Deal | All-time low: Dark fairy-tale strategy RPG now $5 instead of $25 on Steam

Armello is a kingdom inhabited by anthropomorphic animals. Its king has fallen victim to a dark force that is slowly driving him mad and bringing the realm to ruin. As a result, the animal clans send out their heroes to compete for the throne. Players take on the role of one of these heroes. Anyone looking to overthrow the mad king can currently do so for $5 instead of $25, thanks to an 80% discount. According to SteamDB, this matches the game's previous all-time low.

At the start, players choose one of four animal clans – Wolf, Bear, Rabbit or Rat – each offering two heroes. From there, the adventure unfolds on a randomly generated hex-based map, much like a tabletop board game. Individual tiles contain quests, dungeons or settlements. When entering a dungeon, for example, the game automatically determines whether players discover gold or encounter a monster. When two opponents clash, the outcome depends on cards, dice and equipment. Swords deal damage, while shields block incoming attacks. Equipment improves the odds, and sacrificing cards from your hand allows you to secure specific dice symbols.

The ultimate goal is to replace the king and claim the crown. There are several ways to achieve this. Players can defeat the king in combat and immediately become the new ruler. Alternatively, they can collect four Spirit Stones or earn the throne through Prestige. If the king dies, the crown passes to the most prestigious hero in the kingdom. Building up Prestige requires completing quests and defeating monsters or rival heroes. The king's illness weakens him every morning, meaning time is working against him even without a direct attack. Particularly ruthless contenders can also embrace the Rot themselves and use its power to defeat the king in battle.

Armello has around 16,000 Steam reviews, with a respectable 81% positive rating. On Metacritic, the game holds a Metascore of 75. The biggest criticism is that the strategy RPG relies heavily on luck. Dice rolls, cards and random events can determine whether a carefully planned strategy succeeds or falls apart – something that hasn't gone down particularly well with many critics and players. Aside from that, the RPG-board game hybrid is generally considered well executed, with particular praise for its atmospheric fantasy world and the many different paths to victory, which also give the game a fair amount of replay value. Incidentally, Armello is also Steam Deck Verified.

Get a look at the gameplay in the trailer:

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