Tarnished Blood 🩸 [Tactic RPG] Review Summary

Tactical time-manipulation combat and a fun roguelike management loop shine with unique art and challenging but fair bosses, yet the harsh, punishing difficulty can frustrate.

Time manipulation combat system: The time-bending combat system is a standout feature, allowing players to rewind, pause, and plan turns. It adds a fresh layer of strategy and is described as fascinating and rewarding.

Fun and satisfying gameplay: Players consistently describe the core gameplay loop as very fun, satisfying, and addictive. Many highlight that winning fights feels well-earned and the overall experience is a blast.

Unique and appealing art style: The art style and presentation are unique, with a dark, hand-drawn aesthetic that heightens the dark fantasy theme. Character models are cute while monsters are scary and cool.

Compelling roguelike and management elements: The mix of strategy, monster hunting, and roguelike elements creates an addictive main loop. Base building, party management, and random events add depth and variety to each run.

Challenging but fair bosses: Bosses provide a good challenge and are generally fair, with incredible and nightmare-like designs. They have multiple body parts and can gain new traits, requiring different approaches.

Harsh and punishing difficulty: The game is extremely difficult from the start, with bosses that can wipe the party or cause permanent debuffs. Losing characters leaves no replacements, and new level 1 characters must face strong bosses.

Unfair unavoidable attacks and RNG: Combat often features unavoidable damage, characters being juggled by indestructible projectiles, and no way to avoid attacks without prior boss knowledge. The game feels like rolling cured dice every turn, constantly at the mercy of RNG.

Early Access bugs and crashes: Many players encounter occasional crashes, minor bugs, and typos typical of Early Access. These issues sometimes cause progress loss and make runs difficult to complete.

Lack of content and short campaign: The game offers little content, with a standard playthrough consisting of only six fights and one monster-themed gear set per campaign. Players feel they have seen everything after about 20 hours.

Steep learning curve and poor tutorials: The tutorial is inadequate, throwing players into battle with almost no explanation. Key mechanics like harpoon scaling, digging, and portal usage are not explained, and stats like 'lucky,' 'strength,' and 'potency' are unclear.

Tactical time-manipulation combat: The game features a turn-based combat system where players manipulate time to plan and execute moves, often visualized on a timeline. This core mechanic allows for strategic anticipation and rewinding of actions to optimize outcomes.

Challenging boss fights with depth: Boss battles are a central focus, featuring complex mechanics such as breakable parts, bullet hell patterns, and unique moves. These fights require careful planning and can be lengthy, with some lasting up to 60 minutes.

Party-based tactical RPG: Players control a party of hunters in tactical turn-based battles, emphasizing positioning and skill synergies. The game falls within the tactical RPG genre with a focus on strategic decision-making.

Crafting from monster parts: Defeated monsters yield materials used to craft weapons, armor, and consumables. Equipment provides new abilities and can be upgraded using general loot.

Monster hunting and settlement management: The core loop involves hunting monsters to gather resources, which are then used to upgrade a village and craft new equipment. This blend of tactical combat and base management drives progression.

Progress loss after crashes: When the game crashes due to bugs, players often lose their progress. This compounds frustration and impacts overall enjoyment.

Steam Deck cursor issue: On Steam Deck, the cursor sometimes disappears and players must switch to mouse mode to locate it. This minor interface bug can cause inconvenience during gameplay.

Appeals to Kingdom Death fans: Many reviewers recommend the game specifically to fans of Kingdom Death: Monster, noting it fills a similar niche. Some suggest it for those tired of waiting for new KDM content or who could never play the original.

Demo highly encouraged: Multiple reviewers urge players to try the free demo, as it provides a good look into the experience. Some state the demo was enough to convince them to buy the full game.

Niche appeal for masochistic players: Several reviewers note the game appeals to a very niche group, particularly those who enjoy constantly losing until they become flawless. It is recommended for turn-based masochists and those who don't mind hitting their head against a wall.

Strong for tactical RPG enthusiasts: Reviewers consistently recommend the game to fans of tactical RPGs, praising its fresh take on the genre with a dark atmosphere. It is described as a must-play for those seeking more tactics and a new experience.

Unique and fresh indie experience: The game is praised for its originality, appealing to those who crave new ideas and experiences. It is recommended for players interested in a one-of-a-kind indie title.

Game completion: 15.0h.

Story completion: 15.0h.

Session length: 4.0h.

Endgame: 100.0h.

Most reviewers find the combat loop addictive, fluid, and immediately satisfying, though a steep learning curve and thin tutorials are recurring complaints. One dissenting review calls the experience tedious and grindy rather than hardcore.

Friction: Steep learning curve; Tutorials not detailed enough for new players; Combat can be tricky to master; Reported grinding and tedium; No Chinese localization, deterring non-English and story-focused players; No co-op despite multiple characters shown on the intro screen.

Unlock drivers: Completing the quick tutorial makes the game easy to comprehend.

Time-Manipulation Tactician: Plans moves meticulously on a timeline, dodges escalating attack patterns, and plays single-player PvE like a tactical time puzzle. Motivation: Mastering a brutal, time-manipulation combat system and the thrill of planning frame-by-frame to beat tough bosses. Stance: buy.

Dark Roguelite Atmosphere Seeker: Explores atmospheric environments, engages with text-based descriptions and dice-roll skill checks, and tries hybrid real-time/turn-based combat. Motivation: Immersion in a dark, well-described fantasy world with old-school text-adventure flavor and novel roguelite systems. Stance: buy.

Boss-Hunt Monster Slayer: Builds a hunter tribe/team, learns each boss's moves, and takes on 4v1 PvE encounters with trial-and-error runs. Motivation: Hunting giant, mechanically distinct bosses in a team-based PvE roguelite that blends Darkest Dungeon and Monster Hunter. Stance: buy.

Compared to Kingdom Death: Monster: The game draws heavy inspiration from the Kingdom Death: Monster board game, with many comparisons to its dark fantasy and survival mechanics. Some say it is a 2D version of it.

Compared to Darkest Dungeon: Many reviewers compare the game to Darkest Dungeon in terms of party management and village upgrading. The game's combat and progression are often likened to it.

Comparisons to other games: Reviewers compare the game to various titles such as Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Your Only Move is Hustle, Trials of Fire, and others. These comparisons highlight different aspects of gameplay and theme.

Compared to Monster Hunter: Reviewers frequently compare the game to Monster Hunter, especially regarding monster hunting and combat. It is described as a tactical RPG version of Monster Hunter.

Early Access status: The game is currently in Early Access, with ongoing updates. Many note it is in active development and not fully complete.