Crayon Chronicles offers a relatively short (2-4 hours per play-through) but action-packed RPG experience that randomly generates the level layouts each time you play. You are encouraged to play through the game more than once thanks to the random nature of the environment layouts, but also because we keep track of the interesting facts about each play-through (in our newfangled "Heroic Hallitorium") so you can compare your adventures to each other as well as to the adventures of your friends. As the story goes, your friends have been kidnapped (tragic, I know), but as it so happens, you are brave enough to attempt their rescue. With help from a "stranger" you are soon set on the path to their salvation from the despicable Lord of the Swampyards, Stratolustrious Von Danderbeak the 37th (or Strato for short, his name is a mouth-full). If you succeed in rescuing your friends and bringing down the Swampyard Tyrant, then glory, satisfaction, and maybe a nap await you.
Amazing rogue-like. It has a lot of charm, and a lot of difficulty. It has the humour of Binding of Isaac (a lot less dark than that game) and astounding gameplay. The turn-based nature of it allows for some interesting strategies to take place. The setting of the game is fun and unique, having a school with a library, but also the numerous other locations you encounter.
The best thing is that you can keep a history of all your encounters (i.e deaths) and the game saves it. You also have an earthbound-like system where you have "friends" and pets that you can also customize.
I really love this game. I am a huge fan of roguelikes, and funnily enough I would say this game is actually one of the most difficult roguelikes I've played.
In fact, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to people who really dislike losing A LOT. If you're the kind of person who rages over Super Meat Boy or Dark Souls, then you will probably not like this game. It's that hard.
Crayon Chronicles is like a brighter, friendlier, more in-depth 'Cardinal Quest'. And that is a good thing. Nice aesthetic and lots to do. Good music too. Recommend.
The graphics and the other aspects of the presentation are good, especially the "notepaper" style UI.
As a roguelike it's a simple and fun one. It's still a lot more challenging that you'd expect given the "child-friendly" look of it. By simple I mean for example you don't have an inventory as such, you can just swap stuff you find with whatever you have in that slot, you can only fire ranged weapons in the 8 main directions rather than free targetting- things like that.
What the game badly needs in my opinion is ability to move and attack with the keyboard instead of the mouse. There's too much clicking for me. Basically if there's "danger" with nearby monsters you have to click once for every square you move. When you attack monsters you have to click once for every attack.
I have asked the devs if support would be added for movement and attacking via keyboard and they said "Because we have a cursor, keyboard controls were too clunky. You can hold down left click to move, when safe". As a roguelike developer myself I'm not happy with this answer so I have had to adjust my score for the game unfortunately.
I loved the idea of this however it cant decide if it wants to be super hard core or super easy. The first level of this game are super easy the second level is super hard. I tried to pass the second leve (graveyard)and after about 4 tries and dying called it game over for me. Arrows on the bad guys go across the screen into infinity and beyond. My arrows do not. See the issue here? Going up against 4 to 5 archers who can shoot you accross the entire map is a bad design. BAD.
Graphics are fun and colorful and sound is fine. Gameplay is abysmal. Fail and it Fails hard. Next time make a game not for the super elite hardcore to the max player and make it more for everyone to enjoy not the elite of elite for the elite. Ugh. Also pointed this out on there dead forum, me along with another guy. Got some tips that did not work. So much potential ruined because its only going to appeal to a few players. I had high hopes for this game. I hope im coming across bitter because I am. I wanted to enjoy this game. I cannot.
No full screen option.
Really enjoyable game. It's pretty casual, but not in a bad way. A really great game to just mess around with when you aren't in a serious mood.
It's fun, smooth and enough variety to last most people a few playthroughs. About the only gripe I could come up with (and im really "scraping the bottom of the barrel") is that there is no legacy type mechanics. Such as doing certain things that after death unlock small bonuses for future characters..
All in all, there is no reason not to play this unique little game!! Refreshing to see a rogueish game thats not in that flat, boring isometric 2d pixels that make it hard to even distinguish one game from another!!
I would score higher but for lack of fullscreen, character customization and lack of control options. Numpad controls eg would, to me, make this a more 'kiddy-friendly-game'.
Fun game though, really like the style and overall (family-friendly) presentation.
Especially as this is not a particularly expensive title, I'd recommend getting this game for those looking for a casual RPG-style game.