Did you know? You can play a big Game of Thrones RPG for free on Android

If you’re a fan of the Game of Thrones series and own an Android device, you might have missed that for two months now, you can play a full-fledged RPG game from the world of Westeros right on your phone. Developers from Netmarble have released the title Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, which offers a surprisingly complex RPG experience on mobile platforms and PC. The game is available for free and at first glance gives the impression that it could compare to some console titles.

In the Footsteps of a Bastard

The game’s story takes place during the fourth season of the popular HBO series and puts you in the role of a northern bastard from Tyre. Your father is ill, your inheritance hangs on strict succession rules in the realm, and the only way to ensure the safety of your people is to gain the favor of the lords and ladies of Westeros. Throughout the game, you will encounter iconic characters from the series, such as Jon Snow, Samwell Tarly, or Cersei Lannister.

At the beginning, you choose one of three combat classes: a tough Sellsword, an agile Knight, or a nimble Assassin. Each class offers a unique combat style and skills, and you can freely switch between them and share equipment. This is followed by a relatively sophisticated character editor with options to customize face, hair, and other features, providing sufficient flexibility to create an original hero.

The Open World of Westeros Right in Your Pocket

After a short tutorial that takes you beyond the Wall and back, the game opens up into a vast world with an impressive map of Westeros. You can explore the snowy plains of the north, stone structures, and southern regions. The developers tried to faithfully capture the atmosphere of George R. R. Martin’s world, which they largely succeeded in – the environment feels authentic and corresponds to what we know from the series.

Gameplay combines action combat with RPG elements and open-world exploration. You have light, heavy, and special attacks available, as well as dodging and blocking options. The combat system is simple but sufficiently satisfying, especially thanks to effective animations and the feel of hits. Throughout the game, you can upgrade your character through skill trees and acquire better equipment.

Technical Issues Spoil the Impression

Despite its ambitious concept and impressive visuals (at least when talking about Android titles), Game of Thrones: Kingsroad suffers from a number of technical issues. The game is extremely hardware-intensive, and even on powerful devices, it often struggles with lag, stuttering, and graphical glitches. Many users complain about phone overheating and high battery consumption, which significantly limits the possibility of long-term play.

„I have to use a mini fan to cool my phone while playing,” writes one user in a review. Another player mentions: „The graphics look great on Android, but the optimization is tragic. Even on a gaming phone with a 3.3 GHz processor and 16 GB RAM, the game lags during fast camera movements.“

In addition to performance issues, the game also suffers from poor UI and imprecise controls. Gamepad support, in particular, has serious shortcomings – for example, the dodge button is also the menu open button, leading to frustrating situations during combat.

Microtransactions and Momentum System

Like most free-to-play titles, Game of Thrones: Kingsroad also contains microtransactions. However, what frustrates players the most is the so-called Momentum system, which effectively prevents progress in the main story until your character reaches a certain equipment level.

Momentum score is a number that summarizes the quality of your equipment, accessories, and skills. If you don’t reach the required score, you cannot continue the story and must either invest time in grinding side quests or spend real money for faster progress. This mechanism is a target of criticism for many players.

„Behind the AAA RPG experience lies F2P sludge,” comments one user on Reddit. „There are a lot of scummy aspects, but the single-player RPG experience is top-notch.” This captures the conflicting feeling the game evokes in many players – on one hand, a quality gaming experience, on the other, aggressive monetization.

What Does the Game Look Like in Practice?

In the initial hours of the game, you will go through a series of tutorials that will introduce you to the basic mechanics. After that, an open world with main and side quests will open up before you, which you can freely explore. In addition to combat challenges, you can also manage your estate, Renan’s Rest, where you can upgrade buildings and send workers on expeditions for resources.

Most players agree that the first chapter of the game is quite accommodating and doesn’t force you to spend real money. Problems begin in later stages, when the first Momentum blocks appear and the game becomes more grindy. One player estimates that they would have to play more than double the time (over 120 hours) to reach the Momentum score needed for new content without spending money.

Despite these issues, many players appreciate the quality story, atmosphere, and overall feel of the game. „Finally, we have a console-style RPG on mobile,” writes one satisfied player. Another adds: „Netmarble has shown that it’s possible to create a full-fledged RPG experience on a mobile device.“

Is the Game Worth Trying?

Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is an ambitious project that aims to bring a quality RPG experience to mobile platforms. The game offers impressive graphics, a detailed world, and a solid combat system, which is admirable for a mobile title. On the other hand, it suffers from the typical ailments of free-to-play games – aggressive microtransactions, grinding, and technical issues.

If you’re a fan of the series and are looking for a way to return to the world of Westeros, it’s definitely worth trying the game. Given that it’s free to download, you have nothing to lose except data and phone space (the game takes up over 11 GB). Just be prepared that if you want to see the entire story without endless grinding, you’ll probably have to reach into your wallet.

For the best experience, we recommend playing on a powerful device with sufficient free memory and ideally with an external gamepad connected, even if its support isn’t perfect. The game is also available on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, where you can expect better performance and more comfortable controls.

Are you playing Game of Thrones: Kingsroad? What are your experiences?