# A Study in Steampunk — user reviews > 69 indexed App Store user reviews of A Study in Steampunk by Hosted Games LLC, rated 4.70/5 from 122 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-study-in-steampunk/id1048462303/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-study-in-steampunk/id1048462303.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 108 · 4★ 5 · 3★ 2 · 2★ 3 · 1★ 4 ## What do users think of A Study in Steampunk? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 📖 Engaging and well-written story - 🎭 Deep character development - 🔄 High replayability with divergent outcomes - 🌍 Richly detailed world-building - 💡 Meaningful choices that impact the narrative - 💎 Immersive and rewarding experience - 🤝 Fantastic character relationships - 🔍 Intriguing mystery and plot - 🏛️ Excellent blend of genres (steampunk, Victorian, mystery) - 💯 Masterfully crafted narrative - ⏳ Lengthy game with substantial content - ✨ Unique and captivating experience - 🧠 Thought-provoking themes and challenges **Cons** - 🙅‍♂️ Male protagonist only (major complaint) - ❓ Lack of clear gender choice in description - ⚙️ Display options not functioning properly (minor bug) **Commonly reported bugs** - Display options not functioning properly **Most requested features** - Option to play as a female character - Update description to include gender limitation - Sequel/prequel in the same universe - Option to ride in a steampunk Mecha ## Newest reviews (17 of 69) ### 5/5 — BEST THING I’VE EVER READ! *2018-01-02, version 1.0.0* It was so smooth and well thought out, worth every cent. At the end you’ll be wishing it was longer. Would read again, and any further instalments they make to this story (if any). ### 5/5 — Excellent *2017-12-27, version 1.0.0* This is a fantastic game, a steampunk Sherlock Holmesian mystery where the player takes the role of the Dr. Watson character. If any of those keywords lit up on your radar, stop reading and just buy the game. It is well written, nicely put together as a game, and A delight to play. ### 5/5 — I’m in love *2017-12-21, version 1.0.0* I’m not sure how I survived before I downloaded this. ### 5/5 — Way better than Alexandria *2017-12-03, version 1.0.0* Like the title says. I’ve read and reviewed both of these stories and this one surpasses Alexandria in every way possible. Truly a fantastic story that I never wanted to end. Well worth the price! ### 5/5 — Wonderful *2017-06-14, version 1.0.0* As a woman who absolutely loves CoG, I was a bit skeptical to see that the character was fixed as a male, but I pressed on, and I was so glad that I did. All my skepticisms immediately washed away when I realized that the character was an homage to John Watson from the Sherlock series, with the companion/love interest Finch being the eccentric Sherlock type character. Not only did I immediately fall in love with a "Sherlock in Steampunk" idea, but the writing itself made me feel as though I were holding a thick novel instead of the phone in my hands. And not to mention he fact you have a choice to romance your very own Sherlock Holmes in the taboo ages of the 1800s, which I happily took. Of course there are romancing options for straight, bisexual, and gay, and I've always found romance to be a large part of why I play these games, but maybe that's just the romantic in me. Anyways, I found my chosen romance to be absolutely beautifully written, just like the rest of this novel. And even though I'm a woman playing as a man, the choice mechanics made my character feel like me. I could choose my strengths and weaknesses, develop my personality and priorities, and overall fall in love with both my character and all the other beautifully written characters in the game. Just get the game. It's so worth it. ### 5/5 — I Need More Games Like This *2017-06-02, version 1.0.0* I held off on playing this one for awhile being turned off from being forced to play a male MC but guess what. This MC is amazing. And this is the best CoG title i've played so far. As another reviewer has put it, CoG authors need to take note here because this game pulls off the strongest and most enjoyable writing i've experienced yet in CoG titles (and even in some mainstream rpg's!), and the difference is because the focus is on player character development. It isn't so much about branching plot lines (tho they are there too) but the thing is, it isn't about absolute freedom and multiple choices that end up meaningless but instead the focus is on your character and how you develop throughout the story. There isn't absolute freedom in who you can be, but the story is stronger for it because everything that you are is even more relevant in the story. You can change your perspective multiple times in reaction to the game's events and you're never punished for it, instead the game has a very natural and strong evolving story that is always thematically consistent no matter which direction you go. Instead of a huge amount of choices that don't mean much in terms of emotion or plot, instead we have backstory and conflict in our character from past decisions that affects our current choices and everything builds up in the climax and the game allows recognition of that. I hope more CoG writers take note of this kind of writing bc it's so so satisfying. This is the kind of potential that text based writing games can have. I NEED MORE!!! ### 5/5 — Brilliant work of interactive fiction *2017-04-28, version 1.0.0* I fall into the trap of becoming obsessed with the mechanics of Choice of Games titles, making the right choices to go along with the path I set from the beginning. This game was designed elegantly enough that I never felt I had to restart a game because I misjudged the authors intent with a choice, not having the right stats to pull off a maneuver. The branching paths are extremely robust, this is definitely one of the best IF pieces I've had the pleasure of playing. ### 5/5 — Great Game *2017-04-25, version 1.0.0* By the end of this game, I had a real sense of my Dr Watson's character. I was making decisions based not on what I would do, but what I thought he would do. Credit to the author for this. ### 5/5 — Excellent storytelling *2017-03-02, version 1.0.0* Fun story that's well written in both detail and overall. That is, the individual scenes are well written, and the overall story arc, including the choices for the main character, are deftly handled. Choices are meaningful while still keeping the narrative going—more of an improv take on "what does this scene mean to you" vs "how is this going to change the broad arc of history". I very much enjoyed playing through once and plan to do so again. Highly recommended. ### 5/5 — Super Textrollenspiel! *2017-02-28, version 1.0.0* Keine Musik, keine Bilder, aber perfektes Steampunk-Adventure! Jede einzelne Entscheidung hat Auswirkungen auf die Geschichte und stets gibt es genügend glaubhafte Optionen. Wer will, kann auch romantische Beziehungen mit Mann, Frau oder beiden Geschlechtern gleichzeitig eingehen. Entsprechende Absätze sind dann angenehm umschrieben und fügen sich sehr natürlich in das Steampunk-Setting ein. Ich habe jetzt die erste Runde nach vielen interessanten, spannenden und emotionalen Stunden durch und werde das Spiel wohl noch mindestens 2-3x spielen, um einen guten Teil der Geschichtsverläufe gesehen zu haben. ### 5/5 — Worth every penny! *2017-02-25, version 1.0.0* I've played a few CYOA games online and never been entirely impressed with them, but I'm a huge steampunk fiction fan, so I had to try this...and this one puts all the others to absolute shame. Great writing, intricate plot, vivid characters...the literary and historical influences are used to terrific effect. I cannot recommend this game enough. ### 5/5 — This game... *2017-01-24, version 1.0.0* One of the best choice of games I've played and I have played nearly every game on the site. Good job. Really loved it. ### 5/5 — unbelievable *2016-11-16, version 1.0.0* this was a game filled with many paths a player can choose to take through its winding plot. i really grew attached to the characters and i found myself leaning forward in my seat to read what happened next. there are so many difficult choices to make that it mirrors life in some ways. the experience felt so genuine--something hard to come by in many games, books, shows, movies, etc. simply amazing. ### 5/5 — Surprisingly awesome *2016-11-15, version 1.0.0* What is steampunk anyway? I didn't know what to expect from this game, so let me tell you: if you think of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Sherlock Holmes, Ripper Street, Copper, or Doc Savage then you're close. The choices you make do greatly impact the story and this is a very lengthy adventure so you can play through many times and find new branches to explore. There are several factions and relationships you can explore along the way also. Your skills are fun and interesting and which ones you choose to increase is important to the narrative. This game was a lot of fun. Each chapter has a lot of content and there is a definite feeling of accomplishment upon completion. So much so, in fact, that each time a new chapter began I was pleasantly surprised- "You mean there's more? Cool!" I've played over twenty of these 'choose your own adventure' games and this one stacks up very well. It's one of the most well written and engaging stories I've seen - not once did a grammatical or spelling error pull me out of the story, as I've noticed with other cyoa games. The only thing that bothered me at all - and this is nitpicking - is that your character cannot be both Stealthy and Quick. As you increase one the other decreases. This has very little effect on gameplay that I've noticed - so long as you increase one of the two consistently. It just annoys me a little because literature is chock full of quick, stealthy characters. Don't let that keep you from playing! This game is a ton of fun and with so many options there is great replay value. It's very worth the price. Keep an eye out for future offerings from the author, this is good work. I can't recommend it highly enough. ### 5/5 — Sootb *2016-09-29, version 1.0.0* Simply one of the best. ### 5/5 — Outstanding *2016-09-08, version 1.0.0* I can't recommend this game enough. The title is weird but all the content is amazing. The characters are wonderful and the story is fantastic. ### 5/5 — Addressing problems *2016-08-28, version 1.0.0* First off let me address the problems with playing a girl. If you actually read the story you can see its lots of different story's merged together. For instance your a doctor working with a amazing detective (Sherlock Holmes with you as Watson) or the chorlora epedemic is the Bradstreet pump. The ship going down is hidingburg/titanic. This is why you can be a female. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — For men only *2018-10-19, version 1.0.1* While I really like the idea of this game, and the story is engaging, I agree with the other women who have posted reviews. There is no way to know this is for men only. Sorry, I don’t want to role play as a man. The game loses all the great immersive aspects when it limits gender. Like others I will not play this until it’s updated. And if you enjoy being female you may not enjoy this game. I don’t recommend it. ### 1/5 — Such a disappointment *2015-12-27, version 1.0.0* This looks like a really great game but I'm really disappointed because you can only play as male. Please it this in the description of the game that you can only play as male. Or update it so you can at least play as female. I'm sad I wasted my money on this. ### 1/5 — Annoyed... *2015-11-25, version 1.0.0* I really like Choice of Games as well as Hosted games, and after reading the description of this and looking at the pictures of the text, I was excited enough that I bought it right then and there instead of reading the first three chapters for free and all of that. Once I opened the app I found out that the main character is male, which is a huge deal breaker for me. I would really like to read through the story and make choices from a girl's perspective. The story looks great, but I don't think I'll play this. If it's possible, could whoever update the app and make it so that you could play as a girl? That'd be awesome :). Also, please put it in the description that you can only play as a male, so that other people will know. ### 2/5 — This game is great BUT... *2015-12-02, version 1.0.0* This story is amazing and is very interesting. I love it all except for the fact that you can't change the gender of the main character. It's feels very limited and not open to everyone's preferences. If possible please fix! But really, good job on the writing. ### 2/5 — Should have a Male-only warning *2015-11-22, version 1.0.0* The description should have said that you cannot play as a female character. I wouldn't have bought this if I had known you have to be a male character. ### 3/5 — I’m disappointed *2018-08-04, version 1.0.1* I don’t want to give a bad review because I’m sure it’s a well written story. But I paid for the game and then realized you can’t play as a female. I just feel like it’s unfair to not put that in the description. Why leave it out? I wish I would have known. I don’t mind a male protagonist being at the center of a story. I just wouldn’t purchase it because I play these games to feel like I am role playing as myself in a different place. I can’t help but think it was left out because the authors believed people would be more reluctant to purchase if the choice was not to play as either gender. Probably a good story from what I read in the beginning but I was so sad to discover I didn’t have any say in my characters gender....especially because majority of these games give you the choice. ### 3/5 — Girls like steampunk too *2015-11-21, version 1.0.0* The premise of this game is interesting, and the writing very readable, but I have one major complaint- the MC is designated male. This wasn't mentioned in the game brief, so I spent £2.49 buying a game only to find out I wouldn't really enjoy the experience of playing it. A shame. ### 3/5 — Seems like it'd be a good read *2015-11-21, version 1.0.0* What I read of it seemed well written with plenty of choice. Would have liked to have known that the main character is male before purchasing, and am a tad peeved that this isn't mentioned in the description. I'm sad to say I won't finish the story as it is. Hopefully others will enjoy it. ### 4/5 — One for the Collection *2018-06-29, version 1.0.1* Definitely one for your collection of CoGs. I’m a small time Sherlock fan, so after the first few pages and I realized this was a Sherlock and Watson tale where the Watson character was the focus I was very much pleasantly surprised. The setting is rich, the backstory and world building excellent. And Grace! God Grace. I won’t spoil anything on that front, but those that chose to romance her probably know what I mean. If I had one gripe, it would have been that we never had the option to ride in a steampunk Mecha, or if we could I never found that path. Would totally love a sequel/prequel some type of continuation of this universe. ### 4/5 — Only one complaint .... *2016-02-07, version 1.0.0* Engrossing storyline and hard to put down but would have liked the option to play as a female but you don't get the choice, you are a male doctor and that's it; so 4 (and a half) stars instead of 5. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Elementarily Brilliant *2020-06-22, version 1.0.1* Really well thought out engaging story, where many decision determine you character. Rewarding to play and read. The games afoot!! ### 5/5 — Marvelous *2019-12-05, version 1.0.1* There are many paths through this game with hugely divergent outcomes. But what’s even better is the depth of your character. While it’s true you’re always playing a man, there’s so much room for him to develop in different ways. This is a fairly long choice game, and greatly rewards multiple playthroughs. ### 5/5 — Tip-top *2019-11-25, version 1.0.1* This reads like a best seller. It has a touch of Holmes mixed with steampunk and perhaps a bit of Dickens in the political turmoil. I’ve replayed 3 very different doctors and got 3 very different experiences and each one was immersive and rewarding. ### 5/5 — Great *2019-07-29, version 1.0.1* A great novel - I really enjoyed it <3 ### 5/5 — Superb storytelling. *2019-02-04, version 1.0.1* This has been, to say the least, one of the finest stories I have had the privilege of enjoying. Only a minute ago I completed my first play through, and I’m about to start right over again. My only complaint is that the display options don’t seem to be functioning properly, but I would imagine that’s an easy fix. Other than that, this has provided, and will continue to provide, hours of enjoyment. The author is a remarkable writer and I will surely look for more titles from her. ### 5/5 — A richly detailed world with exciting choices *2019-01-05, version 1.0.1* This is one of the best choose tour own adventure stories. Excellent writing mixes science fiction with Victorian settings. I really like the numerous and various choices. Has strong replayability. Interesting characters. ### 5/5 — Truly entrancing *2018-11-09, version 1.0.1* Fair warning, the character is locked in as a male. That being it’s only offset however, I still think the story is amazing. It’s everything promised in the description, serial killers, steampunk, long lived nobles, and much more. I think what makes it one of hosted games’ best is that it has characters that stay relatively consistent throughout the story. With a few exceptions most decisions matter. The system of stats may not be super complex but it’s simplicity and great story is what draws me in. Being a casual choice of games and hosted games reader games with a lot of stats confuse and ruin the experience most of the time for me. But that’s just my personal opinion. Great for a story and if you’re looking for some simple stats with mostly meaningful decisions. ### 5/5 — Tons of Fun and Replayability *2018-10-17, version 1.0.0* This was my first choices and text-based adventure game and is still my favourite. The world building is wonderful and I'm not even usually a steampunk fan. There are a lot of different options to play your Watson-esque character and the relationships with the other characters are fantastic. I especially adore Finch, who is a lot more than just your Holmes. I've replayed it over and over to take different routes, and they really go in unique directions. It's the only time I've ever felt like I underpaid for an app tbh. There's a novel's worth of content here ### 5/5 — Goddamn... *2018-03-23, version 1.0.0* I’ve always had a bias toward Sherlock Holmes, with the mystery aspect of it but especially the relationship between our favorite detective and John Watson. I’ve seen several portrayals of this relationship, but this one is my personal favorite, even if you do not choose to romance the character based off of Sherlock. Of course, that is not the only reason I love this game. It is fantastically written! The storyline and plot is interesting and you are able to choose your sexuality, though you are male as default. Bravo to this writer and I hope I see more of these works! ### 5/5 — Impressive! *2018-03-14, version 1.0.0* There are so many different genre elements blended together here with a nice touch of tongue-in-cheek humor for the reader to enjoy! I can’t remember if this was a bundle, but there were 4 books worth of story in here, and I am about to try all of it a second time!! Oh, the “steampunk” aspect seems less prominent than the “Sherlock” and “GOT” political aspects. It could easily be just how I chose to play, so if I have a totally different experience, I’ll edit this review! Either way, I love it! thanks!! --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-08.*