Thank you Assemble Entertainment for sending us a review code!

When personal computers first became mainstream, they didn’t have powerful graphics. Text adventure games were popular and added a whole new dimension to reading. As a kid I enjoyed the “choose your own adventure” books and Roadwarden is very similar to these classic games and books. With the addition of awesome music!

The previous roadwarden disappeared six months ago and you have been hired to take his place. He left behind some enemies that would like confirmation of his demise. As the new sheriff in town, you’ll be tasked with delivering messages, assisting merchants, burning corpses of the undead, and trying to make the peninsula a safer place all around by dealing with monsters you encounter along the way.

Your first stop is at a camp and depending on your answers you’ll be assigned your class (fighter, mage, scholar), religion (pagan, church goer, seeker of truth, fellowship seeker), and back story. I opted to just be a hero instead of saving up money to aid my family. If you are a member of the united church, you’ll be less understanding of those identifying as necromancers. Lastly, you’ll get to name your horse which is not very common in these parts.

When interacting with people you get to choose your demeanor. You can be playful, friendly, distanced, intimidating, or vulnerable. The village leaders will respond differently depending on how you approach them. You get a preview of what you will say before committing to your approach.
Most conversations and decisions are multiple choice depending on what information or inventory you have. However, there are many scenarios where you have to type who or what you are looking for. While this game is playable on the Steam Deck, you’ll need the on-screen keyboard for these scenarios.

Gathering information is essential for solving many of the mysteries of this peninsula. You’ll have to earn the trust of the locals by helping them with various errands. Many services can be rendered in exchange for some labor. Once trust is gained you’ll be able to ask for favors, services, and information. Many services and some secrets are only available in exchange for money/dragon bones. Money can be earned by doing odd and end jobs around town.

There are many things to do in the limited amount of time you have before fall arrives. It’s too dangerous to be outside at night so you have to take shelter before then. Many ferocious monsters lurk in the forests so you’ll have to keep your eyes open. You’ll have to defend yourself against harpies, dragons, goblins, wolves, gigantic spiders, and more.

Playing Roadwarden on the standard difficulty took me roughly ten hours to complete. There are some handy guides available on the Steam community page and I highly recommend consulting them for the text entry prompts. There is replay value in trying different classes, solving different issues, or making different choices. There are forty three Steam achievements available, with many of them being hidden.

Since streaming the game, an anniversary patch has been released that provides new difficulty and ending options. Sadly, previous game saves are no longer compatible and I was forced to start a new game to type up this review. When launching Roadwarden, you can use a preset difficulty or customize it with the number of days, starting coins, and quest/monster difficulty. Your difficulty can’t be adjusted so choose wisely!

The pixel art visuals are sandy colored and fitting for a text adventure game. I love the guitar-based background music. It’s available to listen to and purchase on Bandcamp for $10.

On a moral front, there are some issues worth addressing. The simple graphics don’t depict violence or blood, but the descriptive text let’s your mind fill in the blanks. There is some foul language including multiple instances of the F-bomb. There are many religious beliefs that you can opt to participate in. Unfortunately, to complete a quest a sacrifice at an altar is necessary. This quest is not mandatory, but is required to save a town from a plague. One of the towns openly practices necromancy and you’ll have to decide how to stop it or leave them to their own devices. Throughout your travels you will stop at various taverns and have the option to gamble or drink with the villagers there. You may overhear conversations or songs that are sexual in nature.

Roadwarden’s asking price of $10.99 is very reasonable. If you’re on the fence, you can check out the free demo. If you enjoy text adventure games, it’s worth checking out if the moral issues are not a concern.