Vambrace: Dungeon Monarch

Game started out pretty decent, but sadly the front is much better than the back. The base of the game is solid, an autobattler where you build up your forces, upgrade your chosen classes, The 2 problems the game has is the extreme RNG just gets silly, especially getting to higher level synergies. The nature of sacrificing creatures to upgrade synergy classes means that it takes a lot to upgrade to max level, and makes it incredibly painful, if not impossible, to switch in mid-game. Then, because buildings are included in the synergies, and the higher level buildings can ONLY be gotten as a mission reward (either given or from Azazel's shop), you may never even be able to get the max level of the synergies you are using if the RNG doesn't let you. And because the highest level creatures can reliably only be gotten from building spawns, it further punishes you for trying to switch to a different synergy in mid-game. Which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, but because the game just has TERRIBLE balance, it cripples the game. Some synergies and creatures are so much better than others it isn't even funny, and the last boss is horrifically unbalanced RNG slog with a permanent buff that gives him a chance to heal a huge chunk of health every attack. If you picked the wrong synergies to specialize in before the final battle, the final boss may legitimately be unkillable. The combination of synergies being built up out-of-battle, along with a system that basically punishes you for trying to switch, just makes the latter half of the game an unbalanced mess. I still beat it pretty easily by focusing on a couple of the broken OP synergies, but that doesn't make it less poorly balanced. If they fix the balance it would be a positive game, as it stands now, not recommended until they do more work on it.

An interesting game, with a good story, great art design and characters, and decent gameplay. However, there are two things that really affect the game overall. The first is that the game itself does a very poor job of explaining how to play it. It feels like it tries to be very complex, with factions, synergies, building effects, floor and tile card effects and so on, but nothing is really explained properly. The randomness of unit recruitment and card pack opening also make it difficult to focus on a proper strategy. The other thing is the really inconsistent quality of the English translation. At times, it was hard to follow the story. This combined with a lacking tutorial left me guessing what some unit skills and card effects do. I also tried the free play mode, but it got bugged in the fourth round; I got stuck waiting for enemies to spawn, but they never spawned, and the game got stuck loading. Overall, it is an interesting game, but I think this game needed more time before leaving early access.

Liked: - core gameplay loop is solid and holds up really well for almost the whole game (maybe slightly samey towards the end but not too bad) - surprisingly good storyline Disliked: - going for certain synergies seemed kind of pointless since I ended up with a bit of everything every time - the English translation has quite a few typos

Неплохая задумка, много интересных механик, но... Судя по тому, что разработчики вместо очередной ежемесячной версии после версии 0.2 выпустили сразу версию 1.0, и выкинули игру из раннего доступа - похоже что они устали от разработки, и выпустили игру "как есть". Багов не то чтобы много... но они есть и они раздражают. Надеюсь допилят. А так игра вполне годная. Есть несколько этажей подземелья. Ты расставляешь там своих монстров и сдерживаешь нашествие "героев". Немного контринтуитивно, что герои идут не от входа к сердцу подземелья, а просто рандомно появляются в разных конмнатах на этажах подземелья... Это затрудняет построение эшелонированной обороны. Но в целом игра довольно лёгкая, так что это не напрягает. Можно заявится в комнату своим аватаром и кастовать всякие заклинания. Можно и просто кастовать заклинания, которые выцеливают как отдельных героев так и хоть целые комнаты либо вообще полностью этаж/подземелье. Если будут допиливать и добавлять контент - то вообще супер! Но даже если оставят как есть - всёравно стоит того чтобы попробовать. Механики необычные и интересные. Буду рад если в похожем жанре будет больше игр.

I enjoyed the demo of this so i ended up buying the game. I don't have much time in the full version but the reason for that is the reason I am not giving it a recommendation: I hate the story. The story points are so boring and drawn out, when I'm not in 'a mission' I just want to turn the game off. Could do with some better writing and more simplistic camp management. I know that's probably a 'me' thing, but I just don't have the attention span for half-baked stories. No offense writing team.. I'm sure you worked hard on it. Just wasn't for me. I'll come back around and review this some time in the future. Hopefully updates make it more pallatable.

Probably one of my favorite high/dark fantasy universe, I found this game very addicting for me personally and would really like if they added a romance or a bonding system like they did for cold soul, and perhaps add some unique voice lines for heroes (non renegade), overall I enjoyed the game-play quite a bit, I loved watching units both allied and hostile move about fight in the dungeon in nearly real time, and the soundtrack is good and i especially love the art style ever since Cold-soul and free dungeon mode has a good level of replay ability. However the game can definitely feel somewhat repetitive and boring if one's not interested in the story or the world building, and at least in my experience it felt like some of the factions completely fall off in late game battles and lastly i do wish there was an easier way of acquiring heroes past a certain threshold when building a faction. But I look forward and hope we get more titles that will expand the world building of this universe.

This may be the most unbalanced game I've ever played. It's mind-blowing. The enemy will send waves of legendary swordsmen during boss battles. These are units that can take 80% of your MONARCH'S HP in one shot. That's effing ridiculous. They will just flood you, and that's before their boss even shows up. You can summon reinforcements, but only up until about wave 16. Since the enemies mostly kill off your units AFTER that point, you essentially do not get reinforcements. That seems like a horrendous design oversight. To add insult to injury, your units seem to insist on going from areas that are well-defended to open areas where they will get slaughtered. They seem determined to suicide themselves on enemy forces. What a mess...

Take on the role of the Dungeon Monarch, the chosen protector of your master's domain. Armed with potent magic and an endless legion of summonable troops that work in harmony, your task is to defend the dungeon from invading adventurers, jealous rivals, and powerful deities who seek to conquer and destroy your stronghold. The stakes are high, and only your strategic prowess can maintain control. Vambrace: Dungeon Monarch offers a distinctive and fast-paced gameplay experience that blends deck-building, tactical combat, auto-battling, and dungeon defense. You’ll command a strategic deck of cards, each representing unique spells and summoning abilities. Use devastating attacks like lightning strikes, fiery explosions, and volleys of arrows to crush your enemies, while simultaneously boosting your units with morale enhancements, extra damage, and protective shields. Watch as your summoned forces spring to life, leveraging their individual skills to eliminate waves of intruders. Your dungeon faces constant threat from archon hunters—legendary warriors vying for the golden throne and eager to exploit any weakness in the master's power. However, the dungeon now has a new ruler: the Monarch, the god’s appointed regent. But with immense power comes great responsibility—and doubt lingers over whether the Monarch is truly worthy of this position. Central to the gameplay is your magical deck of cards, each symbolizing your abilities to summon and support your troops. Since your deck has limited capacity, crafting the perfect combination of cards is essential. You’ll need to tailor your strategy carefully to adapt to an array of enemy types intent on plundering and razing your dungeon. The interplay between deck building, dungeon defense, and tactical auto-battling creates a fresh and engaging challenge. Cards and units interact in ways that amplify their strengths. Planning these synergies strategically is critical to maximizing your forces' effectiveness and driving back invaders. Once deployed, your units act autonomously in combat, but as their commander, you can maneuver through the dungeon to leverage their ferocity, positioning yourself to turn the tide of battle. Beyond summoning, you can construct towers and other buildings throughout your dungeon. These structures not only accelerate troop deployment but also unlock new tactical options, adding depth and variety to your defensive strategies. Visually, the game boasts a distinctive and devilishly charming art style that blends whimsy with menace, perfectly matching the game’s fiendish tone. Random events add unpredictability and replayability, ensuring that no two playthroughs feel exactly the same. In sum, Vambrace: Dungeon Monarch delivers an inventive and dynamic mix of mechanics, requiring thoughtful deck management, tactical battlefield decisions, and strategic dungeon development. Its blend of fast-paced action and strategic planning offers a unique experience that will appeal to players looking for something both challenging and refreshingly original. Rating: 6/10

A fun tactical game. It takes about 12 hours to beat the story mode and then you get the free play mode if you want more. The tactical gameplay is fun and intuitive after you learn the kinks of it which could take some time as the tutorials aren’t the best. The story is fun if somewhat cliche. There are still some bugs but nothing gamebreaking that re-launching the game would not fix, fortunately the autosave is decent. English translation is manageable but could be much better. All together if the price is okay for you and you like card driven tactical combat games it’s a buy otherwise I would wait for a sale.