Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch
Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch
Game
Game2026
Bloodgrounds
Developer Exordium Games
Bloodgrounds merges tactical turn-based combat with strategic management, RPG and roguelite elements. Forged in the pits of the arena, you fought your way out and now as a wealthy patron you recruit, train, and command your team of hardened Gladiators to glory - or death. From the Steam store page
234 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
77
LovedLoved
166 positive · 50 negative
95% range 71–82%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 166 | 50 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 5 | 0 | 10 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 3 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
235 of 293 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
77% recommend · 166 yes, 49 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 215 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (483 of 626 positive).
Players praise the addictive turn-based combat and loot system. [1][2][3] Many compare it favorably to Darkest Dungeon and Gladius. [4][5][6] Some note early access rough edges and difficulty spikes. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [9]
Promising, but feels undercooked. There's a lot to like about Bloodgrounds. The visuals are very clean, there's a variety of actions and skills, the town upgrades feel meaningful, and gear is just complicated enough to be interesting without feeling like a distraction from your teamplay. The problems come in with the central gameplay activity of the game: the arena combat. This is really let down by a few leading …
- [1]
this games great, hits all the addicting spots of midmaxing characters to grid like turn based combat with skills from many different classes while generating fancy stat based loot to increase stats to continue the circle of addiction Edit: 70+hrs in 2 play throughs 100% steam achievements
- [5]
THE GLADIUS TWO WE ALWAYS WANTED!! AND NEVER GOT!!! 10/10, lucas arts lives on to any of the ppl saying last spell, nah. not even close... theyre 15 & never played gladius. no enemies spamming from every corner, for countless rounds, or reliance on towers like in TLS-- just good heads up arena fights w/ a multitude of fun and diverse gladiator classes that pair together in unique ways. classic roster & equipment …
- [19]
This game scratches that very specific itch that XCOM players are so familiar with. You build your little soldiers, get attached to them through countless battles, and watch them die because you've made a stupid mistake and now have to live with the consequences. Thankfully there is always fresh meet in the tavern. The tactical battles are short enough to not be owerwelming, but require both tactical and strategic …
- [2]
I spend too much time trying to find the game that scratches that itch for me. I found it. This game perfectly blends TBT, RPG elements, camp management and stress free fun. Thanks Devs! I hope more content is coming our way!
Summarised from 34 of the 233 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Bloodgrounds sits at 77% positive across 216 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 234 · most liked firstPromising, but feels undercooked. There's a lot to like about Bloodgrounds. The visuals are very clean, there's a variety of actions and skills, the town upgrades feel meaningful, and gear is just complicated enough to be interesting without feeling like a distraction from your teamplay. The problems come in with the central gameplay activity of the game: the arena combat. This is really let down by a few leading things. First and not entirely a complaint, permadeath is tolerable in a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well, I tried the demo a while back and it seemed promising so when it went on sale recently I grabbed it and in under an hour I stopped playing and requested a refund. Why? Because it's got all the same issues as the demo had and I can't understand why they didn't really fix anything. They did not add a toggle for the unnecessary parallax scrolling in your town interface. I find it unnecessary and uncomfortable and would like to be able to toggle it off. They did not give an option for…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'd love to be able to recommend this game, the graphics are nice, the combat is quite good and the management systems easy enough, but for some unfathomable reason the devs have decided against letting you save the game. I'm no stranger to long ironman campaigns in turnbased games like HBS battletech where with the expansion mods battles can take over 3 hours for a single skirmish, but all the games like that know this so let you save it and come back to the save after. People have lives,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had a blast with this game all through the first act. Then i got to the 2nd act and the map traps went nuts. Its too much. I cant even move my Gladiators a single square. I don't mind the challenge its just annoying and to me takes the fun out of it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bloodgrounds… what can I say? You almost get the impression that you’re playing The Last Spell. The game feels sluggish, simply because there is no music during combat. The artistic style is genuinely successful, the builds are varied, and the different consumables (scrolls, traps, potions, etc.) are relevant and well thought out. The equipment allows for a wide variety of very interesting setups. However, the game’s sound design lacks impact. This is a gladiator game, so you would expect a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this games great, hits all the addicting spots of midmaxing characters to grid like turn based combat with skills from many different classes while generating fancy stat based loot to increase stats to continue the circle of addiction Edit: 70+hrs in 2 play throughs 100% steam achievements
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this is feels similar to darkest dungeon but tile based and without the harsh mechanics. if you enjoy playing darkest dungeon but are being intimidated or put off by the torch and fatigue mechanics of the game, then you might enjoy this one. if you're on the fence, just try the demo first. your progress there carries over to the main game and that's how i came to enjoy this awesome game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bloodgrounds trailer! Moho was a key piece for the talented team at Studio Huckepack to rig, animate and comp this video game trailer. Don't forget to check out Bloodgrounds on Steam!
neutral · AI labelView post →Tactical games are my jam. I love games that allows me to build and grow a mercenary company the way I see fit, so this title was very appealing to me. After playing for a while, I grew bored very quickly. You see the game pits your gladiator in a 11x11 square with random, theme appropriate ennemies and RANDOM amounts of traps/terrain. So you don't get a challenging encounter has been finely tuned for your level. No, you get a random chaotic mess where strategy and tactics is irrelevant. Let…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Absolutely LOVED the game for the first 4-5 hours, but the second area and on kind of sucks the fun out of the game with how much it shakes up combat. Suddenly it goes from tactics offering an advantage to being forced to move in a certain way to avoid damage, and some fights, I'm talking 0-1 available tiles that are "damage free" and you take damage getting there. I truly loved the demo, but cannot recommend it past that.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is awesome. Gameplay is engaging and rewarding, but keeps you on your toes as the punishment for silly mistakes can be huge. I absolutely love the art style and can't believe how hooked I've become on a game in a genre I rarely interact with. I can't recommend Bloodgrounds enough!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I spend too much time trying to find the game that scratches that itch for me. I found it. This game perfectly blends TBT, RPG elements, camp management and stress free fun. Thanks Devs! I hope more content is coming our way!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is basically a copy of The Last Spell; everything feels extremely similar. I enjoyed the first act, but it quickly becomes too repetitive. The lack of customization makes it unenjoyable, and I’m not motivated to grind through it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →THE GLADIUS TWO WE ALWAYS WANTED!! AND NEVER GOT!!! 10/10, lucas arts lives on to any of the ppl saying last spell, nah. not even close... theyre 15 & never played gladius. no enemies spamming from every corner, for countless rounds, or reliance on towers like in TLS-- just good heads up arena fights w/ a multitude of fun and diverse gladiator classes that pair together in unique ways. classic roster & equipment management system, awesome customization of warriors appearance and stat tuning.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very interesting game. Some elements reminded me of Heroes 3, which is fantastic! Can’t wait for the weekend to play more!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played the demo a ton, now the game is out and I love it! I am a sucker for mercenary games, and this one checks out all the right boxes for me. I like the combat, the music, the general style. The one thing I would say is too punishing, are the random events, that only leave you with a bad choice or a very bad choice. I wish there was less of them, or we could have some alternative to deal with them. But the game is in early access, so that might change. Anyway, if you want a good merc…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I tried a bunch of these today and yesterday. EDIT: also tacked on impressions of demos for After Inc: Revival, Kaizen: A Factory Story, and Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon. In the "Shut Up and Take My Money" tier: * [Bits & Bops](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1929290/Bits__Bops/) - Sure, it's a total Rhythm Heaven clone but, hey, why mess with a winning formula? Still, I worry about devs borrowing this heavily from Nintendo titles these days 😬 *…
neutral · AI labelView post →Bloodgrounds is a roguelite strategy game that merges turn-based combat with city management. Forged in the pits of the arena you fought your way out of slavery. 🔑 Key requests on #PressEngine 🔗 https://pressengine.games/bloodgrounds #gamedev #indiegames #games
neutral · AI labelView post →Those who are about to grind salute you Because I generally enjoy turn based tactical combat games and an ancient times inspired fantasy setting isn't something you see every day, I was intrigued by this game. I saw some gameplay of the early game online and even though it looked fairly basic, I was curious enough to give it a try. The game has you fight in tournaments (called challenges) with a selection of gladiators with various abilities depending on their class. There are 3 variations…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →SO far so Great. Please keep up the good work. I love The Last Spell and now this wonderful game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Glad there is an option for increased combat speed, so I could realize how grindy and unbalanced it is. Surely some Redditor will say something like "durr skill issue," and that’s fine. If you enjoy replaying the same mundane fights, utilizing mostly the same tactics to circumvent the game's many tedious mechanics—until you can repeat this same boring loop with slightly higher numbers—then go for it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's EA so there's definitely some rough edges but this is scratching the Gladius itch for tactical gladiator combat! Looking forward to updates.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game scratches that very specific itch that XCOM players are so familiar with. You build your little soldiers, get attached to them through countless battles, and watch them die because you've made a stupid mistake and now have to live with the consequences. Thankfully there is always fresh meet in the tavern. The tactical battles are short enough to not be owerwelming, but require both tactical and strategic thinking. The strategic layer is all about equpment and is interesting enough…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game makes it easily to the top few of my tactical RPGs and I played 100+ of them. It consists of tactical battles and heaven (town) management, both are top of the class. The battles: The design is professional, you have full information about abilities, enemies and obstacles. All is transparent and nicely visible. So many games suffer from lack of info or transparency, this one doesnt, Bloodgrounds shows how it should be done, well done! You have variety of obstacles, enemies and battle…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First, I want to say this game has huge potential. For an early release, the breadth of features and ideas is excellent and shows significant promise. (to be clear, I will -not- be requesting a refund and expect to keep playing) However, in its current state, progress is slow and grindy, which is partially a function of combat being more annoying than interesting. The devs are engaged and actively responding to bugs and suggestions, so I hope to change this rating to positive in the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The concept is cool, but gameplay loop gets bland and repetitive very fast
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I waited until the second Age to see if the game would open up but it didn’t feel that way. It has a cool premise, but the game itself is quite repetitive, and I found the Gladiator skills to be pretty med. Some classes are virtually useless and have never been effective in the field for me (like the poison/assasin and healer). The equipment is dull, with upgrades being mostly "+1% to luck" or "+2% to critical hit." Events are almost always bad. The black alley could be interesting, but its…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After playing the demo for a bit, I was pleased to see the progress carried over to the actual game. Was fun for about an hour... then I could see the level of depth the game had to offer; one set of epic gear, only one level of buildings to build, not much to this as the storefront videos suggest. Abilities are a little skewed... some units are overpowered and can "cast" to any square in a radius; some only in a straight line. The game at its core is very easy - the only real difficulty is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly, with having just stumbled upon this browsing Steam, I am VERY satisfied in putting as much time as I have into it. There is honestly a lot of depth in this game and plenty of challenge. There are strategies you can force, different weapons to try, tons of chaos, skills to level, loot to acquire. You will likely die a lot and that is OK! I'll give this one a HELL YEAH, with a ton of potential. REMEMBER TO SUBMIT YOUR FINDINGS-- BUGS OR SUGGESTIONS-- TO THE DEVS! F11 IN GAME!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i like the base-building, the randomization, the combat design, the art, the balance is pretty good, the writing was fine. however after a while i really started to get tired of traps in every. single. combat. the combat music sucks. and so does having only a square for every match. i went to rome recently and they had all sorts of elaborate and interesting different kinds of maps, you can do better.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its remaings me to Gladius!, but obviusly better! Love it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Think Darkest Dungeon. Units get negative traits, get injured, you have to send them to the infirmary, etc. If that's your thing, there you go. It's interesting, but definitely needs to time to cook. Some basic things that should to be implemented. Undo turn Rotating map Positional advantages If the above is implemented, turning your characters Disengaging Moving through your own units A for effort, but C for implementation
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is awesome. I've been looking for a gladiator-theme RPG game like this one for a long time and, with Bloodgrounds, I believe the gods finally heard me. The game is engaging and the art is pretty nice. I like very much the tactics-RPG style...add character customisation and is a must buy for me. The city management reminded me of the Hamlet in Darkest Dungeon, where you keep upgrading the buildings and having better options to keep your team ready for the next challenge. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really scratches that Darkest Dungeon itch for me, but it's also very much its own thing. I'm obsessed. You can't save and exit during challenges, which is a little inconvenient for someone like me with terrible time-management skills, but that's really a minor issue in an otherwise super fun and engaging game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is fun but I have more of a love/hate relationship with this... The animations, gear, npcs, everything looks great. But I hate that my attacks can friendly fire my gladiators but the enemy's attack don't friendly fire their gladiators, I hate how the enemy's can use some abilities threw cover but I can't use any ability like that, sometimes you can't even use an ability because the first square next to you has an indestructible object but again the enemy gladiators can use them here,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Early Access Review The core loop here is honestly very good. You can tell the game knows exactly what it wants to be, and the mechanics feel solid right from the start. But, it feels like it is killing your progress after your fails. It almost destroys you. And also it is not good looking like Darkest Dungeon it is very hard to continue after losing couple of loses. So it is a promising game, needs some content and polishing. Graphic style may not be suitable for everyone. Verdict I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →its a big Yes but there are a few things you need to know. this game is often cruelly difficult. permadeath loses not just units, but also their equipment and gold is not on tap. rerolls, cures and healing become unbelievably expensive way faster than you might expect and the classes arent entirely clear right away. you cannot abandon runs (well you can, just quit to main menu because it only autosaves after the run ends) and there is no undo button. facing matters but you cannot manually…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Even now, this is a solid turn-based tactics game that offers enough enjoyment to be worth its price, yet it still holds plenty of potential to grow into something even greater. The developers are friendly and quick to address feedback or fix bugs ( here are some of my suggestions: https://steamcommunity.com/app/2507820/discussions/0/671726025354413054 ).
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the more promising Gladiator Management & TBS games I have played but be patient as it is still early access and there will be bugs. Devs are very responsive and working vigilantly to fix them daily.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played the Demo for 20 hours on top of the game, your demo saves carry over, so there's no reason to NOT try it if this genre ever interested you. It's not EXACTLY like LucasArts Gladius as it has no open world roaming but it scratches that itch of team recruitment, acquiring gear, optimizing teams. Turn-Based-Tactics combined with base building and a plot involving vengeance and growing your school/family. The different Ages/Maps as you progress all add new enemies, map features,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pros - A solid variety of weapons, builds and weapons available. Whether you want to go in for single target DPS, stun with a hammer/long range support with spells or bows/javelins there's tons of variety anda potential here. - Somewhat interesting story and there is some replayability (just as well since I cleared the game just shy of 24 hours, tbf I did import my save from the demo after clearing the first Act). Cons - Music is a bit too repetitive for my tastes, especially for a 20+…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DON't BUY, it looks like the Devs abandoned the game! This is a great game with some HUGE design flaws. 1. Enemies always go for your backline. Sounds smart, right? No, I mean they ALWAYS go for your backline. An enemy ranger can run through the fire wall I set up, step on caltrops, spike traps, take three attack of opportunity, only to reach my mage and fire one arrow...... Dumb and lame. This becomes a real problem when you face beefcake enemies that can actually tank all the aforementioned…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bloodgrounds is a tactical strategy title developed by Exordium Games and published by Daedalic Entertainment. The game blends several gameplay systems—turn-based tactics, roguelite progression, RPG-style character development, and city management—into a brutal arena-focused experience centered around gladiatorial combat. Set in a dark fantasy world inspired by ancient arenas and mythological influences, Bloodgrounds places players in the role of a former gladiator who has escaped slavery and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →6/10 Bloodgrounds is a decent turn-based strategy & management game with a relatively unique gladiator vibe. The gladiator stuff really makes the game special. Usually, you fight a series of battles and have to manage your resources and health such that you can make it to the boss and actually kill them. And the boss fights are rather challenging. Then you go back to town and upgrade buildings, manage/train gladiators, buy stuff, heal, etc. And repeat. What killed it for me was tons of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good game, but the controls for controllers are a bit messy. And the in game UI is a bit dificult to understand. Can you simplify the actions(moving characters and making actions, colors are difficult too when highlight things) for controllers for the rest badass game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So glad I picked this game up, I was a huge fan of Gladius for the OG Xbox and this game gives me similar vibes. Although early access I've not encountered any bugs so far. The retro graphics also give it its own feel and atmosphere. Highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys turn based combat games.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game has good intentions... but much much too grindy for me. The fact that you don't really progress items or number of gladiators over time makes the "progression" non-existent. I get their intent is to make it challenging but there is not really a good way to make sure you don't get your dudes killed other than grind miniscule amounts of experience from way lower difficulty turning this game into a snooze fest. Will try it out of there is a smoother progression because using the same…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice turn based tactics game! Pretty fun to build your lil teams of gladiators and try to come out of the fights with as little damage as possible to minimise downtime for them. It's simple at first but as you move on, more mechanics become available, new enemies and dangers in the arena, more buildings etc. It definitely scratches that itch in the same way Tactical Breach Wizards and Into the Breach does.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A truly superb game. easy to get deep into. easy to set down when life comes calling. fantastic game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Okay Im gonna make this quick: its a great concept but kinda unoriginal. But What I am officially over is the maps: they are way too crowded with damaging junk and I feel like I am now fighting the maps more than the enemies. The game is bland enough I dont need to slog through that. Sorry Devs
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall a great and unique game but it does have some flaws to it. The major one in my opinion are the late game arena layouts. Oftentimes an arena will generate in such a crowded way that makes the fight go on for much longer than it should have as enemies struggle to reach you and you struggle to reach them. This combined with map hazards can lead to unsatisfying bouts where either enemies, your gladiators, or both succumb to the map itself. The developers have in the past tweaked other…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bloodgrounds is a turn-based tactics game with a management layer on top. You fight arena battles on a grid, then head back to recruit, train, heal, and equip your gladiators before the next tournament. You’re playing as someone who escaped the pits and now runs the whole operation, to take down the empire. Pros ✔️ The tactics and management loop works - Fighting in the arena, then dealing with the fallout and prep back in town, feels satisfying. ✔️ Gladiators feel different - Gear changes…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's just kind of repetitive. Not enough variance from match to match, and the arenas look too similar.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love this game and are currently addicted. I put 8 hours into the demo and was pleased that I could carry my save over to the full game. It is brutal and it takes me a long time to progress....but then it becomes rewarding when I do. I have been taking my time and grinding....I don´t think it is possible to steam roll through the game, it is just too difficult, but that´s not my play style anyway. I would appreciate a rotating camera and maybe some more ´positive´ chance events that could…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The biggest enemy in the game is the camera and your cursor, i died more to missclicks than anything else. Gear system is poorly designed. The basebuilding element is nice. Challenges are repetitive, there is supposedly an enemy variety but they all feel the same. Core mechanics lack polish. Arena's are boring and lack real variety. Game expects you to grind a bit for money but gives very little reward for doing that. Its not terrible but there are better things to play.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So far, so good. I am really enjoying this game. It has many similar tactical elements of past games that I have loved to play. (Banner Saga, Darkest Dungeon, Fire Emblem, Battle Bros, etc)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is an absolute gem of a game (with a few flaws). Pros: + The unique, fresh setting of historical gladiatorial battles mixed with fantasy elements (i.e. creatures and magic) + The tactical combat is very satisfying with tons of options (fighter positioning, arena traps and arena-specific conditions, your own traps and machinery, equipment-specific abilities, etc.) + The multi-layered meta-game, with base building, fighter recruiting with RPG elements / cosmetic tuning / traumas /…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For those of you reading the other reviews, I just started and I AM IN LOVE. (I literally rushed here before bed to write this EARLY TBE [To Be Edited] review) Not janky in the slightest, the combat system is intuitive, the world is beautiful, the art style is to die for and the gameplay is like a mixture of Darkest Dungeon and Mario vs Rabbids/ X-Com. BloodGrounds will scratch an itch that hasn't been scratched since D.D. and you will be satisfied if you enjoy a CHALLENGE. This game IS…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I haven't played the demo, or beta, and it was a mistake. First impression from this game is — "very irritating", and *for whatever reason* which is an amalgamation of poor design choices: - Most characters capable of doing two steps tops at low levels, while some classes can cross the whole battlefield two times over in a turn. One of the first bosses done that with a maul in her hands, stunned my melee fighter, and finished him off next turn before he could react. Noice (not really). -…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The entertainment system heavily disincentivizes aggression, not a fan.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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