The Dark Queen of Mortholme
Last updated: 2025-08-17
- Innovative concept and engaging narrative
- Rich dialogue and character evolution
- Unique boss role reversal gameplay
- Overpriced for very short length
- Clunky and scripted combat
- Mixed purchase recommendation
Emotions
Players felt satisfied due to the game's unique concept, engaging story, and overall high quality, often citing its value for money and the fresh perspective of playing as a boss. The game's ability to meet or exceed expectations and provide a meaningful, enjoyable experience also contributed significantly to this emotion.
Disappointment primarily stemmed from the game's short length, perceived lack of content, and high price relative to playtime. Players also expressed dissatisfaction with the limited depth, repetitive gameplay, and unfulfilled potential of the core concept, often feeling it was more akin to a demo than a full game.
Frustration was frequently caused by the game's combat mechanics, particularly the scripted nature of fights, the hero's ability to avoid attacks, and a perceived lack of player agency. Issues with controls, repetitive gameplay, and the game's price point for its limited content also contributed to this feeling.
Players expressed appreciation for the game's unique concept, particularly the novel perspective of playing as a boss, and the quality of its dialogue, music, and pixel art. The evident effort from indie developers and the game's thought-provoking nature also garnered significant praise.
The emotion of desire was driven by a strong wish for more content, including additional endings, narrative paths, and gameplay features. Players wanted to see the game's concept expanded with more depth, lore, and character interactions.
Verdict
Mixed
Summary
Positive 67% · Negative 33%. Score: 33 / 100
Positives:
- Players highly praise the game's innovative concept of playing as the final boss, offering a fresh and unique perspective on traditional boss battles. The well-written, emotional, and thought-provoking narrative, combined with beautiful pixel art and fitting music, creates a deeply impactful and memorable experience that is considered excellent value for its price.
- The game features exceptionally well-written and profound dialogues that evolve with character progression, leading to multiple meaningful endings. This strong narrative and character development foster an unexpected bond between the hero and the boss, enhancing replayability and emotional depth.
- The game effectively portrays the hero's progression and the boss's gradual decline, with changing defeat animations that highlight the evolving relationship. This mechanic makes players feel the inevitability of the hero's victory and the boss's eventual defeat.
- The game's pixel art is consistently described as clean, neat, and well-crafted, contributing positively to the overall visual appeal and atmosphere of the game.
Negatives:
- Players consistently report that the game is extremely short, often completable in under an hour, including all achievements and endings. This brevity leads to a strong sentiment that the game is significantly overpriced for the amount of content it offers, with many feeling it should be a free demo or priced much lower.
- Combat mechanics are widely criticized for being clunky, slow, and overly scripted. Players feel a lack of control, with attacks often delayed or ineffective, making the gameplay feel monotonous and unsatisfying rather than skill-based.
- The AI of the hero character is perceived as unfair and 'cheating.' Players report that the hero perfectly dodges attacks, has inconsistent hitboxes, and can avoid damage even when directly hit, leading to frustration and a sense of rigged gameplay.
- Despite playing as the 'final boss,' players feel disempowered and that their defeat is inevitable. The game's design makes the player character feel weak and limited, undermining the premise of being an overpowered entity.
- Players are disappointed by the limited number of endings and the lack of impact their choices have on the outcome. There's a desire for more varied conclusions, particularly one where the Dark Queen survives or has a different relationship with the hero.
Gameplay:
- The game uniquely casts the player as the final boss, specifically the 'Dark Queen,' who faces a persistent, learning hero. This role reversal provides a fresh perspective on the boss experience, highlighting the hero's relentless progression and the boss's eventual vulnerability, creating an emotionally tense atmosphere.
- The game heavily emphasizes its narrative and dialogue choices, functioning more like an interactive story or visual novel than a traditional combat game. Player decisions in dialogue and combat influence the story's direction and lead to multiple endings.
- The game features multiple endings, with reviewers confirming at least three distinct outcomes. These endings are influenced by player actions and dialogue choices, encouraging replayability to experience all narrative branches.
- Reviewers note that the gameplay is simple and largely scripted, with easy difficulty. The boss's attack patterns are pre-programmed, and the hero learns these techniques, suggesting a focus on narrative progression over complex combat mechanics.
- The game is characterized by its minimalist design, featuring pixel art graphics and a 2D reverse Souls-like or roguelike aesthetic. This contributes to its indie and experimental feel.
Performance:
- Players appreciate the game's minimal system requirements and small installation size, making it accessible on a wide range of hardware. This contributes to a positive initial experience for many users.
- The game reportedly runs flawlessly on the Steam Deck, indicating good optimization for portable play. This is a significant positive for players who prefer handheld gaming.
- One user experienced an audio issue, but acknowledged it was likely a personal setup problem rather than a game bug. This suggests the issue is isolated and not a widespread game defect.
Recommendations:
- Player sentiment on purchasing the game is mixed, often tied to its price point and perceived value. Many recommend buying it on sale or if the price is not a concern, while others suggest it's not worth the full price or even a discount. Some players also mention refunding the game after completion, which indicates a short playtime.
- A significant portion of players express a desire to support the developers, often citing the game's unique experience or potential for future content. This support is sometimes linked to the game's low price, viewing the purchase as a contribution rather than a full-fledged game investment.
- The game is frequently recommended for specific player preferences, such as those who enjoy narrative-driven experiences, dark fantasy, indie games, or short, cozy adventures. It's also noted for its unique concept and ability to make players reflect.
- Players frequently express a desire for more content, including updates with new endings, additional gameplay, or a direct sequel. This suggests that while the current experience is appreciated, its brevity leaves players wanting more.
Miscellaneous:
- Players frequently mention the game's short playtime, often completing it within 20-40 minutes, which is within the refund window. While some acknowledge the developer's transparency or support the indie studio, the brevity is a recurring theme.
- A significant number of players expressed interest in playing as the hero character, or in a mode that reverses roles, allowing them to experience the game from a different perspective, potentially in a PvP or 'Souls-like' boss fight scenario.
- Some players expressed empathy for the Queen character, noting her tragic realization of futility and lack of freedom, which adds a layer of emotional depth to the narrative.
- Feedback on the music was minimal and generally neutral, indicating it was acceptable but not particularly memorable or impactful.
