The Lonesome Guild Review
Tiny Bull Studios’ action-RPG charms with storybook visuals and heartfelt themes, but its shallow combat and ponderous writing hinder its success.
The Lonesome Guild. Credit: Tiny Bull Studios / DON’T NOD
The Lonesome Guild from Tiny Bull Studios and DON'T NOD is an action-RPG about connection in a world consumed by loneliness, with gameplay driven by quick, seamless switching between characters in your party. The game follows six misfits as they battle a corrupting mist that spreads solitude across the land.
From the developer:
The Lonesome Guild is a single-player top-down action-RPG all about togetherness. Embark on a heroic adventure as Ghost, a spirit who wakes to find they hold no memories. The world has become shrouded by loneliness and the mist just keeps spreading, corrupting everyone in its path. Now it’s up to you to get the band back together... even if they’re meeting for the first time.
The game's central theme of overcoming isolation through togetherness is compelling on paper, but ponderous dialogue undermines the emotional impact. The characters’ speech might have worked with voice acting to bring warmth to the words, but as text, it feels stilted and artificial. The story wants to explore meaningful connections, yet the writing creates distance instead.
The Lonesome Guild. Credit: Tiny Bull Studios / DON’T NOD
Combat allows quick switching between the unique playable characters, but remains disappointingly simplistic. Despite each hero's distinct abilities, encounters feel basic and repetitive, mechanically uninteresting. Puzzles are equally accessible but monotonous, while the labyrinthine level design makes exploration tedious rather than rewarding. The environments, though serviceable, lack the personality needed to make discovery engaging.
Visually, the game shines with charming storybook aesthetics and varied character designs that give each party member distinct appeal. Unfortunately, enemy designs are bland, and environments feel generic despite the attractive art style.
The Lonesome Guild. Credit: Tiny Bull Studios / DON’T NOD
The Lonesome Guild has heart and promising ideas about connection, but mechanical simplicity and overwrought writing prevented it from resonating with me.
The Lonesome Guild is available now on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Overall Score: 5/10
Played on: PS5
