Recent reviews by Roofstone

TLDR: Very recommended, with the caveat that this is an early access game and that will be felt in your experience so far.



The Bloodline is a lot of fun. It is still an early access game and due to that it is somewhat bare bones. But what is here is exactly the kind of thing I am after in videogames. Especially the magic lends itself to incredibly exciting large scale fights. The physics letting you throw people around as you hammer them with wizard powers is top tier, and AAA games should take note.

There are bugs, The Bloodline is an early access game so the game itself warns you of this too. But I've yet to encounter any truly game breaking ones, and the ones that were consistently annoying were all solved by a save and a reload.

All in all, while the bugs can be annoying and the game is still in progress. This is a game I am going to continually come back to every update to play some more with. Because what is there is already the groundwork for an incredible experience I cannot wait for.


It might look simple at first glance, but The Bloodline takes it's visual style and it uses it to it's full potential. Despite the simple appearance I find the game at times outright beautiful. Especially during the evening hours when the lighting effects truly show themselves off.


A little bit of a small selection, but what is there I like a whole lot. The Bloodline invokes many great RPG and other medieval fiction shamelessly and that is a strength. Believe you me.


Highly recommended if the premise sounds like it is up your alley! I very very much enjoyed the I time spent with The Bloodline, and I will continue to check in on it every single update.

TLDR: Very recommended.


Gameplay

Lake is fun! You probably have to be in the right mindset and mood, but if you are this will scratch an itch. It sucks you in with it's premise fairly well, and I at the very least quickly found myself following traffic rules and everything - just out of immersion without me even noticing.

There are some minor hiccups. The dialogue is usually great but sometimes a line is real awkward. The game is beautiful but now and then you'll notice a texture clips due to clumsy placement. Things like that, but this is not at all frequent enough to be more than a minute distraction at worst.

The story is cute, we can all relate to not always knowing if our life is taking the direction we want. And exploring those feelings will always be worth it. And the characters are all enjoyable. Even the jerk at the motel!

Visuals

A very cute graphical style I enjoyed very much. In fact I miss a photomode!

Soundtrack

A little bit of a small selection, but what is there is very enjoyable and provides the good vibes!

Conclusion

Highly recommended if the premise sounds like it is up your alley! I very much enjoyed the I time spent with this great little game.

TLDR: Very recommended.


Gameplay

Life sim with a dash of visual novel, dating sim, and minigames.

You'll spend the majority of your time with this game divided between the story playing out and the minigames that represent schoolwork and examinations. The minigames can after some time become a bit repititive, but I also spent a lot of time with this game in not-that-many-days, so that might be my fault. Ignoring that they are enjoyable enough games, nothing out of the ordinary or unfamiliar. Simple and get the point across.

The story scenes are what takes the spotlight for this game. With a wide varied cast of very enjoyable characters it is impossible not to get swept along with their storylines. My favourite was Charles', I believe. The impressive amounts of endings and variations in-story between playthroughs lends itself to a very replayable experience. Where you'll have to go through the game many times over before you can truly say that the game has started repeating itself in any noticeable fashion.

I was especially impressed by how many varying endings there are. Not just for the different characters but for the player character as well. Make sure you get those A grades, kids!

At 19.6 hours spent I have now completed the game 100%. One playthrough took me everywhere from one to three hours. But with the almost endless replayability you'll have plenty of game for your buck.

Visuals

This game is beautiful. The characters are gorgeous. The backgrounds are fantastic. Even the map is a bright and vibrant visual worthy of being called art on it's own. My hat goes off to the artists in this team.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack is great. It invokes the time period of the game excellently, and inspires that certain nostalgic feel. Where you're remembering fondly things that might not even have happened, in places you're not quite sure you've ever been. It is the kind of soundtrack you can get truly lost in.

Conclusion

A very recommended game if you are in the mood for a life sim, visual novel, or dating sim. Even more so if you are in the market for all three at once! Growing Up has you covered better than anything else on Steam.

Quick Disclaimer: This game is in early access. And has been for a long time. Development time is one of the slowest I have seen, but still steady by it's own relative standard.

Where do I start with this game? It is aboslutely wonderful. I think one word to describe it is satisfying. There is something about this deceptively simple game that I find absolutely satisfying. It is a town sim unlike any other I know off. From starting with nothing but a few Hearthlings and a campfire to a thriving community, every step of the way is satisfaction.

The way the hearthlings interact with each other. The way they wipe their brows after work. They way they tear up after an argument. The scaffolding they set up as they build their buildings. They and the world they inhabit appear so real.

Gameplay

The gameplay is simple, but deep enough to force you to think. Supply chains are a big thing.
Let's take the carpenter, He wants to build a comfy bed. So he needs wood. And he needs cloth.

• The carpenter must go to the tailor for cloth. And the worker for wood.
  
• The tailor must go to the shepherd for wool.
  
• The shepherd must go to the cook for animal food.
  
• The cook must go to to the hunter and the farmer for ingredients.

And so on. You get the idea.

Building takes place in blueprint mode , where you drag walls and floors around, or place individual blocks. Then place down furniture and other things you need for a functional building. Deceptively simple but surprisingly deep, you can make some grand structures!

Combat is simple enough, you assign people to roles they are suited for as you level them up and unlock the tools needed, and they will patrol town on their own or go to your assigned locations as you see fit. If they get knocked out other hearthlings will tend to them absent your input, but you can rush their care as well.

Visuals

The visuals are simple and voxel based, but oh so atmospheric. From the little details on the hearthlings and animals, to the pleasant colours on the plants and buildings. There is something undeniably beautiful about the simple graphics presented before us.

Soundtrack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-GhFN3hIak

Absolutely magical. The simple tunes of day to day life, to the exciting thunder of combat music. It is folksy, and hypnotically lazy. Like a cross between Zelda and Stardew Valley, it just makes you think of happy things.

Conclusion

One of my favourite games. And my definite favourite town sim. It is absolutely wonderful, and despite the long development times and early access, there is just something magical about this game that I have not found anywhere else.