Those Who Rule Review Summary

A fun and addictive tactical RPG with engaging combat, but its weak story, clunky UI, and frustrating battle save system hold it back.

Game is fun and addictive: Players consistently describe the game as fun, solid, and enjoyable, with addictive and replayable gameplay. The game is considered worth playing and provides good value for its price.

Excellent tactical RPG experience: Reviewers praise the game as a well-crafted tactical game, highlighting its strategic depth and engaging turn-based combat. It is considered one of the best indie tactical games with a unique spin on the genre.

Engaging and interesting story: The storytelling is enjoyable with a compelling plot that keeps players interested. The story is well-written, intriguing, and features twists and turns that enhance the overall experience.

Gameplay is standout element: The gameplay is highlighted as the shining aspect of the game, being incredibly engaging and addictive. Core gameplay is excellent and well-executed, making it the main draw for players.

Varied classes and builds: The game offers a wide variety of classes and build options, with basic, advanced, and expert classes providing deep customization. Players appreciate the endless combinations and unique abilities each class brings.

Story and characters are weak: Players consistently found the narrative and character development lacking, describing the story as thin, generic, and uninteresting, with bland main characters and forgettable dialogue. This was the most frequently mentioned issue.

Poor save system in battles: Players complained that there is no save option during long battles, forcing them to restart entire encounters if they fail. This is especially problematic for battles lasting 45-90 minutes, leading to frustration and wasted time.

UI is clunky and unintuitive: The user interface was described as clunky, cumbersome, and rough around the edges, with a learning curve that could be smoother. Players suggested quality-of-life improvements to enhance usability.

Character designs are bland: Character art and designs were considered underwhelming and forgettable, with some players noting that characters look too similar on the map, making them hard to distinguish. This detracts from visual appeal and gameplay clarity.

Ending is poorly executed: The ending received heavy criticism for being forced, unfinished, and generally unsatisfying. Players felt it did not provide a proper conclusion to the story.

Tactical turn-based strategy game: The game is consistently described as a tactical, turn-based strategy game, often compared to Fire Emblem. It features grid-based or hex-based movement and strategic combat.

Permadeath mechanic available: The game includes a permadeath mechanic, which can be toggled on or off. This feature adds stakes and is a key differentiator for players seeking a challenging experience.

Hex-based grid system: The game uses a hexagonal grid for movement and combat, which is a distinctive feature compared to square-grid tactics games. This affects positioning and strategy.

Multiple difficulty settings: The game offers various difficulty levels, including a brutal hardest mode. This allows players to tailor the challenge to their preference, from casual to hardcore.

Zone of control mechanics: The game features zone of control and flanking systems, which are important for tactical positioning. This adds depth to combat and rewards strategic placement.

Frequent crashes reported: Multiple players experienced crashes, including on startup, during new game creation, and at specific points like bar loading or turn 2. Some had repeated crashes, indicating stability issues.

Steam Deck compatibility mixed: Some players report the game runs well on Steam Deck, while others experience rough controller implementation, UI issues, and performance problems. Overall, Steam Deck support is inconsistent.

Performance optimization lacking: Players note poor optimization, with the game failing to maintain 60 FPS, lagging on certain maps, and using excessive hardware power for simple graphics. This suggests the game is not well optimized.

UI and menu bugs: Several players encountered issues with menus, including tooltips disappearing off screen, bugged displays, and inventory problems causing random skipping. These UI bugs affect gameplay experience.

Positive performance on Linux: Some players report the game runs flawlessly on Linux distributions like Zorin, with no hiccups. This indicates good compatibility on certain Linux setups.

Recommended for tactical RPG fans: Many reviewers recommend this game to fans of tactical, turn-based RPGs, especially those who enjoy Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics. The game is praised for its strategic depth and grid-based combat.

Worth the price: Reviewers frequently state the game is worth its full price or a discounted price, citing good value for the quality offered. Some recommend waiting for a sale, but most agree it's a solid purchase.

Strong overall recommendation: A significant number of reviewers give a general, strong recommendation to buy and play the game, without specific caveats. This indicates broad satisfaction with the game's overall experience.

Permadeath settings advice: Some reviewers advise turning off permadeath for the first playthrough, suggesting it may be too punishing. Others suggest starting on normal difficulty without permadeath to ease into the game.

Not recommended by some: A small minority of reviewers do not recommend the game, but their feedback lacks specific reasons. This is a minor point compared to the overwhelming positive recommendations.

Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00.

Game completion: 40.0h.

Story completion: 40.0h.

Session length: 1.5h.

The game starts with a slow, UI-heavy tutorial and restrictive inventory, but becomes engaging once players get past the tutorial and adjust to the pacing.

Friction: restrictive weight-based inventory in early game; tedious UI and menu navigation; too many clicks per turn; slow start; tutorial gating core gameplay; carry weight hassle.

Unlock drivers: getting past the tutorial; becoming accustomed to pacing; expanded combat options as you progress; character progression and promotions; weapon upgrades.

Fire Emblem Veteran Tactician: Optimizing unit builds, playing on high difficulties, permadeath, exploring class trees. Motivation: Mastering deep tactical combat and build customization. Stance: buy.

Completionist Challenge Seeker: Multiple playthroughs, exploring all builds, side objectives, permadeath, highest difficulty. Motivation: Achieving 100% completion and mastering all mechanics. Stance: buy.

Story-Driven Roleplayer: Playing on lower difficulty to enjoy story, reading all dialogue, exploring choices. Motivation: Engaging narrative, moral ambiguity, character development. Stance: buy.

Both hardware cohorts report the game running well, with only minor usability caveats and no significant performance complaints.

Windows <8GB VRAM: positive. Users report the game runs flawlessly on Linux and Steam Deck, and one user successfully used an AI screen translator to play.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: positive. The game works well on Linux distributions and on ROG Ally, though controller navigation is not fully optimized.

Steam Deck: The Steam Deck experience for 'Those Who Rule' is mixed. While the game is verified and runs on Linux for some users, significant controller navigation problems, poor battery life, heating, and occasional freezes create a rough experience. Players must often resort to touchscreen or restart sessions, indicating the game is playable but far from seamless.

Linux and Proton: The game demonstrates solid Linux compatibility, with multiple users reporting flawless performance across various distributions and Steam Deck. One isolated report mentions an occasional main menu freeze on startup that may be Linux-specific, but it is not confirmed and does not detract from the overall positive experience.

External guides: The primary user complaint centers on the lack of a built-in sortable spreadsheet for character stats, forcing manual data entry into Excel. Secondary issues include unclear recruitment conditions and hidden mechanics, both requiring external wiki consultation. The feedback indicates a strong dependency on external data for inventory/character management and system learning.

Heavily inspired by Fire Emblem: The game is repeatedly compared to the Fire Emblem series, with many reviewers noting it as a clear inspiration and a solid entry in that style of tactical RPG. Comparisons are made to classic titles like Path of Radiance and GBA-era games, highlighting its genre roots.

Solo developer project: Many reviews highlight that the game was developed by a single person, often over several years, which is a notable achievement. This context is frequently mentioned to frame the game's scope and quality.

Lacks Chinese language support: A significant number of players report the absence of official Chinese localization, which is a barrier for many. Some mention using translation plugins or AI tools to play, while others note a fan-made Korean patch exists.

Sequel is announced: Reviewers frequently mention that a sequel has been announced or is in development, generating excitement and anticipation. Many express intent to purchase the next installment upon release.

Developer is responsive: The developer is consistently praised for being active and responsive to player feedback across Discord, forums, and other channels. This engagement is seen as a positive factor in the game's ongoing support and improvement.