Roadwarden Critic Reviews

I haven’t encountered writing anywhere near as good as this since Disco Elysium, yet that isn’t to say one is better than the other. Roadwarden is sort of dark fantasy, while Disco Elysium is an irreverent inspection of human psychology, society, and the Apocalypse. At about thirty hours, I cannot complain about my time with Roadwarden. A part of me is terribly sad to say goodbye to this world and its people, but it certainly didn’t overstay its welcome; that’s important. While I experienced amazing successes, I also made horrible mistakes and oversights that the game punished tastefully and forcefully. I don’t need or want a perfect adventure where everything ends with a neat little bow on top, and Roadwarden delivers just that. Some mysteries were left unsolved, while others were solved a little too well. Succeeding is sometimes a form of failure. So much to chew on, and I am thankful for the adventure.

As vivid and memorable an evocation of a place as any hyper-detailed triple-A fantasy universe.

Roadwarden is a highly compelling, vividly realized text-based expedition into a dynamic fantasy setting, with a deep and layered story that allows players to experience as much or as little as they choose while deciding what kind of role they want to play in its deceptively vast world.

Roadwarden is a fascinating take on the RPG genre that has a lot to love. Its setting is deep and well fleshed out, and the interactions players have with it are impactful and fun to navigate. The stories it tells are often somber but handled in an undeniably human and engaging way. While anyone who doesn’t like reading will want to skip it, I cannot recommend it enough to players intrigued by the possibilities of a detailed, text-based RPG.

An atmospheric and compelling text-only role-playing game, with a realistic approach to survival and building relationships – where every action and failure comes with lasting consequences.

Roadwarden skillfully transports text-based role-playing into the modern age.

Roadwarden takes a page out of the choose-your-own-adventure playbook, incorporating combat, role-playing, and diplomacy into its visual novel trappings. Although surviving its world can be stressful, there is plenty of worthwhile adventuring to be had.

So much of what I enjoyed about Roadwarden was its unknowability. You’re a traveller in the peninsula for a little over a month, and it reflects that. You can’t fix every problem, you can’t make everyone happy, and you can’t know everything there is to know. Instead, you take in as much of it as you can, try to improve people’s lots slightly, and leave with a journal full of questions and sense memories.

A beautifully structured, rich and thoughtful adventure with gentle but decisive RPG elements.