West of Loathing

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 92 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 63 out of 92
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 92
  3. Negative: 13 out of 92

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  1. gloriouspotato
    Jan 25, 2018
    7
    Lighthearted dialogue, stick figures and silly walks is great at first, but the novelty wears off soon enough. Strip away the quirky aesthetic and you realise that all you're left with is a fairly barebones RPG with very simple and limited mechanics that eventually makes combat and exploration a monotonous affair. Fun for the first 10-15 hours or so, but the game needs to mix things upLighthearted dialogue, stick figures and silly walks is great at first, but the novelty wears off soon enough. Strip away the quirky aesthetic and you realise that all you're left with is a fairly barebones RPG with very simple and limited mechanics that eventually makes combat and exploration a monotonous affair. Fun for the first 10-15 hours or so, but the game needs to mix things up along the way.

    Overall rating - 7.2/10    … Expand
  2. KennyKamakazi
    Aug 15, 2017
    10
    West of Loathing is absolutely terrific in every aspect. The writing is spot-on and hilarious, the art style is quirky and charming and the game mechanics are refined and easy to understand. At the core of the game is a lot of brain-teasing puzzles and fun, impactful choices.
  3. RMDsilva
    Jul 17, 2019
    7
    Addictive little entertaining thing. Funny too.
    Bit short maybe, with not so much in terms of climaxes.
  4. SPQY
    Aug 11, 2017
    10
    The art is charming and the animation is well done, but the writing in this game has been especially and consistently good--which is great, because this game is largely about its writing. It is frequently very funny, and everything has been genuinely delightful to explore.

    If you're not a Kingdom of Loathing (KoL) player (of which, this game is a spin-off), I absolutely still think this    The art is charming and the animation is well done, but the writing in this game has been especially and consistently good--which is great, because this game is largely about its writing. It is frequently very funny, and everything has been genuinely delightful to explore.

    If you're not a Kingdom of Loathing (KoL) player (of which, this game is a spin-off), I absolutely still think this game is worth checking out. If anything, this game is MUCH more accessible than KoL, and, frankly, seems like it would be a better introduction to the Loathingverse than the original game.

    If you are a KoL player, then I recommend this game even more. The writing captures the same fun tone as the original game, the combat has been greatly streamlined, and the side-quest structure evokes the same feeling as playing KoL except that it doesn't seem nearly as repetitive, as many of the side-quests move quite quickly.

    Big thumbs up from me! 11!    … Expand
  5. grimdel
    Aug 14, 2017
    9
    Awesome game - consumed my weekend. Seemed like a short play through (15-20 hrs), but thats the beauty of it - thats not the entire game. Plenty of side plots for another 10-20 hrs that you aren't force to play, but nothing stopping you either. Plenty of nods to Asymetrics 'Kingdom of Loathing' game, as well as other pop-culture references. If you like westerns, RPGs, questing withoutAwesome game - consumed my weekend. Seemed like a short play through (15-20 hrs), but thats the beauty of it - thats not the entire game. Plenty of side plots for another 10-20 hrs that you aren't force to play, but nothing stopping you either. Plenty of nods to Asymetrics 'Kingdom of Loathing' game, as well as other pop-culture references. If you like westerns, RPGs, questing without devoting your entire waking life to - this is the game for you!… Expand
  6. jimtheburger
    Aug 15, 2017
    10
    I played Kingdom of Loathing a while ago. It was a suggestion that i didn't take too seriously till i played it. The second i started however i just couldn't stop playing it. West of Loathing is no different. I love the flow of the game. You almost immediately know your goal when you enter a new area. The comedy is spot on. Even the options for the game are humorous like a "color blind"I played Kingdom of Loathing a while ago. It was a suggestion that i didn't take too seriously till i played it. The second i started however i just couldn't stop playing it. West of Loathing is no different. I love the flow of the game. You almost immediately know your goal when you enter a new area. The comedy is spot on. Even the options for the game are humorous like a "color blind" option which you don't need for the game being black and white.
    With a game that has had a immense amount of care put into it i would suggest this game to anyone. A $10 price tag feels like a steal (in my opinion for this game).    … Expand
  7. datavortex
    Aug 12, 2017
    10
    There's not much I can say here that hasn't already been covered well by release day reviews in The Escapist, Polygon, PC Gamer, Venture Beat, Pixel Related or Recombu, all of them absolutely glowing. What I can tell you is that this made my face hurt. Why? I was laughing out loud so much my cheeks were sore the next day. What I can tell you is that my wife banned me from playing the gameThere's not much I can say here that hasn't already been covered well by release day reviews in The Escapist, Polygon, PC Gamer, Venture Beat, Pixel Related or Recombu, all of them absolutely glowing. What I can tell you is that this made my face hurt. Why? I was laughing out loud so much my cheeks were sore the next day. What I can tell you is that my wife banned me from playing the game after she went to bed, because the roaring laughter at a new spittoon gag or crazy dialog about a cow would wake her. And what I can tell you is that I had hours and hours of fun (about 50 so far) solving all the puzzles and crazy, quirky side quests.

    I don't 100% a lot of games but you can bet the farm I'm going to get every cheevo on this one. Every piece of writing is the highly polished, subtle, droll humor you expect if you have played Kingdom of Loathing. Chock full of references not just to American pop culture and nerd-friendly media, but also deep cuts in literature and tons of gaming tropes. Everything from undergraduate D&D games to Skeleton fort is represented in hilarious fashion.

    Polygon says that it's "a genuinely deep and hilarious game" and I can't overstate my agreement. It's a huge game, bigger than you think before you buy it, bigger than you think when you start playing it, and bigger than you think when you finish your first playthrough. Don't be deceived by the low price point, this is hours and hours of face-hurting levels of belly laughs and incredible fun. The systems are fun, the puzzles have a great range of difficulty, and combat is satisfying and offers a diverse selection of available approaches.

    If you like Kingdom of Loathing, if you like things that are funny, if you like nerdy or pop culture references, or if you just like silly walks or horrifically disgusting descriptions of spittoons, you'll love the game. If you only like games that are in all purple colors and Japanese, you probably will not.    … Expand
  8. Cameramaven
    Aug 13, 2017
    10
    Spent the entire weekend doing this and don't feel a bit guilty. Came for the laughs, and there are many many, stayed for the incredibly smart challenges. Every scene has something new (and a spittoon). Seriously funny and funnily serious, it sideswipes a few philosophical concepts, social memes and preconceptions as your character and her/his chosen sidekick travel the maps. When youSpent the entire weekend doing this and don't feel a bit guilty. Came for the laughs, and there are many many, stayed for the incredibly smart challenges. Every scene has something new (and a spittoon). Seriously funny and funnily serious, it sideswipes a few philosophical concepts, social memes and preconceptions as your character and her/his chosen sidekick travel the maps. When you finish as a Beanslinger, do it again, but differently, as the Snake Oiler or the Cow Puncher....with the Stupid Walk. Such a bargain.… Expand
  9. Blunderbuss
    Aug 14, 2017
    10
    "When life gives you cannons, make a cannonade." West of Loathing is charming and delightful. It especially shines during the dialogue, and is full of humor and wit. Don't forget to hover over all the item and buff icons to get extra comedy content! It offers interesting combat, but only if you want it, and the art style (while minimal) grows on you and doesn't detract from the experience.
  10. bigalphillips
    Aug 14, 2017
    10
    The writing is hilarious and clever, the art is charming and the mechanics are satisfying. Combat is pretty easy unless you choose to enable hard mode so you can either play it as an adventure game or full on RPG.
  11. iampsy
    Aug 16, 2017
    10
    Awesome game! Great dev team. Best $$ i've spent on a game in ages! If you're a fan of Kingdom of Loathing, then you'll love this game, and will be happily familiar with many characters and enemies!
  12. shellninja
    Aug 17, 2017
    10
    A wild west adventure with the narrative prowess of an absurd David Foster Wallace in the best of ways! An hour spent with this game is an hour you won't regret. I'm putting this at number 2 of the top 10 best games of all time. Number one is reserved for Asymmetric's next game.
  13. ShiArch
    Aug 28, 2017
    6
    I respect the nostalgia that some players feel but looking beyond that the game is very repetitive after 10 minutes. Text changes but combat is very unimaginative and there is little to nothing you can do to change outcome. Perks are nice and hilarious as are the stat description but they wear out very soon and the game becomes a slugfest. Also, dialogue while funny at most occasions isI respect the nostalgia that some players feel but looking beyond that the game is very repetitive after 10 minutes. Text changes but combat is very unimaginative and there is little to nothing you can do to change outcome. Perks are nice and hilarious as are the stat description but they wear out very soon and the game becomes a slugfest. Also, dialogue while funny at most occasions is extremely drawn out and you will be forced to skip parts of it unless you want to read similar jokes over and over again. All in all, a fine nostalgia game which utterly lacks depth in combat mechanics (the real game part) with little to no practical options to change outcome. 6/10 for lacking depth and proper combat.… Expand
  14. Pdfortune
    Sep 3, 2017
    6
    It isn't that funny. Too much reading of nonsense. It would have been better with audio dialogue. It seems like a game from 30 years ago. Very little depth to the game. It is fairly repetitive and boring.
  15. Svarokok
    Aug 31, 2017
    10
    One of the best games of the year so far. One of the best rpg games ever made considering the amount of fun it offers. The depth of the quests is amazing, you have tons of options to solve any situation.
  16. Wiebe
    Feb 27, 2020
    3
    Stupid simple jokes, ugly game, uninteresting writing, bad game design. Overrated game.
  17. auditbadger
    Jul 4, 2018
    5
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  18. Mandulum
    Dec 8, 2018
    8
    Favorite Thing: It's a weird game. Must be experienced.
    Least Favorite Thing: Bad balancing. For the first half of the game my partner was the only one who could kill anything. In the second half I was overpowered.

    Date Completed: 2018-11-03
    Playtime: 9h
    Enjoyment: 8/10
    Recommendation: It was a great game. You should play it.
  19. jcasetnl
    Dec 18, 2020
    6
    It's very charming at first but as other reviewers have noted, the game mechanics are achingly shallow and it gets very repetitive, with only the clever humor and tropes to keep it interesting. The combat gives you tons of options but you won't need any of them. A little exp and stat grinding makes all encounters one-shot affairs, and this game pretty much hands those grind sections to youIt's very charming at first but as other reviewers have noted, the game mechanics are achingly shallow and it gets very repetitive, with only the clever humor and tropes to keep it interesting. The combat gives you tons of options but you won't need any of them. A little exp and stat grinding makes all encounters one-shot affairs, and this game pretty much hands those grind sections to you on a silver platter.

    It runs on low end devices and is a decent time waster on a long drive, but I could honestly take it or leave it.    … Expand
  20. Johnny_Maybe
    Aug 17, 2017
    9
    It would easy to say this is a homage to and a surreal pop at cowboy movies and roleplaying games.

    It is better than just a joke at these genres expense. It's a tale of the supernatural invading a Western setting and the darker side of this concept pokes through - making you jump suitably at shadows. Intentionally or not, it reminds me of the old Deadlands RPG. I must stop    It would easy to say this is a homage to and a surreal pop at cowboy movies and roleplaying games.

    It is better than just a joke at these genres expense.

    It's a tale of the supernatural invading a Western setting and the darker side of this concept pokes through - making you jump suitably at shadows.

    Intentionally or not, it reminds me of the old Deadlands RPG. I must stop showing my age on these things.

    The game zips along in a fun manner - with regular rewards and punishments for tampering with the point and click environment.

    Combat is a fun but limited turn based affair with your pardner and conjured assistants. Your stats limit use of the crazy items and special attacks you unlock on the way.

    Put together with the regular blasts of humour, it is reminscent of Stick of Truth in it's feel.

    I loved it and with three character classes and random side quests the replay value is high.

    Please note - modern gamers may find the graphics and no gamepad an automatic turn off but if a funny, creepy, cow fearing, clown punching, spitoon wrangling roleplaying game appeals try it regardless.    … Expand
  21. Mewkitty43
    Aug 6, 2018
    10
    I have been a long time fan of the kingdom of loathing, and when I saw this game for the first time I knew I would love it. the pricing for the game was wonderful only 10 bucks for around 70 hours of play (Multiple play throughs)(each play through takes about 5 hours) Finally seeing the kingdom of loathing animated and brought to life was amazing, and even in multiple play throughs (evenI have been a long time fan of the kingdom of loathing, and when I saw this game for the first time I knew I would love it. the pricing for the game was wonderful only 10 bucks for around 70 hours of play (Multiple play throughs)(each play through takes about 5 hours) Finally seeing the kingdom of loathing animated and brought to life was amazing, and even in multiple play throughs (even with the Hard Hat) I still enjoy the game and play it way too much. I love this game and everything about it is amazing.… Expand
  22. Mizuiro
    Jul 14, 2019
    7
    Funny game, but sad that it is only in English. A lot of the jokes can't be understood if you aren't a native English speaker and I'm not one.
    Also combat is very broken, first half of the game was good but after that enemies killed me in 1 or 2 shoots and I did the same so it was a battle to see who were the fastest one.
  23. edxtan
    Feb 27, 2023
    7
    West of Loathing's plain visuals lets you imagine the funny scenarios being described by the dialogue which you can interact with through the gameplay. But after the gameplay and dialogue start to get old, that simple charm turns monotonous.
  24. BenHood102503
    Nov 14, 2020
    8
    It's incredibly funny, haven't busted a gut laughing at a game for a while. The RPG mechanics are neat you do need to pay attention to what you're doing for the most part, but it should be the comedic world of West of Loathing that you should care about and be looking for rather than anything truly deep. It's a great game to sit back, relax, and have a good laugh
  25. Spiketrap
    Nov 25, 2020
    10
    There are few people who can make you laugh with a simple joke told using stick figures, but West of Loathing was created by people who understand the beauty of their jokes, and how people would play their amazing game. A solid play that grasps on to their jokes and says "Here, try this" as it shoves the deliciousness down your throat.
  26. Jollyolfun
    Nov 18, 2022
    7
    i played the original kingdom of loathing on web browser i miss the good ol days

Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Best PC Game of 2017
88
#88 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. GameCritics
    Mar 19, 2019
    100
    West of Loathing is one of the best RPGs on the market, hands down. The simplistic art style and humorous themes mean anyone will be able to get in and enjoy themselves, there’s plenty of laughs and sharp writing, and players only need to engage with it in the ways that they want to. I’m hard-pressed to find anything negative to say about it! And now if you’ll excuse me, I have to hit the ol’ dusty trail and get back to it…
    Read full review
  2. RPG Fan
    Feb 6, 2019
    90
    West of Loathing is a rare treat of a video game — one that compels you to restart it immediately after you finish. With some of the best comedic writing ever found in an RPG and a truly unique and timeless visual style, you're going to have a hard time forgetting this one, pardner!
    Read full review
  3. GameSpot
    Jun 7, 2018
    80
    West of Loathing's visuals are monochromatic, but there's enjoyable comedy painted between every line, a pitch-perfect Spaghetti Western soundtrack, and a full spectrum of role-playing possibilities to choose from that make it a consistently enjoyable madcap cowboy jaunt.
    Read full review
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