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Blightstone: A Promising Roguelike Experience

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Blightstone to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinion. This will be my honest review.

Shameless Self Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my reviews for the Epomaker QK108 and the adorable KiiBOOM Meow Pudding keycaps. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. The Huanuo Nitroglide dual monitor arm is also pretty cool.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this review with your friends!

Table of contents

What is Blightstone?

Blightstone is a turn-based strategy roguelike out on Steam Early access. If you like Darkest Dungeon vibes in your roguelike strategy grind, this game should be in your watchlist.

Hook

The powerful demon overlord Korghul spreads his reign of terror relentlessly across this land. You command the heroes who are destined to end it, but this is no easy task. The path to salvation is full of death and despair. Fight against waves of the demon lords army, loot as much as you can, and use the landscape for to your advantage. Can you overcome death, keep the Earthglass Christal safe, and rid the world of this powerful evil, or will you be another one of Korghul’s victims.

Gameplay

Players take command of three mighty heros: a warrior, a mage, and a hunter and his canine companion. Make your way through a map full of enemies, events, and a few shops to boost your companions. Can you make it to the end before death or the blight consumes your characters?

Combat

Combat is a turn-based strategy combat. Each character has 2 action points that they can use to move, attack, or use an ability. Players can spend these actions in any order. For example, you can attack with the mage, attack with the hunter, and go back to the mage to finish his turn. Terrain affects combat. Players and NPCs can use the map to gain advantage through effective use of the cover and line of sight mechanic. Characters can heal at the campfire at the end of the day, but they cannot be revived. Once a character dies, it is gone forever.

Loot

Like most roguelikes, players can choose from a selection of random items after certain events. These items can be equipped to boost a parties power level. Items can be equipped before any encounter.

Events

As of writing this, events seem to only be additional combat or skipping additional combat. Choosing an extra encounter has a chance for an additional reward, but it is not always guaranteed. It helps to roll for map information at a campfires.

Campfire

The party sets up camp at the end of each day. A day passes after two event nodes on a map. These can be combat, shopping, or a random encounter. While at a campfire, players can spend camp points to heal their characters, activate buffs, or gain map information. Gaining map information reveals a reward on the map to help players plan their progression.

Progression

Stage progression is tied to meta progression. Players are given general quests to complete in order to move to the next map, simply clearing the stages isn’t always enough.

Review

Blightstone has a good amount of potential, but it doesn’t have enough content to make it worth it. If you want to support a game that is trying innovate the genre with a few interesting mechanics, it is worth checking out at least once. Fortunately, the devs seem to be active enough to inspire some hope, but the lack of content is a tricky sell.

Aesthetic

Blightstone has fantastic art. I love the grimdark vibe and the comicbook feel of the world. The characters look very good, and the animation is solid. It also has a solid soundtrack to get you in the mood for epic combat. Aesthetic alone should spark interest in gamers looking for something new to try.

Combat

Combat is a lot of fun. I love the gridless maps and the action economy system makes it feel like a tabletop RPG. I am very bad at strategy games, so the difficulty seems high, but that is by design. I wouldn’t call it a frustrating experience, but basic understanding of the game’s mechanics helps with the grind. There is a grind, and it does get repetitive. Some of it is due to lack of content, the rest is by design.

Blightstone doesn’t take the traditional turn-based strategy rout. The RNG upgrades make each run feel fresh, and it feels for the most part. The line of sight and friendly fire mechanic give combat its depth. I love that I can use the map to gain an advantage, it it sucks when the NPCs do the same. The NPC AI is intellegent enough to make things interesting. Having to keep the Earthglass Crystal safe also affects you move your units. I wish there was a bit more variety on the type of units so the grind doesn’t feel as repetitive, but repetition is part of the roguelike experience.

Content

At the moment, there seems to be enough content for many three hours of gameplay. The game is fun for those three hours, but it is up to you if is worth the $16. After the first couple of runs, the game starts to feel repetitive because the encounters start to repeat. There needs to be a lot more events rather than just having an extra encounter. I wish I could make a deal with a devil or encounter or random merchant, anything to add a little more choice to my playthough. I don’t mind repetition in my roguelikes, I play a lot of Encounters, but here it feels like I finish the content too quickly.

Conclusion

Blightstone is a cool game that attempts some very interesting mechanics in an oversaturated genre. The game looks good, plays well, but it needs a bit more content. It definitely needs more attention, and should be in your watchlist. Just know that at this stage in its development, you are paying to support a good demo for a game that might be good in the future.

You can pick up Blightstone on Steam Early Access. If you are looking for other cool roguelikes to add to your collection, check out Talystro.

video game reviews

Talystro: A Fun Deckbuilding Game with Math Mechanics

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Disclaimer

I was asked to cover the Talystro playtest for my blog. I understand the game is not finished, so I will be a bit more lenient with my review. That said, these will be my honest opinions of the game.

Shameless Self Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my reviews for the Epomaker QK108 and the adorable KiiBOOM Meow Pudding keycaps. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. The Huanuo Nitroglide dual monitor arm is also pretty cool.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this review with your friends!

Table of contents

What is Talystro?

Talystro is a a unique dice based deckbuilding game coming to Steam. The game features adorable mouses and require a bit of math to defeat your enemies.

Hook

The evil Necrodicer has started the forgiben ritual of Talystro, unleashing waves of evil numbers to disrupt the worlds peace and tranquility. All hope rests in the hands of Math Mouse and his proficiency in simple arithmatic. With the help of many dice rolls and well placed attacks, Math Mouse must fight through these evil numbers and put an end to the Talystro. Will his math skills be enough to save the world? Will RNG be in his favor? You will need to play to find out.

Gameplay

Players must fight their way through many waves of ruthless monsters with only the help of a deck they build along the way. Unlike most deckbuilders, Talystro has players build their attacks from a pool of dice rolls.

Casting

Players roll 6 dice at the start of each round to play the five cards they draw to their hand. Each card has a slot or a series of slots in an equation. To cast a card, players fill these slots with the numbers from their dice pool results. Cards will do damage equal to the total of the card after all required slots are filled. For example, if a user has a card with a slot _ + _ and they fill it with the numbers 1 and 2, the card will do three damage.

Combat

Players can attack as many times per turn as they have available dice, assuming they can get to the correct number. The monsters in this game are numbers. Unlike other deckbuilders where players need to slowly chip away at an enemies health, players need to reach the exact number of the monster they are fighting. For example, if the monster they are fighting is a 7, players must combine their dice and cards to deal out 7 damage and destroy the monster. You can play multiple cards per turn, so mix and match accordingly.

Monsters

Monsters carry attack die. Any monster left with an attack die at the end of the turn does one point of damage to Math Mouse. Players progress to the next stage if they kill off all the numbers. The game ends if the Math Mouse’s health drops to zero.

Abilities

The game has a few abilities to give combat its depth. Players start with three abilities: block, reroll, and adjust. Players all start with one charge of each ability. These abilities can be recharged by playing a card that has a recharge ability.

Block

Monsters get an attack die with the result visible to the player. Players can break these attack dice by stacking a dice with the same result. For example, if a monster has a 4 attack dice, stacking another four negates the attack.

Reroll

Reroll is self explanatory. Players use this ability to reroll their available pool of dice and hope for better numbers. Reroll only affects dice you have left in play. If you have three dice, you only reroll three.

Adjust

This ability allows players to adjust a dice by one value. For example, if you only have a three and need a four or a two, you use the adjust ability to get the number you need.

Impressions

I am a little bummed that this game is only a playtest because it is already an addiction. I did not know I could have so much fun with math, but then again, I played a lot of Math Blaster growing up.

Aesthetic

Talystro has fantastic art. I love the cartoon style art and the world that goes around it. The game has an old school aesthetic, but with gameplay that makes it incredibly addicting.

Gameplay

I am a little bummed it doesn’t work on the Steam deck because this would be a fantastic hand held game. It isn’t resource intensive, and the game is casual enough to enjoy on the go. However, this game is so much fun. I like that it breaks away from the same tired deck builder formula with mechanics that make combat a lot more engaging. I liked that I was always trying to figure out something and it made the grind a lot of fun. Every round was a cool puzzle I needed to solve, even if it involved a lot of math.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a different kind of deckbuilder that isn’t afraid to be different, you need to keep an eye out on Talystro. This is the most fun I’ve ever had doing math, and I am not a huge math person. The game has fun flavor and solid mechanics to keep things engaging. This is a very successful playtest, and I can’t wait to see what else in store. You can still try to get into the playtest. Don’t forget to wishlist!

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Discover Encounter: The Lost Cards – A Quirky Deckbuilding Adventure

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Encounter: The Lost Cards to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

Shameless Self Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker HE68 Mag or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this with your friends!

Table of Contents

What is Enconter: The Lost Cards

Encounter: The Lost Cards is a quirky roguelike deckbuilder out now on Steam Early Access with a demo available you should try. Don’t forget to wishlist.

Hook

Fate has been decided by the cards. Your journey will be filled with fated encounters, some good and some deadly. Evil will try to sway you, but you always have the choice to live your life virtuously. Fill your bag with useful items and go on a silly adventure you will never forget. Fight your way through powerful enemies, make good choices, and be prepared for some intense inventory management. How far will your choices take you?

Gameplay

A players encounters are randomly determined by a deck of tarot cards. Encounters can be combat, a curse, a shop, or a social encounter. The choices a player makes affects the loot and judgement they receive. But choice is only half the battle, the rest is inventory management. Players will need to be efficient with the limited space in their bag as they complete their run. A run is over when the player dies and fails judgement.

Loot

Items collected throughout the journey give players their actions economy. They allow players to cast magic, perform attacks, heal themselves, or cast boons during combat. Unfortunately, items will break after a set number of uses. Once an item breaks, it can no longer be used. They can be repaired in town for a cost, so make sure you are always keep your good items with enough uses to survive your adventure. You can be left stranded without weapons if you aren’t smart about your choices. It is hard to fight the boss with only your fists and no healing.

Encounters

It shouldn’t be a surprise that encounters are the core aspect of Encounter. Players will cycle through random encounters determined by a deck of tarot cards. They determine the type of encounter whether it be social or combat and the type of loot a player has access to. Choices made in past encounters affect future ones. Being sinful for example may turn some friendly and useful encounters hostile. There is an NPC that gives players useful items for free, but only if they are virtuous.

Judgement

Judgement is another big part of Encounters. Players will be tempted to sin throughout their adventure. They can steal the sword they can’t afford or overindulge in debauchery, and other actions that give useful buffs at the cost of your soul. Players who choose a virtuous run can get a free resurrection and other useful buffs on death, while those who sin find themselves at a Lilith’s mercy. Both options have their benefits and draw backs. What kind of life will you live?

Combat

Combat is turn based. Players will build a deck of useful items on their journey. This deck is limited by inventory space. The key is to be efficient.

Each player has a set number of action points they can spend per turn. This number is fixed at first, but can be increased through choices and luck based rolls. Action points can be spent to use the various items in your inventory to heal, attack, cast magic, or buff their character. Combat is over when the player or NPC dies.

Review

Encounter: The Lost Cards is still in early access. The game is not finished yet, and you can tell. It is full of bugs and I haven’t been able to connect to the server to take advantage of the wayfinder mechanic which locks me out of some choices. That said, none of the bugs are game breaking, and I haven’t been able to put the game down. Encounter is a cute and quirky game with enough depth to keep tings engaging. If you are looking for a different kind of deckbuilding roguelike and don’t mind the roughness, it is at least worth checking out the demo.

Encounters

The encounters in this game are fun for the first couple runs before they start to get repetitive. I appreciate the adult humor and the generally quirky tone of the writing. After a couple of runs though, encounters start to repeat. This is the norm for the genre so it wasn’t a big deal, but there are some encounters that will end your run. That said, the RNG in this game is mostly fair and makes each run feel different enough to keep the grind from becoming soulless.

The Grind

Encounter: The Lost Cards has its grind, especially if you want to unlock some permanent buffs that will help you go far. The game does get a little repetitive, especially if you aren’t able to make it far. Not making the right choices or taking advantage of the games nuanced mechanics can make the grind a little harder. The game doesn’t do a good job at onboarding a player, but I almost prefer having to figure things out on my own.

I find the repetitive grind soothing. Sure the RNG can kill a run, but it also kept each run feeling fresh. I always had a new strategy to try. A lot of the fun came from trying to figure out the different mechanics through trial and error. I could have looked at a guide, but I enjoyed making choices I thought were fun. It was the perfect grind for catching up on anime because it involved enough thought to keep me engaged without requiring my full undivided attention.

Aesthetic

The game looks great. I love the pixel art design and the music choice. The game has a solid retro vibe with a modern enough flare to set it apart from other similar styles. There is a bit of fan service to be aware of, but nothing I would consider too adult.

The Bad

I was only able to successfully run Encounter on my desktop once. It runs great on desktop and have no complaints, but switched to the Steam Deck to test the compatibility. Encounter is a fantastic Steam Deck game. It runs great and it is casual enough to make it the perfect game to play on the go, or in my case, in bed while I was bed ridden. Unfortunately, I was never able to connect to the server to take advantage of whatever the wayfinder boon gave me. I have no regrets. I prefer this game on handheld.

The game also doesn’t do a good job at explaining its mechanics. It sort of drops players into the game with a basic understanding of how things work and I sort of figured things out through trial and error. This wasn’t a deal breaker because that is how I usually play these sorts of games, but it did mean I was wasting some of my runs. Make sure you don’t waste your useful items on the easy encounters, and repair the items you like. I am sure you can find a guide if you rather just minmax.

Conclusion

Encounter: The Lost Cards is my current addiction. Sure there is some roughness involved, but the game works well enough to deserve its chance. It should at least be on a few more wishlists. Encounter is a unique twist on the deckbuilding roguelike with fun flavor and even better mechanics. If you are looking for a new casual game that doesn’t require too much of your attention, check out Encounter: The lost Cards on Steam Early Access.

video game reviews

Is Netherworld Covenant Worth Playing?

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I was sent a free copy of Netherworld Covenant to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinion. This will be my honest review.

Shameless Self Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker HE68 Mag or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset.

Make sure you check out the free ways you can support me, like using my Amazon affiliate link before you buy anything. It really helps me out if you do. You can also always buy me coffee! Don’t forget to share this with your friends!

Table of Contents

What is Netherworld Covenant?

Netherworld Covenant is a topdown souls-like out now on steam. If you are a fan of games like Diablo or Path of Exile but always wanted them to be a little more roguelike, you definitely need to check out the demo.

Hook

The world has ended. The demons who have caused the world ending catastrophe still roam free. You are the only survivor, and it is up to you to take them down and avenge you fallen comrades. Make your way through procedurally generated dungeons and defeat its endless waves of guardians. But you are not alone. The spirits of your fallen comrades will come to your aid in battle. Do you have what it takes to avenge everything, or will you be another lost soul in this cold unforgiving world?

Gameplay Loop

Netherworld Covenant is your typical dungeon crawler roguelike with a few souls-like mechanics to help it set it apart from the rest of the genre.

Dungeon Crawl

Players choose one of the game’s unique dungeon and jumps into the dungeon. They must clear each room to earn a reward as they build up to a floor boss. Players are rewarded after clearing each room, and get to choose the type of reward. The run ends when the player dies or beats the floor boss.

Combat

Players will have a primary attack and a few lantern abilities to help them fight off enemies. They’ll have a primary attack they can spam or a strong attack they can charge that is based on their class. For example, the mage class will shoot a volley of magic arrows or charge it for a powerful blast. The lantern will give players additional abilities. Players can summon a ghost to help them in battle or use a secondary weapon. These abilities can be customized and upgraded between runs.

Gearing and Upgrades

In between runs, players will return to a hub where they can upgrade their character. They can craft different weapons and armor and upgrade their ghost’s abilities. This costs currency that the player will earn throughout a run. Some weapons and upgrades will need to be picked up as drops from the dungeon. Players also have the chance to buy levels off their skill tree. I am sure there is a way to minmax builds, but players have a general freedom for building their characters. As simple as the game may seem, it does offer a bit of customization for a bit of variety.

Review

Netherworld Covenant attempts an interesting twist to the genre, but it didn’t really vibe with me. While the game will earn a few hours of fun, I can’t see myself picking this over Void Souls.

Aesthetic

The game is fine if you enjoy dark fantasy, but it doesn’t have enough to make it stand out against the genre. Monster and character design is decent, but the maps feel repetitive and dull. Changing to a different realm didn’t change enough to be impactful. It all felt like I was slogging through the same rooms facing off against the same wave of enemies and it got old fast.

Gameplay

The game is a little buggy. There were noticeable frame drops and combat doesn’t feel as smooth as it needs to be for the genre. The combat system is interesting for the first few minutes. Unfortunately, when the novelty wears off, it starts to feel repetitive. This makes the grind feel worse than it is.

One of the issues I have with the game is with the RNG. The procedural generated dungeons aren’t very interesting and they start to look the same after a while. In addition, the upgrades you have access can ruin a run. On the time I beat the boss, it felt like I didn’t do anything because the buffs I got made me broken. The game needs a bit of rebalancing, and a few patches for smoothness.

Combat

The combat system is a little too simple. This makes it fine for a casual souls-like, but you have better options. The idea of summoning a ghost of a fallen comrade to fight with you seems cool, but it feels a little clunky in practice. Worst of all, the meta seems solvable. It feels like there is a right answer when it comes to the class you play and the choices you make, and I felt like I figured it early on into my my playthrough. The fun bit about roguelike for me is the ability to find random dumb builds that will take me to legendhood. Here it felt like if I didn’t choose optimally, I was going to have a bad time. Bosses are kind of interesting, but if you get the right build and grind long enough, it doesn’t matter.

Conclusion

Netherworld Covenant isn’t a bad game. I respect the attempt at freshening up the genre, but there are simply better options. If you are looking for a topdown souls like, Void Souls has better combat system. Or you can try Dethbound for something more unique. If you are looking for an ARPG, checkout Striving for Light. I have a soft spot for Liberte.

I can respect the game for trying to blend all these interesting ideas together, but it just doesn’t do them well enough to justify the price. If you really want to check it out, try the demo and I would argue to wait for the sale. Especially when you have better options.

You can pick up Netherworld Covenant on Steam.

video game reviews

Is Northwind the Next Great Roguelike Deckbuilder?

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Northwind to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. If you’re looking for a VPN for some added protection, check out NordVPN through my affiliate link. You can also always buy me coffee!

What is Northwind?

Northwind is just another roguelike deckbuilder, but it experiments with a few mechanics that might make the game interesting, with a few tweaks. You can pick up Northwind on Steam early access.

You are a mercenary on the hunt for powerful monsters. Craft a deck of powerful attacks and abilities to take down everything that comes your way. With a bit of luck, some skillful deck-building, and the right equipment, there is nothing that can stand in your way. Do you have what it takes to take down the most powerful monsters?

Early Access

Early access gives you access to two mercenaries: The Duelist and Pyrotech. Everyone starts with the duelist and unlocks the Pyrotech by playing through a run. The Duelist is a melee class that hits hard with the right skills. The Pyrotech is good at stacking conditions to win her battles. There are 233 cards, 113 relics, 34 perks, 38 kinds of food, and 23 gems to ensure no two runs are ever the same.

There are three bioms ruled by a total of five bosses across them to keep players busy enough till the next major update. While the game may not be perfect yet, it shows a good amount of promise to at least be a blimp in your radar.

Roadmap

Northwind is not without its ambitions. While the game may promise a good amount of content in its current state, there are a few planned updates to keep fans excited. Planned updates for the next year include:

  • New shop: Monster Gear Engineer
  • 3rd Mercenary
  • Expanded Hazard Levels and Roguelite progression
  • Inspection feature
  • Controller and Steam Deck Support
  • Additional content: Relics, Gems, etc.
  • Visual and QoL upgrades

All we can do as wait for them the publishers to deliver.

Gameplay

Northwind has solid performance, but it does have basic minimal animation.

Players start each game by choosing one of the two mercenaries. I always picked the Pyrotech because I preferred the playstyle, but both seem equally capable of taking on the challenge. Players start with mostly the same deck, save three cards that are randomly generated each turn. Players then choose an encounter, be it combat, combat with a boss/miniboss, random event, or the campsite.

Combat

Combat is a tug-of-war style encounter between the player and the NPC. Each round, the NPC will spawn damage or an ability. A players must use choose the correct combination of cards to either match or beat the number the NPC spawns or take damage. The player looses if their health goes to zero. The player wins if the NPC’s health goes to zero.

To better visualize this, imagine the player encounters a goblin. In the first round, the globlin spawns five damage. The player looks at their hand and plays a number of cards that do five or more damage, provided they have mana.

The mana system is what makes Northwind unique. Mana does not regenerate like in other deck builders like Starvader. Instead, players must draw mana cards and spend or stockpile them strategically. Mana cards are interwoven into a players deck. A player can choose to pick up more along the adventure, but finding the balance between the number of mana cards and attack cards is key for a players success. Players can get mana flooded/screwed if they are not too careful. because of this mechanic, players are sometimes forced into taking the damage in order to stockpile for bigger attacks in a subsequent turn.

Leveling

Mana can be spent to cast attack cards, but they can also be used to level up. Players can level up their character up to level three anytime during each combat, provided they have enough mana. Leveling up a character makes them hit harder. All attacks do more damage when leveling, at the cost of sometimes spending a turn to power-up. This is not only thematic, but it adds a bit of complexity to the combat. Players will need to decide whether or not they want to spend a turn leveling their character or dealing damage. Knowing when to spend and save resources, especially on leveling is key for beating the harder bits of combat.

Relics and Items

Players will occasionally have find randomly generated items or relics to aid them on their journey. These items and relics give players abilities or boosts that give them an edge in combat. Players are either given these items are rewards in random events, paid for through currency or life, or dropped by monsters as treasure. Sometimes, players can choose from a collection of items. However these items find their way into a players, they can easily ruin a run if they aren’t good enough.

Encounters

Aside from the major Boss fights, players can choose not to fight. Throughout a run, players have the option to choose non-combat scenarios. These include but are not limited to shops and random events. A random event can be anything from encountering a stranger that gives a player a boon for a price (or free). The encounter can also be a difficult choice that can also result in a boon. For example, a player can choose to give up some of their health to upgrade one of their attack cards. There are also NPCs that allow players to edit their decks allowing them to buy, upgrade, or delete cards in their decks.

Rest

It wouldn’t be a roguelike deckbuilder without some kind of campfire mechanic. Players are given the occasional opportunity to heal their character. If a player doesn’t need to heal, they also have the option to upgrade cards in their deck and sometimes pick up a special boon to help them in their journey. The placement of these nodes, and knowing when to use them can make or break a run.

Permanant Upgardes

After a run ends, players earn in-game currency that they can spend on buying permanent upgrades. In theory, the game gets easier the more runs a player completes. I am sure there is a solvable way to buy upgrades, but I enjoyed choosing the upgrades that best fit my style. Earning these upgrades are a bit of a grind, but the built-in RNG promises to lessen a bit of that monotony.

Towns

A players will also get a chance to visit a town during a run where they can visit different vendors and buy foods, items, relics and upgrades with currencies they earn across their adventure. These upgrades are randomly generated, and can make or break a run.

Review

Northwind plays with a few interesting mechanics that make it a promising entry to the genre. While it does need a bit of tweaking, the game has enough substance to make it worth at least an add to the wishlist.

The Artstyle

The world of Northwind feels a little bare at the moment. The champions and a few of the monsters have cool design, but I feel like the world lacks flavor. There is not enough color or themes spread accorss the regions that give Northwind a tangible place in genre. People might be drawn in by the cool art for thew promotions, but will forget playing the game because the art isn’t very memorable. It doesn’t help that there isn’t much in terms of animation, but that is probable better for a game like this where the focus is card interactions. Improving visuals is part of the roadmap, so a few more updates may change things.

The Gameplay

Gameplay is where I am completely split on this game. On one hand, Northwind‘s unique mechanics are the breath of fresh air the genre needs, on the other, it has a glaring balancing issue.

Now the game runs great, as I would expect from a game with little animation. I didn’t experience any game breaking bugs, and I got all the frames I needed to play comfortable. The are also enough cards, relics, and items in the current Early Access build for a few fun and interesting decks. The RNG, while mostly fair, can end a run early. This is expected in the roguelike genre, and not enough to ruin the game.

What ruins game is the balancing in later fights. There are fights where you can do everything right, but still get hit with a 100 damage because the game decides its time. I am sure there are foods you can eat, upgrades you can buy, or decisions you can make to mitigate this, but it sucks. Having to spend mana on level feels bad when the boss can kill you with one hit. There are fights where you don’t even get the option to stockpile mana. These fights feel unfair and will turn away the player who isn’t trying to grind at a game that doesn’t have a cool memorable world or animation to distract them.

Final Thoughts?

Northwind needs a bit more time to bake in the oven. The game has a few good ideas that have me excited about its future, but it is kind of hard to recommend when you have games like Takara Cards or even Shogun Showdown. Don’t get me wrong, Northwind isn’t a bad game, it just isn’t ready yet. If you are looking for a new deckbuilder and don’t mind the roughness that comes with an early access game, it is a great way to support a publisher that is making an interesting attempt at the genre.

You can pick up Northwind on Steam Early Access.

video game reviews

Holy Shoot: An Early Access Roguelike Shooter Review

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Holy Shoot to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do. If you’re looking for a VPN for some added protection, check out NordVPN through my affiliate link. You can also always buy me coffee!

What is Holy Shoot?

Holy Shoot is an action roguelike first person shooter out on Steam Early Access.

Dive into the darkest reaches of Hell armed with only your gun, and any guns you find along the way. Upgrade your hero as you fight off endless waves of demons in this fast-paced adventure. Occasionally, bosses will make the rounds and give you a run for your money. Do you have what it takes to keep Hell under control, or will you be another lost soul victim to its unrelenting heat?

Gameplay

Players start off by playing Supersonic Samuel, but can unlock a second character through gameplay. Each character has access to unique kit of weapons and abilities to help them fight off demons. Players will pick up new weapons as random loot drops and buy from a random assortment of abilities between levels. During a run, players must clear each level of its demons to move on. Dying means starting the run over. Combat is straight forward. The game is a fast paced looter shooter and enemies all have weak points players can target to deal extra damage. The levels do seem to be randomly generated for a bit of variety, but there is a slight repetitive grind that gets easier the more you play and earn permanent upgrades.

Review

I understand the game is still in Early Access and try to be a bit more lenient. Out of the gate, I was impressed with the game’s artstyle. There is some fun whimsy in the character design and the world looks good. The game also has a solid sound track which is always nice. Playing my first few rounds reminded me of the time I spent blasting through the Borderlands series. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t leave much of impressions, especially against similar games I’ve played in the past.

The game plays with some interesting ideas. I like the idea of monsters having weakpoints for dealing extra damage. I also like the fast pace of the game. I also think the world and its monsters are fun and interesting. Unfortunately when the novelty wears off, the game becomes stale. The upgrades you get at each level are all the same or they feel the same. None of the upgrades I picked up felt like they made an impact and some of the weapons felt worse than the starter. I am sure the full game will give players access to more guns and abilities, but I don’t know if I want to wait that long. That said, it does look like the devs are working hard on making the improvements, and I am willing to try a more patched version of the game.

As it stands, whether or not you should try this game in Early Access really depends on how much you want to support the game’s development. While the game looks good, it clearly isn’t finished. The roguelike aspect seems solvable with the limited pool of upgrades and loot and the performance isn’t good. When compared to other similar games, you have better options. I would wait for a more patched version. If you want to support Holy Shoot in Early Access, you can pick up your copy for $19.99.

video game reviews

Hordes of Hunger Review: Is It Worth Your Time?

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Disclaimer

I was sent Hordes of Hunger for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, it won’t sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset.

What is Hordes of Hunger?

Hordes of Hunger is a survivorslike game out now in Steam Early Access.

Control Mirah as you fend off against hordes of blood thirsty creatures. Wield powerful weapons, learn nes skills and abilities, and stop the horde from advancing. Do you have what it takes to survive the onslaught and save the world

Gameplay

The game runs like your typical survivors game. Players start each run with basic abilities. They gain random weapons and abilities throughout the run by killing monsters for XP or completing objectives. The more time a player spends on Hordes of Hunger, the more powers and abilities they unlock. What makes the game unique is the combo system. Unlike most games in the genre, Hordes of Hunger does not have an auto-attack system. Instead, players must use combos, active skills, and dodges to survive the hordes and save the day. There are also a few unique missions to change up the gameplay.

Review

The game isn’t finished yet, and while I see the potential, it isn’t for me. The game has a good looking world with some interesting monster and character design, and the animation is solid. The game performs well enough, but there are some stutters and crashes that are hard to ignore. Once I got past my initial intrigue, the game started feeling repetitive. While I do appreciate the creative take on the genre with the inclusion of the combo system, it feels unnecessary. This is a survivors game with extra steps, and you are either going to love it or hate it. I love survivors game for the casual yet engaging experience they offer. Her it feels like I am doing too much work with every little payoff. The RNG was fine for the most part, but the game feels solvable in the early stages. There are abilities that feel better, and while I am sure all games in the genre are solvable, that do a better job at hiding it.

If you are looking for a survivor game and don’t mind the extra work, the game does a decent job at the price point. The problem I have with this game is that when it comes to survivors game, I simply have better options. After a couple hours of this game, I am going to uninstall it and forget I own it. Unless you really want to mess around with the game’s combo system, there is no real reason to buy this game.

You can pick up Hordes of Hunger on Steam Early Access for $14.99.

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Wizard Hand Demo Review: A Promising Solitaire Roguelike

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Disclaimer

I was sent the Wizard Hand demo to review for my blog. I understand that the game is still in development, so I will try to be a bit more lenient with my review. That said, these are my honest impressions.

Shameless Self-Promotions

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset.

What is Wizard Hand?

Wizard Hand is a roguelike solitaire game coming to Steam. Make sure you check out the demo!

Play solitair using a magical deck and try to get the required score and move to the next level. The goal of the game is to clear the table of cards while beating the required score. All players start with a basic deck that they slowly upgrade with other cards and abilities throughout a run. Finding the best combination and knowing when to use your powerful spell cards is key to success in this game. Do you have what it takes to beat the highest challenge?

Impressions

The Wizard Hand demo is incredibly addicting. I wish this were the full version because I want to see what else there is. Right off the bat, I was drawn by the game’s aesthetic. The card art is simple, but with enough elegance and flare to draw the eye. The gameplay is simple, but requires enough of a strategy to keep players engaged. Figuring out the correct sequence and combinations to maximize a score is a mellow puzzle, and I love puzzles. There does need to be more content, but it looks like the devs are hard at work at making things happen. Regardless of that, this a fantastic demo that is effective at showcasing the game’s key features in a way that is fun, engaging, and addicting. Wizard Hand is very promising, but I wish there was more. I can’t wait for a full version.

video game reviews

My Impressions of Roulette Hero: Try the Demo Now

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Disclaimer

I was sent the Roulette Hero demo for my blog. I understand the game is not finished yet, and will be a bit more lenient with my review. That said, these will be my honest impressions.

Shameless Self-Promotions

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. I’ve also started a web novel that I update every two weeks.

What is Roulette Hero

Roulette Hero is a deck building roguelike with a more randomized twist coming to Steam. Make sure you sigh up for the playtest.

Build your army of formidable heroes and build a unique roulette table that will take you to victory. Each turn, players will add choose between a random assortment of heroes, all animals, and place them on a square on the table. The player pulls for the roulette to spin to activate a random ability [whatever space the square lands on].

Players can upgrade the units they summon by stacking multiples of the same unit, and they can be sold for gold as well. Each unit has an attack that does damage to the boss, and some have special abilities that either activate when chosen or activate on a trigger. For example, there is a card that heals the player every time they spin the roulette. The demo offers a good amount of combos and strategy, and the RNG means you are not building the same deck twice. The round ends when the player drops to zero, or they defeat the boss.

Impressions

Roulette Hero is very fun, and I recommend everyone to try the demo. It offers a unique twist to the genre, and the slot machine like gameplay will make you addicted to gambling in the best way. I love that I never built the same deck twice, although cats seem very broken [I am very biased]. I also enjoyed how much strategy is involved for a game that feels very random. That said, I can easily sink too many hours into this game because it is a very enjoyable loop.

If you haven’t done so, go check out Roulette Hero. I will be trying very hard to get a full version. The demo works very well, but I am sure the full version will have a bunch of fun new cards for a very good ammount of replayabilty. Roulette Hero offers a unique twists on a familiar genre and it looks cool doing it. I can’t wait to see more.

Make sure you sign up for the playtest, and don’t forget to add it to your wishlist!

video game reviews

Asgard’s Fall: A Viking Survival Game Worth Your Time

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Asgard’s Fall — Viking Survivors to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This game is still in Early access, so I will try to be a bit more lenient than normal.

Shameless Self-Promotions

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System. I’ve also started a web novel that I update every two weeks.

What is Asgard’s Fall — Viking Survivors?

Asgard’s Fall — Viking Survivors is a 2D pixel art vampire survival game out now in Steam Early Access.

Choose your hero as you wage war against the gods. Harnes your strength as you take on endless hordes of enemies. How far will you wrath take you? Will you be the fall of Asgard?

Gameplay

Players start each run by choosing a hero. There is only one option at the start of each game, but more can be unlocked by playing the game, with more characters planed for a later release. Players will start the game with the same basic attack and a dodge, but will unlock random passive and active abilities as they play. The RNG feels very fair, and each round felt unique. There is also special Twitch integration that allows a streamer’s audience influence the blessings received throughout a game for an extra level of craziness.

The goal of the game is to survive until the final boss fight. Beating the boss means unlocking more areas, and dying during a run means starting over. It is simple game with enough depth to keep things interesting, and in a very good place in its early access.

Review

If you are looking for a new survival game, Asgard’s Fall is a very strong contender. The art is cute without sacrificing on any of its Nordic flavor. I am a huge fan of how much flavor has gone into the spells and abilities. Most importantly, Asgard’s Fall is a fun game that you won’t regret supporting. A lot of the survival game’s I’ve played will start slow and ramp up to the insanity. This initial lull can make or break the game, but Asgard’s Fall doesn’t have that. The game starts at a great pace, and it has a solid ramp to keep things interesting.

Building my hero is what makes this game for me. Like most games of the genre, players will unlock random abilities and buffs throughout a run. What makes Asgard’s Fall unique is how you can build a skill tree by filling a web of nodes. The nodes can interact with each other and generate more power. I have never sat to consider my build as much as I did with this game, and that is a very good thing.

I hadn’t realized how long I had been playing this game until I pulled from my trance. I had so much fun with this game that I will have a hard time setting it down. If you’re weary about the Early Access status, don’t be. This game is in a very good place with enough content to make it worth the price tag. There is also a good amount of content on the horizon.

If you haven’t done so, go check out Asgard’s Fall. This is a great addition to any collection. You can pick up Asgard’s Fall — Viking Survivors on Steam Early Access for only $6.99. There is also a demo available if you don’t believe me. The full game releases next year.