Tag Archives: 2024

Check out the Yzmir Starter Deck List: Altered TCG

The Altered TCG Kickstarter launched recently, and it was fully funded in two minutes. The campaign has blown well past its goals, and continues to gain traction. Altered attempts to redefine the TCG space with its creative gameplay and expansive world-building. I’m a huge fan of the art, and am curious to see how it plays. Check out my previous post for more details.

The Kickstarter introduces six distinct starter decks based on the factions that exist within the Asgartha peninsula. Let’s kick things off by looking at the Ordis starter deck! Note that you’ll only be able to get Adventure cards from the starter decks at launch, so its a good idea to nab a couple.

If you want to try out the Axiom starter deck, take advantage of the generous print-and-play feature on the official website. Join the Discord to stay up to date, and even make some friends. The campaign ends on February 28th, so don’t forget to back the Kickstarter!

If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.


Deck List

  • 1 x Akesha & Taru
  • 1 x Beauty Sleep
  • 1 x Monolith Archivist
  • 3 x Studious Disciple
  • 1 x Tooth Fairy
  • 3 x Yzmir Stargazer
  • 3 x Lady of the Lake
  • 2 x Baba Yaga
  • 1 x Baba Yaga (Alt)
  • 2 x Kadigiran Alchemist
  • 1 x Kadigiran Alchemist (Alt)
  • 2 x Alice
  • 1 x Alice (Alt)
  • 2 x Dorothy Gale
  • 1 x Dorothy Gale (Alt)
  • 2 x Sakarabru
  • 1 x Sakarabru (Alt)
  • 3 x Off you go!
  • 3 x Spy Craft
  • 3 x Banishing Gate
  • 3 x Kraken’s Wrath

Print and Play

If you want to try out the Muna deck, you can download the PnP from the official site in both A4 and Letter format. I’ll also leave the files below for your convenience:

A4

Letter

Check out the Ordis Starter Deck List: Altered TCG

The Altered TCG Kickstarter launched recently, and it was fully funded in two minutes. The campaign has blown well past its goals, and continues to gain traction. Altered attempts to redefine the TCG space with its creative gameplay and expansive world-building. I’m a huge fan of the art, and am curious to see how it plays. Check out my previous post for more details.

The Kickstarter introduces six distinct starter decks based on the factions that exist within the Asgartha peninsula. Let’s kick things off by looking at the Ordis starter deck! Note that you’ll only be able to get Adventure cards from the starter deck at launch, so it be a good idea to grab a couple.

If you want to try out the Axiom starter deck, take advantage of the generous print-and-play feature on the official website. Join the Discord to stay up to date, and even make some friends. The campaign ends on February 28th, so don’t forget to back the Kickstarter!

If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.


Deck List

  • 1 x Sigismar & Wingspan
  • 1 x Foundry Mechanic
  • 1 x Ratatoskr
  • 2 x Ordis Trooper
  • 1 x Ordis Trooper (Alt)
  • 3 x Ordis Cadets
  • 2 x Monolith Rune-Scribe
  • 1 x Monolith Rune-Scribe (Alt)
  • 3 x The Frog Prince
  • 3 x Ordis Gatekeeper
  • 2 x Ordis Spy
  • 1 x Ordis Spy (Alt)
  • 2 x Kokoba, Legion Commander
  • 1 x Kokoba, Legion Commander (Alt)
  • 2 x Jeanne d’Arc
  • 1 x Jeanne d’Arc (Alt)
  • 3 x Charge
  • 3 x Sticky Note Seals
  • 1 x Open Gates
  • 3 x The Monolith, Ordis Bastion
  • 3 x Ordis Carrier
  • 3 x Ordis Recruit (Token)
  • 3 x Ordis Recruit (Alt – Token)

Print and Play

If you want to try out the Ordis deck, you can download the PnP file from the official website in A4 and Letter format. I’ll also leave the files here for your convenience.

A4

Letter

Cookie Cutter was a Decent Metroidvania, but you can do better

I was sent Cookie Cutter for free to review on my site. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

What is Cookie Cutter

Cookie Cutter is a chaotic cyberpunk Metroidvania out now on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Steam and Epic Games.  

Left for dead, Cherry watches as her lover and creator is torn away from her, and dragged into the dark depths of the megastructure. But Cherry’s will is too strong. With help from the renegade mechanic Raz, Cherry gets her chance at revenge. Filled with rage, Cherry chases after those who stole her peace through a dystopian, fighting the mindless masses that follow INFONET blindly. She will get Shinji back. The question is, what secrets will she find along the way?

Gameplay

Cookie Cutter is a chaotic Metroidvania game, with lots of explosions, blood, and gore. Combat feels fine, but the lack of diversity in enemies makes it nothing exciting. The weapons, attacks, and animations are incredibly creative. I appreciate the amount of work that went into making this theme work.

I will say that this is one of easier and least grindy games in the genre, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While the gameplay is nothing revolutionary, it is a solid entry to the genre.

Thoughts

This game has a fantastic aesthetic and flavor. I love the Gorollaz-esq art style, the epic soundtrack, and the explosive and chaotic feel of combat. I am also a huge fan of its dark overtones and appreciate its attempt at narrative. The voice acting is bad in parts, but it’s not the worst. Overall, this is a game that feels good and looks cool, but its level design and lack of diversity in enemies made the game feel bland in parts.  

This is a game you play to appreciate the art and world-building, but maybe at a discount. If you love the cyberpunk aesthetic and are in the mood for something loud and explosive, pick this game up. This is a solid Metroidvania, but one that didn’t do enough to leave me too excited. You can get $20 of fun from this game, but you also have better options at this price point.

You can pick up Cookie Cutter on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Steam and Epic Games.  

Check out the Bravos Starter Deck List: Altered TCG

The Altered TCG Kickstarter launched recently, and it was fully funded in two minutes. The campaign has blown well past its goals, and continues to gain traction. Altered attempts to redefine the TCG space with its creative gameplay and expansive world-building. I’m a huge fan of the art, and am curious to see how it plays. Check out my previous post for more details.

The Kickstarter introduces six distinct starter decks based on the factions that exist within the Asgartha peninsula. Let’s kick things off by looking at the Bravos starter deck! Note that you can only get Adventure cards from starter decks at launch, so it be a good idea to nab a few.

If you want to try out the Axiom starter deck, take advantage of the generous print-and-play feature on the official website. Join the Discord to stay up to date, and even make some friends. The campaign ends on February 28th, so don’t forget to back the Kickstarter!

If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.


Decklist

  • 1 x Kojo & Booda
  • 2 x Ratatoskr
  • 1 x Ratatoskr (Alt)
  • 3 x Issun-bōshi
  • 2 x Bravos Tracer
  • 1 x Bravos Tracer (Alt)
  • 3 x Bravos Pathfinder
  • 3 x Haven Trainee
  • 3 x Kappa
  • 3 x Haven Bouncer
  • 2 x Haven Warrior
  • 1 x Haven Warrior (Alt)
  • 2 x Sun Wukong
  • 1 x Sun Wukong (Alt)
  • 3 x Atlas
  • 1 x Shenlong
  • 2 x Physical Training
  • 1 x Physical Training (Alt)
  • 3 x Intimidation
  • 1 x Booda (Token)
  • 1 x The Spindle, Muna Bastion
  • 1 x Dorothy Gale

Print and Play

You can download the PnP in A4 and Letter format from the official site, but I’ll leave a copy for your convenience.

A4

Letter

Check out the Axiom Starter Deck List: Altered TCG

The Altered TCG Kickstarter launched recently, and it was fully funded in two minutes. The campaign has blown well past its goals, and continues to gain traction. Altered attempts to redefine the TCG space with its creative gameplay and expansive world-building. I’m a huge fan of the art, and am curious to see how it plays. Check out my previous post for more details.

The Kickstarter introduces six distinct starter decks based on the factions that exist within the Asgartha peninsula. Let’s kick things off by looking at the Aciom starter deck! Note that you can only get Adventure cards from starter decks at launch, so it be a good idea to nab a few.

If you want to try out the Axiom starter deck, take advantage of the generous print-and-play feature on the official website. Join the Discord to stay up to date, and even make some friends. The campaign ends on February 28th, so don’t forget to back the Kickstarter!

If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. 


Decklist

  • 1 x Sierra & Oddball
  • 3 x Kelon Elemental
  • 2 x Foundry Mechanic
  • 1 x Foundry Mechanic (Alt)
  • 3 x Axiom Salvager
  • 2 x Jian, Assembly Overseer
  • 1 x Jian, Assembly Overseer (Alt)
  • 3 x Amelia Earhart
  • 2 x Three Little Pigs
  • 1 x Three Little Pigs (Alt)
  • 2 x Axiom Scrambler
  • 1 x Axiom Scrambler (Alt)
  • 3 x Foundry Armorer
  • 3 x Brassbug Hub
  • 3 x Axiom Reprocessor
  • 1 x Kelonic Generator
  • 2 x Brassbug Hive
  • 1 x Brassbug Hive (Alt)
  • 3 x Brassbug (Token)
  • 1 x The Ouroboros, Lyra Bastion
  • 1 x Frog Prince

I’ll leave the print and play file here for those who want it, but you can also get it from the official site.

A4

Letter Sized

Drakantos: January Dev Log Brings us the Orbryn Teaser!

I’ve been excited about Drakantos for a while now. With the January dev log out, my excitement continues to grow. I can’t wait to finally play Drakantos, but until then, let’s just get hyped about the current progress. 

Make sure you check out the official dev log and join Discord if you want to stay up to date. If you enjoy these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. Most importantly, add Drakantos to your wishlist!


Orbryn Hero Teaser

The community has voted. This month’s hero teaser is Orbry, an Engineer from Garmorli. The dwarf has access to several gadgets and traps to help him fend off enemies. If you like dwarves, traps, and explosions, this is the champ for you.

I was a bit disappointed with the teaser’s slow start, but the more traps and gadgets I saw, the more impressed I became. I don’t think I am smart enough to run this champ, but I can see the potential. With the amount of debuffs and traps, Orbry can help control the battlefield and tempo of battle. It seems like this will be one of the trickier heroes to learn, but one that I am sure will be rewarding in the right hands.

I love how every hero teased so far feels unique and different, and with each release, I have trouble choosing who I want to play.

And Mount Animation!


Cooldowns Changed to Charges

Drakantos will feature artifacts that will act as interchangeable abilities for further customization. These artifacts were initially intended to be cooldowns, but they were changed to charges based on the event players run. The official explication from the devs:

I have to agree with the devs on this change. From a gameplay perspective, it makes the artifact feel more impactful. Players are now forced to use their charges efficiently instead of mashing buttons. From a flavor perspective, it makes the artifact feel more special and magical. It’s something rare that only a hero can use, and I am all about feeling special in my fantasy.


More Cities!

More of the world has been created, and I gotta say I am a huge fan of the art style. Here are some samples of the major cities. I can’t wait to explore what else they have in store:


Pet Contest

If you’re feeling artistic, head over to the official discord and join the “Create a Pet Contest” for a chance to have your creation featured in the game. I love that the devs are working with their community, I just wish I was at least a little artistic.

Conclusion

There were some other balancing changes for combat and more pets added to the game, but you can always read about it on the official dev log. I am still excited and I hope we get a beta soon. This game looks like a lot of fun, so make sure you go add it to your wishlist!

Altered TCG: The Card Game Attempting to Redefine the Hobby

The Altered TCG Kickstarter just launched, and it was fully funded in the first couple of hours. The initial $54,000 goal has since been blown out of the water, and the project sits at a comfortable $1,425,675 at the time of writing this. I am sure this number is going to keep rising because there seems to be a healthy amount of buzz and interest for this game, and I can see why. 

If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

What is Altered?

Altered is a unique TCG where players win by completing their adventure first. Unlike most TCGs, there is no combat. Players must instead use their deck to traverse the unique world of Asgartha with the help of their faction, tools, and allies. Do you have what it takes to conquer this new land?

This game looks like a nice combination of board games and TCG, which I am sure will bring in a new audience to the hobby. The artwork is amazing, the concept is interesting, and the creator has experience in the field. I love that they have print and play option so that you can try the game out before you back. Having the companion app is an interesting concept, but I have to see it in action before I can make my judgment. It isn’t the first game that has tried something like this, but I hope it is the first one to succeed. 

How to Play

I’ll leave a download for the the rulebook, but Maindeck has put out a fantastic video where you can see it in action that you should check out.

Thoughts

I was first drawn to Altered because of the art. I am a huge fan of the style, the factions, and the world it creates. I haven’t had a chance to dive too deeply into the gameplay, but it seems like a solid fusion between board games and TCG, and I am willing to try. I am always fascinated by games that try to redefine the hobby, and this seems to have its strong start.

What I love most about the game is that they have a print-and-play option so that you can try before backing. Nothing is worse than dropping money on something you end up not liking. There is also a growing Discord you should join if you have any questions or reservations. If you are looking for a new TCG that is unique, you might want to go back the Altered Kickstarter.

Kickstarter

The Kickstarter launches with six starter decks, a booster box, sleeves, special foils, and other themed accessories. The stretch goals have almost all been unlocked, and there are a lot of goodies. There is always risk when backing a Kickstarter, but this is from the designer who has brought us Dice Forge and Seasons, which inspires a bit more confidence.

Backing Level

  • Discovery Pack ($26)
    • Your Choice of 2 Starter Decks
  • Expert Pack ($162)
    • Your Choice of 2 Starter Decks
    • 1 Booster Box
    • Stretch Goals
  • Master Pack ($540)
    • Your Choice of 2 Starter Decks
    • 4 Booster Boxes
    • Stretch Goals
  • Devine Pack ($5,394)
    • All 6 decks
    • 42 Booster Boxes
    • Stretch Goals

Alt Cards

GLYDR, a Unique Gaming Accesory you control with your Feet!

The GLYDR Kickstarter just launched, and it was fully funded in only 40 minutes. GLYDR is the gaming accessory that aims to revolutionize the way we play games, and promises to save some hands in the process. It is not attempting to replace the traditional controller, but rather supplement the existing ecosystem in the hopes of creating a more ergonomic solution to gaming. As someone who struggles with chronic hand pain, I welcome anything that allows me to enjoy longer gaming sessions. 

What is GLYDR

GLYDR is a programable gaming foot pad with 16 programable actions. This allows gamers to offload some of the more extraneous commands to a part of the body that frankly, could use the exercise. GLYDR grants players access to a library of profiles to choose from, and the ability to create their own ensuring you always have a setup that works best for you. As someone who constantly jumps between genres, I need something that I can easily reprogram and adapt. This seems like a solid solution. 

Go Back Now

Early backers can get them as cheap as $189. Act quick! As of writing this, there are $50 units left at this price, then it jumps to $249. Shipping and taxes apply when the item is ready to ship. I don’t have the money to buy one of these right now, but I thought it was at least worth the gander. Go back the Kickstarter today!

If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

Top 5 Pokemon Decks Since Liverpool Regionals

Life has been a little crazy lately, but I think I’ve managed to get back on schedule. The Liverpool regionals were this weekend, and it was nice to see how the format is shifting. Lost Box continues to demonstrate its prominence in the format, but Charizard Ex and Snorlax Stall are steadily carving out their place in the format. I am interested in seeing what the meta ends up being at worlds, but for now, let’s look at the top five archetypes in the meta.

If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.


1. Mew VMAX

Mew VMAX will always have a special place in my heart because it was the first meta deck I ever made. It is such a strong deck, especially in the right hands. It’s quick, it hits hard, but it does have a high risk. Not the most beginner-friendly deck, but it is the easiest to build and the most rewarding. Congratulations to Fabrizio Inga Silva for first place!


2. LostTina

To no one’s surprise, LostTina continues to show up strong! This archetype is solid for good reason. You have a decent draw, some awesome early game pressure, and great late game power. Just fill up your lost zone and get to work. Congratulations to Brent Tonisson for 2nd place.


3. LostZard

LostZard was actually the lost zone deck I was running and I had a lot of fun with the deck. This deck has some cool tools I am definitely thinking of trying. Congratulations to Brennan Kamerman for top 3!


4. Snorlax Stall

I know there is a lot of hate for this deck, but it is a legitimate way to play the game and it is seeing results. I don’t think it is the best deck in the format, but if you like the slow ramp of this control deck, who am I to stop you. This deck does a lot of neat and annoying things, but it isn’t broken or unbeatable. Congratulations to Niklaus Christen for 4th place!


5. Charizard ex

Last but not least we have Charizard ex. Love it or hate it, this deck has found its place in the format and it is here to stay. It is a solid deck, easy to pick up, and nasty to deal with. What’s important to note is the deck isn’t unbeatable, none of the decks in the format are, which is great sign for the health of the meta. Congratulations to Laurens Van Brecht on 5th place!

Check out the Cute 3D Pixel art Survival Game Voxlands

I was sent an early demo of Voxlands to cover on my blog. While the game is playable, it is still rough. It wouldn’t be fair to review the game at its current stage of development, so I will limit my post to my initial impressions. I am hoping to get a full copy upon release, stay tuned for that. 

If you enjoy my content, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee. 

What is Voxlands

Voxlands is a pixel art survival game coming to PC. The game gives off Minecraft vibes but with enough of a twist to be its own thing. Travel through an open world, go on quests, fight monsters, stave off starvation, and craft what you need for survival in this cute and casual experience.

Gameplay

Thoughts

I was excited to get Voxlands because I love pixel art games. Voxlands has an adorable design with a fun and quirky tone that just works. I can’t really talk about its performance because the game isn’t finished. The demo is more than playable, but there is some roughness that I am sure will be ironed out on release. 

The game feels like Minecraft, but the guns and combat give it the unexpected retro Doom feel. I love how fast-paced everything is, and the combat, although a bit clunky at the moment, feels good. I didn’t do much with crafting, and the demo doesn’t have multiplayer. Not that I have friends to play with. 

This game is cute, and I am excited to see what it turns into. I still need to see a more fleshed-out crafting system, more weapons, and a bigger world before I can make my review, but I am curious. It is a short demo, but it does enough. Make sure you check it out when it goes live. There is no release date at the moment, but you can always add it to your Wishlist until then!