with the occasional village or encampment interspersed. NPCs give the towns a little more character by providing more information about whatever calamity they’re suffering, whether it be a personal or more global plight. The world itself is largely forgettable, but the suffering of the people is oftentimes portrayed quite well. I would like to have seen even more of that to instill a greater connection to the people and places in need of saving.

To solve those villagers’ problems or avenge their losses, our hero heads into dungeons, each of which is lorded over by an evil general of the invading Necromancer King of the North. Defeating these generals weakens the evil conqueror, but players will unsurprisingly have to earn their way to each boss battle. As with the overworld map, each dungeon room is infested with monsters, and often they’ll all have to be defeated in order to exit the room or gain a key to a locked door located elsewhere. The occasional puzzle is mixed in usually involving switches or pressure plates, but they’re rather simplistic in nature, at least early on. In true Zelda fashion, a special item is acquired in each dungeon that will help our hero either defeat the boss, or at least open up the path to get there. Kingdoms Fall actually does a pretty good job of ensuring that each item remains useful over the course of the game, including in the overworld. In fact, the latter dungeons require many of those special abilities, sometimes used in quick succession.

Deadly traps and monsters are made tougher by the game’s controls.

Unfortunately, the controls are without a doubt the most frustrating part of the game. Movement of the player is performed by dragging a finger in the desired direction. The same is true for changing the character’s orientation. It’s not as simple as it sounds though. One problematic requirement is that attacks must be lined up in the exact direction of the enemy. Despite an on-screen indicator, in the heat of the action it’s not always readily apparent when a player is facing diagonally. Trying to change the direction can be slow and prone to moving the character. The player must constantly move and shift when attacking or defending against a moving enemy. The controls are simply not built for such frenetic and minute adjustments. Even trying to enter doorways, line up to talk to NPCs, and move from screen to screen can prove troublesome. At times it felt more like I was battling the controls than the enemies themselves, and the game screams for a directional pad.

I often found myself missing the correct button when tapping the action abilities on the right side of the screen. A recent update made those buttons larger which somewhat helped with the problem, but it’s simply no replacement for a controller’s standard button layout for ease of use and tactile feedback. Long story short, an adventure game of this design requires precision and timing with the controls and unfortunately, that’s not present here. There are simply some technological limitations with today’s touchscreen gaming devices that are difficult, if not impossible to overcome.

Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

What does this score mean?

A copy of this game was provided by the developer for that purpose. This game was reviewed on the iPad using version 1.0.4. Kingdoms Fall is available through the App Store.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Alone in the Park isn’t an overly complicated game. The player drives the journey of a first-person narrator as she tries to find pieces of a map hidden throughout a nearby public park. Half of the screen is dedicated to the narrator and her descriptions of the people and places that are encountered and the actions that the player chooses. The other half of the screen includes a section of the overall map (with locations hidden until approached) along with an inventory grid containing pictures of the people and objects encountered. That side of the screen also houses icons associated with each place the character has visited and allow for quick travel. It’s simple and intuitive and that’s exactly what’s needed for a game of this nature.

The saying goes that life’s about the journey, not the destination, and that’s definitely true of this game. Katharine Neil of Cheap Drunk Games has done a wonderful job with the storytelling. Although the characters our protagonist meets along the way tend to be one-note stereotypes, Neil manages to keep the narration fresh, a bit saucy, and generally funny. Sarcasm, innuendo, and off-kilter observations are employed to great effect from beginning to end. The story of a largely text-based adventure is perhaps the most important element in separating success from failure. Alone in the Park scores a big win here.

Search a park full of nutty characters to piece together the purpose of a mysterious letter.

Alone in the Park wouldn’t be a complete game if there weren’t some level of challenge to it. As mentioned earlier, the player is tasked with finding pieces of a map to help solve a mystery and find a treasure. More often than not, the map pieces aren’t hidden but instead held by characters not immediately eager to part with them. In those cases, the player must complete a task to satisfy the owner. These can vary from fetch quests (thankfully only a few) to legitimate problem-solving  using acquired items. The items may be actual objects found or icons representing other characters already met. Depending on if it’s the right context, the player can use these icons in order to open a new line of dialogue and eventually earn that precious map piece.

Most people should be able to solve the majority of puzzles without too much trouble, but trial-and-error with the different objects can eventually net success. There were only a couple of puzzles that I was stuck on for awhile, but it was these puzzles that were ultimately the most rewarding. All told I was able to squeeze about four or five hours out of the game while playing at a leisurely pace. Because the individual puzzles are largely compartmentalized – and for the most part non-linear in their order – it’s easy to leave the game and come back without being at a loss for where to pick up the trail.

The park’s residents won’t be quick to part with their pieces of the map.

Because there’s not a lot of action involved, I believe this game can hold an appeal for audiences of a wide age range. The mature nature of some of the jokes, however, has necessitated an age restriction of 17 years or older in the App Store. Still, it’s the humor and overall writing that’s the strength of Alone in the Park and what places it high in the ranks of casual adventure games of the text-based variety.

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ 

What does this score mean?

This game was reviewed using a copy provided by the developer for that purpose. The game was reviewed using the iPad version, but you can win a copy of the PC version by entering the contest below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Mayhem and murder are the scene at the outset of The Royal Quest. The cutscene at the startup depicts a village being sacked by marauders while two warriors – a knight and a ninja – manage to escape. It’s this unlikely pair that the player will lead around in a quest for revenge or justice or perhaps something else. That’s pretty much the sum total of the story presented, and it’s up to the player to piece together the rest.

The journey will take our characters from village to village and through a handful of different environments. ‘Talking’ to some of the villagers will present clues about where the next boss can be found. It’s not as simple as traveling from point A to point B, though. Access to some areas is blocked by locked gates and obtaining the keys can be a multi-stage process. Keys found in treasure chests can be traded to a villager for another key (or possibly an item) which might need to be traded again or used to unlock the new area. Although simple and far from original in a world full of Metroidvania titles, I actually enjoyed the mechanic for its ability to drive the desire to explore and discover new areas.

The pictographs work well in the icon-based language of The Royal Quest.

Newly-encountered enemies – they respawn when the player returns to an area – will automatically initiate a battle using a system that is both promising and full of flaws. Each battle instance works in a wave structure with four enemies running on-screen at once. The player can and should take control of both of his/her characters, alternating between the two by tapping on them. This alone can be frustrating when trying to switch and one sprite is layered on top of the other.

Each of the characters has three different attacks including a standard attack – activated by simply tapping on an enemy – and two character-based powers. Of those two powers, one is a strong attack and the other a special ability that can affect multiple enemies. The non-standard attacks have a refresh timer before they can be used again, but crystals can be used to make them available again. Health vials found or purchased during exploration can be used to restore some health. The balance of deciding whether to use or hold back on using the special abilities is enjoyable and the highlight of the combat, at least for awhile.

Only a handful of powers are available, but some are quite powerful.

Unfortunately, the battles become redundant with little variance in the enemies other than increased strength and a palette swap, at least until later in the game. The biggest problem is that there is a difficulty scaling issue in that the player must repeatedly grind through battling the same weaker enemies before the stronger ones can be taken down. The world just isn’t large enough or interesting enough to justify traversing the same screens and fighting the same enemies over and over again.

The user interface of the game is another area that I found frustrating. The Royal Quest tries to rely on the player’s ability to suss out what’s going on, and in some cases that works… eventually. As mentioned before, pictographs are presented by some of the villagers that give clues about how to perform certain actions or where to go to find bosses or keys. That’s straightforward, works well, and I completely understand why the developers are touting the icon-based language as a means to allow players of all languages to jump in. However, there are some aspects of the UI that really require an explanation. The rewards screen presented after each battle has a mix of obvious (coins) and obscure (clock, trophy, plus sign) symbols. When trying to purchase a new weapon in a store, it isn’t clear what any of the numbers or symbols on the items mean and they’re too expensive to try them out. On the characters, there’s only a health bar and no sense of the characters’ stats or how close they are to leveling. The lack of a true menu system is also a strange design choice. Does any of this keep players from being able to play the game? No, but it does keep them from playing it well and without frustration.

Even being a reviewer, I never enjoy bashing a game, particularly one that holds some promise. However, my issues with The Royal Quest are more severe than some simple flaw. Repeatedly fighting app crashes both during start-up and in mid-battle is frustrating. It would be forgivable if the game I was fighting with didn’t have so many other problems. The disappointment really stems from the fact that most of these issues – particularly in the UI department – have simple fixes that could elevate the game to a recommendable status. The game has seen multiple patches released, so I can only hope that future updates will fix some of these flaws. Stick to the free version for now.

Overall Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

This game was reviewed using the iPad version (1.14). The game is also coming soon for Android and Windows Phone devices.

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