Game2022

Circus Electrique

IndieRPGStrategy

Developer Zen Studios

Circus Electrique is part story-driven RPG, part tactics, part circus management, and completely enthralling– all with a steampunk twist. When everyday Londoners mysteriously turn into vicious killers, only the show’s talented performers possess the skills necessary to save the city. From the Steam store page

212 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Oct 23, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works

Audience score

68
Fresh

126 positive · 58 negative
95% range 61–75%

Source+−=
Steam reviews126580
Bluesky *308
Mastodon *0110
Lemmy *006

* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).

Steam's own rating
Mixed
131 of 189 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)

What players are saying

68% recommend · 125 yes, 58 no

Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 183 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (206 of 278 positive).

Many players compare it to Darkest Dungeon, praising its art and voice acting. [1][2][3] Some find the gameplay repetitive and the difficulty poorly balanced. [4][5][6] A few reviewers warn about softlocks that force restarting the game. [7][8]

Liked
  • Gorgeous art style and steampunk circus aesthetic. [1][9][10]
  • Excellent voice acting and sound design. [1][10][11]
  • Fun turn-based combat with depth. [1][9][10]
  • Good value for the price. [9][12]
Disliked
  • Repetitive gameplay loop of shows and fights. [4][6]
  • Poor balance and sharp difficulty spikes. [5][8]
  • Limited replayability and class variety. [13][14]
  • Softlocks can force restarting the game. [7][8]
Representative posts
  • [5]Steam user Steam user …0362Steam review · Sep 10, 2022 · Not recommended

    The first 4 out of six districts are good, however the balance of resources and lack of any grind to get more in the early middle game can create locks on progress. The difficulty scaling also takes a very sharp turn upward towards the absurd, the punishment for simple ignorance is far to high. I was having fun up to the boss of district four but have hit a lock on my progress to where it feels like starting all …

  • [6]Steam user Steam user …2606Steam review · Dec 27, 2023 · Not recommended

    Alright. I think Circus Electrique has run its course for me. While kinda engaging on one hand, on the other hand, the tedium of some of the requisite gameplay mechanics have me not really wanting to play it any longer. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3123676636 On the surface, Circus Electrique could be called a Darkest Dungeon-like. The combat and presentation is similar. The morale systems …

  • [1]Steam user Steam user …1722Steam review · Sep 6, 2022 · Recommended

    This is a bit hard for me to review but I'll try. I personally wasn't really enjoying the game. So why did I give it a thumbs up you may ask? Well because it's only in my own personal opinion that I don't like this game, it's just not my kind of game. But for no other reason then the fact it doesn't work with me and my preferred style. But I recognize this as a great game regardless of how I personally feel about …

  • [2]Steam user Steam user …0864Steam review · Sep 7, 2022 · Recommended

    The Darkest Dungeon comparisons are very appropriate. This game shamelessly steals most parts of DD and fits them right into my ol timey circus wheelhouse. I love the art style and the voice acting. I like that you do one fight, go back to your circus, regroup and go back out. Its much less stressful than dungeon crawling with no end in sight. Easy recommendation at full price if you like these type of games.

  • [13]Steam user Steam user …7662Steam review · Apr 9, 2023 · Recommended

    You are probably here to scratch that Darkest Dungeon / Iratus itch. To be honest, this game might or might not be enjoyable for you. Why? It looks great, it plays great, and it has everything you probably wanted from a DD-inspired game. While this game offers a plethora of "classes" that are gradually unlocked throughout the game, their skillsets and interactions are extremely limited, to the point where they make …

Summarised from 34 of the 212 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 10, 2026. How summaries are made

RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account

Players who liked Circus Electrique talk about gorgeous art style and steampunk circus aesthetic; those who didn't talk about repetitive gameplay loop of shows and fights. Which matters more to you?

Reactions

60 of 212 · most liked first
  • Steam user Steam user …7025Steam reviews · Sep 7, 2022 · 8 h played

    It is one of those Darkest Dungeon look-a-like games but with a Bioshock-ish/WeHappyFew-ish steampunk coat of paint, which looks very impressive and I considered the artworks alone worth the price. You are basically a reporter lady with her long-dead-circusperforming mother's lion and four circus clowns (literally) dragged behind to protect her exploring a Nightmarish London. It's very Dickensian and your characters will die like flies so very accurate....it's fine. It's a story... it's…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …1722Steam reviews · Sep 6, 2022 · 1 h played

    This is a bit hard for me to review but I'll try. I personally wasn't really enjoying the game. So why did I give it a thumbs up you may ask? Well because it's only in my own personal opinion that I don't like this game, it's just not my kind of game. But for no other reason then the fact it doesn't work with me and my preferred style. But I recognize this as a great game regardless of how I personally feel about it. The voice acting is phenominal, the gameplay is full of depth and…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4564Steam reviews · Sep 7, 2022 · 5 h played

    I want to be clear that this game has tremendous potential. It is so slick and the core systems are awesome. It's a cool game. However, whether they ran out of time or what I don't know, they made a fatal error that needs to be patched because it honestly ruins the game. This game has almost zero replayability at the moment. Obviously, it's a lot like Darkest Dungeon. Some might even call it a clone, and you're not too far off base. We all expect it to be a similar experience from the start.…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7392Steam reviews · Jan 2, 2023 · 36 h played

    One of these days, Steam *really* needs to add a "mixed" rating. I wavered back and forth a lot on this one, thought it was going to be a narrow upvote most of the way through, and then the ending gave me a sufficiently sour note to turn the other way. Yes, it's *kind* of like Darkest Dungeon. I'll use that as a reference point. If you're not familiar with it, go play that instead. :) Darkest Dungeon had two major gameplay pieces: town management and dungeon battles. Circus Electrique adds a…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4528Steam reviews · Sep 13, 2022 · 12 h played

    I've seen some reviews of this game that say things like 'half-baked ideas' and 'slow, frustrating gameplay', but honestly - I kinda like it. If you're a veteran of stats-based, turn-based, deck-building type games then perhaps there are better options - but for me, this was well worth the money. Pros: - It looks great. The Steampunk Circus theme is a great aesthetic, the characters are imaginative, and the different classes of character are distinct enough for you to know what you are dealing…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0068Steam reviews · Sep 6, 2022 · 2 h played

    Only played 2 hours so far but I am having a blast, here are some of my early thoughts on the game: Positives: - Super fun combat that reminds me of Darkest Dungeon - Gorgeous Art Design - Wonderful voice acting - Great setting - Some cool additions to this genre - High Fun factor - Good audio - Oozing with atmosphere - Controls are well done - UI is good - Price is perfect Negatives: - Not as much replay value as Darkest Dungeon Having a blast so far, you can tell this game was crafted…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0864Steam reviews · Sep 7, 2022 · 10 h played

    The Darkest Dungeon comparisons are very appropriate. This game shamelessly steals most parts of DD and fits them right into my ol timey circus wheelhouse. I love the art style and the voice acting. I like that you do one fight, go back to your circus, regroup and go back out. Its much less stressful than dungeon crawling with no end in sight. Easy recommendation at full price if you like these type of games.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0362Steam reviews · Sep 10, 2022 · 11 h played

    The first 4 out of six districts are good, however the balance of resources and lack of any grind to get more in the early middle game can create locks on progress. The difficulty scaling also takes a very sharp turn upward towards the absurd, the punishment for simple ignorance is far to high. I was having fun up to the boss of district four but have hit a lock on my progress to where it feels like starting all over is the only solution. It does not feel as well balanced as Darkest Dungeon or…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …1948Steam reviews · Sep 7, 2022 · 4 h played

    I believe most of the players here are looking for a rogue-lite/like experience and the game does position itself in that way. Once your hero dies/flees you cannot resurrect him and so on. Game is definitely inspired by Darkest Dungeon and for this price it has great production and quality. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend it at the moment. I got stuck on the second boss due to the fact the game does not provide any options than to attack the boss. My party died and all I can do is just take…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7378Steam reviews · Jul 2, 2023 · 1 h played

    Way too many finicky moving parts for no good reason. Between any two fights, you need to solve a mundane puzzle to send off your troops to perform (to gain resources). Each skill needs to be upgraded separately. Each character in a class comes with their own set of abilities and preferences — and it only sounds cool on paper; in the actual game, it's all impossible to keep track of. Oh, and each character also has unique skills, like preferred spots in battle. Too much of a good thing can be…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0916Steam reviews · Sep 10, 2022 · 7 h played

    everything about this game is so well made. The battles, the gameplay out of battles, the story, the graphics... And then some level designer thought "hey, wouldn't it be fun if you had no way to undo ANYTHING, and if you end up in a bad fight, you have no way to go back, no way to get stronger, no way to ever get past that fight, aaannnd thats it. you are just stuck there. softlocked into a fight you can't win with no way to get better, so you have to start a new game alll over again. this one…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2606Steam reviews · Dec 27, 2023 · 8 h played

    Alright. I think Circus Electrique has run its course for me. While kinda engaging on one hand, on the other hand, the tedium of some of the requisite gameplay mechanics have me not really wanting to play it any longer. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3123676636 On the surface, Circus Electrique could be called a Darkest Dungeon-like. The combat and presentation is similar. The morale systems are similar. The base camp systems are similar. It's not one for one as Circus…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2833Steam reviews · Sep 15, 2022 · 19 h played

    games fun, However as others have said there is no way to go back and re level unless you get a specific consumable item. I to am now soft locked after 18hrs and unable to proceed. big shame, because the only way for me to now advance is to completely restart my game... Devs please find a solution this this.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …8156Steam reviews · Sep 27, 2022 · 15 h played

    I am so torn. I love almost all of the elements of this game but some questionable design decisions and very poor balancing keep this game from being truly great. First off, the most glaring issue for me, is how easy it is to softlock yourself in this game even on the normal difficulty if you're not particularly great at this kind of game (reminiscent of slay the spire, darkest dungeon, etc). You can run into a point where an enemy group can repeatedly wipe your attackers ultimately leaving…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …8919Steam reviews · Sep 10, 2022 · 5 h played

    This game has really good promise and starts out quite fun. Unfortunately, the balance of this game is quickly thrown out of proportion. This is mainly in regard to the growth of enemy stats compared to your own, and the way damage is calculated, Specifically, shortly after completing the first area of the game, all enemies begin getting "Defence" stats in the 10's. Unfortunately, because "Defence" is a direct subtraction from damage, almost every fully-upgraded attack available to your…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2399Steam reviews · Dec 8, 2022 · 2 h played

    Kind of ...boring. The battles seem limited when it comes to skills, in total you have only 4 classes of characters. Story is interesting, design really nice. No refund, I support indy, but just found it super boring after 2h of game play

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …8860Steam reviews · Oct 7, 2022 · 23 h played

    It's basically a DD-like game. At first, you will love it. In the middle, you will start to have doubts. At the end, you will wish it was over. That's basically how I feel on Circus Electrique. The art and story presentation is very well done, at first combat seems meaty, there is various classes, different enemies, different events, it follows a map trajectory kinda like DD. However, as you play more and more, it starts to get very repetitive, the new classes don't add much and they can't…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9630Steam reviews · Sep 7, 2022 · 2 h played

    I love the concept of this game, and the similarities with Darkest Dungeon. It has a lot going for it, but honestly I cannot recommend it. I may be doing something wrong, but the biggest fault is that the progression path only allows you to travel one way, meaning fights cannot be farmed for EXP. This means that by the time you get to the level "boss" if you lose you are locked into a cycle of failure. This pretty much dooms your whole run if you are not prepared for it. Once you are at this…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Poggers @[email protected]Lemmy · Jul 18, 2023

    The list, for those that don't want to click through: PlayStation Plus Extra Game Catalogue It Takes Two (PS5, PS4) Sniper Elite 5 (PS5, PS4) Snowrunner (PS5, PS4) World War Z (PS4) The Ascent (PS5, PS4) Undertale (PS4) SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated (PS4) Melty Blood: Type Lumina (PS4) Dysmantle (PS5, PS4) Circus Electrique (PS4) Dynasty Warriors 9 (PS4) Samurai Warriors 5 (PS4) My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure (PS5, PS4) Fast & Furious: Spy…

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Gemini24601 @[email protected]Lemmy · May 9, 2024

    [Epic Games] Circus Electrique | 100% Off/ Giveaway. Circus Electrique is part story-driven RPG, part tactics, part circus management, and completely enthralling. When everyday Londoners mysteriously turn into vicious killers, only the show’s talented performers possess the skills necessary… Sale ends 5/16/2024 at 10:00 AM

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9085Steam reviews · Sep 6, 2022 · 2 h played

    Only a couple of hours in but WOW .... so far this is one of the better games I have played this year. Pretty much a really well done copy of Darkest Dungeon. But enough is different to make it feel like an unique experience. A quest feature with the circus attraction in a steampunk setting. Well done!

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7871Steam reviews · Sep 7, 2022 · 1 h played

    Arcanum meets Darkest Dungeon. Whats not to like? Thanks Mortismal

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5489Steam reviews · Sep 6, 2022 · 1 h played

    Hard to tell yet if it's going to have the same replay-ability of Darkest dungeon, but it's very fun and scratches that itch. There are so many different systems at play that it's a bit dizzying to get your head around all of it, but the tutorials do a good job of letting you know what to look out for. The difficulty as of only a few missions seems to be substantially easier, but I have a feeling that is going to change, as I'm still in the "tutorial" section I believe. If you're interested…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6266Steam reviews · Jun 1, 2024 · 4 h played

    A nice aesthetic and good voice acting/art direction are not enough to let me overlook embarrassing writing, a messy jumble of hodgepodge mechanics that don't belong in the same game, an overly fussy UI, a stale and samey gameplay "loop", and weightless, mediocre combat. Shame, I really wanted to like it.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • smeg @[email protected]Lemmy · May 12, 2024

    [Epic] Circus Electrique. Story-driven tactical RPG for Windows, free on Epic games until 16th May

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7662Steam reviews · Apr 9, 2023 · 39 h played

    You are probably here to scratch that Darkest Dungeon / Iratus itch. To be honest, this game might or might not be enjoyable for you. Why? It looks great, it plays great, and it has everything you probably wanted from a DD-inspired game. While this game offers a plethora of "classes" that are gradually unlocked throughout the game, their skillsets and interactions are extremely limited, to the point where they make no sense in a lot of cases. I won't go into details like some of the other…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6040Steam reviews · Sep 8, 2022 · 1 h played

    This is basically a clone of Darkest Dungeon with a london steampunk art style, the combat is basically the same but the balance is weird. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dt4Vero3O4 I don't recommand buying the game at full price, maybe 10 euros is a good prince because the majority of people will stop playing after maybe 10 hours. There are many mechanics besides combat that drain your gaming mood. The problem is that the combat doesn't feel rewarding and the other mechanics are complicated…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …3692Steam reviews · Sep 6, 2022 · 2 h played

    it's a jolly good time for sure. amazing art, voice acting, paired with nice turn based combat and story. very creative skills that are quite humorous at times.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …8098Steam reviews · Sep 6, 2022

    It's too early for me to write a real review yet but so far I'm pleasantly surprised that it's "Big Top Darkest Dungeon." I bought this just based on it being a tactical RPG with a Circus theme and so far it's holding up nicely against one of my favorite games of the past 10 years. Hoping the story pulls me in for the long haul. Will pop back to update after I rack up some hours.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • CthulhuDreamer @[email protected]Lemmy · Jul 13, 2023

    PlayStation Plus Free Extra And Premium Games For July 2023 Revealed. - It Takes Two -- PS4, PS5 - Sniper Elite 5 -- PS4, PS5 - Snowrunner -- PS4, PS5 - World War Z -- PS4, PS5 - The Ascent -- PS4, PS5 - Undertale -- PS4 - SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated -- PS4 - Melty Blod: Type Lumina -- PS4 - Dysmantle -- PS4, PS5 - Circus Electrique -- PS4 - Dynasty Warriors 9 -- PS4 - Samurai Warriors 5 -- PS4 - My Little Pony: A Maretime…

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • 47_Alpha_Tango @[email protected]Lemmy · Jul 12, 2023

    PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | July 2023. Sony have announced the next batch of PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium games coming to the service. ****PS Plus Extra**** It Takes Two - PS4 & PS5 Sniper Elite 5 - PS4 & PS5 Snowrunner - PS4 & PS5 World War Z - PS4 & PS5 The Ascent - PS4 & PS5 Undertale- PS4 SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated - PS4 Melty Blood: Type Lumina - PS4 Dysmantle - PS4 & PS5 Circus Electrique - PS4 Dynasty Warriors 9 - PS4…

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4221Steam reviews · Nov 23, 2022 · 9 h played

    Steampunk Circus Tactical RPG in the vein of Darkest Dungeon. It's been rather enjoyable to play. Multiple different resource management mechanics that requires a unique strategy to succeed so your units stay healthy enough to keep progressing. The visual style is probably the strongest selling point for the game along with the voice acting and overall sound design. Highly recommend for those that want an experience that's unique to the genre.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9298Steam reviews · Sep 10, 2022 · 1 h played

    I really wanted to like this game. Unfortunately having to restart the entire campaign from the beginning if you mess up is a dealbreaker for me. You can replay battles, but that won't help you if you didn't level up your party correctly or if you ran out of resources. Also the UI is clunky and annoying to navigate. If they add random map generation in the future, I would gladly buy this game again, but as it is right now, I really can't recommend it.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7028Steam reviews · Sep 8, 2022 · 4 h played

    Basically it's darkest dungeon set in steampunk london, you build up your circus to upgrade performers and gather materials if you've played darkest dungeon you'll pick it up pretty quick. It's a very linear game, you move through the a district map 1 fight at a time there is no exploration just set up a performance before you go then fight, no looking through the districts for secrets just a event then a fight. The combat is where it ruins it for me it really feels like there isn't any point…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4445Steam reviews · Jun 30, 2024 · 6 h played

    This game is mush better then the ratings say. Lots of content and value for the price. Well done indeed.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0173Steam reviews · Jun 30, 2023 · 17 h played

    I can give this one a weak recommendation if you spot it with a decent discount. A bonus if you have a healthy attitude and can appreciate checking something interesting out without being compelled to absolutely finish it to the end. What this game absolutely nails is the aesthetic and art style. Sound and animation also deserve a nod of respect. Where the game falls short is in being just generally kinda boring and repetitive as you go on. Darkest Dungeon is the obvious comparison and this…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2765Steam reviews · Dec 7, 2022 · 35 h played

    Game is gorgeous in almost every aspect. There are so many unique backgrounds for each fight, it's impossible to get bored with the scenery. It's easy to see why it's compared to Darkest Dungeon in almost every review. They've pulled almost every mechanic from DD and added their own on top. To address what other reviews are saying; YOU DO NOT NEED TO GRIND FOR EXP. Your party members cannot outlevel your circus and the level cap is 10. The exp requirement is so high you would be grinding for…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6492Steam reviews · Sep 24, 2022 · 13 h played

    For the most part the game is decent but there are elements of the game that are so stupid. You can stun an enemy, yet they can still dodge an attack. WTF! The enemy is stunned, they SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REACT, THEY ARE STUNNED, but no the idiots that designed this game, have a definition of stun that mean who the F knows. You can get into situations with boss fights where you can't do any damage to the boss, it is such stupid game design. Needs a lot of work.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4612Steam reviews · Sep 20, 2022 · 39 h played

    The negatives from other reviewers are correct. Be advised, the developers have NOT play tested this game on hard mode. Resource management on hard mode is a joke. You can do half of a district run and not get a single needed material to craft even the most basic items. This could be resolved with some sort of tent or store in town. They have a tent to look at what you have, this should have some sort of trading option but it doesn't. 15 classes in game and half are useless. There is no…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0355Steam reviews · Sep 11, 2022 · 13 h played

    The beginning and the atmosphere is very good. Towards the end, this game becomes annoying and you see the obvious flaws. The circus management becomes very annoying and is just a game with matching numbers which feels like a slog. The balance is a catastrophe i this game, if you didn`t like rng in a game like darkest dungeon, this game is even worse than that with characters getting oneshot which prompts a reload. Speakig of reload, if you gonna play this game, master the technique of save…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4609Steam reviews · Mar 20, 2024 · 11 h played

    Listen to the negative reviews. There's a lot that's decent here, but the game wears thin in the fourth district and a *lot* of critical flaws start to show. Broadly, Circus Electrique is Darkest Dungeon, but in a linear narrative form. It's also got heavy worker placement elements, since you're running a circus. Now, Darkest Dungeon does a lot to cushion you from randomness. The deathblow system, clear communication about how mechanics work, no recruitment cost, no roster maintenance cost.…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6350Steam reviews · Mar 4, 2024 · 10 h played

    I feel like this game is overlooked. Maybe it's because of the steampunk circus concept? I wouldn't call this game "great" but i do think it's worth playing. It's a bit of a slow-burner though so it requires a bit of patience to get going. I'm only on the 3rd map, level 4 circus, and it feels like there's still a lot to unlock. I'd rather have a game that's slow to pick up instead of one that's quick to become bored with. The graphics are pleasant, using fully animated 3D models for the…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6755Steam reviews · Mar 25, 2023 · 21 h played

    Much like a real Circus, the game is all style with little substance.On the plus side, the visuals are gorgeous. If you're just looking to play a pretty-looking game with vaguely Darkest Dungeon style mechanics, then this is your game. That alone kept me happy enough to finish the game, so I wish steam had a 'neutral' review option instead of yes or no.What pushes me down to no is that pretty much everything else about the game isn't well thought out. The circus shows are mostly just busy…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9597Steam reviews · Mar 6, 2023 · 17 h played

    fun game at first but gets repetitive after a few hours. Good idea, good work but goes stale, losing its allure after awhile. Some of the classes are useless compared to others. I hope the developers continue on to their next project and wish them the best, i'll keep an eye out.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2054Steam reviews · Dec 1, 2022 · 1 h played

    It is quite surprising why its "mostly positive" only on steam. It's a polished fun game. The quality is on par with their previous game "Operencia". Keep up the good work Zen studios :)

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …1313Steam reviews · Nov 18, 2022 · 65 h played

    What the hell went wrong? The Darkest Dungeon-type gameplay and the semi-clever circus management should have been a shoo-in for a great game. The steampunk aesthetic is really well done and I enjoyed meeting and/or recruiting new performers (or battle machine in the case of the Robot Bear). The first few hours are captivating and I have many more than that sunk into this. And yet, I can't recommend it because I'm struggling to finish it. IT IS SO TEDIOUS! Managing the character bars just…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0323Steam reviews · Nov 12, 2022 · 23 h played

    Overall a good experience. The ambiance is great, the characters are fun, but it gets very repetitive... Set up a show, run a fight. Set up a show, run a fight. Many different character classes should mean some renewal, but they are pretty unbalanced, as some are a lot less useful than others. A lot of seemingly good ideas (about skills, that change position of enemies, for example) don't actually manage to be useful. Again, I enjoyed very much most of the 23h I've played it, but I haven't…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0586Steam reviews · Nov 1, 2022 · 7 h played

    Did I enjoy leading a posse of circus freaks fight robots in steampunk london? Surprisingly no. If like me you get bored after one hour, refund immediately, because things don't get better moving forward. Beside graphics and theme, this game has very little to offer you. Combat is a chore: all decisions are taken at the stage you form a group, as most character only have one viable action for the spot in which you put them. Many classes are useless, opposed to Darkest Dungeon or Iratus where I…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7220Steam reviews · Oct 13, 2022 · 25 h played

    Pros: - The story is pretty cool, albeit a little predictable. - The art style is amazing and the graphics are really pretty. Cons: - The game is incredibly unbalanced: 1. A lot of classes are beyond useless. 2. Keeping high devotion is incredibly easy. Just wait till there is only one opponent left and use heals and devotion-boosting skills. 3. The AI is dumb. It seems to randomly use skills. It sometimes gets it right though... 4. When the AI "gets it right", it has the ability to two-shot…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6088Steam reviews · Oct 26, 2022 · 21 h played

    This isn't a terrible game, its good a nice style and a sort of humour to it and if you're absolutely fiending for a Darkest Dungeon style fix then this might serve as a sort of methadone, but ultimately it just got kind of boring. A good metaphor for the game is the shows it asks you to set. Before every battle you have to fill out a circus show to earn money, fame, experience and crafting items. Constantly repeating the same show loses rewards and the auto fill option for performers little…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2825Steam reviews · Sep 23, 2022 · 11 h played

    Electrique is truly something special. Like strongly pointing to landing in my Top 10 this year kind of special. The visuals are simply arresting with a unique style and sense of place. It can look busy on the surface but the language is parsing a lot of info to the player in an intelligent manner, all with convenient mouse-over info pop-ups. You can just tell there was a lot of thought & TLC put into it. Like how the tutorial is spread over the initial hours of gameplay, not throwing…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …1251Steam reviews · Sep 9, 2022 · 3 h played

    The gameplay loop is just outside of being fun. Its a mix of being too easy and too hard. You'll stomp most enemies, then randomly you'll wind up losing 3 characters in a fight on the same stage. There isnt much benefit to trying to level up a character. If you're lucky you'll raise them a single level in an entire stage (About 10 fights) or you can just buy new ones. Not a lot of long-term level building. The circus performance is a . . thing. It doesnt add anything to the game aside from…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0597Steam reviews · Sep 8, 2022 · 22 h played

    For the price and if u have free time sure get it ! but im not gonna lie its not soooo good. i have played 21h i made the whole game but the last 3h wasnt fun ! not much strategie u need... maybe finding the best party option but once u got it u cast the same 4 skill non stop until u finish the game! got me bored soo bored that i skipped the storie after act 4 just to rush the game and say i finished it. i got some bugs nothing tooo much just annoying. people crying over some boss and no way…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0839Steam reviews · Sep 7, 2022 · 1 h played

    Great game inspired by Darkest Dungeon PROS: - Great art direction, great animations - Interesting combat - Mechanics similar to Darkest Dungeon CONS: - Dialogs are boring - Not easy to get the big picture (the setting, your main objective), I hope it will probably be clear in the next gaming hours

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6995Steam reviews · Sep 6, 2022 · 2 h played

    Enjoying it a lot so far. Nice touch having voice acting for all the dialogue. Now it's something I wish the darkest dungeon had. Worth picking up for $20 if you're into these types of games.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9579Steam reviews · Sep 6, 2022 · 1 h played

    I bounced off Darkest Dungeon for whatever reason but I'm really enjoying this so far. Tutorials are excellent and well implemented. The game does a nice job of moving smoothly from section to section, youre never spending too much time reading dialogue, fighting or upgrading the circus. Just played for an hour there and cant wait to get stuck back tomorrow

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9248Steam reviews · Sep 6, 2022 · 1 h played

    It's good but I cant be bothered to play it

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4973Steam reviews · Jan 23, 2026 · 37 h played

    I'm not sure if the negative reviews from September 2022 have any relevance anymore, the developer seems to have patched most flaws. I certainly never encountered any game-breaking bugs during my Hard playthrough. Maybe I was just lucky, or perhaps exploring each district 100% before moving to the next one helped. Yes, some random battles were surprisingly challenging and seemed unbalanced initially (like encounter #4 in the second club with that heavy hitter), but at the end it was always…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6812Steam reviews · Jul 23, 2025 · 7 h played

    “A steampunk circus with style, but not enough soul.” Time Played: ~5 hours Verdict: Stylish but repetitive What I Liked: The art direction and world-building are gorgeous the idea of a Victorian steampunk circus doubling as an RPG is fresh and full of charm. Early hours are engaging, mixing turn-based strategy with management sim mechanics. Unique class designs (like fire-breathers, strongmen, and clowns) are fun at first and bring some flair to combat. What Went Wrong: After the…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0686Steam reviews · Aug 5, 2024 · 17 h played

    Fun until you start snowballing down with no way to get back up. Also rage is a bad mechanic and allowing to stack, I love getting one shot'd by a attack with a high percent damage boost.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →

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