Info about Baladins:

Official game description:
Buskers, party animals, troublemakers. They’ve been given many names, but they call themselves Baladins! These legendary heroes wander from town-to-town to fulfill their sacred quest: **entertaining the masses!**  
It’s a difficult task, but one the Baladins take in stride. From helping those in need to throwing parties, they bring surprises with them wherever their travels take them. All that matters to them is bringing joy to the people who inhabit the bright and lively world of Gatherac.  
Embark on your quest as one of the Baladins: the imaginative Cook, the crafty Luxomancer, the strapping Dancer, the expressive Pyro, or the ever-charismatic Bard. United by their passion for happiness, each Baladin brings their own unique skills to the table and can hone their talents further throughout the adventure by making choices and collecting items.  
Inspired by tabletop roleplaying campaigns, Baladins is a choose-your-own-story game for players of all ages and experience levels. Roll the dice and see where your adventures take you. Your decisions are not inherently good or bad – just creative approaches that can lead to interesting outcomes!  
And if you’d rather not play alone, Baladins supports up to four players–either locally or online! You can spread your journey over bite-sized sessions so you can explore Gatherac and its many secrets at your own pace. The story of any given session can change wildly depending on the choices you make each turn, so each playthrough brings its own new surprises!  
Features
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*   **Choose your own adventure!** Bring joy to the people of Gatherac with 1-4 players and let your collective choices shape the fate of this unusual world.  
*   **Be a hero!** Play as one of five unique classes, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, and watch your character grow as the story unfolds!  
*   **Play at your own pace!** The story of the Baladins can be played in short sessions over the course of the whole campaign.  
*   **Encounter a dragon!** It wouldn’t be a fantasy roleplaying game without one!

Release date: 15 May, 2024

Categories: Tabletop RPG, Cooperative Multiplayer, Choice-based Narrative, Exploration, Time-based Mechanics, Dice-based Gameplay, Puzzle Solving, Multiple Endings


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


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:
- Charming and adorable art style (weight 0.94): The game is consistently praised for its charming and adorable art style, with reviewers frequently using terms like 'cute,' 'lovely,' and 'beautiful' to describe the visuals. This appealing aesthetic enhances the overall positive experience and contributes significantly to the game's unique identity. The art style is frequently compared to Paper Mario.
- Humorous writing and endearing characters (weight 0.91): Reviewers highlight the game's humor, endearing characters, and well-written dialogue as key elements that contribute to an enjoyable and engaging experience. The writing is often described as clever, funny, and wholesome, enhancing the game's overall charm and creating a positive connection with players. The characters are often described as having a lot of personality.
- Enjoyable solo and multiplayer (weight 0.83): Many reviewers emphasize that the game is enjoyable both solo and in cooperative multiplayer, making it versatile for different play styles. Multiplayer enhances the experience, allowing players to work together, share items, and enjoy the game with friends or family. The game is also suitable for couples.
- Encourages exploration and experimentation (weight 0.83): The game encourages exploration, experimentation, and player choice, allowing players to discover multiple stories, items, and outcomes. Quests often require logical thinking and combining options, adding depth to the gameplay experience. The game is focused on solving puzzles and discovering clues.
- Charming, casual, and fun gameplay (weight 0.79): The game is described as charming, casual, and fun, with decisions having consequences and a narrative focused on helping creatures. Cooperative storytelling creates a compelling experience. The game is generous with quests.
- Short, accessible play sessions (weight 0.79): The game's design allows for short, accessible play sessions, with loops that can be completed in under an hour. This makes it easy to fit into busy schedules and suitable for younger players. The game is casual and relaxing.
- Calm, relaxing, combat-free RPG (weight 0.74): The game is a calm, relaxing, exploration-oriented RPG that avoids combat, making it suitable for beginners. It aims to provide a low-stakes, good-vibes-only experience. The game is simple and simplistic.
- Improved since initial release (weight 0.74): The game has improved since its initial release, with many bugs fixed and connection issues resolved. Updates have enhanced the overall experience, making it more enjoyable compared to its earlier versions. The game is more enjoyable now compared to its initial release due to updates.
- Includes queer-coded characters (weight 0.69): The game includes queer-coded characters and allows for strategic planning to facilitate relationships between them. This inclusivity adds depth and representation to the game's world. The game features lesbian and gay couples.
- Supports Steam Remote Play Together (weight 0.69): Steam Remote Play Together allows players to play together even if not every player owns a copy of the game. This feature enhances accessibility and allows for shared experiences. The addition of Remote Play Together has improved the game.
- Mind-blowing time loop mechanic (weight 0.69): The game features decision-making and time loops that are mind-blowing. The time loop mechanic is enjoyable and adds depth to the gameplay experience. The possibilities gradually unfold with each loop.
- Irrelevant or inappropriate points (weight 0.3): These points are too specific and lack context to be broadly applicable or useful for summarizing the game's overall features. They also contain humor and references that reduce their constructiveness. For example, 'Beat up homeless people and saved the world with a friend' is inappropriate and lacks specific details.

Common complaints:
- Excessive reliance on RNG (weight 0.44): The game's heavy reliance on RNG for quest objectives and item acquisition leads to frustration when necessary events don't trigger or desired items don't appear. This randomness diminishes player agency and makes the game feel more like a passive experience than an engaging RPG.
- Frequent, impactful bugs present (weight 0.43): Numerous bugs plague the game, ranging from minor inconveniences to game-breaking issues that halt progress or corrupt save data. The lack of mid-run saves exacerbates the impact of these bugs, leading to lost progress and frustration. Some bugs were reported before launch but remain unaddressed.
- Vague, unhelpful quest descriptions (weight 0.4): Quests often suffer from vague instructions and a lack of clear direction, leaving players unsure of where to go or how to proceed. It's also unclear which quests can be repeated within a loop, and which can only be attempted once. This lack of clarity leads to frustration and wasted time.
- Inconvenient local co-op implementation (weight 0.19): The game's local co-op implementation requires each player to have their own controller, limiting accessibility and potentially requiring additional hardware purchases. The lack of pass-and-play support and the slow pace of turns further detract from the multiplayer experience.
- Buggy, limited online multiplayer (weight 0.17): Online multiplayer suffers from various issues, including UI problems, display bugs, and a lack of essential features like reconnect. These technical problems detract from the overall experience and can lead to lost progress and frustration.
- Poor controller support/implementation (weight 0.15): Controller support is lacking, with issues such as difficulty navigating the map, selecting locations, and reconnecting after disconnections. These control issues make the game feel clunky and unresponsive, hindering player enjoyment.
- Finicky hit box detection (weight 0.03): Players have reported issues with hit box detection when trying to enter locations, requiring excessive back and forth movement to trigger the interaction. This issue adds unnecessary frustration and slows down the gameplay.
- Limited language support (weight 0.02): The game lacks support for multiple languages, limiting accessibility for non-English speakers.
- Lacking minigames (weight 0.02): The game could benefit from the addition of minigames to enhance the experience with friends.

Gameplay feedback:
- Time loop with quest progression (weight 0.16): The game features a central time loop mechanic where players must complete quests and solve problems within a limited time frame to prevent a catastrophic event and ultimately break the loop. Failing to complete objectives within the time limit results in a reset, allowing players to carry over some progress and items to subsequent loops.
- Turn-based with 3d6 dice rolls (weight 0.08): The game uses turn-based mechanics with limited action and movement points per turn.  Dice rolls, specifically a 3d6 system, are used for RNG, influencing outcomes in dialogues and events. The 3d6 system makes extreme results less likely.
- Tabletop RPG mechanics and co-op (weight 0.07): The game blends tabletop RPG elements with video game mechanics, creating a cooperative experience for up to four players. It's described as a more casual and lighthearted version of tabletop RPGs, focusing on dice-rolling and collaborative problem-solving.
- Easy to learn, complex quests (weight 0.06): The game's mechanics are easy to learn, but solving quests can become complex, especially when playing solo. Quests can be solved in multiple ways, and seemingly simple problems can lead to more complicated quests and relationships.
- Co-op multiplayer with character switching (weight 0.04): The game supports local and online multiplayer, allowing up to four players to cooperate. Each player controls a different character, and players can switch between characters based on their stats and abilities.
- Repetitive stat grinding (weight 0.03): The game's repetitive nature, particularly the need to perform actions to gain stats that reset each loop, can feel like a chore. This repetition diminishes the fun and makes training feel pointless.
- Summon and teleport allies (weight 0.02): Players can summon and teleport allies on their turn. Allies in the same square add their bonuses together for rolls.
- Visual novel with dice mechanics (weight 0.02): The game is a visual novel with dice mechanics. Dice elements in random events lead to different quest endings.
- Character classes and skills (weight 0.02): Characters have classes and skills to develop. Players can train to improve their stats in addition to completing quests.
- Random quest triggers annoying (weight 0.02): Some quests are triggered by random gossip or map events, which some players find annoying. This randomness can disrupt the flow of gameplay and make it difficult to plan effectively.
- Limited access during other's turns (weight 0.02): During another player's turn, you cannot access inventory, quests, or the map. This limitation can be frustrating and disrupt the flow of gameplay.
- Player engagement is crucial (weight 0.01): The enjoyment of the game is heavily dependent on the engagement of the players, similar to a tabletop RPG.  Active participation and collaboration are essential for a positive experience.
- Non-violent conflict resolution (weight 0.01): Gameplay focuses on resolving conflicts and scaring monsters rather than killing them.
- Keep one item each round (weight 0.01): A feature lets you keep one item each round.
- Summer party quests (weight 0.01): The game involves quests to ensure a summer party goes smoothly.
- Unlock all endings (weight 0.01): The game focuses on unlocking all endings.
- Encourages silly decisions (weight 0.01): The game allows players to bounce off the content, similar to the Monster Prom series, encouraging voicing characters and making silly decisions.

Performance notes:
- Awkward camera, zoom required (weight 0.03): Camera controls are cited as awkward and slow, and zooming is sometimes necessary for area selection. These issues impact navigation and interaction within the game world.
- Requests for quality-of-life features (weight 0.03): Reviewers suggest quality-of-life improvements such as a soft-snap feature for item selection and easier map access. These changes would streamline gameplay and improve the user experience.
- Game freezes, halts progression (weight 0.02): A game-freezing bug when transitioning to the next loop was reported, which halts progression. This is a significant issue that requires immediate attention.
- Game caused laptop to overheat (weight 0.01): One reviewer reported that the game caused their laptop to overheat unexpectedly. This could indicate performance issues or compatibility problems on certain hardware configurations.
- Steam Play on Linux (weight 0.01): The reviewer is using Steam Play on Linux. This information is not very helpful without additional context.

Recommendations:
- Positive, relaxing, and enjoyable experience (weight 0.28): The game is generally well-received for its relaxing, humorous, and heartwarming atmosphere, especially for players who enjoy tabletop RPGs or are looking for a simple, engaging experience with friends or solo. Many reviewers express strong positive feelings and recommend the game, while also hoping for more content and adventures in the future.
- Support developers; play later (weight 0.01): One reviewer suggests buying the game to support the developers and play later. This point does not provide feedback on the game itself.
- Incoherent statement (weight 0): One reviewer expressed a desire to 'send bird poop in mail again'. This point is nonsensical and does not provide any feedback on the game.

Other player notes:
- Short, replayable playthroughs (weight 0.03): Playthroughs are relatively short, lasting around 1.5-2 hours, but the game includes a save feature. The reviewer reached 80% completion, suggesting replayability and undiscovered content.
- Supports multiplayer co-op (weight 0.03): The game supports up to 4 players, enabling social gameplay experiences. One reviewer specifically enjoyed playing with friends using Parsec and doing character voices, indicating a fun, shared experience.
- Incorporates niche themes/genres (weight 0.01): The game heavily incorporates puns, jokes, D&D references, time travel elements, and rogue-lite mechanics. This may appeal to players who enjoy these specific themes and genres.
- Anticipation for future plot (weight 0.01): The reviewer expressed anticipation for future plot developments. This suggests the game has an engaging narrative that leaves the player wanting more.
- High level of detail (weight 0.01): The reviewer noted a high level of detail in the game. Without further context, it's difficult to assess the impact or quality of this detail.

Emotions:
No emotions}