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video game reviews

Mika and The Witch’s Mountain was a Delightful Change of Pace

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

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals. If you enjoy my content and want to help me with my hosting fees, consider buying me coffee or donating to my Patreon.

What is Mika and the Witch’s Mountain?

Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a fantasy adventure game out now on Steam and the Nintendo Switch.

Mika is starting her journey to becoming a powerful witch. She ventures to the Witch’s mountain where a wise and powerful witch will teach her what she needs to learn. But before she can begin her studies as a witch, she must pass a test. She must be able to fly expertly on her broom. With a sudden push, Mika is sent off the mountain and into the town below. The fall breaks her broom and now she has no way of getting back.

Fortunately, the local artisan promises to fix up her broom and even make her a better one for a bit of coin. How can a little witch away from home afford these services? Luckily, she can make her money as the island’s delivery girl. Can she fly across the island, master its elements, and keep those packages safe? Can she make enough money to make it back to the top of the mountain?

Gameplay

Players fly around the island on a magical flying broom making deliveries. Each package Mika picks up has unique requirements. Packages can’t be damaged, wet, or a combination of the two. Some deliveries need to be made within a specific time period. Intimate knowledge of the island and its wind currents is extremely important for Mika’s success. Mika only gets paid on jobs where she has perfect feedback.

As Mika gets paid, she can use that money to buy better brooms. These brooms will let Mika have better control when flying or carrying more packages. There are also hidden items around the map for players to collect to unlock charms for the broom or outfits for Mika, or side quests to keep players busy.

Review

Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is the cutest fantasy adventure game you’ll ever play. The protagonist is cute, the world is fun and whimsical, and the game is fun. Flying feels like you’re moving over ice, but this is thematic by design. Mika is learning magic for the first time and it makes sense that she isn’t the strongest flyer. The wonky flying makes the game more exciting. It was always a nerve-wracking experience to maneuver through currents because there was always the real chance of crashing into the rocks and ruining a delivery. It isn’t the most difficult game you will play, but it will keep things engaging.

The story is a bit childish, but I appreciate the silly wholesome tone. Not all games have to be serious. My only real complaint is that the quests can start to feel a bit repetitive, but there seems to be enough exploration and treasure-hunting mixed in to keep things interesting. You’ll at the very least get your money’s worth of gameplay.   

Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is the comfort food you need in your life. It is a fun silly good time with fun gameplay and an adorable world to explore. If you’re looking for a game to relax to, this is the title to do it with.

You can pick up Mika and the Witch’s Mountain on Steam and Nintendo eShop for $19.99. There is a demo you demo for both versions you should at least try.

video game reviews

Dice Assassin: Chess With Extra Steps

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

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals. If you enjoy my content and want to help me with my hosting fees, consider buying me coffee or donating to my Patreon.

What is Dice Assassin?

Dice Assassin is a 2D minimalistic roguelike card battler out now on Steam.

With a bit of tactics and luck, you are destined to be the best assassin this world has ever seen. Fight through mobs of enemies, learn powerful abilities, and leave no witnesses. Are you lucky and skilled enough to survive?

Gameplay

Dice Assassin is chess with a few extra steps. Players only control one piece, and the spaces it can move depend on dice rolls. Dice are rolled at the start of each turn. Cards give the assassin abilities. The key to this game is moving the assassin efficiently to clear the board of enemies. Like most roguelikes, players can upgrade their assassin through random buffs and abilities. The RNG for these shops seems fair, but I didn’t have it in me to test it too much.

Review

I can’t recommend Dice Assassin because it doesn’t feel finished. There are parts of this game that aren’t translated into English. There isn’t too much to read, so the lack of a complete translation isn’t a deal breaker. The gameplay is boring. Having only one action per turn and movement and attacks tied to RNG makes it less of a strategy game and more of a gambling one. Combat is boring, and it feels more one-sided the farther you get. The boss fights seem impossible, especially if you get stuck with unlucky rolls.

I am sure smarter people and people who like chess will have a better time with the game, but there isn’t much reason to play it past the first few play-throughs. I did like their choice of minimalism, but it isn’t for me.

If you care about achievements, Dice Assassin has easy ones you can earn. If you enjoy chess and want something that is a little different, sure. Everyone else can spend their $3 elsewhere.

You can pick up Dice Assassin on Steam for $2.99 (Currently $1.64 until September 3rd)

video game reviews

Mars 2120 Isn’t the Casual Metroidvania Game You’re Looking for

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I was sent a free copy of Mars 2120 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.

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals. If you enjoy my content and want to help me with my hosting fees, consider buying me coffee or donating to my Patreon.

What is Mars 2120?

Mars 2120 is a metroidvania out now on Steam.

Sgt. Anna “Thirteen” Charlotte has been sent to the first human colony on Mars. Strange things have been hindering construction, and it is up to Sgt. Charlotte to figure out what. Travel across the red planet as you fight your way through swarms of strange enemies. Will your efforts be enough to cement humanities foothold on martian soil, or will you be another casualty to the planet’s harsh environment?

Gameplay

Players fight their way through 2D dungeons, unlocking new weapons, areas, and abilities. Dungeons feature intricate jumping puzzles, promise interesting boss fights, but only contain a limited amount of save points. Players can only save their progress at these points, and dying resets to the last save.

There is a story that exists through cut scenes and found documents and recorded logs. Exploration is important if you want to unlock extra bits of story, but it isn’t necessary. The main quest line tells the story well enough.

If you’re looking for a classic feeling Metroidvania, Mars 2120 might be what you need.

Review

Casual Metroidvania fans aren’t going to enjoy Mars 2120. While the game does a decent job of setting up its atmosphere and creating a challenging environment, it feels like a rough attempt at a classic title. For some modern players, the game will feel outdated, for others, the roughness will be hard to justify because the gameplay is boring.

The biggest issue this game has is its control scheme. This game is not smooth and the inputs don’t always work. There are parts of this game where I felt like I was fighting more with the jankiness of the game than the actual enemies. The game isn’t unplayable, but some of the combat and jumping puzzles are unnecessarily annoying.

Sporadic save points also ruin the game for the casual gamer. I don’t mind limited saves and high difficulty in games when they work, but Mars 2120 doesn’t always work. It sucks to have to repeat whole sections because the controls aren’t good. Better gamers and veterans of the genre will have less of an issue with the save points, but I don’t like the game enough to give it any more slack.

The story is fine, the flavor is cool, and I liked the art, but not enough to enjoy the game. It isn’t bad, but I’ve played better. Mars 2120 is made for a specific type of gamer. One that still enjoys the classic feel of the Metroidvania game, enjoys a challenging game with high stakes, can doesn’t mind the roughness that comes with an indie game. For the casual gamer looking for a new game, you have better options.

You can pick up Mars 2120 on Steam for $19.99.

Other TCGs

Kryptik Launches Ambassador Program in Attempt to Save Game

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Kryptik Studios LLC has announced the launch of its ambassador program to raise funds for its next set. For those out of the loop, there was a sudden announcement on the official Discord that the Kryptik TCG was moving to an LCG model. After a passionate outcry from its devoted community, a change of leadership, and a divorce from its old printer, the Kryptik TCG found its push. The TCG would continue, but not without challenges.

The poor quality of older sets has left many local game stores and players distrustful. The split from Speed Robo Games was a step in the right direction. Reviews for the final Speed Robo set are not good, and the samples I received look terrible. The foiling is ugly, the card stock is thin and cheap, and they came curled. We can only hope their new printer does better.

But the damage has been done. Many of the early adopting stores and players burned by early quality issues won’t return, and others will need a lot of convincing. It is going to be a difficult endeavor, especially since the TCG space is ruthlessly competitive, but there seems to be a supportive community working tirelessly with the devs to give the game the traction it deserves.

The ambassador program launched on August 22nd and has already raised $20,000, according to Kryptik Chris’ announcement on Discord.

The announcement reads:

@everyone After 36 hours, we have raised over $20,000! We are steadily climbing towards resurrection! There are still spots available at each tier, so no one has missed their shot yet! Let’s keep those numbers climbing and we’ll make it to top!

This is a very positive look for the game and it shows how devoted fans of the IP truly are. But what is in the program, and is it worth it?

The Ambassador Program

The ambassador program are direct to consumer products and services offered by Kryptik Studios in order to raise the money they need to bring their next set to Kickstarter. The tier break down is as follows:

The program is still live as of writing this. Make sure you head over to the official website if you plan on supporting.

Impressions

The ambassador program was revised after input from the Kryptik community. While it makes me happy that the game is listening to its players, it doesn’t feel worth it for someone trying to get into the game for the first time. It would be more cost-effective for new players to pick up older products from TCG Players. Unless you’re already a fan of the game and believe the game will succeed, none of the tiers seem worth it. Why would I spend money on promos that will be worthless if the game fails down the line? Like I’ve said before, the game is going to need to do more than launch these kinds of programs to build its player base. I’ll be rooting for them either way.

Weekly Tournaments

If you want to play Kryptik, there are official weekly tournaments running Sundays noon EST. You’ll need to own Tabletop Simulator with the official Kryptik TCG module and join the official Discord. The community is beginner friendly, so don’t worry if you don’t know how to play. These tournaments are a great way to enjoy the game with other fans and possibly earn some cool prizes. These events need more people, so make sure you join even if you’re just wanting to try out the game. Who knows? You might like it!

Other TCGs

Paragon: Monster & Mayhem Kickstarter Relaunches Oct. 1st!

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After a very successful Kickstarter campaign and a bit of community feedback, the people behind Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem have decided to relaunch a bigger and better campaign on October 1st. Mark your calendars. If you have backed the initial project, you should have gotten an email explaining the change. Original backers will also get 6 packs and a serialized Alt Art Flameskull card. If you’re looking for a new fantasy-themed TCG with creative gameplay, you’re going to want to check out Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem. Make sure you follow the Kickstarter to be notified when it goes live.

What is Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem

Paragon is a tactical TCG coming to Kickstarter on October first. Players face off against each other in a battle arena where they take control of a Paragon and their allies in an epic battle to the death. The game features creative movement, mana, and health mechanics making for interesting and creative interactions. if you want to play the game or help play test, make sure you join the official Discord server. It is pretty active and there are always people willing to play. Just make sure you have access to Tabletop Simulator and the official Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem module. Make sure you start with the Starter Deck Sample Module first though to see where you stand.

There will be an official Paragon Monsters & Mayhem Draft on Staturday August 31st at 6PM PST. This is a great chance to get together with the community and try out the game. Prizes:

  • 1st Place – 1 Golden Paragon Monsters & Mayhem Booster
  • 2nd Place – 2 Paragon Monsters & Mayhem Boosters
  • 3rd Place – 1 Paragon Monsters & Mayhem Booster

Gameplay

Rulebook

There isn’t an official rulebook yet, the game is still in production, but there is a quickstart guide available to get you started. The book is pinned on the official discord, but I’ll leave it below for your convenience.

Paragon_Quickplay_Instructions_8-16-2023Download

Changes in the Kickstarter

The new kickstarter is launching with 251 unique cards and alt arts to pad it out to 560. There will also be box topers, case topers, and some extra goodies. I’ll leave the graphic below for the full details.

Conclusion

I am interested because the art looks cool. Check out the cards revealed so far! I love the deep fantasy vibes and the flavor of the cards. I need to see more, but I am impressed with the art I’ve seen so far. I am also impressed by the developers. They seem to be incredibly involved with the community, and obviously listening to their listening to suggestions. If you’re looking for a new fantasy TCG, you might be looking for Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem. There is always risk in backing a Kickstarter, so make sure you do your own due diligence.

The campaign launches on October 1st. Make sure you’re following the campaign to be alerted when it goes live. The game was already fully funded once, I have no doubt they can do it again.

video game reviews

Skelethrone: The Chronicles of Ericona is Hard, but is it Fun?

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I was sent a free copy of Skelethrone: The Chronicles of Ericona 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.

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals. If you enjoy my content and want to help me with my hosting fees, consider buying me coffee or donating to my Patreon.

What is Skelethrone: The Chronicles of Ericona?

Skelethrone is a difficult by design 2D metroidvania soulslike for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Steam, GoG, and Itch.io.

You wake up in a strange place full of death, despair, and monsters. Armed with only your fists, you must travel through this nightmare and stay alive. But your journey won’t be easy. Powerful monsters hunt you down relentlessly, and although you will find weapons to help you on your journey, you will die. Luckily, death isn’t permanent, and your flame continues to burn. Will this newly found immortality be a blessing or your curse?

Gameplay

This game is difficult by design, but there is an easier setting players can choose from the start. Players start with nothing and collect gear as they progress through the adventure. Players are meant to die a lot and do better with each subsequent life as they gain levels. Players level by buying upgrades from a diverse skill tree. You should probably look up a guide if you’re not playing on easy. You are essentially grinding out XP until you’re strong enough to beat the boss so that you can move onto the next one.

Review

I have trouble recommending Skelethrone: The Chronicles of Ericona because of its controls. A game this difficult needs to have fluid and responsive controls, but the game feels clunky. Sometimes the inputs don’t register, and sometimes you’ll die because of the coding. Better players will probably be able to excuse the game’s clunkiness, but they also have better options in the genre.

Aside from feeling clunky, combat is boring. While you can find different weapons, it seems the right answer is two-handed weapons. The shield felt useless, one-handed weapons didn’t do anything, and I couldn’t get the bow to work properly. Even if you get the perfect weapon and build, the game is unbalanced. I get that the game is meant to be difficult, but there are rooms where there are too many enemies and traps. A skilled player might not have issues, but the controls and coding make these rooms extremely frustrating.  

The art style is fine, but some areas are too dark. There is a story, but it isn’t good enough to earn a recommendation. The only real reason to buy Skelethrone is because you want a challenging Metroidvania game and enjoy the flavor, and even then, you have better options. If you can get past the game’s issues, the game is still rather boring.

Skelethrone: The Chronicles of Ericona is difficult to recommend because of how niche the game is. There are better metroidvanias. But if you don’t mind the roughness and want to play something that is hard by design, there are worse ways to spend $14.99.

You can pick up Skelethrone: The Chronicles of Ericona Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Steam, GoG, and Itch.io, but I would wait for a sale.

video game reviews

Looking for an Action Adventure Game? Go Play Creatures of Ava!

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I was sent a free copy of Creatures of Ava 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.

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals. If you enjoy my content and want to help me with my hosting fees, consider buying me coffee or donating to my Patreon.

What is Creatures of Ava?

Creatures of Ava is an action adventure game out now for PC and Xbox.

You were sent to the planet Ava to save it from the Withering. The withering is a spreading corruption that is slowly killing the planet and its inhabitants. Catastrophe strikes and you are sent crashing to its surface. With the aid of some locals, you set out to continue your mission. Do you have what it takes to stop the corruption?

Gameplay

Ava finds a magical staff with the power to rescue the planet. Players use this staff to solve puzzles and cleanse wild life. This staff can be upgraded throughout out the adventure by buying nodes off a skill tree. XP in this game is earned when a player successfully studies and catalogues new data on the planet’s wildlife. This mechanic incentivizes exploration, even when the incentive isn’t needed.

Combat is nonviolent, which is extremely flavorful for the game’s theme. The goal of the game is to save the planet, so players use the staff to free the wildlife from a disease rather than to fight monsters. Combat is pretty basic, but manages to be engaging. The staff emits a beam of healing energy that reduces the corruption while the player dodges attacks. Players can learn new abilities to help them cleanse the planet more efficiently. Cleansing the planet removes obstacles from the surface. Cleansing an animal makes it friendly.

Friendly animals can be tamed by playing the flute. Each animal has a unique song that the player must emulate to gain its trust. This exists in the form of a Simon Says-like rhythm game. Players can link with a tamed animal and use their abilities to solve puzzles. While the rhythm game itself isn’t innovative or exciting, it is cool to become an animal from time to time.

The map for this game is a great size for an adventure. Players have a good amount of freedom to explore Ava’s strange and beautiful world, but there is a main quest line available for guidance.

Review


If you are looking for a new action-adventure game, you need to play Planet of Ava. This game is unique, beautiful, and a lot of fun. The game also features a solid story with a pretty amazing cast of voice actors. The game has so much to do that it is easily worth the money.

I loved every minute of this game. I have a hard time putting it down, but also staying focused. The world is so beautiful and vibrant that I kept having to fight the urge to keep exploring. I love crafting, and the fact that there was a crafting and gathering mechanic was extremely dangerous. If I wasn’t on a deadline, I could have easily spent hours making potions and exploring the world without ever touching the main story. Best of all, the game is pretty inoffensive. Aside from a few dark moments, a game about saving animals is a wholesome good time.

Planet of Ava is available now on PC, Steam, and Game Pass. This game is worth at least a first play through.

video game reviews

Check out the Most Adorable Deck Builder on Kickstarter: Nif Nif

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I was sent the Nif Nif demo to cover on my blog. The game is currently on Kickstarter, and it deserves a bit of attention. The campaign ends on September 13, so make sure you check it out before then. I am writing these impressions with the understanding that the game isn’t finished yet and there is room for improvement.

What is Nif Nif?

Nif Nif is an adorable deck builder coming to PC. A demo is available on Steam. Go check it out and don’t forget to Wishlist.

Nif Nif is a happy little piglet who lives near a beautiful forest. He loves to cook and clean and spends his days running around. One day, a strange green goo begins to appear around his beloved forest. The goo corrupts the land and the creatures it makes filthy. Nif Nif grabs for his bucket of cleaning supplies and sets out to clean up the corruption. Will his skills be enough to clear the forest of this infestation, or will the goo prove too powerful?

Gameplay

Players start each run by choosing their protagonist. The demo lets players choose between Nif Nif and a cat, each with its unique theme and adorable mascot. Like any deck-building roguelike, players choose the path of their adventure and work to clear the rooms. The adventure map is randomly generated, but it was a fair spread of events. Each room holds an event. Players can fight against regular or elite monsters, proct a random event for a chance at a power-up, heal their character, or visit the shop. Players also have the chance to upgrade their decks by receiving extra cards, random passive skills, or upgrades for their current decks. These upgrades are randomly generated, but the RNG feels fair. Each run offered me access to different strategies, and each run is meant to feel unique giving the game a good amount of replayability.

What sets Nif Nif apart is its cooking mechanic. Players can cook soups or upgrade existing soups at campfire nodes. These soups give Nif Nif and his friends a special boost and gives players a better chance at survival.

Impressions

Nif Nif is the most adorable deck-builder you’re ever going to play. The game features an adorable protagonist, cute-themed art, and a solid soundtrack. I love the flavor and theme of the cards and decks. I felt like there were a decent amount of strategies, and am sure there are a lot more at launch. I love that I could choose to level a random card instead of having to choose a random card to add to my deck as a reward. nothing is worse than clogging my deck with dead cards and having to pay to remove them later in a run.

It is important to note that this game is meant for kids. Veterans of the genre will find Nif Nif to be on the easier side, but they will appreciate the adorable ambiance and chill vibes. If you have kids, Nif Nif is the perfect way to start them on the deck-building genre. I would argue that it is the perfect game in general. The mechanics are easy to learn but the game offers enough of a challenge to keep things engaging. It is a great way for kids to learn the fundamentals of deck building while they help cute little animals clean up the forest. Most importantly, the game is inoffensive. There is no blood or violence in Nif Nif, just good clean fun.

I loved every minute of Nif Nif. This game is adorable and deserves a lot more attention. There is always a risk when backing a Kickstarter, but the demo suggests the game is in good hands. All it needs is funding. If you want to support an adorable game that your kids will enjoy, go back Nif Nif on Kickstarter.  The campaign ends on September 13 and it will be your own chance to earn some cute exclusives.

video game reviews

Deathless. Tales of Old Rus is Next Deck-Builder Roguelike

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I was sent a free copy of Deathless. Tales of Old Rus for free 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.

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

What is Deathless: Tales of Old Rus?

Deathless. Tales of Old Rus is a Scandinavian-themed deck-building roguelike that is out now on PC.

Take control of unique characters and use their skills and abilities and explore the dangerous land of Belosvet. Fight against powerful monsters and even defeat Koaschey the Deathless himself. Will the cards be in your favor?

Gameplay

Each run starts players with a basic version of a chosen champion deck. Each deck is flavorful and unique to each champion. As players make their way through the adventure, they can upgrade their decks with new cards and skills. These upgrades are random, making each subsequent run unique. The RNG is pretty fair, and I never ran the same deck twice. A run is over when the health of the champion reaches zero.

What makes Deathless unique is the movement and position mechanic. Players can only attack the frontmost enemy in combat unless the card use stipulates otherwise. Unless the monster uses ranged attacks, they can do the same. Knowing how to manipulate this position and the turns they swap them is an important mechanic to master. For example, some cards force monsters to swap positions, canceling their attacks. Other cards do extra damage depending on their position or if they’re moving. It is a very unique shift in the genre that I enjoyed tremendously.

Review


If you like roguelike deck-builders and need a new one to get into, buy Deathlessl: Tales of Old Rus. The game has beautiful art, fantastic flavor, and solid mechanics. The game is extremely replayable because no two runs will ever be the same. Even if you’re only using one character, the type of deck and strategy you’ll focus on will always be different. If you somehow get tired of what is available, there are new champions in the pipeline. Check out the official development roadmap for assurance.

Deathless. Tales of Old Rus is still in early access, but it feels like a finished game. The animation looks great, the soundtrack is nice, and the mechanics work fine. They are adding new features, which means the game will only get better. I love this game, and will keep it in my rotation. The game is fun, engaging, and it looks like it is actively being supported.

You can pick up Deathless. Tales of Old Rus on Steam Early Access for $24.99.

Other TCGs

Looking for a new TCG? Check out Genesis: Battle of Champions!

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Edge of Exile sent me a bunch of products to review for my blog. Edge of Exile is the new company behind the strategy TCG Genesis: Battle of Champions. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game and the product.

What is Genesis Battle of Champions?

In the simplest of terms, Genesis: Battle of Champions is a tabletop wargame trading card game. The game is played on a 5×6 map where players take control of a champion and use their influence to command an army of monsters and magic to defeat their opponent. The goal of the game is to be the last champion standing. What makes Genesis unique are its movement, combat, and resource system.

While movement in a TCG isn’t unique to Genesis, it does give the game its tactical feel. The movement mechanics are easy to learn, but moving tactically on a 30-square space while navigating the randomness of a TCG is where this game gets complicated.

The Genesis combat system is truly unique. Each character and ability has a range of where they can do damage. This information is clearly marked on each card. This means that position and orientation matter when trying to deal with damage. The rest will resolve like your typical TCG after the stack resolves.

Finally, is the game’s resource system. In Genesis, players get a pool of mana based on their chosen champion. Players use this resource to cast their cards. A player can also cast cards by paying life or milling cards from their hand or deck if the ability calls for it. Having a diverse pool of resources means players can’t get locked out of a game for drawing poorly. These resources are finite, so the goal is to be efficient. This is my favorite aspect of the game and I will die on that hill.

The game is a little more complicated than my simple explanation, so I’ll leave an official tutorial to get you started down the Genesis rabbit hole.

How to Play Genesis

Here’s a great tutorial by DMArmada to help get you started.

New Vs. Old Cards


If you’re coming back to the hobby, you’ll notice that Genesis cards will be different from what you remember. Edge of Exile has decided to change the design of the card to better represent what they want for the game, and I think it’s for the better.

The most noticeable change will be on the back of the cards. They’ve removed the logo of the old company (RIP Haunted Castle Gaming) and changed the black background to a prettier purple and green gradient. I prefer the colorful back and new logo.

The front of the card has some major formatting changes that make the card cleaner. Abilities are easier to read, costs and line of sight are easier to understand, and the art looks better. There was nothing wrong with the old design, I quite like the retro vibe, but the new design makes the cards look modern. I’ll leave examples of champion cards from the newest Invasion set and the older Genesis set. Invasion is the first set with the redesign, and fingers crossed we get the upcoming metamorphosis.

Gamilla from Invasion
Iblis from Genesis

Quality

The quality of the cards is fantastic out of the box. The cards are a good thickness with a solid weight to them. They feel great to shuffle and hold, but I would advise you to sleeve them first. The art is clean and vibrant, and the text is easy to read. I did find one holographic card with visible track lines. It is the only misprint I’ve found so far, so it isn’t a huge deal.

Review

I was sent a booster box of Invasion and Genesis, all the Invasion starter decks, and a playmat. After learning how to play, opening a few packs, and testing a couple of the decks, my honest opinion is that this game is a lot of fun. I am not good at it, but I enjoyed every minute I sucked at it.

Genesis has beautiful art. I prefer the new style, but there is nothing wrong with the retro vibe of older sets. My favorite card has to be Harlequin. I love the twisting trees that disappear into the fog behind her. I love the purple glow of the fire from her eyes and heart. It’s a cool-looking demon, and I had a lot of fun with her deck. The rest of the set has been a lot of fun to collect because of how good the art is, and how much flavor went into it.

More important than the art is the gameplay. Genesis is a lot of fun. The movement system is great, there are no mana issues, and combat doesn’t feel slow. I am not huge on strategy games like this, but Genesis was a blast. It is definitely something I am going to keep in my rotation, especially since I have other decks I need to try. If you enjoy TCGs and wargaming, you’re going to want to look into Genesis. If you have the friend group, I recommend you get a few starter decks and at least give the game a try. Once you get hooked, you can buy a few booster boxes and never look back. The only other way to buy Genesis is through your LGS if they carry it. If they don’t, they can contact Edge of Exile directly and I am sure they’ll get hooked up with samples.

I know there is going to be some resistance because of how the game ended the first time. There are fans of the game that will never come back and others that will be hard to convince. The biggest hurdle Edge of Exile faces is earning back the goodwill that was lost. The company is making impressive strides to revitalize the game. They have a good relationship with distributors, they are growing the community by the day, and they are working on a new expansion that looks amazing. There is an active YouTube channel you need to follow to stay up-to-date on all the news.

Will their efforts be enough to save the game? It is hard to say at this point. The new set needs to come out, there needs to be an easy way to buy products, and there needs to be an accessible community. They are currently working on fixing this issue, and I hope that they do because this game is fun.