Heads Will Roll: Reforged

Roguelike not the main mode

Awesome game! Surprising amount of content. Very interesting and challenging combat strategy. Highly recommended!

Worth it. going to buy DLC as well.

The overall gameplay is pretty unique, the gameplay is most similar to another game called a legionaries life but heads will outclasses that game in most categories. The depth of customization, endings, quests and character interactions are phenomenal

The only real gripe I have with this game is that if you are playing on the hardest difficulty(which you should by the way) there are no saves. So if you make a single wrong decision you could lose your entire run and have to redo the intro over again. The fact that there are 31 endings, and around 7 actualized routes means that you will be playing that intro again, and again and again. Runs aren't that long but if you are trying to get all 31 endings you will need to play cambrai an ungoldy number of items. It doesn't help that some routes have incredibly unfair end scenarios where you need to be damn near a god to win.

Other than those few gripes the game is remarkably fair. If you take risks, you can die, but if you don't take risks you won't be as rewarded. If you help others they help you, but you lose that time you could have spent increasing your overall power. Ultimately this is a game that respects your decisions and is incredibly open ended. Piss off a key person in your route by not listening to them? your adventure ends cause you needed their help. Try to take a fight you absolutely cannot win? You don't even get a fight you just lose. While you can brute force most games, heads will roll makes it clear to you that as strong as you may be you are still just a guy with a sword. But play your cards right and you might become THE guy with a sword.

If you want a game that treats your decisions as meaningful ones, this is the game for you.
If you want a game that allows you to custom tailor your guy to whatever playstyle suits you, this is the game for you
If you want a game where you aren't shoved into jail cells for being an absolute buffoon, this might not be the game for you

10/10 would die of a crossbolt shot to the neck again.

Amazing game with devs who are constantly updating it. This is a Ren'py game, so if you know their engine, you should know that this game is someone akin to a visual novel.

The big difference is that this game can be brutal with fleshed out combat systems inspired by a roguelike system, ensuring over, at the time of writing this, nearly over 30 different endings and other things. DLC and this game, as well as probably more sequels, will come out making the $10 you spent on this well worth it.

My biggest issue with this game is very poor UI. There is no button to 'take all loot', minimal key mapping and overall not optimized system of screens and menus, some paths to some screens are not obvious,
Another minus in my opinion is average writing in some parts of the game (for instance - Dialogues with Olivia). This is a visual novel, so the writing is important.
That being said, I spend a lot of time playing this game and I enjoyed most of it. I don't agree with negative reviews some players leave on the basis of game being unfairly hard and challenging. To me it is a plus and the description seem to warn you about it, so it's no surprise.
So yes, good combat, good roleplaying, outstanding replayability. I would recommend it to you if you are into tactical battles and turn-based roguelights.

fun at first then became angering to play

Played On Steam Deck

When I first tried Heads Will Roll: Reforged, I had no idea it was connected to a game called Legionnaires Life—never even heard of it. But I gotta say, I’m really glad I stumbled onto HWR:R. The story is fantastic—one of the best I’ve come across in a medieval RPG.

The game is brutally challenging, with turn-based combat that’s realistic enough to make your heart race every time you pull out your sword. Every choice I made—even the little ones—felt like it had a ripple effect, either on my character’s future or someone else’s. Toss in the fact that you can shape your entire persona (knight in shining armor or sneaky thief with questionable morals), and it’s like you’re authoring your own medieval epic. Plus, I have to mention the fun romancing options—some of those medieval ladies are quite charming.

On the flip side, though, fights can drag on, especially if you’re not sure whether you’re supposed to survive a set number of waves or wipe out every single enemy. And if you skip dialogue, you might be stuck with an “agree or reject” choice without remembering what on Earth you’re actually agreeing to. Getting stronger also takes ages. I found myself replaying the first three chapters a bunch of times, which got old. The performance issues didn’t help either—those random stutters messed up a few carefully planned strikes. And the save system? Let’s just say I spent 30 hours thinking I was stuck in a hardcore mode until I finally realized saving was buried behind the interface.

Still, when all’s said and done, the excellent storytelling and deeply rewarding gameplay overpower the hiccups. If you’re up for a punishing medieval RPG with fantastic writing, Heads Will Roll: Reforged is worth the beatdown you’ll take. I’m giving it a solid 9 out of 10—heads will roll, but trust me, with some patience (or editing the local files!) you’ll have a blast along the way.

One of the Best Hardcore RPGs—Bought It Twice

I rarely write reviews, but Heads Will Roll deserves it. This game is so good that I bought it twice—both on Steam and GOG—just to support the devs.

As a long-time RPG fan (30 years and counting), I’ve played countless games, but Heads Will Roll delivers an experience I haven’t felt in nearly a decade. The sheer depth of survival mechanics, meaningful choices, and the brutal yet rewarding gameplay loop make this one of the best hardcore RPGs I’ve ever played.

At first, I thought I’d play it casually, but I got completely hooked. Now, I only play on the hardest difficulty (HWR mode) with 0 stat points and no progression perks. It’s punishing, but the immersion is unreal. Every decision feels weighty—one wrong move, and you’re done. I’ve put in over 50 hours and still haven’t made it past the early chapters, but the game makes every failure feel like a lesson, not a punishment.

The combat system is deep and tactical, and I love how every weapon has unique characteristics beyond just base stats. The narrative and choices create so many emergent storytelling moments—whether I’m a dishonorable rogue backstabbing my way up or an honorable warrior fighting to survive, my playthroughs always feel distinct. The fact that I can go from stealing from my own comrades to being executed for trying to uphold justice is exactly the kind of brutal realism I love in RPGs.

I haven’t seen a game this immersive since Age of Decadence, one of my all-time favorite RPGs. It baffles me that this game isn’t more well-known—it deserves way more recognition.

If you enjoy hardcore survival RPGs where every choice matters, Heads Will Roll is a must-play. I hope to see more updates and DLCs in the future. If you're on the fence, take the plunge—this game is a hidden gem.

👍 Easily one of the best indie RPGs I’ve played in years.

It starts SLOW. VERY SLOW.

You'll die in Cambrai so, so, so many times. but then you start finishing that part, and racking up substantial gains each run and uncovering new paths and gear and etc. that's when it gets good.

UNFORTUNATELY, that never speeds up the early game. yes, you can kill guys faster and spend less time thinking about your choices, but unlike something like say... Rogue Legacy or even Nethack or something, there's never any skipping the beginning of the game. So you're always going to be fighting through Cambrai for 30 minutes before you actually get to play the interesting part of the game.

That said, the combat is good, there's a TON of gear that works together in neat ways, and the story is really compelling.

Well if you enjoy dying all the time then go right ahead. I dont mind that the odds in this game are stocked massively against the player but you cant really escape fights. There is a point whrere every man will turn and run, but you cant. The game sounded like a cool idea but it was a rather poor experience.

В лазарете женщина-доктор (ха!), в корсете 18 века(ха-ха!) не может отличить быдлана от рыцаря(ХА-ХА-ХА!!11). Нет, судари мои, в такой бред я поверить не могу при всей благосклонности к подобным играм.

Goed gaem.

Good

Not worth playing. Made it to chapter 7 and didnt save too often, lost all my progress because the game took me to the main menu randomly and the continue button didnt work.

Way more fun than I planned to have. Already looking forward to another playthrough.

I would not recommend it. The sandbox is limiting in the sense that you start so weak it's very hard to get far and even if you do you try to play the full game after a while. which is frankly, about impossible unless you spend days dying over and over again. After 10+ runs basically 2nd assault on cambrai is impossible, you end up being tired out against first opponen and the 2nd wave when they push you up the walls is about 10x your strength. There is simply no time to train up to any chance to survival no matter equipment so you either die 100x to have maybe enough creation points to have insane skills trained up on start or otherwise you're just always stuck in same impossible place. reading he same mission 100x over and over again is simply not worth it. Too expensive for the amount of game I could get out of it.

There's fighting, girl's hearts to win and french to kill. 10/10 no notes.

For a game made in an engine mostly used for visual novels there is a surprising amount of replayability with many branching routes, the game, there is alot of roleplaying to be done with proper choice and consequences, the combat is simple yet deep and very gratifying. The dev is also constantly updating and improving the game and a new dlc with a whole new story path came out a month ago as of the time of this review.

If I have a complaint it would be getting through the cambrai section can get repetitive on repeat playthroughs when trying to get to the different routes,

For any fans of a legionary's life this is an amazing spiritual successor, highly recommend

I've played rogue-lites a bunch, but never one with visual novel-type aesthetics. This is obviously on budget so a bit janky, but the gameplay is top notch, and the writing is better than what I had expected. Language is modern rather than medieval, so you'll often see out-of-character banter, but it's overall pretty good.

The strength of this game lies in combat and gear customizability. This game is meant to be played on the highest HWR difficulty which allows rogue-lite metaprogression.

solid game but beginers should find a guide combat is unforgiving till you know what your doing

Now this game is... interesting. It's a (relatively) historically accurate medieval life sim with some crunchy luck-based combat.

Think of swords and sandals with a better story.

I find this game fun, and the roguelite power fantasy elements to be very enjoyable (every run, you get stronger), but I can see how people would get turned off by this. Big recommend for RPG fans. Does a lot well.

I FUCKING LOVE PLAYING THE FIRST 3 CHAPTERS AGAIN AND AGAIN TAKING THE SAME CHOICES!

It has shit ton of issues and buggy as hell, but it's more or less 1 man project on a shitty Python framework. And with all its flaws the core gameplay loop is good. It's something in between a visual (soft porn) novel, resource management and rpg-lite.

The biggest issue is a terrible writing. Like come on, bro.

A very good game, I definitely recommend it.
I tried the demo version, because visual novels have never been interesting - and I really got into it.
I only played on the "Heads will roll" difficulty.

+ Excellent variable story of the formation of a "noname" character in the medieval setting
+ Good characters and jokes
+ Well-thought-out combat system for the genre
+ Continuous support and development of the game by the developer

Among the minuses, I can only note the cost of add-ons. It seems to me that the price is too high for such amount of content (for the EU region).
Well, and also - slight bugs in the first time after the release of updates

Anyhow there should be more games like this.
I wish the developer good luck!

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Очень годная игра, однозначно рекомендую.
Попробовал демо-версию, т.к. визуальные новеллы не были никогда интересны - и прям проникся.
Играл только на сложности "Heads will roll".
+ Отличная вариативная история становления ноунем-персонажа в антураже средневековья
+ Хорошие персонажи и шутки
+ Продуманная боевая система как для жанра
+ Постоянная поддержка и развитие игры разработчиком

Из минусов могу только отметить стоимость дополнений. Мне кажется что цена слишком высокая как для такого количества контента (для ЕС региона). Ну и еще - легкую забагованность в первое время после выхода обновлений

В любом случае, таких игр должно быть больше.
Разработчику желаю удачи!

I love this game. Is it perfect? Far from it. It's built on the Renpy engine and it isn't ideal for a lot of it. The writing leaves something to be desired. The game is best played on the hardest difficulty so you can level up your character to make the game easier which leads to a LOT of repetition of the first 3 chapters as others have said.

But my god did this game scratch an itch. It truly feels like a power fantasy of going from being a simple peasant to an epic knight. Tons of story choices let you play through completely different events or even on the other side of them. Up to 30 endings? Like, incredible. I bought this game like December 8th and have 50 hours in it January 7th. Truly sucked me in. Will buy the DLC when I have some more money and time to devote to it.

Excellent game. Takes the concept of A Legionary's Life and adds a branching story with even better combat. The replayability is amazing with all the builds and choices you can make.

Great game.

fun and hard game lots of diff endings so theres plenty to do

I thought the original was solid, but this was a much improved version, so great job! Gameplay is quite enjoyable, equipment variety is nice, etc. Really liked the branching options throughout the game, each with its own cool storyline. Finding all of the endings seems rather daunting, so have not managed that, but the ones I have found are either really good or about what you would expect when you get crushed. Character variety was really nice, especially characters that are completely different depending on the path you are on, like Roger who is either a persistent obstacle or a pretty loyal guy . Waifus are all fairly different as well. Big Eva and Lina respecter reporting for duty here, but all of them have their moments. Overall, great game, keep it up!

Heavily inspired by A Legionary's Life which is a fantastic game where you start as a low level grunt and work your way up. Bonus points for romanceable waifus.

Historical accuracy is sometimes abit weird, where there is leather armor (didn't exist) and then you have historical armor. However, the combat is very engaging and exciting.

If you love Life of a Legionary, check this out.

I have had huge enjoyment from this game. You play a soldier in the early years of the hundred years war and will most likely end up dead. However, your achievements from one game carry over to the next one and will allow you to start with a stronger character. Or at least they do on the highest difficulty where permadeath comes into play - on the lower ones, you generate a random character and have the chance to save your game.

The storyline branches a LOT. After the initial campaign, you can end up knighted and continue your career in England. Or you can become a mercenary in France. Or return to your old life as a peasant and join a rebel group. With the appropriate DLC, you can also join the French. And several of these branches have sub-branches, such as where you travel to England as a Knight, but have the opportunity to defect to another side in the upcoming civil war.

There are also other options, such as playing a virtuous person or a scumbag. Each opens different possibilities and difficulties. Do you torture a guy for valuable information? If you don't, you could alienate a valuable ally. But if do it, other doors will most likely close.

The combat system is also fun. The different weapons play very differently indeed. A light sword which allows for a shield is not at all the same as a heavy, two-handed mace.

So ...thumbs up! And get the DLCs.

Enjoyable if a bit clunky at times

If you're into Medieval stuff and enjoy the Roleplay aspect and immersion of that era, then this game is most definitely for you. Fun combat, branching story and maidens to romance. What is there not to love?

It's got that one more turn vibe!

I don't think I've ever seen a game where I have missed an attack 6 times in a row with 100% chance to hit, still decent though.

Love the game

I have completed the game with all good endings. Story line, music and events are top class. However, graphics can be improved. While playing i really got immersed into the gameplay and felt that i was actually scaling the walls of forts during battles and, i was actually facing the heat and desolation of desert after Damietta. Among romance option my favorite was Eva's route. Even when i was trying the England route, i started fresh game just to ensure that i reach England without causing trouble to Eva's dad.

Good game!

One of these games:

one more turn....
one more run....

and then the blackbird greets you in the morning!

One of THE BEST example what a RenPy game can perform! And no, it is NOT an adult game.
ah no, you mean the blood and rolling heads... ok. agree.

more details later.

Game has minor bugs, but the Dev is always at your side.
Content increasing.

and thanks for RenPy's STRG to fast forward the texts...as you need to read them only once.

This is unlike any game I've played before, and I love it. It's hard for me to articulate why, but its addicting.
Playing the heads will roll difficulty and getting a little further each time is thrilling and satisfying.

I have around 80 hours and I've hardly scratched the surface story and ending wise.

Heads Will Roll: Reforged

This game is buggy, messy, and filled with typos. It also struggles with technical limitations, such as a lack of resolution options and occasional graphical issues. So, why am I giving it a positive review?

Because Heads Will Roll: Reforged offers some of the best replayability I’ve ever experienced in a game. The developer is extremely active, constantly improving the experience with new paths, fixes, and updates (wish he did a bit more with some of typo fixes but I prefer progress on DLC over that). This game truly feels like the definition of a diamond in the rough.

Keeping it simple I'll break down this review into what I liked and disliked about it.

Likes:

1. Replay Value Replayability is the core of this game, and for good reason: there are an astonishing number of paths and decisions, each with meaningful consequences and differences between events and routes. The branching narratives diverge significantly, offering a new experience with every playthrough -though Cambrai can get exhausting doing it over and over again even if enjoy it, kinda like Taris from Kotor in a manner of speaking-. I also highly recommend getting the DLC, which enhances the game and makes it feel even more complete. Would enjoy if some events were acknowledged more later on in the story like killing De Roche or managing to fight Ruffin to a standstill... cause is weird when is discussed as if he beat you even though it took his crony surprise stabbing you in the leg for him to come out on top.

2. Combat System The combat strikes a satisfying balance between simplicity and depth. It allows for a wide array of strategies against groups of enemies, making encounters consistently engaging. Although when start getting OP and fighting mooks it can become basically neck spam. On that note, I do like how hard enemies are placed in a logical fashion rather than some janky level scaling system, which makes the combats feel more immersive.

3. Achievement Hunting If you’re into achievements, this game delivers. The achievements guide you to explore every nook and cranny of the game’s content, making it incredibly rewarding for completionists.

4. Consequences and Flexibility Failure in combat, ability checks, or decision-making doesn’t result in a dead-end. Instead, the game adapts to your choices (and mistakes), providing consequences while keeping the story moving forward. This flexibility makes the experience feel both dynamic and immersive.

5. Developer Dedication The developer’s commitment to the game is remarkable. Frequent updates improve gameplay mechanics and address player feedback. For example, a tweak to soldiers made managing companions in combat significantly better, though it’s inaccessible across some routes such as those outside of Knight and Mercenary.

6. Crafting System The crafting system lets you be extra super prepared thoroughly before combat. Whether it’s stocking up on certain potions, poisons or tailoring your loadout, you’re encouraged to be "extra super duper" prepared often, especially in the tougher routes and parts of the game. Do wish for crafting that they'd let you just automatically craft it instead of needing to look a recipe and then manually drag the item over you're planning to use for crafting.

7. Ironman Mode For those who love a challenge, Ironman Mode lets you push your strategic limits. Success can yield incredibly overpowered characters with the awarding of points based on your success in routes, adding another layer of replayability. Additionally by completing certain tasks, challenges and routes certain items become available for you to select in manual creation.

8. DLC Enhancements Each DLC iteration improves the game’s depth and quality. The added content feels substantial, rather than tacked on.

[hr]

Dislikes:

1. Inventory Management While it has improved compared to earlier versions, inventory management remains clunky. Crafting components are particularly cumbersome, and it’s strange that herbs occupy the same amount of space as full plate armor. Think it might be some limitation with renpy.

2. Typos Despite the engaging, period-appropriate writing, the game has numerous typos scattered across its chapters. This detracts from the otherwise immersive and engaging storytelling.

3. Combat Stats and Mechanics Transparency Understanding the inner workings of combat mechanics can be frustrating. Aside from basic stats like "to hit" and "armor protection," other critical numbers—such as enemy block chance or reach bonus/penalty—are either hard to find or not mentioned at all. The tutorial covers the basics but doesn’t go far enough in explaining these systems.

4. Resolution Lock At the time of writing, there is no way to increase the game’s resolution. This is particularly problematic for ultrawide monitors like my 3440x1440 setup, where there is also a weird bug where fullscreen mode causes brightness issues in other applications and tabs. It is quite bothersome and can only be fixed on a restart to my knowledge.

[hr]

Final Thoughts:

Heads Will Roll: Reforged is far from perfect, but its strengths—particularly its replayability and the developer’s ongoing dedication—make it an experience worth diving into. If you can look past its technical flaws and occasional rough edges, you’ll find a uniquely rewarding game that keeps getting better with every update.

Oh yeah 1917 Studios, add more maidens (or CGs for current ones) and cool trinkets please.

idk how i sunked 30 hours into this short game, but damn i had some fun

Repetitive. But I wake up the next day and want to try two more times.

Its flaws are also its appeal. No matter how sickening the first few chapters get (thankfully there's a skip dialogue button), I always want to try again and see where the story branches lead to.

Good game, well-made

Fantastic game, great implementation and engaging. Also extremely challenging!

I bought this game previously on GoG and played it a lot. Back then I had no idea of DLCs that this game will get, I just thought it is Legionaries Life but as an English Peasant. Now I not only found out that this game had a Prequel, but also that the developers are continueing to expand this game with more DLCs for more content. So given the Steam Awards I decided to nominate this game for the Labour of Love Award and buy it a second time just so I can write this Review in which I will tell you, that this game is EXTREMLY deap and definataly worth your time and money. Heck the only other game where I felt like a game sold itself too cheap whas with Stardew Valley for what we get out of it. So please support another developer that delivers good content where we get even the ability to cheat if we desire. The last time I whas so excited for a game whas back then with WarCraft III.
So if you take something out of this Steam Sale, at least take out this game together with Happily Ever After as the romances here makes it so much better in my opion.

a hidden gem for real, couldn't leave this game for 10 hours straight, waiting for dlc

Strength = Maxed
Agility = Maxed
Dead French Soldiers = Maxed
Rizzing Damsels = Maxed

10 / 10

The game is alot of fun. As others have said, Heads Will Roll Mode is how you should play from the start due to Rogue-lite style progression, which will allow you to get stronger over each run until you can make a genuine badass main character type PC instead of some shitty militaman. As such get ready to skip (hold ctrl) through npc chatter as you repeat the same first two chapters, alot. On the upside you will have a powerful PC in HWR mode in not a lot of time, and then a flat out overpowered one not long after that with accumulated points. The general gameplay loop is fun. Combat is engaging, then once you get powerful it's brainless, but still serviceable and mostly fun. Crafting system is simple and works fine, and allows you to break the game/economy if used right (a common theme with crafting in RPGs).

Now here is where I let off my criticisms. As others have said you tend to get sick of replaying the first 2-3 chapters when you're grinding your early HWR runs to build up your OP super character, and it would be cool if there was some more variety in those early story bits (At the time of writing a DLC is coming out within 2 weeks that is supposed to add more branching story paths, but at this moment I can't say).

My REAL GRIPE though is the writing, and considering it's a text based RPG it's hard to ignore at times. The writing can feel a bit cheap, trite/cliche at times (Olivia I'm looking at you, just as an example). Stuff that sometimes comes off a bit like a cheap fantasy/romance novel. This isn't objectively bad writing if I'm being fair, but personally I wanted more of a historical/realistic vibe from the story, especially with the historical context this entire game is set in, so these things tended to throw me off... Then the romance.... is just flat out cheesy/cringe in every instance I've seen so far. Very poorly written female characters that feel like they come right out of some dime smut novel, but I know some degens like that stuff in their RPGs even if it's super unrealistic or written cheaply (I mean they have softcore feet on the store page so they clearly are marketing to that audience to a degree).
I'll admit some of this is down to subjective tastes, and from what I've seen English is not the first language for these devs so maybe some of those moments came down to translation not having the proper words to convey the emotion. It hasn't made me stop playing in any case but it's a bit jarring when I can't tell if I'm in a gritty realistic drama/war story or a romance novel with cliche knights n m'ladies.
This is for sure a game you can sink alot of time into over multiple runs, fun enough to hook me into sinking a full day (about 9 hours) into the game on my first day owning it over the holiday weekend.

A very difficult but rewarding Turn based RPG. The hardest difficulty is the only one where you can get stronger forever for your next characters. You will die, a lot. However you will also get better, find what works for you best in the game, and focus on that. Many branching routes as well, make each play through almost always unique. You can definitely feel the love that was poured into this game. Despite my play time, at the time of writing this I barely have beaten the game once. One ending of many. For those who love a challenge and don't mind dying to get better, this game is for you. I highly recommend this game and to be patient.

This game is extremely addictive to me, and to a certain niche of players I suppose.
It really got me hooked on the rogue-lite loop of the hardest difficulty setting.
First game, you start with almost nothing and almost no skills and just try to survive for a while.
When your adventure ends, you get some points that you can now spend to improve your stats and gear each time you start again.

I guess the mix of a visual novel and a rogue-lite loop is weird...
However, the text skipping feature (press control key) is really fast so I can focus on the game-play when I already know the text. Somehow, it works for me. I love the combat, the drawings, the music, the overall medieval vibe of the game. Starting new games with increasingly better gear of your choosing and better knowledge of the game is very satisfying. There are many branches of destiny to explore... this game is like a "medieval soldier reincarnation simulator"!

I only have two problems with this game:
1- It's not clear to me who is being attacked when I have a companion. The defending "ghost" is weirdly aligned, I end up looking at the health bar to know who got hit. I knew there would be no animations in this game and I'm fine with the little drawings to show the action but who is defending should be clearer.
2- On my PC without an SSD drive, there are occasional lags where the game is unresponsive. I played on another PC with an SSD and I did not notice it so perhaps it is related. I suspect this game is a little heavy on the disk access use.