The premise of String Tyrant is to save your best friend and your brother from the manor or you can transform everyone into an inanimate dolls/claygirls/statues. I was gifted this game through itch.io and I thought to give it an objective review.
Firstly, the plot of String Tyrant is well constructed, with books scattered around detailing the origins of the lifeforms cohabiting in the manor, as well as some testaments cautioning the dangers of the manor. Most of the stories are tragic as everyone is trapped inside the manor and transformed against their will, but some actually accept their transformation into a statue, doll, claygirl (I believe there are more forms which I left out, but it's mainly these 3 which leave a deep impression). The plot is succinct and direct, following a typical storyline, while getting constantly chased by the inhabitants of the manor, which gets me to the mechanics of the game.
The style of String Tyrant is a familiar mix between House of Pandemonium Adventure Mode and Pandemonium Classic Mode. Briefly, it comprises of the rpg adventure platformer with a clearly defined end goal, with elements of Classic Mode(the enemies spawn indefinitely, sandbox mode) incorporated into it. Combat mechanics are refreshing with the use of randomly generated cards to craft a sequence of elements-based attacks. I am not very sure what the circles around the enemies are for, but maybe you could base the colours to the elemental weaknesses they have. Equipment are diverse though I do appreciate if they can implement some range weapons and even a stun bomb which temporarily stuns the movement of the enemies if you are trapped.
The gist of the transformations is inanimate, forced(against will) possession which I do not prefer. I do like some anthro and mythical creatures, maybe considering exploring a sequel with these in place to cater to a greater community. However, what I do acknowledge is that the transformation sequences are well-illustrated and coloured, and there is no denial that the artists have spent a huge time deliberately designing inanimate characters, so kudos to them. In particular, I like that the ending scenes and the transformation scenes are placed on a black blackground, thus shifting most of the focus to the transformations themselves, and not on the background. The title screen is ominous too, which foreshadows what the protaganist and her friends predicament if they are not careful.
There isn't any iconic soundtrack that house of pandemonium adventure has, but the absence of any fast paced, upbeat soundtrack fits the mood of String Tyrant. The characters are memorable and endearing, particularly Lauren who can stand up for himself despite appearing fearful throughout most of the game. There isn't any end bosses to the game, but I find that the health of the end game enemies is a tad too much. There isn't any bugs nor typos I have found in the game, except the occasional inseperation of the words for the dialogue between Sarah and the protagonist at the basement. The minigames(disguised as traps)are a great respite from the run-or-fight playstyle for String Tyrant. The minigames are creative and logical. I wouldn't spoil the endings for you, hence I do encourage you to check out the demo, or you can hop on to Discord or Salty's blog to find out more.
Overall, great work by the developers of the game who obviously design the game for a particular audience who like inanimate tfs. Yet, there is some charm in discovering the origins of String Tyrant and discovering your inner fetish. Expect the playtime to be around 2.5-3 hours. Thank you to the developers and supporters of the game. Final Score 8/10 (objectively, can't denial that my preference for HoP adventure mode and mythical/anthros tfs pull the score down a little, but 8 is a respectable score nonetheless)
From FloraAsu. I posted the exact same review on tfgamesite.