The Lonesome Guild

If you're in the mood for a breezy puzzle-filled RPG with satisfying combat set in a lovely world then let me introduce The Lonesome Guild.

The Lonesome Guild may be a bit simple in its combat and puzzles, but its world and meta-narrative are incredibly touching and deeply captivating.

Setting aside its sometimes sluggish combat controls and a few frustrating mechanics, there’s a lot to enjoy about The Lonesome Guild. With beautiful art and a much-appreciated theme centering on connection and communication, The Lonesome Guild should appeal to fans of puzzle-heavy action RPGs looking for narrative depth.

Tiny Bull Studio's The Lonesome Guild wears its themes of loneliness and community on its sleeve. In spite of the game's valuable and important themes, it struggles to have good gameplay to back it up.

The Lonesome Guild takes you into a wondrous world and unpacks relatable themes through its narrative, but while the combat, storytelling, and environments are serviceable, they don’t reach their full potential.

The Lonesome Guild is an adorable action RPG with a nice message, but repetitive combat and a lack of difficulty make it a tad tedious.

The Lonesome Guild isn’t a game I would really recommend to anyone, but it’s also one I can see a very specific type of player enjoying. Every aspect of the game is undercooked, such as barebones combat, a childish story that never reaches its potential, and a relationship system that feels shoved into the game just for the sake of it. In other words, there’s no standout reason to play through its 12-hour journey. However, it does have a cozy vibe to it that may appeal to players just looking for an easy game to pick up and play, and while they may find some fleeting joy in their adventure wit...

In the end, The Lonesome Guild is a fairy tale that is neither exemplary nor bland. Certainly its flaws do come through, particularly as the game proceeds through its main plot in the second half, but it has enough thematic bite, enough heart in its side quests, and enough quality in its presentation to create an experience that’s enjoyable for the senses, if lacking in staying power.