Monarchy

Monarchy offers a unique and entertaining experience, albeit one that requires patience and tolerance for its flaws.

Monarchy presents itself as an intriguing challenge for strategy lovers, offering an experience that prioritizes cunning and planning over pure adrenaline. The initial charm, however, quickly dissipates, a victim of gameplay that falls into the trap of monotony. The inability to personally descend onto the battlefield leaves a bitter taste, forcing players to passively observe as their troops fight, depriving them of the thrill of direct action.

Monarchy is a fun game for quick casual sessions or seeing everything possible in a couple of longer waves of gameplay. It is a relaxing time that never becomes difficult to understand or overbearing which makes it perfect for all abilities of gamers. My six-year-old son enjoyed watching me play and kept coming up with suggestions on what to do next and he had his little planning brain on. It may be a little too simplistic for the hardcore strategy fans out there like myself and I did feel myself pining for more during several segments of the game. But the experience stands on its own two feet with a lovely cute vibe to its art style and great foundations if the developers want to add more in future.

Monarchy isn't a bad game and offers good freedom of action and beautiful artistic graphics. However, it doesn't bring anything new to the genre and in most cases, it feels repetitive. Additionally, the lack of a story and its quick tendency to become repetitive mean there are better options available in the market.

Monarchy of the Glen

Monarchy offers a charming take on the side-scrolling strategy genre, blending base-building, resource management, and light combat into a visually appealing package. Its relaxed gameplay and cooperative mode make it a great choice for casual players or families, especially those looking for a less demanding alternative to games like Kingdom Two Crowns. However, the game’s lack of tutorials, clunky controls, and repetitive mechanics hold it back from reaching its full potential.

Brain Seal invites us to manage a kingdom from scratch in a fluid, minimalist and understandable way for all types of users. We will play the role of a king who, on the back of his steed, will have to send his subjects a series of tasks for the proper functioning of the kingdom.

A pretty well shameless 1-to-1 reskin of far too many specific aspects of another property simply isn’t a good look

Monarchy is a finely crafted game that does everything right in its ability to combine strategic gameplay with incredible design, both in terms of art and gameplay. It offers delightful visuals, captivating mechanics, a well-balanced difficulty, and an array of mysteries and non-linear progression.

Monarchy brings some unique ideas to the 2D strategy genre. Its open-building system and automated military mechanics offer an experience that feels both ambitious and at times a bit overwhelming. If you’re a player who enjoys figuring things out and can overlook some of the game’s quirks, Monarchy could be a charming addition to your strategy collection. However, for those who prefer clear tutorials, and smoother progression, it may feel like a rough-around-the-edges experience. Monarchy has potential but could use a few more jousts to iron out some of its issues. Still, it’s an intriguing journey for strategy enthusiasts. Monarchy is awarded the Thumb Culture Silver Award. For a top down city builder title check out our review of Citadelum