The Ensign Game Reviews

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Better than the first!. A dark room had its moments, but the difficulty of this game really makes you feel connected to the ensign. I played through this game without taking the food at all (I didn’t know you got a boost when you restart and took the food) so it took me three days to complete, but I got 100% completion when I did. The references to ADR were especially powerful. I loved the genius design choices, especially with the defectors. Amazing game, I would definitely recommend if you’ve played A Dark Room.

Not for Everyone. I played this game for about an hour total before I lost interest. I’m sure the game has a load of secrets and is really enjoyable once you learn secrets and strategies, but after about 10 tries I just didn’t find the repetitive restarting fun. For that reason I won’t give it a poor rating, but if you are someone who is expecting a casual game to play through in an afternoon or a laid back prequel to A Dark Room, you may want to look into it more. I’ve read on other reviews that the game becomes easier the more tries you take, so maybe I’ll edit this review when I come back and try again! Still, it deserves four stars for the complexity and uniqueness. Worth $2 if only to support the Dev 🙏🏼

Amazing!. When I first got this game, I got sucked into it, but gave up. A while ago, I got back into The Ensign and was completely blown away by all the lore hidden in the crevices of the mysterious rebuilding world that we find ourselves in. After putting around 4 hours into the game, I finally got god mode and I firmly believe that I will be putting in another good chunk of ky life to discovering as much as possible. Beating this game felt like I had finishing reading a great book, and I was both happy and sad about it. The detailed descriptions really do help the imagination take off, and after a while, you dont really notice that literally everything in the game is text-based. Great game.

A Dark Room this is not. If you haven't played The Dark Room and love text adventure games and management titles please leave the Ensign here, forget you saw it for now, and go play that. The Ensign sadly does not come close to its predecessor, it strikes a different tone in its gameplay and loses out on much of the dark room's narrative discovery. If you just have to have more when you finish the dark room and are up for more difficulty then by all means get this game, it's still pretty good if you spend some time with it, just don't expect the same great experience twice.

Don't give up. Yes, I was shocked the first time I died and had to start over. But then I realized that, of course, without the builder's locket to resurrect you (as in ADR), what else could happen? I was IMMENSELY relieved when, on my third try, I started being able to survive the defector fights, and it got better from there. It's actually a good thing that you die so quickly at first - imagine spending two hours on the game the first time, being over halfway done, and THEN dying for the first time and realizing you have to start over? I've spent 10 hours on this game over the past few days, completed it twice (the second time to get some of the content mentioned in the Secrets that I missed the first time), and am glad I spent the $2. I especially appreciated the hug I got in the red text the time I died during the final space flight due to too few hull hp. That hug was the main reason I didn't give up at that point. (I recommend at least 30 hp, for the record.)

Best game I ever played. Awesome, this game tells a great story of the wanderers empire. Turns out your guy in a dark room is a multi armed alien and also your guy in this game is pretty evil considering the fact that he kills already starved human resistance. This game is totally worth it but some things ruin u sometimes right before u finish. First couple times u play just mess around and find all the effects of what u do. Everything in this game ties into a dark room this game you are still the same wanderer just before u go into a coma or something.

Hard but fun and rewarding. Frustrating Bug at endgame.. I played both this and a dark room back when it first came out and I was a kid. I just recently came back to it and in my opinion it’s an extremely fun and challenging game. It’s very tempting to just walk around without purpose but every step matters because you have to constantly watch your food and water levels. The battles are fun but fair and the fighting seems RNG like at first because you can either hit or miss but typically you lose fights from lack of preparation rather than being “unlucky”. I think that if you enjoy a thoughtful storyline along with challenging gameplay this game is for you. HOWEVER one critique I have is a bug at the end of the game. When you get to the end of the game after completing it a specific way you unlock a mode, but it’s bugged and the screen does not show properly so you can’t use it. This is extremely frustrating because a lot of time and effort goes into unlocking this mode. If the developer is reading this please fix!!!

Make another!!. I played A Dark Room maybe a year or two ago and I loved it. That game was my favorite to play during school. So when I saw this one I was excited to get back into the story. I loved every detail and effect put into it. You are one of my favorite game creators. Please tell another story. Tell 10 more even. There’s no one else like you on the market so please keep doing this and making the games that are so unique because I promise you that I will continue to play them. Thank you so much for the time on the dusty path. :)

Hard as all heck, but worth it. There are few apps left on the App Store like this one. I played this years ago and loved it, but the additions of a new ending, a little more of the story, the defectors and the 2 dope swords in the ship easily makes it my favorite game on the store. The eerie feelings of going from house to house in a bleak and dark landscape, some with real thought provoking decisions being presented, are powerful. I had to literally stop the game to think about the decision with the defenseless woman. Not many games can do that, especially on the App Store. I love this game, I love struggling in the beginning, I love being a powerful warrior later and I love overcoming the Impossible. High praise for this game. Plus the note in the house near the corner is classic. Thanks for making this.

Another delightful game from Amirali Rajan. I always know it's money well spent when I buy one of this dev's games. This time, he wowed me with his brilliance by building the game using one of my favorite mechanics of A Dark Room. Each game by him is its own world for the player to explore. He does so much with such simple materials; you can just tell that he really loves his craft and spends a lot of time and energy pouring that into meticulously designing every facet of his games. I would say something about what I pictured the world of this game to be like, but I don't want to give anything away. All I will say is this: Be patient with yourself, even when you die of starvation because you weren't paying attention to your food supply. Trust me, it's worth the frustration.

Mindblowing on so many levels. I cannot explain in words how much I love this game. It will make you feel so many emotions because of its brutal story, amazing gameplay, and the decisions you make. However, if you haven't played A Dark Room, do NOT play this game. Play a dark room first, otherwise you will not get the full experience. This game is hard at first, and you will be frustrated. Sometimes you have to die to progress into the game. The game even mocks you sometimes when you die. My favorite and most aggravating was when I was killed by a sniper. I had gotten pretty far, and by my foolishness I went too far from the center and encountered a sniper. He killed me and I had to start over. As I was passing through the introduction, the screen turned black and a single word in red appeared. headshot. I smiled and wanted to smash my phone against the wall. So to finish this up, the game is well worth the 99 cents. I would pay $10 for this game because I love it so much. The story is so rich, brutal, and sad. It makes you question who to trust and which side you really should be on. And I just love it.

Words Can't Describe. I absolutely loved this game. It was pretty difficult at first, but I quickly realized how to properly play this game as opposed to A Dark Room. That's the thing about this game though, it forces you to think and adapt as opposed to other games where you are just mindlessly tapping your screen. Another good quality about The Ensign is that it is difficult in more ways than one. I not going to say exactly why as to preserve this game for more people but it's outstanding. I wish there were more things I could say, because I can't find the words to explain the awe I had while playing this game.

Fun and challenging, but broken too. I really enjoy this game and how difficult it is. I do have a problem with it requiring you to die. Yes, defectors are very hard early on but I challenged myself to be strong enough to kill them endlessly without dying. They literally hit me with every step and can't kill me (I've killed 40 in a row) but the game doesn't let me access landmarks until I let them kill me so I can't continue. Even the swamp turns grey. If you require death, then make defectors one shot you by the 5th one instead of how it's currently set where I have to just watch it kill me.

Phenomenal. Easily the best app I've ever played. Despite it being difficult and extremely frustrating, it's worth it. Left me in awe. If you are a fan of ADR, you will love this. I imagined The Ensign as a desolate battlefield. In my mind, I imagined buildings destroyed and humans struggling to survive. At first, I thought of myself as the hero and the defectors and humans as the bad guys. However, as the narrative unfolded, I began to question everything I did and why I did it (which I assume is exactly what the creator wanted). This is a beautifully made and very well thought through app. I can't wait for the next addition to the Wanderer's story!

Thrilling. About four hours ago, after I died for the nth time and got a smarmy red text message about how bad I was at this game, I opened up the app store and typed out a negative review. Then I deleted it and went back to the game. Maybe there was something I was missing? Turns out, there was. As interesting as the story elements were, they were nothing compared to the feeling of realizing that I'd discovered the whole map and maxed out my ship, at the same time as I (shaky and exhilarated) barely managed to kill the defector. So glad I stuck with it. A great game, and a worthy successor to A Dark Room.

This is a great game!. Just because it's different than "The Dark Room" doesn't mean it's not as good. Yes, it's very difficult and sometimes painful, but the developer didn't want a game that you could beat just like that and forget about it. I really liked the red text that tried to get under your skin. I thought it was something nice to keep you from throwing your device across the room and keep playing. Something else that I liked that helped push forward was the audio clips at the end. I really like how the developer tells you some backs story and things like that about the game.

Perfect. If perfection exists in this universe in glad to own it and play it and now right it a review the simple graphics are awesome the story amazing and it even beats the dark room (which I'm happy to have bought regardless of the simple description and only one photo though that might have been why I did because it intrigued me and this did the same) it's worth every penny it costs and I think everyone should play it atleast ounce in there life where gameplay meets art and story is where the ensign and the dark room lie

Brutal In The Best Sense of the Word.. I would have to say that this game is brutal and almost impossible. You will die often, as much from your own carelessness as from the enemies you face. However, like many very difficult things it's extraordinarily satisfying, so much so that when I "finished," the game (I don't know if that's even the right word) I actually went back and subjected myself to more brutal death just to "complete" two of the unfinished "tasks." (I'd be clearer but I don't want to give too much away.) this game is not the brooding existential exercise of "A Dark Room," but is a more traditional RPG (although not traditional by the normal standards.) I highly recommend this game if you are up for.a challenge and don't mind some frustration mixed in with your triumph. Or should I say a lot of frustration. Tablet throwing level. I mean it. But buy the game anyway. It's great.

Something you should experience. Honestly. I love this game. I played through A Dark Room. Both endings. I love the way both of these games make you think about your actions and the morality of them. For such a simple text based concept. Both games manage to convey an interesting and thought provoking story. I just played through the ensign again after the new ending came out and I gotta say I loved it. You should definitely take the time to struggle and play through this without looking for spoilers. Just remember Death Awaits. 👌🏻✌🏻

One of The Most Rewarding Games of All Time. I started off with this narrative through “A Dark Room.” Upon my first attempt, I instantly realized I had never played anything like it. It challenged me in ways I had never been. The details while minimalistic, immerse the player in a greater way than most console games do. Every word read pulls the player deeper into the world of the game, and constantly makes one want to know more about this dark and mysterious world. “The Ensign” is just as interesting if not more interesting than “A Dark Room.” It gives a slightly different mechanic when it comes to traversing the dusty path. However, it does an outstanding job of providing the player with a similar yet unique experience compared to “A Dark Room.” It is challenging, immersive, stunning, terrifying, and rewarding all in the same experience. I strongly urge others to play these games and experience both stories for themselves. There has never been a game like this.

I let this sit for a few years. The Ensign was too hard for me and I had given up. I distinctly remember NOT liking this game. But after revisiting A Dark Room and loving it even more now than when I first played years back, I gave it another shot. Wow. This game is incredible. Honestly, the developer is on another level. I don’t think I was mature enough to appreciate this game before. I’m glad that I could experience it differently now, and am curious if it will hit even more differently when I’m even older and revisit.

Persistence pays off. I downloaded this after finishing A Dark Room, and I almost gave up early on due to the implied difficulty. On the cusp of quitting, I read an online walk through which convinced me to keep going just a bit further, and I’m sooo glad I did. After understanding that the early punishment is intended and a rite of passage, I was able to start progressing to the point where the game became enjoyable, perhaps even more so than A Dark Room. It’s more than a puzzle/battle game, please make sure you read the text, and appreciate the storyline, the emotions they’re trying to elicit, and know that it’s worth the initial steep learning curve.

Less mysterious, more vaguely confusing. I thoroughly enjoyed A Dark Room, so bought this immediately. I was loving it, but a few hours in nothing story-related had happened for a long time, making me think I was finished. Without being too spoilery, it's possible to finish the game and get the same ending as people who have unlocked every detail far before you've done so. I found that a huge bummer, because it does take tons of repetition to get there, and it's not worth starting over to find details knowing it'll all end the same anyway. The ending itself is super vague, and not in a fun way. I couldn't tell if I'd won or lost until going through developer notes. I do like it in general, but I'm left feeling a bit unsatisfied.

Frustrating and... kind of worth it?. this game is designed to make you scream and throw your phone across the room. it’s set up to make you fail the first... 6 or 7 times? so just get it over with quick. don’t try to survive. you can’t. after 6 or 7 tries, they start you out with more hp and things to help you succeed. i finally beat it and i guess it was worth it. i was going to give 3 stars but hell, i’ve spent so much time with it, i guess it deserves another. i wish they would give a more satisfying ending other than merely setting up the next game, “a dark room.” good game to play on the train/bus or to kill a few minutes now and then.

DO NOT ENGAGE THE V IN #. There’s a fine line between frustrating and fair. This game grabs the line and impales fair in the throat. I adorn the HardPG aspect and its trial and error. But even those have a final checkpoint. Where’s the fun in perfectionist runs? If you’re going to screw the player at the end, AT LEAST let them have a do-over to change it! What’s the point of collecting if all it boils down to is RNG? Whatever. I won when the Mega Defector died. The World is Saved. I did the impossible. The End. Original 4-5 Star Review Before the Cliff Drop: All this game is is black and white text on a blank canvas... And it couldn't be any better. This game blows A Dark Room out of the atmosphere and straight into the sun. The moment you first die, you don't know what just happened. It just suddenly happens and there's nothing you could do about it. Then you go through it again. The game taunts you and makes you regret buying it. What draws you away from the game actually brings you closer. The mocking and realization of every death prepares you for the fate that you know is coming... Death. It lets you prepare for every circumstance and you know what? It's good. Nuff said.

Feature Request: Flip Screen (Will Review Later). Can you add screen rotation compatibility. Landscape is totally unnecessary and I understand would require a whole layout readjustment, I’m simply asking to allow flipping upside down. The charger port of an iPad is on the bottom, this game is played in portrait. It’s uncomfortable to play while charging. I can’t lay on my back and rest the iPad in my stomach, lol. Can you fix that real quick so when I play in the same portrait mode you programmed this in its with my charger cable coming out of the top? I confirm I’m not in screen lock it’s just not supported by the app. Thank you I love your work!!

The Ensign. i've never played such an amazing game. at first i became really discouraged and i wanted to give up. many times i did. it's taken me over a year to complete this game. i had to take long breaks from this game because i got so frustrated. the layout is simple. it's just letters and symbols, but it's more than that. this game tears you apart mentally and you have to test your values. it's so intriguing and beautiful. the pain of dying over and over and over is something i would've never imagined. just don't give up on this game. never give up on it. keep trying and trust me, you won't regret it

Be prepared to completely start over very often. I died in this game roughly every 15-20 minutes and literally had to start over from nothing. No other choice. There is no mode in this game where you can avoid this annoying "feature" if you just want to actually enjoy the game and the story. I liked all the other game mechanics but until the game stops forcing me to start again from the very beginning over and over, I'm done. I'm fine with the hard core players wanting a more challenging mode, but players who just want more of The Room (which did not have this ridiculous die and start again -from scratch- aspect) also should be accommodated. An easy mode or something. Anything. I just wanted to enjoy the game play and story and never got the chance. Frustrating waste of time.

Don’t Eat The Cake. dwarf fortress’ aesthetic in a sci-fi setting. it’s tough as nails and won’t hesitate to pound them into every square inch of your brain and fingers if you don’t know what you’re doing and don’t improvise adapt and overcome the challenge. this is the most rewarding gaming experience I have ever had. ornstein & smough didn’t even make me feel a fraction of finally hitting that 100% after refusing the food the water the katana and the compass. the story is haunting and beautiful, and is a perfect companion piece to a dark room. easily the best mobile game on the market.

It's not too hard to beat. You all say it's "too hard" and "impossible" but it's difficulty is only so high to give you a sense of accomplishment when you beat it. I thought it was too hard. I thought I'd never beat it. I even attempted to leave a negative review. But I kept trying and trying and I did it. I beat the ensign. Even upon death I feel the red text is a reward, a taunt, like an Easter egg to keep you playing so even if you do die, you get something new. Don't quit. Don't stop. Push forwards.

dark souls older brother. this game is ridiculously hard. every time you die (which you will die at least 300 times) you start from the beginning of the entire game. literally everything wants to see you die in a fire. and as soon as you get something semi decent in the game-oooh look at that you're dead because every single step you drink an entire GALLON of water. i'm not one to judge but i'm pretty sure normal people don't drink that much. not to mention 98% of everything you fight in this game is 100% stronger than you and will kill you. best advice is to just never leave the swamp and think about what you've done to yourself. "why did i buy this." you'll find yourself saying. "why am i putting myself though this torture" you'll whisper to yourself. the only reason this is getting two stars is because the first game was really fun, but boy did i make a mistake buying this trash

favorite game but this MUST be fixed. This along with A Dark Room is one of my favorite games I’ve ever played, and it carried me through my two hour-long study hall periods today. When I had to put my phone down, I was ready to launch the ship and I had the best level gear. I was simply on the map screen and not in a fight or anything. When I next opened The Ensign, I made sure to hit “continue current journey”. And I had restarted. Only 25 hp, no armor, only 100 storage. Hours before, I was closer than I ever had been to beating the game. Now I have nothing. I love this game, but please fix this. This isn’t the first time this has happened to me, where I loose everything and completely have to restart for no reason at all. If it weren’t for this I would definitely give the game 5 stars. This bug makes it infuriating to continue playing the game.

Such a wonderful experience!. I can’t begin to find the words to give this game the praise it deserves. Right from the start I was sucked in, the story engrossed me completely. The difficulty only strengthened my want to dig deeper. With each failure I became more determined to succeed. A Dark Room was an amazing experience and this one only added to the brutal but beautiful story that you created. Thank you Amirali Rajan, your game painted such an interesting picture and I loved every minute of it.

This game is a Masterpiece!. So very many games today are filled with crazy graphics and bright lights...but not this. This is sort of a throwback to games where you actually had to Use your Imagination and THINK! I LOVE IT!! It is a "simple" black and white text based game...but wow! It draws you in and makes you Actually Use your Brain! It's also extremely difficult and takes an amount of persistence that I think is totally lacking in today's gaming world. Most games are filled with immediate gratification for the short attention spans of so many people...Not This! Most games are just Way Way Way too short! Not this! Punishing is a great way to describe the experience of playing this game...which makes the ultimate reward of my persistence That Much More Satisfying!! If you want a whiz bang crazy graphics blitz that only gives you an hour, or maybe two, of easy gaming then go for something else. But if your at all like me, and love a thoughtfully written and Truly Challenging game then this is for you! Thank You!! Awesome Job!! :)

Absolutely amazing. Before you buy the game, know this, THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT GAMES ON THE APP STORE. YOU W I L L DIE MANY TIMES!!! It's made to be tough, you get better at it though. You just need to keep trying. To the developer(s): I truly love this game, I loved a dark room too, I even loved A Noble Circle. I find your games perfect and intriguing. I honestly don't know if there's anything you could have done better.(except a button straight to the end screen😉) I feel like I live my life in anticipation of your next game(please make another) If you're out of ideas, try making one from a human's perspective, or maybe the builder, or, even better, the Admiral. Picture this, you are the Admiral and you attempt to conquer Earth in a sort of strategy game. I really look forward to your next game

A Masterpiece of a Game. When I first played A Dark Room years ago, I had stumbled across the browser version and only put maybe an hour or so into it. Those of you who have played know this barely scratches the surface of the game, but even so, when I came across the app quite a long time after, I didn't hesitate to buy it. I've replayed it an uncountable number of times. The Ensign provides just as enthralling and incredible of an experience. This game is brutal, don't get me wrong, but it's brutality adds to the story in a way I've never seen before. I found myself occasionally wanting to die so I could see how the game changed. Of course, there were also the times (much more frequent) where I found myself cursing and having to put the game down because I'd died of my own carelessness. The frustration is entirely worth it. Stay with it. Start again, as much as you won't want to. I can't tell you the number of times this game made me pause and gave me chills. The Ensign, as well as the original A Dark Room, are exquisite games with unique, rich storytelling and gameplay. I cannot recommend them enough.

Incredible!. I played A Dark Room and loved it and bought this one too... Let me tell you... It requires brain power to play this game... You have to have a strategy in order to keep going and I didn't get that at first so I wasn't getting far. After playing for the 100th time I finally got the hang of it. This and A Dark Room are 2 of the best games I have ever purchased from the App Store. I also love the fact that just like reading a book, you use your imagination for the images. Get it! You won't regret it!

Controlling Cities. In the secrets to a dark room, it mentioned a feature of moving armies from city to city and defending things and just a gameplay like that. I wonder if a game could be made from the humans' perspective of the wanderers or maybe even a defector that joined? Or perhaps even throw in the builder from the first game and explain that story and add different gameplay to it. So the humans would have a different gameplay than wanderers or defectors so that could lead to different gameplay. This is kinda a not to the maker not really a review, but I loved the game. Have to admit there were times where I'd have to stop for a bit because this game is very frustrating...very much so. But an amazing game altogether! So glad I found this game!

Good but a bad glitch. First off, it’s an excellent game. It improve upon a whole lot about a dark room and takes the experience from great to amazing. But there is a pretty decently bad glitch I keep encountering. A big part of the game that is supposed to make it possible is certain gear and upgrades carrying over across runs, but no matter how far I make it (and I’ve finished the game) my gear never carries over for more than a day. Around a day after I get super far and are able to start with a lot of stuff, it starts the entire game over, hard-restart style. It’s annoying and makes it really hard to beat it again.

Sigh..... This game is annoying. To say the least. I am leaving a five star review not because of the immediate gameplay, but because of the creativity of the developer and the way he has managed to create an immense feeling of satisfaction when you succeed at even the smallest task. I have not yet completed the game. Also, note that this is not a marathon game. If played in small intervals, you will eventually get used to inevitable failure and, when faced by it, simply sigh and take a break. For all it's infuriating aspects, it's overpowered bosses, it's taunting and it's overall atmosphere of "Still trying? I pity your inability to forded the inevitable", this is a masterfully created game, and I will complete it. I WILL. After I go bang my head against the wall....

It's hard, but that's the point.. Quick bug before the review: If you meet a defector on top of a location, such as the Iron Mine, you get the upgrades without having to go through the challenge. If you liked a dark room, don't immediately think you will like this game. Imagine you were instantly thrown into the world, but you have no resources. You can't prepare through building the village, if you die, you are back to nearly square one. This is NOT and afk game like a dark room. You DON'T get the satisfaction of being overpowered with materials. There is no afk resource building. But if you like quick pace, challenges at every stage, and the feeling of progress + the pain of losing everything, you will LOVE THIS. I highly recommend playing a dark room first to understand how the game works.

Very good.. If you're coming here without having played A Dark Room, I strongly suggest you play ADR first. This prequel is much more interesting if you have played ADR beforehand, and ADR is definitely worth it. To anyone else or anyone who just wants to know how this game is: First off, I prefer ADR, although that's my preference. Second off, this game is HARD. It's basically a rougelite. Actions you make minimally affect your next life. And you will be moving from life to life, that is to say you will be dying, a lot. But it's fun. It is very, very fun, and quite difficult. Tl;dr: Very hard game. Get it if you enjoyed ADR.

No spoilers. So this is actually a huge step up from the dark room. It has a more in depth story line that actually ties in with the dark room. Throughout the game, you’ll find yourself being frustrated. A lot. But that’s sort of the point. I’m not going to give anything away, but I will say that your game plays off your history. You’re going to die. You’re going to want to quit. But don’t. I won’t say the game plays off of you dying, but I’ll say that you only grow as you play and die and play again. The more you put into it, the more reward you get out once you start again. Visit the top left corner with a few stuns and plenty of ammo and food. Try to hit as many spots as frequently to keep your food and water up. Never give up! 😉

Difficult but beautiful. Though this game is listed as Prequel, definitely play A Dark Room first, preferably at both levels, Easy and (without huts) Hard. After that, this game will make more sense. It took me several tries, but while trying, I found the "flow" of this game to be exceptional. Hours would fly by, and each time I played the game (I have gone through multiple times now), I would have a different experience, and hear the story in a different way. Well done!

Incredibly Difficult, Incredibly satisfying. Amazing storyline, excellent gameplay. A very good prequel. Replayable for those little bits you missed, or simply to try and beat the game again. Special Easter eggs and challenges make replaying infinitely entertaining. A level of skill is required in my opinion, the learning curve is steep and frustrating, but not insurmountable. A very enjoyable game, to the point that my first reaction to seeing an update for the game was to gasp in excitement. The challenges are no joke. “Made accomplishing the impossible a little harder” YEAH YOU SURE DID. SURE DID. TLDR: Highly recommend. Difficult, but not impossible.

Sadistic Game Design, Lame Attitude. Enjoying A Dark Room, I got The Ensign. This game is a perfect example of rigged, mean-spirited game design. After you get to a certain point, an over-powered unit always kills your character and the developer starts giving you weird taunting messages. Maybe it's intended as encouragement to keep playing, but it's just negative bully stuff. If you keep playing, you're given extra items and a larger initial map, and it makes you feel pretty lame. Especially when the same over-powered unit is there to kill you again. If you keep playing (dying) and deal with the developer's ego messages, it's a pretty easy game to beat. There's a spaceship ending with the same crap. But the attitude issue remains, and the game suffers from sadistic design ideas. I've uninstalled and reinstalled the game multiple times in an attempt to defeat the over-powered unit -- no avail. Too much time and energy for a lame dev's attitude.

Definitely Not as Good as A Dark Room. In fact I’d say not even close. A Dark Room was of the best games like this I’ve played. After searching for more games like this I stumbled upon this one and bought it right away. Unlike ADR you don’t really have the same home base to build up, I continually lost items items (even though I didn’t lose them in death), annnd the worst if you die you start over. I put about 30 minutes into it and after constantly losing items and then dying and starting over I’ve given up. If you liked ADR make sure you read the reviews before buying this one. It’s semi similar but not even close to as good.

Well worth .99 cents. I consider myself as a casual gamer. I rarely go above easy and this game was definitely a challenge, both emotionally and game play wise. It's something I had to put down because I got too frustrated with dying 2 minutes in and a game I had to put down because I needed to consider what kind of person I want to be. There is only one moment (as far as I know) where the Ensign takes pause at a decision and that made me rethink everything I've done in the game. It is not an easy journey but I feel that it is an important one and one you can make if you keep at it.

Update. Edit: I reinstalled the app and now it seems to be working perfectly. Below is what happened, just letting you know, if you are playing with voiceover on, and you update, you might have to reinstall the app because on my iPhone XR I had to do that. So I just updated this game, and every time I go to open it, it crashes and brings me back to my home screen. I don’t know if it’s something to do with the voiceover screen reader or if it is just me. I’m still giving this game a four star rating because it is a very good game, I haven’t gotten to the ending yet.

Hard, frustrating, creative, addicting. I logged 990 minutes total before finally finishing, which probably means I'm bad at this game. But if you're reading this review and thinking about buying, you can bet you'll get your money's worth in sheer quantity of time spent trying to "win." I'm not much of a gamer, but I took a chance on "A Dark Room," just from App Store ads/reviews, and it led me to purchase this one as well. I've never played a game like it, so my hat is off to the author for the unique storytelling style and artistic integrity (I assume — because I'm sure there must've been a lot of pressure to make this thing easier and more linear, for mass consumption). You will be challenged! You will quit many times! But you'll keep coming back for more. Now I'll try the other game with shapes n stuff...

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Cool cool cool. Suspenseful gaming. I loved the technical side of this game and the strategy involved. I thoroughly enjoyed being punished and I genuinely felt myself learning from my mistakes and getting to know the game. Towards the end I found it to be too easy, I was dominating everything and hoarding upgrades. I probably could have explored the world more but at 70% explored my ship was ready and I was eager to see what would happen next.

No fun getting ganked. Not nearly as fun as dark room. Game says follow the compass but doesnt give enough food or water to make it to the destination and return. Set you up to fail

Don't give up! ✊. Absolutely amazing. The sheer depth of story and the universe that's suggested but not explicitly spoon-fed you is brilliant to say the least. After playing A Dark Room and thinking I knew what it was all about I was pleasantly corrected after playing this - it's hard to not give anything away but all I can say is get this game, PERSEVERE and you'll be rewarded with one of the best prequels of any medium. It made my imagination run wild and made my mental images constantly evolve during the many revelations.

Addictive. This game was frustrating addictive and a bit creepy. So satisfying coming to the end after hours of play. Totally satisfying my OCD. Reminded me a little of a game I played in the 80s. The first version of Zork. Equally frustrating and creepy. The game leaves a lot to the imagination. Not something you find these days. Loved it.

Waste of time. Skill won't help you with this one. You are designed to fail a number of times so get used to it. You restart the lot when dead and the map changes. Save your time if it is valuable to you.

Love it. Amir I'm very impressed you have done it once again. A beautiful game an absolute artwork. Just the right amount of story telling and text to keep it esoteric but at the same time keep the user engaged and interested enough to attempt it over and over again. 10/10 for me love it.

Challenging but worth it. Very hard start although each time you die it gets a little easier so don't give up. Play this after A Dark Room. You don't get story telling this good in platinum titles, that's for sure

100% would recommend. This is by far my favourite game. I’ve had it for 4 years now and every so often I’d come back to it and become fully immersed in its story. Finally, I finished the game (I didn’t realise I did at first, however) and I’ve never felt so accomplished before. I found the art style so simplistic yet creative. If you’re looking for a game that challenges your imagination I would definitely recommend this one, plus you should check out “A Dark Room” (created by the same person) as it ties in with this one.

Difficulty rise. 3 easy 5 me. Got god mode on first try. Like the added war mantle though. That's interesting.

Just give up. You know you want to.. Loved this and A Dark Room. Two stellar games. Will be eagerly awaiting the third instalment.

Really engaging!. It's not quite in the league of A Dark Room, but this prequel is pretty great. It took me a while to work out, and a longer while still to finish. Warning: it's very frustrating at first - stick with it and it starts to make more sense... Probably best to play after finishing A Dark Room.

Frustratingly addictive. The respawn messages are very mean. Don't give up.

May the fire burn brightly for you, may it keep you warm. Such a simple interface reignites imagination lost. If you fail you did something wrong. Don’t blame the game, learn from it. Too often would I get caught up in getting to a location that I forget to take enough water. A punishing time is ahead of you but worth completing to 100% for a greater appreciation of the story. May the fire burn brightly for you, may it keep you warm.

Amazing. Brutal, yet satisfying. Punishing yet a sense of accomplishment. Don't give in too early. Don't listen to the secrets til you've uncovered 100% of the map. Definitely worth the money. I normally don't finish games. Maybe because these days games aren't designed that way. But this was brilliant. And so was a Dark Room. Thanks for the privilege in allowing me to learn the world for myself. This is the difference between kids games and games for adults.

GREAT PRE SEQUEL. This game is a must for people that love The Dark Room. I've finished it several times and keep coming back to it. If you haven't yet download it and you'll be obsessed. Great game can't wait for next update or sequel/pre sequel. Couldn't give it any less than a 5 star

For those who need a challenge. This is not a one for casual gamers who like all the hard work to be done for them. There is nothing to hold your hand. You’ll die at least 5 times at the beginning while the game mocks you mercilessly. A great deal of effort, persistence, strategy, attention, and personal investment in the plot are required to get the most of the Ensign. That being said, I’m an older-school gamer and usually need to finish everything I start. I was hopelessly hooked from the beginning. This game is superbly challenging and punishing. When you finally rise to it, the level of satisfaction is second to none. I’ve beaten it around 4 times in full and still enjoy coming back for more. There’s really nothing else like it.

Deliberately Hard. Fantastic game if you want a challenge - this is NOT a cakewalk. Fans of A Dark Room will love this prequel

Brilliant. Don't give up on it too early. Totally worth it.

Great game. It's a great game, quite challenging and frustrating but it is so addicting and I found myself spending hours playing it. I love the taunts every time I died, they are always different. A thing to consider is make sure every bug is gone because sometimes the app just shuts down and one time it reset, making me have to start all over again which was so annoying. Don't let this stop anyone wanting to play the game. It's pretty awesome and totally worth it. You may spend hours frustrated at ur device but once you get that end screen, it's so relieving. So get the game, and have heaps of fun dying all the time! :P

Review. The Ensign is a great game which introduces brilliant new spawning mechanics as a strong tool for progression. The objective here is too stay alive to complete your objective of saving the admiral, but to do that it may require some death along the way... This game seriously kept me just as engrossed as the dark room with its gradual progression, exploration and difficulty curve, but it eventually served to tire me as a player once I had progressed far enough into the game. This is not a fault of the game design or execution, as the developer has clearly put deep thought into the game progression to avoid tiring the player. This is highlighted best by the fist level, health of defectors that appear later in the game, and the equipment obtained upon respawning. However, in a game where death can inherently demand a large amount of repetition, it is inevitable that some - including me of course - will find these mechanics to be a deterrence once so much has already been achieved.

Worth every minute. I have been a fan of Dark room and this is the same, it makes me become a fan boy to see all the references back to Dark room... This game takes everything that was good with the previous game and runs with it, it runs so fast that it is an instant classic, I can't find anything bad with this game.... All but one, can there please be a prompt for the reset game, I reset my game twice, but it just gives me an incentive to reply and beat it. This is a must have for every device, keep up the good work guys!

Work of art. Such a good game.

punishing but satisfying to beat. after many, many months of playing and temporarily "giving up", i have finally beaten this game. i haven't beaten the secrets, but i have made it. there are no words for how much i love this game. yes, i hate it for punishing me again, and again, and again - but i love it. i love all the features about it. i love the red text. i don't want to spoil it for anyone, so all i advise that you do is stick with it. the graphics are not amazing, but it compensates with a mysterious story, punishing fights and moral choices (which messed with me at first, but i have become desensitised to from many months of playing). anyway, i highly recommend this game for people who love text based, low graphic indie games that include time travel. (bonus points for the portal reference)

Too hard, not enjoyable. I loved A Dark Room, played it many times. This one is too frustrating and too hard, I’ve invested an hour and not interested in investing any more.

This app keeps crashing on me. I just got in when it crashed

Different but good. Play dark room first as although this is a prequel it is the better of the two games. If you still want more then move onto the ensign. Tough enough to be fun but not too hard to put me off.

Great game. Great developer making creative games. I enjoyed the dark room as well. I wish the UI was a bit thematic. I feel like the game would explode in popularity if the UI looked like something like a fantasy flight boardgame art style that added to the immersion of the setting.

Amazing. One of the few games on the AppStore that is worth buying, while a bit repetitive, this pulls it off masterfully as the player wanders through a randomly generated map. Even with such simple graphics it manages to pull off a great and compelling story. 5/5

Awesome!. So simple yet sooo annoyingly addictive. Frustrating and rewarding. I love this game!!!

Amazing!. The in depth thought that went into this game is absolutely amazing! Although it is difficult at first i would recommend playing "A Dark Room" first to get the concept of it. I did and i absolutely love the challenge of this! Just a heads up though... You MUST die a few times to be able to get through different stages of the game! But all in all I love the app! :D

Appears to be difficult. This game seems really difficult at first but it's actually quite clever and not very hard once you figure it out. I died many times before finally completing it and enjoyed the humour that came with each death. An interesting prequel to A Dark Room indeed.

Great Game. Highly recommend this game and A Dark Room

MOOOOOAR PLEASE!!. Like I said. Please sir may I have some more...

Great game. Eo1neon says hi. Thanks for making a really difficult game, I'm glad I managed to make it to the end. Anyway, great game (if you can read) and a great story as well, I kind of want to know more about the characters involved but all in all great game and worth the money.

Great game. I really enjoy playing this game, at first i was getting frustrated because i kept dying all the time, but each time i got a little bit further and i understood what was happening a little better. I would definitely recommend it to anyone

To repetitive!. This game has brought a dark room down a step, the constant restarting because you die is just a pain! I died real quick like 5 times then I survived a whole 50 minutes and was atop of my game... well then I came across a 'stranger' the one shotted me, loosing 40 health in one move and killing me! Then what of it you start again!!!! And all of those little messages about keeping on trying don't help they just make you delete the game faster... Thanks for trying but this is pathetic.

Awesome. This game is hard. And it taunts you every time you make a mistake with these infuriating messages. And you have to start again every time. But I can't put it down..

A review. This game ironically took it's sequel/predecessor and developed it into something more challenging but fun all the same. Love the 'don't give up' and 'give up' death screens, they motivate. This may sound random but that last update had a part where you got me laughing. The one where you said 1* reviews make you laugh more at our rage and tears. Seriously, it's funny as heck.

🙌 Must buy 🙌. I defiantly wouldn't consider myself a gamer; infact the dark room and the ensign are the only games I have played and completed...😅 but I guess that says something, this game takes you on an incredible journey that anyone can experience! if you aren't a gamer; play this game!!!

Player that has played over 13 hours.. And would gladly play another 13 hours. I don't know what it is about this game, or any game this developer brings to my life ..They're something special to me. I can't help but be so engaged and absolutely sucked in for hours on end. And it's not just me! This is an amazing, interesting, fun and RAGE INDUCING game that you won't be able to put down.

So worth it. Wow! What a b$7ch of an update. The difficulty level shot up. Completed it fully twice but this makes everything agro again. You will die. A lot. But the story line is awesome, and it's so addictive in the 'your not going to get the best of me' game.

Free tears.... Great game, really simple design that makes things more fun. When completing the game and finding out that there are secrets that i can find, it nearly made me cry (not giving you the satisfaction of my tears), then I realised i had to start again (then I cried). Out of seriousness, really great game, going to get the secrets soon. Maybe add camouflage sO I DONT DIE BY SNIPERS. Keep up the good work

Punishing??? Indeed!!. So, yes in the beginning I thought this was difficult, and many months had passed since I played, but I picked this game back up and persisted in finishing it, turns out it's not actually as hard as it initially seemed... But overall I'd have this to say. To Armir, you have created 2 of the most detailed, and intricate games I've played of the last 5 years, and though it is only text, the work, time and effort you've put in to ADR and The Ensign, fully shines through. The story is impeccable, the gameplay mechanics are fluid and extremely well thought out, and overall... It's interesting and challenging all at the same time, whilst always keeping me captivated. So I thank you, these 2 games have become 2 of my highest ranked ones of all time. You give me hope for future games!!!! Never stop creating

Review from completionist. I got a 100% competition play through within 5 hours, which is totally with the $1.29 for this game. Difficult wise it is a bit of a grind, but you learn things pretty quickly, especially if you're familiar with A Dark Room's dusty path. This is a game that you either love or hate, and there's not grey line for it. In my opinion it's worth it, and even if you aren't convinced, it's only a buck. I only gave it four stars as it's extremely annoying when you accidentally click "loot all" in your camp's stash. Remove the button for that? It's not a difficulty thing (which you seem to be living from the tears caused by it) but overlooked game design.

Worse than cancer. This game, if you can call it that. Just takes jibby to a whole knew level. Every time you make real progress suddenly a new enemy with ridiculous health that does ultimate damage comes from nowhere and you die, again.

Worth it. This game like a dark room is difficult but the story line is very compelling and creates an imaginative scene despite consisting only of a white screen and black letters and symbols. It is worth playing through to the end which may take some time and ties in well with a darkroom whilst being very enjoyable overall. Perhaps the third mechanic for your game could be on the starship not sure how but traversing the asteroid fields and escaping worlds could be a major component.

Awesome. Really good fun.

Great game, a bit glitchy. Not as good as ADR or ANC

Great game but needs a save option. Like "A Dark Room", this text base role playing adventure game is refreshing. However, it is much harder than its predecessor and really needs a save option. Dying 2 hours into the game and having to restart takes away a lot of the replay attraction.

😳. It's such a great game and btw, it's really really really hard game

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Awesome !. Game is too easy :)) make something harder please ! Beat the impossible a couple of times. 11/10

Saved Game Management - A FATAL Flaw. I don't mind perma-death -- it actually appeals to the old school dungeon crawler in me. I cut my teeth on the Wizardry Series in the 1980's But losing game progress because real life intrudes and I haveto exit the game at a time inconvenient to you. And the game code is not sophisticated enough to write a checkpoint just before exiting ? C'mon !! That's bush league coding and you should be ashamed of yourself for taking people's money for such a shoddy implementation. Unacceptable! I would like a refund please COMPLETELY

Does not work with IOS 14. Great game

Great game. Would recommend

Fantastic. Loved A Dark Room - The Ensign requires a lot of patience and a certain amount of stubbornness. Great game!

broken game. This is not a good game. It resets entirely every time you die. Right to very begining of the game! I don't have the patience for this! I loved a dark room, truly an inspired masterpiece. But the Ensign needs to fix its reward vs. punishment mechanic, because no matter how brilliant a dark room was, I doubt anyone, save a masochist, would enjoy this game.

Wow... That was frustratingly fun.. Don't know about you, but I died twice before realizing that my character wasn't going to"auto-defeat" the enemy (and don't even get me started on the 199 hp defector!). . . I haven't played A Dark Room, but The Ensign seemed to be able to stand on it's own. I... Died... So many times right away, and the red text felt like it was taunting me... Challenging me to do better... To be better. . . I appreciate the developer's comments (secrets). I think it happened after I went into space he first time. Really opened up my eyes for what games should be (instead of offering difficulty levels and IAP's). Thank you, sir. .... 973 minutes. Yep. Beat it, though.

Love it!. I can't stop playing, it's so hard, reminds me of old Computer games that were ridiculously hard..every try I get better and more determined! So annoying but so addicting!!!!! Great game

A beautiful well written game. This game is so well made. The learning curve is steep, but once you get the hang of it it’s not bad at all, I can speed through a playthrough in 30 minutes. The taunting narrator is great, it motivated me to do better and not give up. All throughout the story is amazing too, seeing glimpses into the past is handled beautifully, and the final flashback really hits home. This is definitely my favourite mobile game ever.

Rewarding. This game is rewarding and fun, no matter how many times you die... And you will die... Lots! ;)

Don’t give up!. Such an amazing game - remember that dying is part of the journey!

Unplayable. What did you do too your game? It’s garbage now sad to see it in this state..

great game. Tough as balls but fun as hell

Great game. Would recommend to anyone who has given up hope in this damn App Store.

Great. Beat it twice with food and I acheived the impossible I keep finding the other things then dyeing tho..

Ahhhhhh. So fun but so hard ahhhhh

Unforgiving but worth it. Dear Amirali, the dark room was great. And although at first I hated this game because it refused to offer any help. But as I got better it was worth it. Finishing the game was so satisfying. Please make a continuation to the game sometime in the future. Either a sequel or another prequel. Perhaps during the war.

Great challenge. I have died and tried many times and still enjoy the game

Amazing, just amazing.. The endsign and the dark room were the two best video games I have ever played, it was crazy how the creator could create real life emotions and moral Dilemmas from something as simple as a text based game. All in all this is an amazing game for you to play if you would like to enjoy a good challenge.

Wow, just very interesting. I have to admit, i HATED the game in the beginning and didnt play it for a year or two, but then i came back with curiosity and regretted not having the patience to die a couple times. Overall, it is very interesting. Just wish there was a book about the whole story or at least a game series

Haunting and self defining experience. It's hard to review an experience so personal. The storytelling is excellent. As a sci-fi fan, it leaves me wanting more of this world. The difficulty of the game really gets you emotionally involved. The story is filled with stuff, yet your imagination fills in the rest to make this journey yours. It's beautiful, it's brutal. Loved adr, love the ensign. Thanks for the experience. I'll never forget her. Hope she's okay. Still thinking of her.

Great roguelike. Just the essential parts of a roguelike. A focused experience. Eerie story. Great tone. Please make another game where I play as @ !!!

All consuming. A very thought provoking game with lots of depth and strategy. It's not mindless entertainment, but pushes your emotional and ethical limits. Great game

Well worth it.. Just spend the $0.99 on it. Well worth more than that.

Great game. Same style yet completely different feel from "A Dark Room" trully these games are hidden jewels in the app store.

The Annals of my Journey. When I finally beat the game I was in complete disbelief and awe. Had I truly won? Was this another cruel trick left by the developer. Thats when I saw the secrets box finally unlocked. Now I leave a story of my journey through the cold planet. The planet that survived without a parent star. The fire that burned in the impossible cold and the souls of humanity. Amongst the defectors a wanderer cadet would grow and learn in blood and hardship. Deja vu would be an understatement. A time paradox again and again. Only after wandering aimlessly. Desperately attempting every possible solution to an impossible task. Only by seeing everything there was to see could a resolution be found. In the ashes of a futile attempt rose a second chance. In a dark room.

Fantastic game!. Bought this game as a result of loving the first one. This game is much, much harder- permadeath, struggle to survive. With every death I learned more and more survival tactics until I finally managed to beat it. I was shaking for a good ten minutes afterwards! Especially good if you like punishing games and uncovering more of the story.

The Punisher!. Wow! Just finally beat this game after 3 weeks! It was HARD! If you give up easily when playing games, this is not for you. However if you want an extremely rewarding and well thought out game, then buy it now! Fantastic prequel to the dark room!

Updated. Confused if the game is glitched or if it was an intentional update or get rid of water and food. Keep dying because I can’t find food anywhere and can’t heal my hp. Used to love this game now just confused

Laser not dropping from Defectors. The lasers don’t seem to be dropping from the defectors. Defeated 3 of them and no lasers. Please fix.

On a roll. Made an impossible game even harder.

Powerful. The Ensign is the hardest game of all. One wrong move and you've doomed yourself. It may not look like much, but the narratives, the mocking, the passion keeps you going. Don't play this before sleeping. Your guilt is your enemy.

Go Look Up Annals. And tell me what it means, please. The Ensign was a brutally difficult game, perhaps made more so by the lack of instruction and my rapid tapping against the input lag. While the latter is my own fault (whoops I missed the outpost) and the former is the game's style, it is still a very unforgiving adventure. At least, at the beginning and the end. The narrative and world building was amazing. Everyone praises the red text, with its Spec Ops: The Line-ish themes, presented in a trollier manner, but it's the little touches from the moral decisions that hit me. Looting the grave just has the game ellipsis at you. 'The child starved first' was also harsh, and what caused me to rethink my decisions, reread the options given to me. I really should take the bonus clips' advice and go replay ADR with a clearer eye, but I've still some unfinished business here, with my 5.5 hours of gameplay. The dungeon aspect was interesting, retaining some of the random event aspect from The Dusty Path while allowing you to choose the general way the event went. Of course, with the first few scenes always consistently the same, this can be slightly abused for large amounts of goods (namely in caves and cities, as far as I've seen). And then there was the checklist. Don't accept the food, witness the ritual, locate the obligatory pastry reference. So I started a new runthrough with a foodless beginning. I died right after the tannery, because I was expecting the same first battle as the 'main game'. Thus began the second run, playing much more conservatively, knowing that I would probably need it. But the lack of a compass combined with a turn-based timer in the form of the defector's increasing health leads me to believe that wasn't the greatest idea. Eventually, a bolas missed, and I fell to (I believe) the 9th defector, about ten minutes into combing for the armoury. That was when I learned that refusing the food was actual permadeath. Being limited by the water supply, not being able to know the location of your goal, and being at the whim of the RNG in the later battles (and maybe the map gen, though I assume (hope) that red text was only joking) makes the actual permadeath runs sound ridiculous in theory, especially compared to ADR's villagerless playthroughs. I presume that the fact that the only mention of this mode in the post-game dev notes is to tell you 'you are worthy' and the rest was about the base game implies that it wasn't the best thought out idea. With the rest of the moral decisions mentioned in the sound files I had yet to find, I'll probably spend a few hours on 100% map completion just to find out everything I can do without the skills of manipulating numbers before going off to play ADR instead. The Ensign has its flaws and its bugs, its real permadeath mode probably my least favourite, but it tells an amazing story, letting you further explore the world, the cultures, the post-apocalyptic mess introduced in ADR, all while being told you're an idiot and are terrible at the game, by the game itself. The game is a lie. Er.

It was so good!. Just finished 'The Ensign' after playing through 'A Dark Room' and MAN!!! I enjoyed this game so very much! I truly wish I could play through again for the first time. Excellent, compelling storyline, super fun and challenging game mechanics, mystery and intrigue.. what more can we ask for?!? I will be waiting for more games that chronicle this series and I hope to meet the builder again someday!

Enticing. Such a great game! Leaves you wanting more.

True art. This is a great experience

Amazing gameplay. The storyline was so compelling and it wasn’t so difficult that I wanted to give up. However, the game crashed after I finished and I didn’t get a chance to listen to the secrets because it completely reset

Time Paradox. Just How Many Times Could It Go Wrong?!

One of the best. Frustrating but so wonderful

Difficult, but fair, and very much rewarding.. Difficult at first, but once you get the hang if it, it's rewarding as heck. Love ADR and The Ensign, the simplistic gameplay and interesting lore both! Overall, it's kinda short, but considering it costs as much as a coffee, I can't really count that as a negative. Doesn't drag on and is very much replayable with the random maps

😍😍😍😍. Amazing

Great but how do I save??. I absolutely LOVE this game! It’s so cool and creative and immersive. However, I’ve been having trouble with saves, like I could play for half an hour- defeating multiple defectors, exploring many caves, even opening up the map a bunch. But then, if I quit and come back, sometimes it’ll bring me to the last house I looted and then I’ve lost all my progress??? Also, there is a mini error. When I revive, and he gives me his gear, it says he’s giving me a laser, but what I get in my inventory is a katana. Not that I don’t appreciate the katana, but it is deceiving. Anyway, I love this game, but it’s really hard to progress when it never saves my work! Am I dumb and missing something about how to save? Send help T^T

Awesome - amazing : a REAL challenge. Takes some times to understand how to play it but once you're in, you're HOOKED! Would love to say more but don't want to reveal too much of it. This game really separates the boys from the men. HUGE WOW!!! Let see if you too are strong enough in every sense of the way and face what's in it.

Most memorable game in a while. A rogue-like, even in terms of graphics. But the way the narrative develops, the side commentary--just so really hit the spot for me!

Jesus Christ. This game is EXTREMELY hard. I unfortunately rage quit but still a great prequel

Took me 3 years but I finally did it. Just a tip, don't pick the start a new journey option every time.

Too Much Rogue-Like. This version is less like cookie clicker and more of a rogue-like. Its like the last portion of the previous game, without the city building, made more tedious, and more punishing. Only download if conepts like permadeath, boss battles you are supposed to lose (without the game telling you to lose) and restarting the game from the beginning every three to five minutes excites you.

A Great Prequel. I highly recommend playing A Dark Room another time before you start the Ensign, if only to remember the story well. Personally I see it as a perfect prequel to A Dark Room. The experience and journey these two games offer is like none other. The world in ADR may seem shallow from the start, but along with the progress near the end and this game, its world and story much richer than it may seem. Don't expect it to be the same. There are new and expanded mechanics, and the game is much different. Definitely don't expect it to be as easy as ADR. Although it will beat you down many times, don't give up. It is very rewarding, much more than the original game. Don't feel that it is too hardcore for you. You'll become much better with practice and death. Persevere. If you feel the need for a greater view and immersion into the world of ADR and you want some more challenges to overcome, this is the game for you. Definitely worth the price. PS Amir's secrets is one of my favourite parts. Try to find as many easter eggs before listening to them. As he says, you can only truly experience the game once. Don't spoil anything for yourself if you think you can find them.

Compelling. The Ensign is a perfect mixture of punishing lessons, curiosity-evoking storytelling, and perseverance. Although nearly impossible at first, I thoroughly enjoyed God Mode and exploring the beautifully crafted world. This and ADR are such wonderful, powerful games that make you question your own morality. Can't wait for another one! (Why not make another game, this time with the protagonist as one of the defectors, hunting down the admiral?)

hope. This game and all the series (A Dark Room, Noble Circle) are dope ! Very mind stimulating !

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Beautiful and so satisfying. Yes, it is possible to claim victory in this game! But was it a moral victory? And did you get allll the history? Such a wonderful game. This and adr are the only games I really play for the deeper story line and difficult entertainment. I will always adore these games. The creator is so cool and honest, I can't wait for his next creation.

Mind blowing. This is by far the hardest game ive played, now with that said extremely rewarding to complete the game. Deffinelty worth the cost of this game. I would consider it and A dark room one of the "Greats" Deffinelty deserves 7 stars if possible. Soo much in way of story and how you feel twords your character. And the only thing left to say is "Follow the compass"

Worth it. Brutal as hell.. At first, I thought I hated it. It’s dumb, I’ll never win. Impossible. I still haven’t beaten it in any sense of the word, but I doubt this game will get old anytime soon. Starting over every single turn is so frustratingly addictive. I can’t stop. It’s like gambling with this things life every time. Do recommend.

App Crashing Randomly. I really love the game but it seems to crash randomly. When opening the app again, it asks if you’d like to continue journey but I end up losing a bunch of progress. Not sure if it’s a compatibility issue with the 14 pro as it’s an older game but it’s getting annoying. I wish there were a manual save function comparable to ‘Stoke Fire’ in ADR. Will update review if/when it gets fixed.

Eyes up, Ensign. I want to start this review by saying that this is one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in any videogame. This is the Dark Souls of IOS games, and it's easily my favorite mobile game ever. The lore and narrative of the game is interesting, and the gameplay, especially the early defector mechanic, is both delightful and frustrating. If you're planning on purchasing this game, I urge you to stick with it, no matter how hard it may seem.

Amazing. Just gave this game a shot after rediscovering it after playing ADR. Worth the 99 cents. It was frustrating and difficult but in a way that made me keep playing & learning. My favorite part of any game is figuring out the "trick", the thing that needs to click to make it easy to play. This game makes you work for the "trick" and then facilitates the playing with difficult and a really enthralling story. Ah! It was just so good.

One of the best games on iOS. This game takes one element from its predecessor, a dark room, and makes it into its own experience. The ensign expands upon the world of a dark room and is even more interesting as you dive deeper into the game. Please support the developers of these games so he may make many more like these.

amazing, brutal, and fun. a few years ago, i first got this game. i gave up pretty quickly, as i’m sure a bunch of others did. recently, i was replaying a dark room, and i remembered this game. i decided to give it another try. i played the game as intended this time. i didn’t give up through the brutal “training” and eventually i got 100%. the end screen said it took 140 minutes, with 400 minutes of total gameplay. certainly worth the $2. if you think you can bear it, the end is incredibly rewarding. i wonder when we’ll get another prequel?

The most infuriating game you'll ever love. I got so mad at this game, I deleted it twice, only to re-download it later. I'm dogged that way. I think the angriest I got was when the game dev threatened to send assassins after Siri if I died again. Talk about cheek. But after finally defeating it on god mode, I feel a tremendous sense of satisfaction. If you can control your temper, you'll love this game.

Good game. I have had this game for a little over three years, I am a little bit lazy on finishing long games. Because of my laziness, I have been unable to complete the starship. It comes to be that this is a fun game, so far. So all of you, start your journey. Hopefully, you will be able to do, what I have been too lazy to do.

A nice surprise update for sure!. I’ve been playing this game for over 4 years and it’s one of my favorites to play. It’s a nice surprise to have a few clever additions to the game I’ve been playing for so long. It’s definitely more challenging, but the added twists are so great to have. Wonderful!

Frustrating yet addicting. I first played A Dark Room and immediately loved the the design and story so I decided to give this one a try. Its the same concept as A Dark Room except its more challenging.. I've died so many times where I just wanna throw my phone from frustration and then these taunting messages when you die.. Its a good game only thing I wish is you didnt have to completely start over when you die, A Dark Room was setup much better.

Awesome game!. I just discovered A Dark Room and The Ensign this weekend. I blew the whole weekend playing them both. I can’t remember when I have had so much fun with an iOS game in years! It was tough. It was brutal. I wanted to throw the phone through a window. But I couldn’t stop playing. They are both absolutely captivating. I’m a huge fan.

Amazing and Challenging game. This is a rewarding and fun game, also very challenging... In a good way though. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes hard combat and strategy. Once you get OP it is very rewarding compared to the struggles of earlier. The developer is great as well, I hope he has more games coming. Please download this game, Cheers!

Tremendous applause. Absolutely beautiful and stunning in all aspects of the game. When you think you got the story "down pat", you don't. There is so much more for you to discover. To the new players, do not make haste with this game as you probably did with A Dark Room, take your time and explore the unexplored, you won't regret it. Have fun and safe hunting ;). May the fire burn brightly, and may it keep you warm! ;)

You will die and feel sad.... This game makes me happy but then I die and feel sad. Then I start doing good, then I die and feel sad. I almost beat the game, then I die and feel sad. I get a good weapon, then I die and feel sad. Everyone I meet wants to kill me, then I die and feel sad. I wish to beat this game, when I do I won't be sad. I beat the game. I am no longer sad, but I didn't 100% it.

Warning not for the casual gamer. This is an amazing game that brings a great challenge but even though it seems too hard at times, it is definitely rewarding in the end. It took me 3 hours to fully beat it the first time and 8 hours to get 100% completion on it. It brings a lot of fun for 99¢

One of the best. If you have played and between the previous game (A Dark Room), don't bother reading this, just buy the game. If you haven't, definitely play a dark room and then this. Amir is probably the best developer on the app store and you will have no regrets picking up these two games. Both this and a dark door for 99 cents is probably one of the best deals you could ever want or have. Do yourself a favor.

Saving Issues. My only complaint is that the app doesn’t save your progress every time you play. It only saves progress after certain points along the way. Pretty much every time I close out the app it makes me start from the last time my armor or something else upgraded.

Absolutely amazing. This game is fantastic! Kept me hooked for hours, and when I finally, finally beat the game it was the best feeling. Wish I knew how many times I had died 😅 It's worth a buck and then some, and if the plethora of 5-star reviews haven't convinced people to buy it, let me assure you ~ this game is a diamond in the rough. You will not regret it!

Beautiful Tribute to the Simply complex. I absolutely adore this game series. In a world where many believe that games need a beautiful art style and graphics, the Ensign and A Dark Room break the mold by providing one of the most memorable gaming experiences I have ever had in an extremely simple style. This is a one of a kind project that needs to be played.

Best experience. I’m 20 years old. I finished A Dark Room at 12 or 13. I know that any game by this creator will absolutely blow me away. I connected so deeply with the characters. I come back to this experience every once in a while. No other “game” compares. It’s so beautifully written. This app keeps your sanity. It’s not all about killing like a lot of these video games lately. I couldn’t recommend this app more.

Wow. The amount of thought put into this was incredible; the way he tried to create several storylines intermixed within each other was great. I loved that he added moral-based decisions, the consequences of which really knew how to make you feel bad for taking food from an in-game character. Great work my friend

Awesome game, can't stop trying. This game, makes you think, and learn and if you don't quit ... Eventually win. I totally saw everything in my minds eye as I played. Thoroughly enjoyed every detail. The narration at end made me feel complete as game creator told of his inspiration and why what was what. Do yourself a favor and get the game. No it's not a pretty picture but it makes you think and try . Looking forward to others .

Difficult and amazing. I would honestly call this the closest thing to a darksouls game when it comes to difficulty. Of course this is just my opinion but the amount of unforgivingness in the game makes you think twice about almost everything. I would certainly ask my friends to play it

Challenge yourself. I was bitter with this game for a long time. I downloaded it years ago after finishing ADR and I couldn’t get past the first portion. Death awaited every time I attempted anything. I hated it. I gave up. I let this game sit for likely two years before I came back and tried again. I regret that it took me so long. This game has so much to teach you about the universe of ADR. You have so much to learn and this game will challenge you the entire way and you won’t regret a second of it. From biting wit to choices that challenge your inner values, this game is astounding, for me, more so than ADR. You MUST play ADR before this game, but your time will be well worthwhile. A beautifully knitted story and a game that envelops your mentally and emotionally.

I love all these. I am such a big fan of interactive fiction / text-based games / whatever you want to call it and I love this game. The worst part is that there aren't more!!! The only problem I had was that I got a phone call in the middle of the game and when the phone call was over, I had died. That sucked. Especially since you try to get so much done before you die.

A Beautiful Piece of Art and Morality. It's very hard to sum up any of Amir's work in just a few words, but here goes: The Ensign is a tale of morality in the most amoral circumstances, forgiveness for the unforgivable, and hope with nothing to hope for. It weaves one of the most beautiful and heart wrenching stories I have ever experienced, and would recommend it in a heartbeat. Also, make sure to go through A Dark Room first. This is one of those prequels that is meant to be experienced second.

The world I imagined.. While playing, I thought about a lot of the apocalyptic games out there. Usually with the cliche of zombies overrunning the land, but the living. But in this game, you are not a feared obstacle, rather, you are an intelligent alien (wanderer) that waged war on mankind. Stay for too long, *SPOILER* you know you've already lost. Leave, you won't make it. Beating the game (all everything checked off but the world only explored to around 75-80%) was a strange feeling.

A dark room rises again. After I completed a Dark Room I download The Ensign because I needed a new game to play while on the John. After a couple of weeks I began to understand the game more and more. Then overnight this went from a game I play 3 times a week to a game that keeps me up at night. Anyone who is persistent and has free time needs to play these games

Text based dark souls. I just finished a dark room, getting the alternate ending. (Goosebumps). I knew I had to get this game. If you’ve played a dark room, this game is inspired by the dusty road. You start off with a few supplies, and off you go. There’s a twist... if you die, you’re truly dead. Start over. There’s no locket saving you. I’m looking forward to playing more of this game.

Well how about that... Honestly this game was nothing that I expected it to be. It was recommended to me by a friend so I thought I would check it out. I’ve been glued to my phone all day trying to play this game when I can get the time in. Definitely a game worth checking out.

Save?. I love this game quite a bit, especially the simple design and the small bits of information it tells about the past, but it would really be nice if the game would autosave a bit more. It can be disappointing getting really far into the game and losing that data because you had to go somewhere for a bit.

You will either love or hate this. If you have true grit and can persevere through death after death, learning every time, you will love this game. Once you reach the end (or one of) the secrets will be open to you, which is one of my favorite additions. Enjoy listening to the developer, and enjoy the adventure.

Very challenging but quite rewarding once finished. I gave up a year ago when I first started playing this game because it was too difficult. Then I decided to give it another shot but this time I decided to be more persistent. Almost a thousand minutes after I started another journey I was able to finish the minimum requirements and I beat the game. Be persistent you guys, thorough, plan strategically and you too can finish the game! Best of luck!

Beautiful, Beautiful Game. I loved A Dark Room because it did everything right in the way it told its story - that game was a flawless example of how to use game mechanics to develop a world and tell a compelling story. The Ensign is no different; in fact, it is almost more compelling than A Dark Room because you can feel how much care and love went into its creation. Excellent from both a story and gameplay perspective (plus it's a game that rewards completionists!). Definitely a must-play.

Play A Dark Room first.. Wether you play A dark room (ADR) on ios, or in a browser, play that first before getting this. I had been thinking about getting this game for some time but I told myself I would "beat" ADR first before buying this. I am happy I did that. I give this 5 stars. If I started with this I feel I would have been lost to what's going on, overly frustrated, and maybe not enjoy that frustration like I am. Yes it's frustrating but oh so enjoyable also, a paradox I know. If you play ADR you're going to have an idea of what I and other reviews are talking about. By itself this is a fun game, just keep in mind this: "everything isn't what it seems, death is part of the journey". Thanks for reading, good purchasing to you!

Persevere. That. Took. Forever. But it was 100% worth it. I’ll be candid and say I was a little impatient to do some of the extra things in the game, so I just got it over as soon as I could but now that I know there’s more, I’ll happily endure the training process again. A game for the ages. Everything is meticulously planned out and it shows. 11/10 game I hope to meet you one day!

Well crafted game. The resource management of this game is simply brilliant. Death after death, you learn. As I was making my final runs for a "food refused" showed me that you can get very good at this game. I have not felt this accomplished mastering a game since Dark Souls. This game is frustrating at first with cheap deaths and just feeling lost, but stick with it. This game will not hold you hand, and you will say thank you when it's over.

A Brutal Experience. The Ensign is a masterpiece crafted for mobile a simple design allowing for great mechanics. I beat the game refusing food and the sense of accomplishment I felt is unmatched from any other game. The events that have you questioning your own morality and judgement are great. I truly think this is one of the best games on the AppStore and would love a 3rd game. A punishing experience but in the end you feel great. 5/5 stars.

Too many deaths none to any good purpose. I had one instance in the game where I cleared out the tannery then died of dehydration. That in itself wasn’t so bad, what was bad though was upgrades gotten for clearing that tannery disappeared with my death. Next time I clear that tannery and get upgrades I plan on closing the game down then starting up later just to see if I die of something other than dehydration.

Great story. I would like to not have to die 50 times before the game lets me refuse the admiral's food again. Otherwise, The Ensign is awesome. I'm basically obsessed with A Dark Room. I play it all the time and I love the lore, so being able to play a version of the Dusty Path that had so much more storytelling was fantastic. Even the difficulty of the Ensign was alright by me. I cleared the whole map, got my cake, and chopped some admiral arms. I'm gonna listen to the secret creator notes now.

Not worth it. I played a lot of rounds and spent a lot of time on this, eventually exploring the entire map and fighting a super powered enemy. Nothing happened. While it definitely diverted a lot of time and was interesting for the story elements, having no resolution and literally being told by the game not to play again because there's no ending is disappointing. I know the game is supposed to be frustrating, but I've sat on it and I'm just disappointed. I regret playing this.

Amazing! do not give up until the miracle happens. I love love this game. Similar to A Dark Room, The Ensign is an awesome and dark exploration of a new world. Totally unlike other games I’ve played. I felt the emotional journey of this game was even more intense than ADR and really made me feel sad at points with the moral decisions you are forced to make. Enjoy it!

Favorite games. Loved A Dark Room. I’ve played this one for almost 180 minutes. I’ve died several times. I beat the game. I did the impossible. My one complaint. Whenever I close out and restart is sets me at the ship with 2 food and 10 water. Is it supposed to do that?

The Best Game on the App Store. It took me 10 and a half hours to beat this amazing game. I died probably 30 or 40 times. This game was wonderful. From the minimalist User Interface to the extreme tension, I loved it. I beat A Dark Room and this game is better than ADR. It is intense and addicting. It is fast paced. It changed the way I view the world. Most notably I won't eat any more cake or use the & sign. In short, it is the best app on the App Store and will take you on a journey you will never forget.

Lots to explore, play slow. The game really rewards patience and keeping track of everything step by step. I was able to beat after about 300 minutes of gameplay and that involved losing many times to learn. Very good game, I enjoyed it.

A wonderfully frustrating game! Highly recommended!!. This game was one of the most frustrating, yet most satisfying games that I have played on iOS in a long time. The main thing to remember is this – “don’t give up!“ You will find yourself confused, wanting to quit, and ridiculed. This is all part of the game. If you liked ADR, you will love this one. Don’t miss it!

Incredible.. This is, by an insurmountable entity, the best mobile game I've ever played. I've just beat the game and learned that there's more to uncover! I love the... Rawness, of this game. The fear and power it gives you. I've recommended this to every friend I have and will continue to do so. Thank you for making this!!! Keep up the awesome work!

Cauter didn't work with the Admirable. Not sure if there was something else I had to do, but I really enjoyed witnessing the ritual, yet was disappointed that I couldn't do it to the Admirable, ESPECIALLY after learning that the Ensign was supposed to perform the same ritual, with it, oh HIM! ...I guess this shows how much I enjoyed the story. great game, great prequel for TDR, I can't wait to see what you make next. ✌🏼️