Info about Tainted Grail: Conquest:

Official game description:


Release date: May 27, 2021

Categories: Deckbuilding, Turn-based Combat, Roguelike, Dark Fantasy, Character Progression, Narrative-driven Gameplay, Semi-open World, Grid-based Combat

Feature scans:
- Proton/Linux: score 30; verdict: Minor Tweaks; summary: The game has a native Linux build, but users report that it is less stable and more prone to crashes compared to running the Windows build through Proton. Performance is generally good on Linux, but a powerful processor is required to avoid micro-freezes during combat.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game has several issues on the Steam Deck, including faster battery drain, control scheme problems, and stability issues with the Linux build. Users have reported that running the Windows build through Proton improves stability, but overall optimization and control responsiveness could be enhanced for a better experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $19.99
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows that users consistently mention the game being worth its full price, which is stated to be $19.99. Additionally, several reviews highlight that the game is often on sale for around $5, indicating that the community finds value even at this lower price point. The repeated mentions of the game being worth the full price and still being a good deal on sale suggest a strong sentiment that the fair price range is between these two figures.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 63.0h
  - Story completion: 65.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides direct statements about the time it took players to complete the game, achieve 100% completion, or finish the main story quest chain. These quotes are used to estimate the typical playtime hours for game completion and story completion. There is no direct evidence provided for session length or endgame playtime, so those fields are marked as null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game initially feels repetitive and tedious, especially with the starting classes, but becomes more enjoyable and addictive as players progress and unlock more content and classes.
  - Stance: Fun after unlocks
  - Anchor: Unlocking new classes and abilities
  - Time to anchor: 2h 0m
  - Friction: Repetitive early gameplay; Tedious combat; Boring starting classes; Slow initial progression
  - Unlock drivers: Unlocking new classes; Accessing new abilities; Meta-progression
  - Conditions: Patience to overcome initial repetition; Willingness to experiment with different classes; Appreciation for meta-progression
- Player Archetypes:
  - Chill Story-Driven Explorer (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of the dark fantasy setting and relaxing gameplay.
    - Playstyle: Casual, enjoys the story and atmosphere, engages with meta-progression.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: chill vibes; story-driven
    - Reference games: Slay the Spire; Darkest Dungeon
  - Grind-Wary Veteran (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Seeking a challenging experience but wary of excessive grind.
    - Playstyle: Strategic, completionist, but cautious of time investment.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: veteran; completionist
    - Reference games: Slay the Spire; Darkest Dungeon
  - Variety-Seeking Strategist (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of diverse and unique playstyles and strategic depth.
    - Playstyle: Experimental, enjoys trying out different classes and strategies.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: strategist; variety-seeker
    - Reference games: Hearthstone; Magic: The Gathering Online; Slay the Spire


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging and fun gameplay (weight 0.34): The game offers engaging and fun gameplay with intriguing combat, deep mechanics, and high replay value. Players find the combat challenging and rewarding, and the overall gameplay experience is enjoyable and rich.
- Diverse and fun classes (weight 0.29): The game offers a variety of fun and well-constructed classes with strong differentiation. Players appreciate the diversity in classes and the unique gameplay each class provides.
- High-quality voice acting (weight 0.27): The game features excellent voice acting that enhances the storytelling and atmosphere. Players appreciate the well-voiced characters and the high-quality voice acting that contributes to the overall immersion.
- Interesting card-based roguelike mechanics (weight 0.23): The game is praised for its unique take on the roguelike genre with card-based mechanics. Players enjoy the deck-building aspects and the roguelike elements that make the game addictive and fun.
- Immersive atmosphere (weight 0.19): The game features an excellent and immersive atmosphere that draws players in. The dark and moody setting, combined with the atmosphere, creates a compelling experience.
- Excellent soundtrack (weight 0.18): The game features a great soundtrack that complements the gameplay and atmosphere. Players appreciate the fantastic music and superb audio that enhance the overall experience.
- Rich lore and world-building (weight 0.17): The game features interesting lore and excellent world-building that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the depth of the lore and the well-constructed world.
- Enjoyable overall experience (weight 0.17): Players find the game enjoyable overall, with entertaining mechanics and a fun experience despite some flaws. The game is considered legitimately good and fun.
- Similar to Slay the Spire (weight 0.12): The game is often compared to Slay the Spire, blending similar card mechanics with its own unique elements. Players who enjoy Slay the Spire are likely to find this game appealing as well.
- Good value for the price (weight 0.1): Players find the game to be worth the money, offering good value for the price. The game is considered a worthwhile purchase, even at full price.

Common complaints:
- Repetitive gameplay (weight 0.28): Many players find the gameplay loop monotonous and tedious, with battles and mechanics becoming repetitive quickly.
- Class balance issues (weight 0.21): Players report significant imbalances between character classes, with some classes being inherently stronger or weaker than others.
- Excessive grinding (weight 0.16): The game requires a lot of grinding, which can feel tedious and slow, affecting both in-game progression and meta-progression.
- High difficulty and combat issues (weight 0.15): The game's combat is noted for being overly difficult, with enemies dealing too much damage and having excessive health.
- Uninspired and unengaging content (weight 0.14): Players find the combat, story, and overall gameplay uninteresting and lacking in depth or tactics.
- Poor controls and design (weight 0.13): The game suffers from clunky controls, slow movement speed, and poor design choices, making the gameplay experience less enjoyable.
- Tedious and slow-paced (weight 0.13): The game is criticized for its slow pace, lengthy battles, and overall tedium, which can make it feel like a chore to play.
- Lack of content and variety (weight 0.11): Players feel there is not enough content or variety in the game, leading to a lack of engagement and replayability.
- Limited class and card variety (weight 0.11): The variety of classes and cards is more limited than it appears, with some classes feeling weak or uninteresting.
- Bugs and performance issues (weight 0.1): Players encounter several bugs and performance issues, including lag and controller problems.
- High randomness and RNG (weight 0.06): The game's high dependence on randomness and chance can be frustrating for players.
- Long and tedious boss fights (weight 0.04): Boss fights are noted for being excessively long, contributing to the game's slow pace.
- Inconsistent gameplay duration (weight 0.04): The game's duration is criticized for being either too short or excessively long.
- Unclear progression and effects (weight 0.04): Some aspects of the game, such as progression and certain effects, are unclear to players.
- Lack of language support (weight 0.03): The game lacks support for certain languages, such as Portuguese, which can be a drawback for some players.
- Difficulty spikes (weight 0.03): The game has inconsistent difficulty levels, with some players finding it too easy or too hard.
- Lack of optimization and updates (weight 0.03): The game suffers from poor optimization and a lack of updates, affecting its overall performance.
- Uneven and unpredictable pacing (weight 0.03): The game's pacing is noted for being uneven and unpredictable, affecting the overall gameplay experience.
- Frustrating survival mechanics (weight 0.03): The game's survival mechanics are criticized for being overly punishing and frustrating.
- Dialogue choices impact gameplay (weight 0.03): Some dialogue choices can significantly impact the game's difficulty and may require restarting the game.

Gameplay feedback:
- Variety of character classes (weight 0.33): The game offers a wide range of character classes, each with unique mechanics and playstyles. This variety allows players to experiment with different strategies and builds.
- Card-based combat mechanics (weight 0.31): The game features a robust card-based combat system, incorporating deck-building and turn-based mechanics. Players engage in strategic battles using a variety of cards, with a focus on building and customizing decks.
- Character progression and customization (weight 0.17): Players can customize and progress their characters over time, with long-term development and various customization options. This includes unlocking new cards and improvements.
- Dark and immersive setting (weight 0.17): The game is set in a dark, moody medieval world inspired by Arthurian legends and Gothic fantasy. The atmosphere is surreal and engaging, enhancing the overall immersion.
- Tactical turn-based combat (weight 0.16): Combat in the game is tactical and turn-based, often taking place on grid-based maps. Players must strategize and plan their moves carefully to succeed.
- Unique class mechanics (weight 0.14): Each character class has unique abilities and gameplay mechanics. This includes specialized classes like the Summoner, Blood Mage, and Necromancer.
- Narrative-driven choices (weight 0.14): The game features a strong narrative with meaningful choices that impact the story. Players can engage in quests and interact with NPCs, adding depth to the gameplay.
- Repetitive gameplay elements (weight 0.1): Some players find the gameplay loop repetitive, with levels and encounters repeating frequently. However, the randomness and challenge can add replayability.
- Meta progression and quests (weight 0.1): The game includes meta progression systems that are tied to both currency and quest completion. Players can unlock new content and improvements as they progress through the story.
- RPG and turn-based elements (weight 0.06): The game incorporates RPG elements and turn-based strategy, blending character progression with tactical combat.
- Semi-open world exploration (weight 0.06): The game offers a semi-open world with dungeons and map exploration. Players can discover new areas and engage in various activities.
- Character interactions and synergies (weight 0.05): Players can experience character interactions and synergies, adding depth to the gameplay and strategy.

Performance notes:
- Optimization problems (weight 0.1): Several players have noted that the game is not well-optimized, leading to various performance issues across different platforms.
- Poor graphics and performance (weight 0.09): Many players have reported issues with the game's graphics quality and overall performance. Complaints range from the need for graphical updates to general poor performance.
- Steam Deck performance issues (weight 0.09): Players using the Steam Deck have experienced various performance issues, including frame rate problems, input lag, and nonresponsiveness.
- Crashes and stability issues (weight 0.09): The game has been reported to crash or freeze on different systems, including Linux and Windows builds. Some players have experienced blue screens and crashes to desktop.
- Game lag and freezing (weight 0.07): The game has been reported to lag and freeze, especially during high animation sequences. This significantly affects the gameplay experience.
- Minor stutters and bugs (weight 0.05): Some players have reported minor stutters and occasional technical hiccups and bugs, though these are not game-breaking.
- High system requirements (weight 0.04): Players have noted that the game has high system requirements, making it difficult to run on less powerful hardware.
- Stable on Linux (weight 0.04): Despite some issues, the game has been reported to work perfectly on Linux, with the Windows build through Proton being more stable.
- Freeze frames during battles (weight 0.04): Occasional freeze frames during battles have been reported, which can disrupt the gameplay experience.
- Runs smoothly on modest systems (weight 0.02): Despite some performance issues, the game has been reported to run smoothly on modest systems, providing a stable experience.
- Polished for accessibility (weight 0.02): The game has been noted for its accessibility features, making it more inclusive for a wider range of players.
- Battery drain on Steam Deck (weight 0.02): The game drains the battery slightly faster than average on the Steam Deck, which can be a concern for portable gaming.
- FPS drops (weight 0.02): Some players have experienced FPS drops at various points in the game, affecting the smoothness of gameplay.
- Button response issues (weight 0.02): There have been reports of button response issues, affecting the overall control and gameplay experience.
- Visual effects causing discomfort (weight 0.02): Some players have found the visual effects to be discomforting, which can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Game feels heavy (weight 0.02): The game has been described as feeling heavy, which may affect the overall performance and player experience.
- V-Sync issues (weight 0.02): Players have reported issues with V-Sync, which can affect the visual performance and smoothness of the game.
- Poor controls with keyboard and mouse (weight 0.02): Some players have reported that the controls are poor when using a keyboard and mouse, affecting the overall gameplay experience.
- Limited interface support (weight 0.02): The game has been noted to have limited interface support, which can affect the accessibility and user experience.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for deckbuilder fans (weight 0.26): The game is highly recommended for fans of deck-building games, especially those who enjoy roguelike and turn-based strategy elements. It is often compared to Slay the Spire and is praised for its unique take on the genre.
- Recommend buying on sale (weight 0.15): Several reviews suggest buying the game on sale or at a discount. It is seen as a good purchase when the price is reduced, making it more accessible to a wider audience.
- Highly recommended for genre fans (weight 0.12): The game is highly recommended for fans of the genre due to its depth, complexity, and overall quality. It is considered a solid choice for those who enjoy dark fantasy and strategic gameplay.
- Worth the price (weight 0.1): Many players find the game worth its full price, though some suggest waiting for a sale. It is considered a good value for money, especially for fans of the genre.
- Hidden gem (weight 0.04): The game is recommended as a hidden gem, indicating that it may not be widely known but is highly regarded by those who have played it. It is praised for its unique qualities and enjoyable gameplay.
- Recommended for specific fanbases (weight 0.04): The game is recommended for fans of specific games or settings, such as Tainted Grail or dark fantasy. It is suggested that these fans will particularly enjoy the game's unique take on familiar themes.
- Recommend with reservations (weight 0.03): The game is recommended with some reservations, such as potential discomfort or system performance issues. Players are advised to consider these factors before purchasing.
- Desire for more content (weight 0.02): Some players express a desire for more content or DLC, indicating that while the game is enjoyable, they would like to see additional features or expansions to enhance the experience.

Other player notes:
- Promotional content in reviews (weight 0.04): Some reviews contain promotional links to external content such as YouTube videos and Steam curator pages. This can be seen as an attempt to drive traffic to other platforms.
- Disclosure of game receipt (weight 0.02): A reviewer disclosed that they received the game from the developer, Awaken, but assured that the review was their own opinion and not influenced by any contract or payment.
- Mention of SteamDeck (weight 0.02): A review mentioned SteamDeck, possibly indicating compatibility or interest in the platform. However, the context is unclear.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.26): Players appreciate the game's engaging mechanics, including its progression system, lore, and deck-building aspects. The variety in gameplay, such as different classes, challenging battles, and immersive storytelling, contributes to a positive experience. Additionally, the game's atmosphere, music, and high replayability are frequently highlighted as enjoyable features.
- Frustration (weight 0.2): Players are frustrated by several aspects, including performance issues, repetitive gameplay, and balance problems. The game's high difficulty, lack of clear progression, and reliance on luck for success are significant pain points. Additionally, issues with controls, translations, and the grindy nature of the meta-progression contribute to the frustration.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.1): Players feel satisfied with the game's challenging and addictive gameplay, finding it worth the initial struggle. The combination of turn-based combat, storytelling, and unique builds contributes to a positive experience. The game's content, music, visuals, and overall value for money are also highlighted as satisfying aspects.
- Excitement (weight 0.09): Players are excited about the game's unique setting, character variety, and engaging gameplay mechanics. The addictive nature of the game, along with its high-damage combos and strategic depth, contributes to the excitement. The game's music, graphics, voice acting, and the discovery of a hidden gem with meaningful gameplay are also mentioned as exciting features.
- Disappointment (weight 0.08): Players express disappointment with the game's lack of content, repetitive gameplay, and slow progression. The game's visual style, animation, and overall grueling experience are also mentioned as disappointing aspects. Additionally, the game's lack of originality and the feeling that it is not finished contribute to the disappointment.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.04): Players are enthusiastic about the game's engaging gameplay, dark aesthetic, and story. The game's mechanics, narrative, and high replayability are frequently highlighted as exciting features. The depth and complexity of character building and classes, as well as the game's unique mechanics and rewarding progression, contribute to the enthusiasm.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's design, graphics, enemies, soundtrack, and class system. The game's art style, classes, and gameplay mechanics, as well as its story writing, voice acting, and immersive gameplay, are also mentioned as appreciated aspects. The depth and variety of gameplay mechanics, along with charming voice acting, contribute to the appreciation.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Players experience boredom due to the repetitive nature of the game and the excessive grind required. The loss of interest after multiple playthroughs and the stagnation after extended periods of gameplay contribute to the boredom. The mundane and monotonous aspects of the game are also mentioned as causes of boredom.
- Happy (weight 0.02): Players are happy with the game's engaging and entertaining nature, considering it one of the best deck-building games. The great setting, super voice acting, and the game's ability to be more engaging than similar games contribute to the happiness. The overall positive experience and the game's high quality are also mentioned as reasons for happiness.
- Engaged (weight 0.02): Players feel engaged by the game's deep strategy, immersive atmosphere, and detailed narrative. The unique gameplay, interesting lore, and engaging story, along with the variety of classes and NPCs, contribute to the engagement. Character creation, voice acting, and the immersive story are also highlighted as engaging aspects.
- Satisfied (weight 0.02): Players feel satisfied with the game's sense of progress and discovery, as well as the progression of the story. The gameplay mechanics, exploration, and overall enjoyment of the game contribute to the satisfaction. The sense of progression and value for the price, along with the overall presentation and user-friendly options, are also mentioned as satisfying aspects.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Players find the game interesting due to its unique mechanics and strategic depth. The world-building, lore, and the game's story and mechanics are also mentioned as interesting aspects. The reviewer's interest in the game's unique features and visually appealing elements contributes to the overall interest.
- Excited (weight 0.01): Players are excited about the game's unique aspects, many classes, and combinations. The game's potential and content, as well as its atmosphere and setting, are frequently highlighted as exciting features. The enjoyment of the game and its unique aspects contribute to the excitement.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): Players feel immersed in the game's dark and mysterious atmosphere and 3D environment. The excellent music, engaging dialogues, and top-tier voice acting and sound design contribute to the immersion. The dark atmosphere and grandios soundtrack are also mentioned as immersive aspects.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are pleasantly surprised by the game's quality and immersive qualities. The game's ARPG elements and the fact that it was better than expected contribute to the surprise. The positive gameplay experience and the reviewer's unexpected enjoyment of the game are also mentioned as surprising aspects.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Players admire the game's atmosphere, setting, narrative, graphics, and music. The game's class design and mechanics are also highlighted as admirable aspects. The reviewer's admiration for the game's unique features and high-quality elements contributes to the overall admiration.
- Addiction (weight 0.01): Players find the game addictive due to its engaging gameplay, leading to extended play sessions. The game's addictive nature and different builds contribute to the addiction. The reviewer's mention of the game's addictive qualities and the desire to keep playing are also highlighted as addictive aspects.
- Disappointed (weight 0.01): Players are disappointed with the game's core loop, lack of depth, and visual effects. The overall experience and the game's lack of content and repetitive nature contribute to the disappointment. The reviewer's disappointment with the game's visual style and overall quality are also mentioned as disappointing aspects.}