Tyrant's Realm

A roguelite Soulslike inspired by many beloved dark and dreary PS1 classics, Tyrant's Realm is easy to pick up and tough to master.

Tyrant’s Realm has a lot of great ideas that came together in a good package. However, there are aspects of it that really drag it down. From the basic level designs, to the easy combat, to what I think is a broken gear system, there just wasn’t enough challenge to this to feel like a Soulslike or a Roguelite in the slightest. I don’t remember the last time I’ve fully beaten a Roguelite with only two total deaths. There is definitely something here, it just needs to be tightened up and not be afraid to challenge the players to make them go through multiple runs.

There is no plot worthy of being followed and the entire production is simplified compared to the major exponents of the genres from which it is inspired. If you are looking for an immediate and no-frills experience, you might appreciate it; otherwise, it risks being repetitive.

Tyrant’s Realm is a wonderful little gem. I enjoyed it so much it’s now a constant on my Steam Deck and I wil be playing it through to completion. The ability to try out different builds is one of the hit points for the game that will keep me returning. It really filled the everlasting void I have for soulslikes and roguelikes. With a roadmap in sight I cannot wait to see what the developer does and the updates they bring. The only constructive criticism I have would be the controls being there in the corner constantly. Wish there was an option to turn this off. Just gets a little annoying an distracting after a while but honestly that is the only thing that stood out to me in terms of any issues. So is Tyrant’s Realm worth it’s price? Yes. The game has incredible charm and really stood out for me. With everything outlined above I have decided to give Tyrant’s Realm the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.

Tyrant's Realm charms with its PS1-inspired visuals and creative level design but falls short on challenge and polish. The combat and boss battles show promise, but a lack of difficulty and clunky elements like the HUD hold it back. Fun for a nostalgic dungeon crawl, but not a true Soulslike contender.