Green Ember: Helmer in the Dragon Tomb

My daughter has really enjoyed this. The graphics are beautiful, the story is interesting. The controls are quite sensitive and some bits are quite tricky, so it needs a bit of perseverance at times - but she has stuck it out and made it through each time.

I love the Green Ember book series, and Green Ember: Helmer in the Dragon Tomb was one of my favorite reads in the series (originally backed the book and game on Kickstarter). So, naturally, I'm going to recommend the game. However, I've had a rather unpleasant time of it. First, I'm not much of a PC gamer and figuring out how to play this conveniently has been frustrating. I thought, I have a Steam Link and a Steam Controller, surely it's not that difficult. Well, it's fine until things start disconnecting in the middle of battle for seemingly no reason. Trying with a mouse and keyboard was even worse. I'm going to try tweaking my network a bit to see if I can improve Steam Link issues. I probably just need to connect a console controller to my PC. Next issue, I'd love for my children to enjoy this game as well. If it were on Nintendo Switch, that'd be no problem. On PC, I'm not sure how to do that (again, not a PC gamer). Now, to the actual gameplay. I absolutely LOVE the music. Superb soundtrack! My only issue with the soundtrack is that the theme ends too soon. Character design and the animated art style looks great. Gameplay is a bit wonky. The isometric perspective is new to me. The controls are loose making platforming a challenge. Jumps continue drifting beyond where I hoped to land. Combat is inaccurate, but manageable. Overall, the game is pretty forgiving with quick reloads, but it also feels quite challenging (perhaps that's my struggle with controls and Steam Link connectivity). After 4 hours, I'm still in Chapter 3-4, but I think I'm nearing the end of the prison. Bugs and Glitches I can't say how many times I've had to quit and load saves to get myself out of soft locked rooms. Defeat all enemies and the door doesn't trigger for some reason. On the topic saves, what is the percentage? I'm in the same chapter, but saves seem to randomly select 52%, or 39%, or some percentage in the 40s (it seems to bounce around). I like the campfire autosave, but I wish there were at least 2 autosaves so I could backtrack. At times, I accidentally progress while I'm trying to explore an area for treasure, and I can't get back. That's all for now. Recommended, but could use a bit of polish, from my perspective. I'd love to buy in on Switch!

this game is confusing at times but is still really fun. if yo7 do not have a controler or dont want to use one. be forwarned you CANNOT change the keybinds. 10/10 game

I think it fun, the jump can be a little short so parkour is hard. Its... more cartoony than I was expecting? There is also a few parts where its really hard to get past, but I managed to get past all I encountered.

Gameplay is really enjoyable. It tells a wholesome story with a straightforward goal.

The kiddos love it!

Helmer in the Dragon Tomb is an engaging game based on The Green Ember series by S.D. Smith, but it is easily accessible even if you've never read a single book from that series before. The game is challenging and fun, but there are certain sections that you may find yourself repeating. In particular, various areas of the game have bridges or platforms that will give way under you, dropping you and causing health loss or death if you stay in place or don't get off of them fast enough. I also found the jumping mechanics a bit tricky to master, but that may have been due to the fact that this was my first experience gaming on a PC. Overall, I think the game is quite entertaining, and easy to stop and take a break from when you need to.

Good game. The soundtrack and animation are both amazing. The story is not Smith's best (I say this as a massive fan of his writing), but is both charming and well-told. The combat is good, and the level design is excellent, with lots of little side-quests in order to open chests that provide you with things like increased health, stamina, or skill, all of which are extremely useful. Also, the game is harder than I expected, even though it's targeted to a younger audience. My only major complaint is that the platforming sections are a bit too difficult, and it can get frustrating to die over and over again attempting to complete them. But I learned to complete them fairly quickly with practice. Also, killing multiple enemies at the same time using a single arrow is both doable and extremely satisfying, which I love :)

My son enjoys that there are a lot of different types of attack you can use, instead of just one sword swing. He especially likes that you can one-hit-KO a nightwalker! Everything is weapon, even carrots. Beautiful art, game runs smoothly. Our whole family is enjoying it!

This is a good tie-in with a great book series. It shows a lot of promise for future adaptations. If they can get the scratch to make adaptations of other books in the series, I’ll definitely buy them. For those unfamiliar with the Green Ember books, I’d say you need to know that this is not a very long game. The art style and overall design is great. The fighting mechanics are simple and fun. Some of the platforming on the finicky side.