Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind

You can collect a huge number of artifacts, have a healthy, numerous, protected and well-fed clan in good relations with everyone around, but you will still lose. Why? Because the game has no variability in how the main quest should be completed and if you do not know in advance which option to choose in the dialogue, you will lose even if you did everything correctly the whole game. This is not a Copper Age clan simulator, this is a simulator of clicking on one single correct dialogue branch, all the diversity of which comes from the randomization of the chances of success of any action that can fail for no reason.

This game offers something genuinely unique in the strategy game space, but it really needs more QoL and transparent mechanics. It often feels frustratingly opaque and sometimes downright unfair, like it's actively working against you rather than with you. For example, plot-critical characters can simply die without warning or meaningful player agency to prevent it. I didn't even realize they were essential until like 5h later when you're already locked out of the good ending. Six Ages has a bunch of design choices like that which feel needlessly punishing. So after a dozen or so hours playing "blind", I started reading lyreofsheliak's guides (by Uryarda, you're the goat! :D) and alt-tabbed to the fandom wiki sometimes to make the experience tolerable. Further, it's crucial to understand what this game isn't: it's not a sandbox steppe nomad simulator or a 4X strategy game. On first glance, it may seem that it offers freedom and multiple viable playstyles, but Six Ages is surprisingly linear in how it expects you to play, at least if you want to reach the good ending. For example, I initially tried to build an aggressive warrior clan focused on military conquest, only to discover that conquest and/or eradicating other clans is essentially unsupported by the game's systems. Even if you limit it to constant raiding with the goal to make the other clans cower in fear before you, it will backfire after some time. That said, when Six Ages clicks and you get what the game wants from you, it really shines. The setting is super unique, I've never encountered anything quite like this. You get Bronze Age-inspired nomadic culture mixed with magic and fantasy tropes that it puts its own spin on. Worldbuilding and lore are exceptional and not just window dressing but actually integrated into the gameplay mechanics. The art is beautiful and fits the theme and setting quite well, too. Storytelling is also strong with an impressive amount of events, some with branching sub-plots and on top of that tons of hidden stuff to discover, which make multiple playthroughs engaging. The genre itself (I have no idea what you'd call this?) was completely new to me, which made the experience feel extra fresh. Six Ages is really a hidden gem. A somewhat obscure, very niche and flawed one, but a gem nonetheless. I'm excited for the sequel!

A good game, just like King Of Dragon Pass HOWEVER, the battles are madly stupid. The game makes sure you lose certain number of battles and it doesnt make sense at all. You can have 90 vs 30 advantage and still lose EVERY TIME. Out of spite I loaded and replayed several times and won exactly zero times. I hate games where the battles seemingly random actually is programmed for u to lose no matter what. Not only that, it is harder to win wheels than riders CONSISTENTLY. The end game criteria is also harder than KODP and doesnt seem to forgive mistakes much. The game is rather short too, not giving you enough time to do stuff. Good game and great story for the other side of Gods opposing Orlanth but the battle system is so seriously bad Im giving it a 2 out of 5 stars

I'm enjoying it. It picks up on the King of Dragon Pass setting and refines it suitably for a game 20 years later while not losing the essence of the text driven narrative clan building sim rpg big bundle of different elements. That said, it still can be pretty opaque for how things work if you're new to this, and you can see that in some of the responses it can get. This is a world of magic and spirits, where 100 men may not count for as much as the right prayer to the right god at the right time. Which can be pretty frustrating until you do figure out those systems. Where these games shine is the world building and setting. The familiar made strange. The tropes toyed with. So far, for me, it's proving to be a worthy sequel to the original.

It felt like I was playing a boardgame that consisted solely of drawing Event Cards over and over. [b]Something happens: What do you do?[/b] Something Good/Bad happens that is difficult to feel either way. [b]Something happens: What do you do?[/b] Something Good/Bad happens that is difficult to feel either way. [b]Something happens: What do you do?[/b] Something Good/Bad happens that is difficult to feel either way. [b]Something happens: What do you do?[/b] Something Good/Bad happens that is difficult to feel either way. [b]Review: 6/10, the Art is great and the Music is fitting.[/b] I don't recommend this to the average gamer. If you're even reading this review then you may be closer to the intended audience, but the game is just REALLY light-handed in how it makes the player feel the progression of a society they're managing. There are many factors / systems under the hood that affect how events unfold but the events are forgettable.

Really really unsatisfied with the ending, the whole leadup is a pretty fun game of survival-- but the payoff is immensely disappointing tbh. Otherwise liked the setting. Wish there was a free mode without the tedious story events. Linear af.

This is the kind of game that professional narrative designers dream about creating. I would know, I am one, and I do. A work of art.

Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind is an absolute must-play for anyone who loves deep mythological worldbuilding with rich storytelling and stunningly artwork. Set Greg Stafford's Glorantha, it not only stays true to the setting’s lore but also expands upon it, offering fresh insights and perspectives that will delight both newcomers and longtime fans. What makes Six Ages truly special is its emphasis on cultural discovery. While the overarching story provides engaging choices and challenges, the real joy comes from shaping your own people and learning about the diverse societies that inhabit the valley. Every decision feels meaningful, and the mythic, almost dreamlike quality of the world makes every playthrough unique. If you enjoy strategy, roleplaying, and the feeling of being part of a living, breathing mythology, then Six Ages is an experience you don’t want to miss.

Extremely unsatisfying to play. It feels less like a game where you're leading a tribe and making decisions and more like a what "these people suffer no matter what you do" simulator. It seems to delight it just making you watch your people lose and doesn't make you feel like you have much control over any of it. That feeling gets real tiresome, real quick.

The difficulty scaling for combat is laughably bad. If you literally invest every ounce of your resources and limited choices into fortifying yourself military -- e.g., more soldiers, every fortifications, every military blessing -- all that happens is the number of raiders drastically increases. It seems the developers' idea of "good combat" is the RNG rock-paper-scissors game of choosing battle tactics (which, side note, have literally 0 explanation in the game), with absolutely no regard whatsoever for all of the preparatory work prior to the battle. Ergo: infinite focus on and preparation for battle literally only hurts you, as you might as well have put that energy towards something where you could actually get an advantage