Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest

 PC
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 30 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 30
  3. Negative: 4 out of 30

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  1. chnanthemoca
    Jul 8, 2019
    8
    if you like Turn-based RPG strategy games I think you'll have quite a good time with this game.
    the only weak side is the story. But it's something about your expectations I guess. They didn't go with a very deep story. Conversations are quite fun. Game playing is very good.
  2. justicehao
    Jul 15, 2019
    10
    This game is so lovingly and tightly designed.. it's amazing. It's honestly my favorite game I've ever played. To the point that this is probably the first game I'm writing a review for. I feel like there's always this balance people who make games have to play with between giving you tools to solve challenges, and challenges that continue to be fun to play through. A lot of the time, inThis game is so lovingly and tightly designed.. it's amazing. It's honestly my favorite game I've ever played. To the point that this is probably the first game I'm writing a review for. I feel like there's always this balance people who make games have to play with between giving you tools to solve challenges, and challenges that continue to be fun to play through. A lot of the time, in my opinion, the magic of the game is lost and you find yourself using variations of the same solution to solve every problem. This game manages to keep it fresh through every single level. I never found myself playing missions just for the rewards, the missions themselves were genuinely fun, and I wanted to achieve side quests only to see if I could. I really hope this developer keeps making more games soon, Grimrock doesn't really seem like a game for me, but I really like the direction of Druidstone.… Expand
  3. strav
    May 19, 2019
    9
    At its core, Druidstone is a tense, merciless turn-based RPG who's tight strategic situations can only be compared to Into the Breach. Do not go in expecting another Grimrock, this is a different beast entirely where, again, the emphasis is all about very tight strategic combat along with some light puzzle solving. While a lot of the game design is strongly reminiscent of Into the Breach,At its core, Druidstone is a tense, merciless turn-based RPG who's tight strategic situations can only be compared to Into the Breach. Do not go in expecting another Grimrock, this is a different beast entirely where, again, the emphasis is all about very tight strategic combat along with some light puzzle solving. While a lot of the game design is strongly reminiscent of Into the Breach, Druidstone's handcrafted levels and story leaves you with a far more organic, immersive and pleasing experience where each mission seems to have a peculiar twist of it's own.

    For full disclosure, I usually am not a big fan of turn-based RPGs for it seems that most of them can be won by a simple rinse-and-wash procedure where you just mechanically select the most effective action at your disposal without thinking any more than one move ahead. Notable exceptions: Invisible inc., Into the Breach, XCom and now Druidstone.

    In terms of production quality, the game runs smoothly (steady FPS) on my limited machine without any major bug to be seen. The UI is well done and intuitive. The backdrop story is kind of generic and light but the dialogues are usually fun to read. Overall, this is a very well done game.

    If you think this is just another shovelware turn-based RPG, do yourself and the dev a favor: just go ahead and try to beat it. My bet is you'll fail a lot and have a lot of fun while doing so.    … Expand
  4. Bertram_Kerwin
    May 26, 2019
    3
    I heard some of the staff in Legend of Grimrock join this game.
    That's why I'm so excited to try it out. But a few hours in it I'm already fed up.
    Many mechanisms are dump and poor design. For example, things you get from chest override your slot. In the early mission whistle a useless npc waste valuable action point. The list goes on and on. Clearly a turn-based RPG has no strategy    I heard some of the staff in Legend of Grimrock join this game.
    That's why I'm so excited to try it out. But a few hours in it I'm already fed up.
    Many mechanisms are dump and poor design.
    For example, things you get from chest override your slot.
    In the early mission whistle a useless npc waste valuable action point.
    The list goes on and on. Clearly a turn-based RPG has no strategy at all I'm afraid.    … Expand
  5. PHDIKOULAS
    Nov 6, 2019
    0
    I could write 32 encyclopedias why this game is bad but hey eye of the beholder, we dont judge and all that.

    Just know that if you suffered this game you must have been a bad healer-tank-person-karen etc in some past life :(

    Just skip and avoid and give a wide berth and run for the hills and get to da choppa when you see this crap of a game
  6. night4
    May 15, 2019
    5
    It's decent, but nothing really "grabs" you. The characters, music, environments, enemies, abilities, etc are all just "ok". None of it is especially creative or new or terribly interesting. This is particularly disappointing due to how unique the Grimrock games were. It's like they've just given up.

    If you're desperate for some typical fantasy turn based action, it's barely acceptable.
  7. okamimiyazaki
    Oct 11, 2019
    5
    It's a 'meh' turn-based tactical game but there are already so many of those games that do it better... The art style is awesome but could have been used on Grimrock 3 and they should really make Grimrock 3 instead, as there are almost no comparable games as good as the Grimrock series for grid-based dungeon crawling. A bit disappointing.
  8. CesarV
    Aug 31, 2019
    10
    Fantastic mix of strategy and puzzle mechanics with beautiful sprites and backgrounds. Their custom game engine also runs smoothly and flawless
  9. ComtriS
    May 4, 2021
    10
    One of the best games I've ever played, period. Druidstone is a turn-based tactics puzzler, similar to many board games, like Gloomhaven and Descent: Journeys in the Dark. This is why it falls flat among many video gamers, because it is simply too hard for them. Common complaints you'll hear are: infinite hoards of enemies, lack of randomness, and music/art/story/etc.

    The game is    One of the best games I've ever played, period. Druidstone is a turn-based tactics puzzler, similar to many board games, like Gloomhaven and Descent: Journeys in the Dark. This is why it falls flat among many video gamers, because it is simply too hard for them. Common complaints you'll hear are: infinite hoards of enemies, lack of randomness, and music/art/story/etc.

    The game is about meeting objectives efficiently. That's it. Yes, there's combat, but that's a plot device. Every single action you take needs to be thought through carefully. What's the best square for me to position every character this round? Can I afford to use this one-time-use ability this round or should I preserve it?

    Do you like chess-like games? This game is for you.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

98
#98 Best PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Aug 2, 2019
    69
    Combat is rather simplistic, but effective: situations and objectives vary greatly, and each fight requires its own tactics and equipment. Unfortunately, it’s also the best part of the game – although writers managed to draft an intriguing world, they failed to populate it with memorable characters and stories. [Issue#239, p.66]
  2. RPG Fan
    Jul 11, 2019
    85
    Although the story and characters are nothing new to RPGs, the strategy gameplay systems truly stand out in their seemingly simple execution.
    Read full review
  3. Ragequit.gr
    Jun 12, 2019
    91
    Druidstone draws inspiration from a variety of genres (even tabletop boardgames) and combines all those elements elegantly. Its whimsical writing and beautiful (Trine-sque) art should not fool you. This is a game which will put your tactical planning skills to the test and demand forward thinking in the development of your characters. Another spectacular result from the makers of the Legend of Grimrock series.
    Read full review
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