14 DAY TRIAL // 
Druidstone is a charming game made by the same fine folks that brought us Legend of Grimrock several years ago. Not that I don't want to play another Legend of Grimrock game, but Druidstone is quite different and I think that's great.
One word that perfectly describes the game is “merciless,” but not in the souls-like sense. Druidstone is a turn-based strategy game set in a fantasy world where druids and sorcerers are pretty common. The gameplay experience is served in short bursts, as each mission can last between 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your strategy skills.
Besides its solid combat system and interesting character progression, Druidstone offers an enchanting story about a party of heroes who fight together to save the forest from a cult manipulated by an evil sorceress. Just like in many other turn-based strategy games that focus on story, the protagonists will be gradually introduced, so you'll be expanding your party as you progress in the game.
It's like XCOM sans the hit chance
Although there's no voice acting implemented, dialogues are written well-enough to keep you interested throughout the entire game. The cutesy characters and the tunes seem to draw inspiration from Final Fantasy Tactics, but I can't say whether it was intended or not. Now, when it comes to combat, the best way to describe it is “XCOM sans the hit chance.”
Every character in your party has action and move points. Some move farther, while others are less mobile on the battlefield, but all can use a single action per turn to attack, heal or use an ability. This is where things become interesting, as enemies that you defeat leave health or action points that you can pick up to heal or make one additional attack. You have to plan your moves though as the enemy can pick these up as well.
Whenever your characters level up, you are given a set of three abilities that you can choose from to add to your arsenal. These look like cards, which can be removed and replaced with better ones. As you progress in the game and missions become harder, you'll want to use specific abilities that will make your life easier. You can do that anytime during a mission, but that will restart the battle.
I have to give props to the devs for not turning the game into a repetitive experience. Each mission felt unique, so I had to use different strategies almost every time. You see, each mission has main and bonus objectives, which offer different rewards.
All main objectives award at least one ability point, which can be used to empower your abilities or gear (weapons, armors, accessories). Some missions award an ability point if you complete one or more of the bonus objectives, while others will unlock new pieces of gear that you can purchase from the shop.
One basilisk later...
Now, Druidstone is not a perfect game, and one aspect where I believe developers have failed to deliver is explaining how the bonus objectives work, why they're important (or not) and that you can return and replay a mission later on when you're more powerful to get the rewards. I also believe there are balancing issues with some of the missions at the beginning of the game.
I still remember my fourth mission where I have to kill a basilisk that had double the HP of my beefier character while trying to protect a useless NPC and fight another horde of enemies attacking me from behind at the same time. Oh, did I mention that there were two basilisks? Luckily, there's no problem if you can't complete some of the bonus objectives on your first try, you can come back and replay these missions when you have more abilities and you're better geared.
I'm quite sure that these missions are doable on first try, but the difficulty spikes at the beginning of the game are definitely annoying. Ironically, the mid-to-end part of the game is considerably easier, but that feeling also comes from the fact that you get used to the system and learn how the abilities work, so I don't think that's an issue.
The Good
- Enchanting story and characters
- Charming art style
- Interesting combat system based on a wide range of abilities
- Great level design and production quality
- Fun puzzle missions
The Bad
- Difficulty spikes at the beginning of the game
- Needs a more comprehensive tutorial
Conclusion
The wide array of abilities and gear allows players to employ just about every playstyle they wish, but within some limits. You still need a tank, a healer and one or more damage dealers to have an easier time. Still, I did find that hybrids work as well later in the game.
Druidstone is pretty great but not without flaws. Fortunately, the unforgiving strategic combat, charming art style and light puzzles sprinkled in between the fights, far exceed the balancing issues. You just need to keep playing it beyond the first 5-6 missions, you'll find that Druidstone is a hidden gem.
