Bloodwood Dungeon

Unfortunately, I did not realize that this developer used generative AI for the artwork in this game until I was looking around for some information to help me in a certain section of this game. The artstyle is pretty simplified anyhow, so I'm at a loss for why AI was even really used here... Even if the developer cannot draw, they could just pull some royalty-free stock images and tweak them in Photoshop for a similar effect. Generative AI is theft and it's just flat-out soulless. The writing is quite solid. The developer has done a good enough job of building this world up and has a handful of characters that are, as of right now, quite simple. Moving on, the gameplay is just about what you'd expect it to be. If you're a fan of CYOA content, you know exactly what I mean. Overall, the UI is straightforward and simple. No complaints there. Nothing in particular to boast about. I am still unable to sneak past the soldiers to the dungeon entrance in Chapter 2, there is a hallway in Chapter 3 that leads to a locked door, and there is a set of stairs leading to Chaxian soldiers that are currently an insta-fail. There is an alcove to the north, which leads to the Guardian of Alminox boss fight. I've done pretty much everything I could at this point in the game for now and, unfortunately, it seems I'm hardstuck and at the mercy of RNG. The lowest I've been lucky enough to get this boss down to is 22 HP. Unless I'm somehow missing a convoluted interaction, this is pretty silly game design. I won't be sticking around long enough to find out, as I will be asking Steam for a refund... Generative AI is a hard 'no' for me. I cannot respect that as an artist.

This is an old-school style RPG text adventure of sorts where you make choices that determine your fate. The writing in this little game is the highlight of the show as it is very well written and this makes it quite a lot of fun to both read and play through! https://youtu.be/PxIYn7TX0q8 While I do believe that this little game is worth the asking price if you enjoy reading and using your imagination, I think I am in the minority there of Steam users today. Let's be real here... Most Steam users today have the patience of a gnat when it comes to reading and imagining what they read. Most Steam users today have probably only read a small handful of books, and this game is likely NOT for you if you hate reading or using your imagination. I'd love to see the fighting mechanics actually have dice rolls to determine the chance to hit, the chance to dodge, and the damage numbers etc. This is definitely where this game is lack-luster in my opinion as the game simply spits out random numbers and what you see is what happened in the battle. This is pretty disappointing in a little adventure game that is this otherwise very well written. I feel like just a little time spent by the developer making the player feel a little more control of those fight damage numbers and chances to hit and dodge could go a long way, even though the outcome would still be very RNG based. Based on what I played today, my guess is that there is probably 4 to 8 hours of actual gameplay here and since the adventure is much like an old choose your own adventure book, once you beat the game, there's not going to be much replay value at all. Still $5 or $6 for a well written text adventure that has several hours of adventuring and making choices to see what happens is really fun and well worth the price of admission in my book. RECOMMENDED if you enjoy reading and/or using your imagination. If you are expecting this to be Skyrim or even Vampire Survivors however, you're probably best skipping this one.

Very enjoyable role-playing gamebook adventure. The writing, illustrations (albeit AI generated) and music are very evocative and really make the experience hit the mark. I highly recommend it for fans of classic gamebooks. It's a bit shorter and less punishing than Greymarsh, the previous entry in the series but I liked Bloodwood Dungeon's setting and situations better.

Just played the latest version and was delighted by the addition of save points and no empty nodes Really nice like classic Fighting Fantasy Keen to play more it very relaxing I would be happier with more weird fiction subject matter but what I've seen so far great

Fun little game that emulates the feel of an adventure game well, for better or for worse. Stats are simple, room descriptions are succinct yet evocative. There's a few nitpicks, but overall an enjoyable time. Fights are a bit RNG-reliant. Being able to quick-jump to certain areas is a godsend feature, and getting new weapons and armor pieces helps improve your odds. The ending seems... underwhelming though, as if I got a bad ending in an Igavania game. Feels as if it may keep things ambiguous, perhaps for a sequel.

If I could pick a "mixed" rating for this game, I would. Some of its glaring issues might be too much for certain players, especially those unfamiliar with old-school text-based RPGs. The writing is decent for the most part - simple and to the point, but not overly expository, so it rarely overstays its welcome. There is some world-building, though it never goes very far or becomes particularly engaging on its own. What keeps you interested is more about what isn't being said - the mystery of it all - rather than the details presented outright. That intrigue is just enough to keep you going through the game's short ~2-hour runtime. Most quests boil down to thinly disguised fetch quests, with only one correct way to complete them. The music starts off fitting and atmospheric but quickly grows stale due to its simplicity and lack of variety. I don’t have strong feelings about the AI-generated images. While the style suits the game's tone, many of them are difficult to appreciate. Character portraits are serviceable, but the scenery images are uninspired at best and distracting at worst, sometimes pulling me out of the experience rather than enhancing immersion. The UI is functional, though not ideal. I spent 90%+ of my time reading a small text box in the top-left corner, which made playing on a large screen uncomfortable. Some layout adjustments would help. The biggest issue by far is the combat system. It offers little in terms of interesting decision-making, mostly boiling down to clicking, watching rolls play out, and clicking again... and again... and again. It's overly random, boring to watch, and even worse to play - especially if you're forced to retry encounters multiple times. And yet, despite all its obvious shortcomings (late-game combat being particularly frustrating), the game had just enough atmosphere to keep me playing. I finished it and enjoyed it - not because it's great, but because I was craving the kind of experience it attempts to offer. All in all, it's dirt cheap, and it's clear some effort went into making it. If you're looking for a quick text-based RPG adventure in the vein of Bloodwood Dungeon, it might just be enjoyable enough for you too.

An incredible experience with the best gameplay of any text-based adventure RPG I have found on PC. The UI and map provide seamless exploration and smooth gameplay. The game also includes quality music and ambiance, which puts it miles ahead of other choose your own adventure games on the market in terms of immersion. Even if you are new to a text-based adventure RPG I highly recommend trying out Bloodwood Dungeon, particularly if you enjoy a good story and dark fantasy.

A classic CYOA experience that provides a simple story set in a vague, yet promising, setting. Combat is unfortunately boring and often bogs down to pure RNG when there are no options to gain or lose tactical advantage. There were a couple of instances where your choices in a fight actually mattered, and I wish that mechanic was expended upon. Also, AI was used, which truly sways my review in the negative direction, but the developer seems to care and is working on making the game wholly AI-free, and that by itself is a great plus. Combined with the great atmosphere and the feeling of enjoying a digital gamebook, I would recommend giving "Bloodwood Dungeon" a try.

I love a good indie, but this was a letdown :( Looking past it's unfortunate reliance on Gen AI art (which, admirably, the dev appears to be in the process of patching out), the gameplay here is sadly pretty shallow. One would expect a game styling itself after RPGs and CYOAs to have at least a few choices with some weight to them; Bloodwood has, by my count, one. An early game encounter with a sick goblin was the only time i was offered a choice with distinct outcomes that had any impact on my story or the game-world. Additionally the combat is entirely RNG based, and since there are no equipment choices beyond "bad sword, slight better sword, good sword" the inclusion of combat seems to be a decision made entirely to pad the runtime. Without it, most players would breeze through this in under a half hour. If you're looking for a version of this concept done exceptionally well I'd highly recommend Moral Anxiety's game Roadwarden.

I don't usually leave reviews for games I've played; I should change that, but I wanted to leave a review for this one. It's a good game if you've been looking for a CYOA like the old adventure books. It's nice to have something like that digitally, and I had a fun few hours playing through this game, figuring out, and enjoying the story. A few typos here and there, but nothing that took me out of the story. It's got a great ambiance and sense of place. The reason I wanted to leave a review is that I'm actually really appreciative that the developer changed their mind on using generative AI images and is replacing them with ones commissioned from an artist. Acknowledging a mistake is one thing, but setting about to correct it instead of defending the choice is sadly a rarity. I bought and played the developer's other games that appealed to me, and i've left wishlisted the ones yet to come and am more likely to prioritize them. I don't know. It just meant a lot, you know? It helps that they're good games, heh.