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Lords of Ravage Review — Evil, Pixelated, and Absolutely Fabulous at Murder

  • Writer: Niels Gys
    Niels Gys
  • Oct 15, 2025
  • 4 min read

TL;DR

Finally, a game that doesn’t wag its finger when you commit unspeakable acts. Here, being the bad guy isn’t just allowed — it’s your bloody job description.


Lords of Ravage is the perfect villain simulator — deep, stylish, unapologetic, and just the right amount of unhinged. It’s what happens when someone remakes Dungeon Keeper after a breakup.


If you’ve ever shouted “I could run this world better!” while burning dinner, this is your game.

It’s not just about ruling kingdoms — it’s about ruining them with class.



Evil Fantasy Fulfillment

Every so often, a game comes along that says: “You know what? Screw destiny — I’ll be the final boss.” Lords of Ravage lets you do exactly that. You don’t save kittens, you set their village on fire and tax the survivors.


Forget saving the world. You own it. You bribe kings, enslave heroes, and whisper things so evil they’d make Sauron blush. It’s the first RPG where your therapist would genuinely need therapy.


And unlike those sterile “be slightly rude in dialogue” morality systems, this one lets you plunge the knife and twist it — all while looking like a gothic god who moisturizes with fear.



Gameplay & Systems

On the surface, it’s a tactical turn-based RPG. But underneath? It’s basically a spreadsheet soaked in blood. You manage an empire of darkness, corrupt nobles, burn fields, and occasionally sacrifice your own troops because it’s Tuesday.


The battles are card-based, like a demonic game of Uno where losing means eternal damnation. You draw minions, deploy them in formation, and pray RNGesus has a dark sense of humor. Sometimes your army obliterates everything. Other times, they collectively forget how to stab.


But when it clicks? Oh, it’s divine. Watching your units chain buffs while your enemies explode into pixelated confetti feels like conducting a satanic orchestra.



Powers & Abilities

Your powers — called “Orders” — are so ludicrously overpowered you’ll feel guilty. Actually, no, you won’t. You’re evil.


Each Lord has their own flair: Berold is the “Tax the peasants twice” type, Zavris looks like he eats souls for brunch, and Azneya… well, she’s what happens when a demon queen walks into a heavy metal album cover.


You don’t unlock powers. You earn them through cruelty, which is exactly how power should work.



Minions & Followers

Your minions are a diverse HR nightmare. They die, betray you, explode — sometimes all three in the same turn. But when they’re loyal? Chef’s kiss.


They come from various factions, which you can mix like cocktails: a bit of undead, some mercenaries, one cursed knight for garnish. Just don’t get attached. In Lords of Ravage, losing minions is less “tragedy” and more “free upgrade materials.”


As one Steam review put it: “My soldiers died screaming. 10/10, would depl

oy again.”



World & Atmosphere

The visuals are gorgeous — a sort of evil renaissance fair in pixel form. Every frame looks like someone poured candle wax over a cathedral and said, “Yeah, that’ll do.”


The lighting and effects make it feel more alive than most triple-A games. You can almost smell the burnt peasants. The soundtrack? Imagine Gregorian chants mixed with Black Sabbath and a hint of regret.



Writing & Humor

The writing balances dramatic flair with the kind of moral decay you’d expect from a tax auditor in hell. There’s none of that self-righteous “but evil is bad” nonsense. Just three Lords, each with enough trauma and eyeliner to qualify for Eurovision.


No spoon-fed morality here — just the cold, satisfying realization that you’re the monster parents warn their kids about.



Hero Opposition

Your enemies are a colorful bunch of idiots who think friendship and light can defeat you. It’s adorable. They march in with hope in their eyes and leave as red stains on the terrain.


Each hero group has unique tactics: one’s a holy crusader squad, another a bunch of monks who explode when they die. It’s like fighting a medieval version of The Suicide Squad.



Style & Presentation

It’s pixel art done right: gritty, luminous, cinematic — like Diablo II if it showered occasionally. The Lords are drawn with such flair that you almost feel bad killing people in lower-resolution. Almost.


UI’s clean, music slaps, and performance is smoother than a mobster’s pickup line. Just expect a few indie hiccups — the occasional menu freeze or animation bug. Evil empires take time to run properly, capisce?



Replayability & Progression

Every run changes depending on your Lord, minions, and artifacts. Think Slay the Spire meets Game of Thrones, but everyone’s horny for destruction.


You’ll die often, curse loudly, and immediately restart because you’ve developed an emotional attachment to your own malevolence. It’s addictive in that “just one more massacre” kind of way.



FAQ (for aspiring overlords)

Is Lords of Ravage worth playing? If you’ve ever bullied NPCs in Skyrim, yes. This is your true calling.
Can I play as good? Sure, if you also eat salad at barbecues.
Is it like Evil Genius or Dungeon Keeper? Yes — if both games spent a summer in Italy, joined the Mafia, and stopped apologizing.
Is it difficult? Let’s just say your army dies faster than common sense in politics.
Does it have bugs? A few, but so does every good villain lair. Consider it “extra texture.”

 
 
 

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About Me
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I’m Niels Gys. Writer, gamer, and professional defender of fictional criminals. On screen only. Relax. I front JETBLACK SMILE, a rock ’n’ roll band from Belgium that sounds like bad decisions set to loud guitars. Turns out the mindset for writing about crime, chaos, and villain energy translates surprisingly well to music.

Here I run CRIMENET GAZETTE, a site dedicated to crime, heist, and villain-protagonist games, movies, and series. Not the wholesome kind. Not the heroic kind. The kind where you rob banks, make bad decisions, and enjoy every second of it.

CRIMENET exists because too much coverage is polite, bloodless, and terrified of having an opinion. Here, villains matter. Criminal fantasies are taken seriously. And mediocrity gets mocked without mercy.

I don’t do safe scores or corporate enthusiasm. I do sharp analysis, savage humor, and verdicts that feel like charge sheets. If something nails the fantasy of being dangerous, clever, or morally questionable, I’ll praise it. If it wastes your time, I’ll bury it.

CRIMENET isn’t neutral. It sides with chaos, competence, and fun.
Think less “trusted reviewer,” more “your inside man in the digital underworld.”

I’m not here to save the world.


I’m here to tell you which crimes are worth committing. 🤘

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