For the King - Review @ Dualshockers

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HiddenX

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Dualshockers reviewed the tabletop inspired RPG For the King:

For the King Review — An Addictive Tabletop RPG Inspired Roguelike

For the King on PC is saved by its fun tabletop RPG inspired mechanics and multiplayer capabilities, which help it stand out in a sea of roguelikes.

While the roguelike is undoubtedly a crowded genre in the indie scene, I also find it to be one of the most interesting. Having to restart from scratch after a game over is not just punishing, but encourages players to be more methodical in their action and forces developers to be more creative in design to adapt to this deliberate design decision. For the King from IronOak Games and Curve Digital attempts to stand out from other roguelikes with its unique blend of tabletop inspired RPG gameplay and engaging multiplayer.

While some of that early-game roguelike frustration is present here in full force, For the King is a memorable and fun title that both fans of roguelikes and standard turn-based RPGs should have a good time with. The game may be a bit rough around the edges with some glitches and frustrating RNG, but if those things improve post-launch, For the King keeps pulling me back in, and is poised to become a staple roguelike for me.

[...]

As an indie title straight out of Early Access, For the King isn’t without a few rough spots, especially when it comes to the technical side of things. Luckily, the game is saved by its fun tabletop RPG inspired mechanics and multiplayer capabilities, which help it stand out in a sea of roguelikes. As a fan of the genre, I can see myself consistently returning to For the King, and think other roguelike fans and people who enjoy tabletop RPGs will find something to enjoy here.

Score: 8/10
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More information.
 
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joxer said:
8/10 lol

Since when an easy and cheap developing of random generator deserves a score that high?
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Since when does a cheap and random comment like that deserve consideration?

Maybe the game deserves that score because this person actually played the game. You should try that sometime.

Anyway, I have been playing it for quite a while and think it's a good game. It'll especially appeal to those who also like tactical board games or TBS games.

As to the rogue-like/RNG criticisms, that's something I don't get. I personally don't like rogue-likes as a general rule - I often find them frustrating. In this game, that has not been the case for me and my daughter when we play coop. We have not finished the main quest yet but have gotten quite deep into it each time and imo the game rewards careful thinking. I haven't felt anything has been unfair. Each time we lost we knew it was on the horizon and I found it fun to try to strategize a way out.

I think 8/10 is about right based on the 25 hours or so I've played it.
 
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It's a fun game, but I would neither categorize it as a RPG nor a Rogue-like. It has elements of both, but plays more like a boardgame in my opinion.

A good recommendation in between heavier stuff. 8/10 sounds about right.
 
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The other day I've seen an article with a title something like "we were trained to accept mediocrity".
Just skipped over it and can't remember where I saw it thinking what kinda stupid title is that. Maybe I should have read it.
 
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Hearing it described as a board game fits perfectly, in my opinion. In the few hours that I played it last year, it reminded me of nothing more than sitting around a big table with friends playing Diplomacy, or Axis and Allies. In other words, quite different than most other computer games than I usually play, and high praise. I find games that have a finite conclusion to often be just as rewarding as games that go on forever, just in different ways.
 
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Carnifex said:
Hearing it described as a board game fits perfectly, in my opinion. In the few hours that I played it last year, it reminded me of nothing more than sitting around a big table with friends playing Diplomacy, or Axis and Allies. In other words, quite different than most other computer games than I usually play, and high praise. I find games that have a finite conclusion to often be just as rewarding as games that go on forever, just in different ways.
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Hmm...interesting, I may have to check it out then. There's actually been a huge evolution in board games lately, with a lot of board games designed to recreate the experience of playing in an epic RPG campaign with your friends, only without the game master. They can be a lot of fun.
 
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That certainly sounds like something that didn't exist back when I played board games, in the seventies and eighties. There was a clear distinction between those and role playing games, and bridging that border could only be a great thing for all the players, imo.
 
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Carnifex said:
That certainly sounds like something that didn't exist back when I played board games, in the seventies and eighties. There was a clear distinction between those and role playing games, and bridging that border could only be a great thing for all the players, imo.
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Yeah I played board games back then too, and modern board games are as different as night and day from what we played then. The RPG like board games are relatively new, but they have been catching on like wildfire. Kickstarters for new ones can easily raise more money then even ones for hot CRPG titles.
 
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Carnifex said:
Are there any you could recommend? I might be inclined to pick one or two up if they are good, to have around when blokes pop by.
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Gloomhaven is the most popular, it's campaign has a ton of depth of probably about 100 hours of gameplay. But it's also so popular that it's often sold out and can be hard to find, is somewhat expensive, and it's fairly complicated, especially if your used to games like Risk.

Mansions of Madness is popular with more casual players and has a very strong exploration and story feel to it. It's not a campaign game though so you don't keep your characters from game to game. It also requires a tablet or smart phone to play (there's a program that acts a bit like the game master).

Those are just two, there are a lot of other games that fill up the gamut between them. Board Game Geek is a good site for reading about them, it's a bit like RPGWatch for board games (and with actual forum moderation).
 
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Well you've both given me plenty to think and read on, thanks for all the cool information. Board games seem to have come quite far since I've last been interested in one, that's for sure.
 
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SSIGuy said:
This is one of my favourites - plays great solo or in a small group (2 to 3). It's a heavy game - and long - but awesome.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/96848/mage-knight-board-game
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That's a classic that I've heard great things about, but I've never played it. It seems to have been eclipsed a little by more recent games, but I still really want to pick it up and give it a try.

I did pick up For the King, and I'm enjoying it. It really does have a unique board game feel to it, and I really like the meta-game of unlocking new locations and eventss between playthroughs. I failed miserably in my first few play-throughs, but I'm getting better at understanding it, although there are still a few parts that could stand to be a lot more transparent.
 
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