Operencia: The Stolen Sun

Setting is what kept me going the most here. Hungarian fantasy is just not something you see in games and it takes you to some interesting places.
As a blobber it felt a bit thin on customization, though as your party grows you get more possible combinations. A couple puzzles had me stumped for a while but it's all manageable and I played without objective markers so that's on me.
Dialogues can be a bit much sometimes with all the snark and feeling a bit too modern for the setting in general. I got stuck in geometry a bunch of times but a quick reload always fixed it. Pretty cool game overall but nothing crazy.

A surprisingly good entry into the DRPG subgenre. This game feels like a really well-made B movie: it’s not groundbreaking, but it’s genuine, and it kept me entertained from start to finish. It’s especially impressive considering it was developed by a Hungarian company best known for making physical pinball machines. As a debut in this style, it’s a surprisingly strong effort. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a first-person dungeon crawler with turn-based combat.

The positives:
- Pretty faithful use of Hungarian folklore
- Beautiful environments
- Great music
- Fully voiced
- Serviceable characters
- Really well-balanced puzzles (they are mostly on the easier side but solidly designed)
- Excellent choice for trying a forgiving DRPG (free respecs anytime at save points)

The negatives:
- The VA quality is a bit of a mixed bag
- The combat is a bit too simple and slow
- Some characters are a bit one-dimensional
- Small amount of backtracking (pet peeve of mine, I just don't enjoy doing it, too much mental load, but for a 20-25 hour game it's fine)
- Very derivative of the genre (if you played 10+ DRPGs this won't offer any new mechanics)

All in all great effort, give it a try if you are interested.

This is an insanely underrated dungeon crawler, I went on a kick of dungeon crawlers and this was literally the best one I think I've played ever (outside of Might and Magic VI: Mandate of Heaven). The incentive to go back and 100% previous levels to access potential power ups is legit as a mechanic, I can't remember exactly what game it reminds me of that had really good meta progression, but it's for real. It adds a mild dash of Metroidvania spice into the mix (because you can't 100% until you get _stuff_). I have seen many franchises make dozens of games on much weaker concepts, I could see this formula going hard. This was my unexpected gem when I got into it. Give it a minute, get past the first boss or two, I think you'll see what I mean.

Fun little rpg dungeon crawler with neat mechanics and puzzles. Worth every penny if you want some old school type gaming.

A magical fairytale ! Great story reminiscent of central european folk tales, well fleshed-out characters, and surprisingly deep gameplay. "Easy to learn, hard to master" comes to mind when looking at the simplistic-looking but still fairly deep character development and gameplay.

In case you're wondering whether the game is hard (and some players will complain that it is), I know for a fact that it's winnable on maximum difficulty / ironman without using any firewood or consumable items. It doesn't even take a genius to do so, all you need to do is build on the existing synergies in the game that are all but spelled out in skill & item descriptions and the journal.

Great ambiance, nice setting and story, lovable characters and a surprisingly deep gameplay make this a must play in my book.

I picked up this game during a sale without really knowing what to expect. The only thing I knew was that it was a dungeon crawler, and that's usually enough to get my attention since I love the genre.

My first impression wasn't great. The prologue nearly made me press Alt+F4 and forget about the game entirely. Thankfully, I decided to give it a chance. Little by little, the game started to grow on me and become more interesting. By the time I reached the Tomb of Réka, I was completely hooked and genuinely invested in the game.

Overall, for fans of dungeon crawlers, this is a surprisingly solid game. It may start slowly, but if you stick with it, you'll find an enjoyable and engaging experience that captures much of what makes the genre so appealing.

Recommended, but only barely.
I really wanted to love Operencia. The world is beautiful, the environments stay fresh throughout the game, and the use of Central European folklore gives it a unique identity. The story and characters kept me invested from beginning to end, and exploring each new area was always exciting.
Unfortunately, the gameplay doesn't quite keep up.
Combat is functional but very basic. Once you've found a strategy that works, there's little reason to experiment. I also wasn't a fan of the level cap or the fact that every enemy encounter is predetermined. Instead of feeling like I'm adventuring through a dangerous world (Wizardry, Eye of the Beholder, Legend of Grimmrock), it often felt like I was simply progressing through someone else's script.
My biggest disappointment was the reward for exploration. The game constantly encourages you to hunt down hidden secrets but the loot is usually mediocre or straight up trash. The perfect example is the optional secret boss with over 10,000 HP. By the time you can realistically reach it, you're already at about 99% completion, and the reward is an above average piece of gear you'll barely get to use before the game ends.
I still recommend Operencia because its world, story, atmosphere, and presentation are genuinely excellent. But with deeper combat, more meaningful exploration rewards, and a little more player freedom, it could have been something truly special.