A Game of Thrones - Genesis Review Summary

Deep diplomacy and rich lore offer strategic depth, but weak Game of Thrones ties, technical issues, and slow pacing undermine the experience.

Diplomacy and intrigue systems praised: Players appreciate the espionage, diplomacy, and secret alliance mechanics. Unique units for spying, assassination, and seduction add depth.

Rich lore and setting: The Game of Thrones universe and prequel story from Nymeria to Aegon's conquest are engaging. Lore encyclopedia and campaign add value.

Strategic depth and management: The game offers strategic and management potential with plenty of options, features, and tactical adaptability.

Multiplayer provides fun tension: Multiplayer mode is described as slightly more interesting than single-player, offering excitement and strategic challenge.

Unique house units enjoyable: Special units for houses and small faction bonuses add variety and fun to gameplay.

Weak connection to Game of Thrones: Many players note that the game has little to do with the Game of Thrones IP beyond house names and setting, lacking the intrigue, political depth, and iconic elements of the source material.

Poor execution and technical issues: Reviews highlight terrible execution, bugs, strange hitboxes, translation errors, freezes, lag, and overall poor technical quality. The game feels unfinished and janky.

Boring and slow gameplay: Players consistently report that the gameplay is boring, slow, and monotonous, with little variety or enjoyment. This is one of the most frequent complaints across many reviews.

Unengaging and linear campaign: The campaign is described as uninteresting, terrible, tedious, linear, and lacking tension and story depth. Low completion rate indicates lack of engagement.

Poor and outdated graphics: Many reviews criticize the graphics as poor, low quality, outdated, and featuring unfluent animations and ugly visual effects. The visual presentation fails to meet modern standards.

Diplomacy and intrigue core: The game is built around a diplomacy and intrigue system including alliances, secret pacts, assassinations, spies, and blood pacts. These mechanics define the strategic gameplay.

Rock-paper-scissors combat: Combat uses a rock-paper-scissors system between unit types, adding a tactical layer. This mechanism is frequently mentioned by players.

Game of Thrones setting: The game is based on the world of Game of Thrones, which shapes the setting and theme, including houses and the map of Westeros.

Turn-based and real-time strategy: The game blends turn-based strategy with real-time elements and a pause feature, sometimes described as a fast-paced board game style.

Specialized non-combat units: Units like envoys, spies, assassins, and ladies perform specialized functions for diplomacy, espionage, and sabotage. Most units serve a single non-combat role.

Heavy lag and poor optimization: Players consistently mention severe lag, including general lagging, heavy lag, and loading lag. This is tied to poor overall optimization of the game.

Pervasive loading and freezing issues: Many players report that the game never loads properly or constantly freezes, with loading freezes making it appear as if the game has crashed. These problems are a primary source of frustration.

Display and resolution problems: Players encounter display issues requiring fixes, and resolution or settings problems cause the screen to split or go black. This suggests poor graphical configuration support.

Occasional game crashes: Some players report experiencing crashes, such as 2 program shutdowns in 15 hours. This disrupts gameplay and progress.

Pauses after teleporting via minimap: Players note a 3-5 second pause after using the minimap to teleport, which slows down navigation and breaks immersion.

Overwhelmingly negative recommendations: Many players strongly advise against buying the game, using phrases like do not buy, complete waste of money, and avoid it like the plague. The game is widely seen as not worth the price or time.

Niche appeal for franchise fans: The game is recommended mostly for dedicated Game of Thrones fans, but not for strategy enthusiasts or general audiences. It is seen as having very narrow appeal.

Better alternatives exist: Multiple players suggest playing the Crusader Kings II Game of Thrones mod, the board game, or other strategy games like Total War and Mount & Blade instead. These are seen as superior ways to enjoy the franchise.

Not for strategy gamers: Strategy game players are specifically warned away from this title. The game fails to satisfy fans of the genre.

Avoid even for franchise fans: Some reviewers explicitly say even diehard Game of Thrones fans should skip this game. The flaws are considered too severe to overlook.

Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00.

Game completion: 15.0h.

Story completion: 12.0h.

Session length: 1.0h.

The game is slow and confusing in single-player, but becomes engaging when played in multiplayer with friends due to strategic alliances and deception.

Friction: slow pacing; confusing tutorial; poor UI feedback; boring single-player AI; lack of military action; repetitive mechanics.

Unlock drivers: multiplayer mode; playing with friends; strategic alliances and subterfuge.

Lore-Seeking Devotee: Plays single-player campaign, focusing on non-combat diplomacy and lore absorption; tolerates poor information design for story depth. Motivation: To experience the prequel history and house conflicts of Westeros. Stance: sale.

Multiplayer Tactician: Primarily plays multiplayer mode, focusing on territory control, resource management, and alliance-building over extended sessions. Motivation: To engage in long, strategic multiplayer matches with building alliances and capture mechanics. Stance: sale.

Frugal Evaluation Seeker: Buys only at deep sale, explores the game lightly, compares it unfavorably to other strategy games, and sets low expectations. Motivation: To find a cheap, flawed but unique RTS experience as a side curiosity. Stance: deep sale.