Ledgerbound First Impressions

Ledgerbound is a new tactical RPG and dating simulator, and is the debut title from new studio OmniMegaSuperCorp. Players embark on a high-stakes fantasy adventure to defeat the greatest threat the world has ever faced , and in doing so, deny the life insurance claim of the realm's greatest heroes. Ledgerbound features memorable characters, engaging combat, and plenty of opportunities to grow close to other members of the party.

Ledgerbound at a Glance

Ledgerbound is both a tactical RPG and a social and dating simulator, similar to games like Fire Emblem or Persona. Half of the game is spent in grid-based battles against a variety of enemies with different motivations and skills. The other half is spent in downtime, interacting with party members while managing how time is spent. During downtime, players have opportunities to grow close to their fellow adventurers and can enter relationships with them by appealing to their individual personalities and tastes. By learning to balance both sides of Ledgerbound, players gain a sense of reward and satisfaction by appeasing The Shareholders.

Story and Characters

Rayna Ashvale is ready for work

Rayna Ashvale is the top insurance adjuster at Heroes United Life Group (HULG), and loves to spend her free time behind her desk doing work. Her simple life , playing tabletop games and denying the life insurance claims of fallen amateur heroes , comes to an end with the death of the Regulators. This group is not only the greatest band of heroes in the kingdom, but also HULG's best client, and their deaths threaten to send the world into darkness and completely bankrupt the company. After receiving ancient power from a legendary artifact, Rayna sets off to succeed where the Regulators failed: saving the world and proving the Regulators' negligence in order to deny their insurance claims.

The story takes a typical fantasy plot hook and spins it on its head in a campy, corporate way. There are plenty of games about a group of heroes on an epic journey to save the kingdom, but this time corporate enterprise is more of a motivation than saving the world. Ledgerbound leans into this theme at every chance, with everything from loot drops to finding a new party member requiring paperwork filed with HR. Despite what some may expect, this overly-corporate bit continues to find ways to stay funny and interesting as the game progresses.

The characters are implemented well and help combine the typical fantasy premise with campy office-workplace comedy. For example, the character Jazz serves as the mentor figure who explains game systems to the player and helps explain the nuances of adventuring to Rayna , not because she is a battle-hardened former adventurer, but because she works in HR for HULG and is hoping the quest earns her a promotion. The cast's unique personalities, funny dialogue, and enthusiastic voice performances create memorable party members that never fail to disappoint. There is also a witty and unapologetically truthful narrator who ties everything together, ensuring that any character appearing on screen improves the experience.

Ledgerbound's voice cast features some of gaming's most notable voices, including Heather Gonzales, Stephanie Kerbis, Matthew Mercer, and Ben Starr. The voice direction and performances do a tremendous amount to bring these characters to life and embody their personalities, going above and beyond what many similar RPGs aim for.

Combat

Rayna reenacts a combat scenario as part of her job.

Ledgerbound's combat takes clear inspiration from the Fire Emblem series. It is a grid-based system where players move party members around the map and then choose to attack or use abilities. When attacking opponents, an analysis screen displays the likely outcome of the battle , including how much health each unit will lose and the likelihood of attacks landing. Understanding this information is crucial to succeeding in fights. If things go poorly, players have the option to rewind to the beginning of the turn and try again.

The Elemental Triangle

The game uses a simple elemental triangle to determine advantages and disadvantages during fights. Units are either Fire, Water, or Plant type:

This system is straightforward to understand and keeps combat encounters feeling intuitive.

Side Objectives and Vouchers

Jazz can give vouchers when completing optional objectives during combat.

Each battle includes three side objectives that offer rewards. Completing an objective earns a voucher that can be spent on company swag, and completing all three objectives in a mission increases shareholder value, which improves the quality of future swag. Players looking to maximize their builds will benefit from pursuing these objectives. Fights can be replayed during downtime to complete any objectives missed the first time around. They add a layer of challenge for players who want it without enforcing that pressure on those who prefer a more relaxed experience.

Swag and Liabilities

Even something as small as a rock can be a liability.

Builds are constructed by equipping party members with swag and liabilities. Vouchers from side objectives can be spent on randomly rolled swag items, which come in four varieties:

Each party member has one slot for each type, and swag items provide small passive bonuses and stat boosts.

Liabilities, on the other hand, provide additional abilities and larger passive benefits. They come from multiple sources , from finding them hidden in battle to progressing certain parts of the story. Characters can equip one active and one passive liability, as long as the total does not exceed a party member's maximum liability cost. Each liability carries its own liability cost, restricting what each party member can equip. Together, swag and liabilities offer meaningful opportunities for players to express skill in crafting strong builds, and help Ledgerbound lean further into its corporate camp.

Downtime

Take some time to chill out with the party during a “resterlude”.

In between battles, there is downtime , referred to by different names throughout the game, including break, camp, and resterlude (a blend of "rest" and "interlude"). During downtime, players have a number of options:

Managing Time and Burnout

Two resources govern downtime: time and burnout.

Downtime is where many of Ledgerbound's best qualities shine. It offers opportunities for fun character interactions as well as analytical planning. The time and burnout systems incentivize engaging with the social mechanics and getting to know party members, which is consistently enjoyable. It serves as a break from the high-stakes adventure while presenting its own kind of strategic challenge.

Overall Thoughts

Ledgerbound is a great game that leans into its campy nature on all fronts while still delivering a strong gameplay experience. It never backs down from the fact that the primary goal of this grand adventure is to deny an insurance claim, yet it always feels like an epic fantasy adventure with a fantastic and flavorful party. The supporting cast all have their own quirks and motivations that make them fun to interact with and get to know. Combat is broadly accessible, but carries a high skill ceiling thanks to swag and liabilities. Optional objectives provide additional difficulty for those who want it, so players of all skill levels will find something to enjoy. Downtime feels simple to understand but rewards strategic planning. Ledgerbound is a joy to play, especially for those who aren't afraid of a good old-fashioned job.

Ledgerbound is available now on Steam.