It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
Justice has failed. The criminal, the deranged, the inconvenient, and the uncomfortable; all are cast across the sea to the greedy island of Lukatt, whose shores let nothing slip free. Whether sinner or saint, you are one of these outcasts, and it is there, in a dark cell on the cold shore of that island, where you will finally cut fate's throat and take control of your own future.

Bastard Bonds is now available on GOG – grab this mature, fast-paced tactical RPG with high-end pixel art and in-depth character customization, and experience more than 200 in-game locations, over 1000 character sprites, an all-original soundtrack, and 40+ hours of gameplay.

Gather a band of the criminal and the forgotten, forgive their transgressions or ostracize them, use them as workhorses or nurture their trust, slaughter your enemies or spare them, release the conquered or press them into service. Find a way to escape the inescapable, or find a way to bend it to your will.
No launch discount? Oh well. I'll still get it.
Thanks to the dev Bigfingers and Sseth for the gog release. :)

Edit: After thinking about it for a couple minutes...I'll wait for a dscount. The game is around 7 years old and has been on sale for around 2€ on Steam before.
Post edited May 31, 2023 by NuffCatnip
avatar
GOG.com: Release: Bastards Bonds
Could be interesting, but I don't like the "idle animations"/"the way the sprites "hover" over the map/BG-screens".
100% expected this to be an ero-game from the thumbnail. Also, the news article misspells the title.
Post edited May 30, 2023 by Lesser Blight Elemental
Fast paced? Turn based?

Make up your mind. Anyone going to try it out to consolidate the conflict? Is it just a word? Or does it have turn timers (which is bad), or QTEs or something? All offense and no defense?

It has a lot of things in the "pros" column to check out, but that wording could be a giant "con".
Post edited May 30, 2023 by mqstout
Oh Sseth, you magnificent bastard.
You've actually done it.
Huh ?

Except really liking the game, what did Sseth actually do for the GoG release ?
avatar
Tza: Huh ?

Except really liking the game, what did Sseth actually do for the GoG release ?
From description on his December's review of this game:

(I'm working on getting it on GOG but the dev is slow)
Here's a review: http://web.archive.org/web/20200222222619/gamesnosh.com/bastard-bonds-review/

And a thread on RPGCodex: https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads/bastard-bonds-fabulous-fast-paced-tactical-rpg-with-high-end-pixel-art.108808/
Despite initial impression - it's quite cool game.
Like more nasty Spiderweb game...
Anyone knows how many playable characters you control at the same time in combat (at max)? The video doesn't really make it very clear.
Oh I played this years ago directly from the developer.
Was real fun, I wonder if anything has changed since then.
Is this the CRPG with a gay theme?
avatar
karnak1: Is this the CRPG with a gay theme?
To quote the other platform:

The developers describe the content like this:
Bastard Bonds contains non-realistic depictions of nudity, explicit language, reference to sex, including non-consensual sex, alcohol use, self-harm, and non-realistic body horror

And yes, the author/dev is known for making gay/furry erotica. The game, however, is not an eroge. It's still full of barely clothed burly men, though, doing manly things.
high rated
avatar
mqstout: Fast paced? Turn based?

Make up your mind. Anyone going to try it out to consolidate the conflict? Is it just a word? Or does it have turn timers (which is bad), or QTEs or something? All offense and no defense?

It has a lot of things in the "pros" column to check out, but that wording could be a giant "con".
It's been a minute since I played it but I'd say "fast paced turn based" is a pretty accurate way to describe it actually -- it's a very "simple, hot and deep" take on the genre. There's only a couple of basic verbs you have -- bop thing, fling spell at thing, etc. -- so there isn't much choice paralysis. Where the large part of the tension comes from is that you don't quite have action points or a limited number of attacks. The game will happily let you attack an enemy as many times as you want, adding more and more hits onto a chain, doing more and more damage and getting closer and closer to killing that sexy, sexy demon, all the while your risk meter (or whatever it's called, like I said it's been a while) goes up and up, and the higher the risk of you getting a critical fail, which is Really Bad -- at that point it doesn't matter how much HP that demon has, or what you have...you're probably not going to survive the next attack, and you might have, if you'd have stopped attacking and ended your turn without your guard broken.

It is so simple and it is so basic and yet it informs a ton of tactical decisions. There's three enemies and three characters; do you split up and risk chaining a lot of attacks, taking them all out in a turn but getting killed if you miss, or do you play it safe and gang up on them? The animations and movement/attack speed is very quick, and since the game less about selecting from a large number of options and more about picking how much of your chosen option you want to do, it really does feel like a much quicker-paced iteration of the SRPG. I hesitate to say "arcadey" in case that might turn you off, and I hesitate to say "elegant" because that might make you laugh, but it's the kind of game that takes a relatively limited number of pieces and does exponentially more with them that you'd expect. I'd say it's minimalist, but there are three billion levels, character design options up the wazoo, a colorful presentation, and just the hugest bara tiddies everywhere, so I don't know if that's necessarily appropriate.

The level design is also one of the games greatest unsung strengths -- honestly my biggest problem with the game is that there was *too much* of it. If I remember right there are three major areas and I just completely run out of steam in the second after doing a couple of dozen levels. None of them are phoned in, and they're all varied -- some are arenas, some are mazes full of monsters, some are exploration heavy, and most have some kind of gimmick or twist. It could have easily been split into three different games, or some DLC. So many of these games the levels are randomized, or just functional, or little more than a field for the combat to take place on, and that's not the case here at all.

There's also a party management layer that I don't quite remember, but you do grow your party in different ways (no classes, a series of stats that everyone has in common that you'll eventually diversify, I don't remember if there were perks) and there's some social link kind of system that I don't remember too well either, but it's there if you like that.

Honestly I did buy the game because, you know, sexy werewolves, and I didn't really expect much of it -- it surprisingly turned out to be one of the most interesting SRPGs I've ever played, and I'd highly recommend it if you're a fan of the genre.