Great concept, a roguelike with poker elements! Very satisfying when you get combo's, and the characters all play in their own unique way. It would be even better if there were more main-line stories, instead of just the one that gets repeatedly harder. It's very fun to speedrun this, especially when you have your characters on either rebirth 1 or rebirth 2 (like a prestige mode in which you get to use all your abilities). Visually, the game needs a lot of improvement, because it gets laggy on higher settings, even if you have a good PC. Must say, after completing it fully, I am never touching it again, though...it satisfied me for the time being but it has no interesting bits for me to want to get back into it. The price at launch was about 15 euro's, so in that sense I enjoyed it enough!
This is a lovely roguelike which uses poker dynamics for atk/def. I finished the main story and once you "main" a character it feels so nice to combine cards, get a combo through the enemy and continue the adventure. Once you finish the campaign it gets boring pretty quickly, but for a few hours it's definitely an enjoyable experience.
Aces & Adventures is a fun card game. You draw from 2 decks, one is a normal ass card deck and you attack/defend with poker hands; the other is your character's abilities. There is a story mode that lasts about 4ish hours and you get to build your ability deck to fit what you want. It's very similar to the Hearthstone adventures. There are 4 difficulties and you gotta start on the easiest, in which deck building probably doesn't matter to much.
In between the chapters of the campaign you will get mana and fill up a tube. Half a tube gets you a card pack for deck building, and a full tube lets you go level up whatever character you want. Characters go to level 30 and get just base stronger, and let you pick different upgrade paths in the chapters for different builds.
There are also 2 other game modes besides campaign, and they are both Slay The Spire-esque roguelike modes. One you play with a deck you build yourself, and the other you start with 10 cards and it's pretty much Slay the Spire.
I played one round of the Deck Building one and my deck sucked ass but I still got through it. I'm not much of a deck builder so I don't really see myself doing that. I beat 3/4 difficulties for the other one though and it was fun until the last one. The last difficulty is just very insanely hard without getting incredibly lucky. That's probably the point of hard difficulty roguelikes i guess?, but it felt even more exacerbated by this being a card game and not something you can skill your way out of.
Also I hated every class but the starting one, none of them I vibed with.
I love the main menu though, the visuals of it give off a very 90's PC vibe to me.
In between the chapters of the campaign you will get mana and fill up a tube. Half a tube gets you a card pack for deck building, and a full tube lets you go level up whatever character you want. Characters go to level 30 and get just base stronger, and let you pick different upgrade paths in the chapters for different builds.
There are also 2 other game modes besides campaign, and they are both Slay The Spire-esque roguelike modes. One you play with a deck you build yourself, and the other you start with 10 cards and it's pretty much Slay the Spire.
I played one round of the Deck Building one and my deck sucked ass but I still got through it. I'm not much of a deck builder so I don't really see myself doing that. I beat 3/4 difficulties for the other one though and it was fun until the last one. The last difficulty is just very insanely hard without getting incredibly lucky. That's probably the point of hard difficulty roguelikes i guess?, but it felt even more exacerbated by this being a card game and not something you can skill your way out of.
Also I hated every class but the starting one, none of them I vibed with.
I love the main menu though, the visuals of it give off a very 90's PC vibe to me.
One sick ass card roguelike
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for September 2023, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before October 3rd, 2023, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
A narrative poker card game
Aces & Adventures starts with players exploring a strange land. The game is broken up into multiple adventures, each taking less than half an hour to play through, and appears to have an interconnected story. There are 5 playable characters, several unlockables, and decks of thirty ability cards to take into each adventure. The sound design deserves a special mention. The narration is solid but there are great little touches that pulled me into the story.
The gameplay though is very similar to poker. You create hands in poker like two of a kind or a full house, with a normal deck of cards. With the game being all fantasy-based, it’s odd to connect this to a typical card game, but after an hour this started to work, and there are a lot of clever abilities designed around the idea. Still, it’s a narrative poker card game, that’s a strange pairing that might put off people. Also, card games can tend to have some serious difficulty spikes so maybe I haven't seen that yet. However, I think the second character feels overpowered so far, which usually means I’m wrong and they’re the weakest.
Pick this up if you enjoy card games. The narrative is set with minor choices throughout the game, but the leveling means your deck of abilities can grow. It’s a strange idea but I’m going to mention the audio again because it did a great job making the entire game come together and it kept me engaged long enough for me to see some of the unique depth of the poker-style combat. I’ll probably return this weekend.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/BxErSXqL82A
A narrative poker card game
Aces & Adventures starts with players exploring a strange land. The game is broken up into multiple adventures, each taking less than half an hour to play through, and appears to have an interconnected story. There are 5 playable characters, several unlockables, and decks of thirty ability cards to take into each adventure. The sound design deserves a special mention. The narration is solid but there are great little touches that pulled me into the story.
The gameplay though is very similar to poker. You create hands in poker like two of a kind or a full house, with a normal deck of cards. With the game being all fantasy-based, it’s odd to connect this to a typical card game, but after an hour this started to work, and there are a lot of clever abilities designed around the idea. Still, it’s a narrative poker card game, that’s a strange pairing that might put off people. Also, card games can tend to have some serious difficulty spikes so maybe I haven't seen that yet. However, I think the second character feels overpowered so far, which usually means I’m wrong and they’re the weakest.
Pick this up if you enjoy card games. The narrative is set with minor choices throughout the game, but the leveling means your deck of abilities can grow. It’s a strange idea but I’m going to mention the audio again because it did a great job making the entire game come together and it kept me engaged long enough for me to see some of the unique depth of the poker-style combat. I’ll probably return this weekend.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/BxErSXqL82A
I'm a little bit down with the story, mostly as it was promoted with this thing of different adventures and is just chapters of the same one (and not one that I was feeling thrilled with), but outside of that? I really like what this game offers and how it plays.
Is pretty different from things like Slay the Spire and it offers both pre-deckbuild modes and a full roguelike mode to suit to all kind of players.
Is pretty different from things like Slay the Spire and it offers both pre-deckbuild modes and a full roguelike mode to suit to all kind of players.
This is a fusion of a deckbuilding game and poker, but the emphasis is placed almost 70 / 30 on how much you'll be engaging with the games poker vs. deckbuilding mechanics. There is so much more emphasis on getting high pairs or high suits in order to attack and defend, while the custom deck you build to go into each campaign feels like it acts as a supporting role. I got through half of the campaigns offered before I ever changed a card from the starting deck.
So as a deckbuilder it kind of fails to provide really challenging or interesting deck building challenges. Almost anything will work. Combine that with the rather slow progression of unlocking new abilities and cards, and by the end of the final campaign I really only had one viable strategy for the character I was using. There were clearly other strategies based on cards I unlocked, but I didn't get enough of them or the abilities unlocked that supported them. I wanted to explore the class I played with more, but I simply couldn't.
There is a great idea here, but it is a little too underbacked to really call it a "good" experience.
So as a deckbuilder it kind of fails to provide really challenging or interesting deck building challenges. Almost anything will work. Combine that with the rather slow progression of unlocking new abilities and cards, and by the end of the final campaign I really only had one viable strategy for the character I was using. There were clearly other strategies based on cards I unlocked, but I didn't get enough of them or the abilities unlocked that supported them. I wanted to explore the class I played with more, but I simply couldn't.
There is a great idea here, but it is a little too underbacked to really call it a "good" experience.
True to its name, Aces & Adventures has both aces and adventures. Your main deck is the classic 52-card pack, so, of course, there would be aces. You'll also get wild cards and a separate deck for your abilities, the latter being dependent or your character.
Speaking of character, the adventure is about the character going on a journey to regain their lost memories. The conflict arises from enemies that you encounter along the way.
Here are my thoughts about the game:
The ambiance: Instead of rushing through levels, the game encourages me to take it slow and enjoy the sights, the sounds, the words and how they're written, and the voiceover.
I spent like five minutes appreciating the port, and how the background noises capture its nature. The chatter, the kids squeal, the merchants shouting, the bells randomly ringing, the seagulls and the waves. That moment, I feel like the sea is calling me...
Oh, did I mention the subtle change in lighting depending on the setting? The artwork on cards (both playing and narrative ones) that fits the overall theme of the game?
The visuals are stunning, and not being stuck in a dreary dungeon certainly helped! A lot of places are still dark and eerie, but not like dungeon's repetitive dark and eerie.
The adventure elements: While I'm not the biggest fan of the adventure genre, I love that the game gives nods to familiar aspects of it. The sirens luring men with their singing, the mandible, the mimic. (Spoiler Incoming in 3, 2, 1...) Oh, and BTW, thank goodness it's a mimic and not the merchant! I knew it, the merchant ain't a weaksauce like that!
The gameplay: Balatro has been on my wishlist since its release, and Aces & Adventures is able to scratch some of that poker/big two gameplay itch. Unlike Balatro, it's not about making a hand that gives the most impressive score, it's about picking one that's most appropriate in the situation.
Still, I won't pass an opportunity to score a flush or better. The opportunity doesn't come so often, so might as well grab it if presented. Just a personal thing.
Another thing I love is how the game didn't introduce a separate currency to purchase stuff from the merchant. Instead, it's by discarding abilities in your hand. No need to wonder why defeating monsters grants you gold.
I have some thoughts about what I'd like to see in the future updates like improving the draw/discard mechanics, adding more options to "thin" the deck, and so on. However, I better complete the entirety of the game first, the minimum being completing the adventure mode with all the characters available.
One thing I can't help but suggest now: Please make the leaf upgrades more obvious. Perhaps, notify players that they have unused points for upgrades. I wasn't able to unlock nineteen until the Muspelheim level. Having these unlocked makes adventure mode soooo much easier, and I'm fine with it. This ain't no Dark Souls, and I'd rather be cozy.
The merchant: The game pointed out how comical it is to have this fella be wherever you are. Dread it, run from it, the merchant still arrives (except on Invernus, man know his limits).
The credits: As I've said earlier, I thoroughly enjoyed the visuals and sounds of the game. The credits enabled me to see the artworks and hear the voices again. Love it.
The cerulean: The narrator pronounces it in a way I don't. Is it wrong? I don't know. Although, I can point out some typos like Heiroglyph and Challanges.
My Verdict:
I enjoyed playing Aces & Adventures, and I'd recommend it if you're interested in the adventure aspect.
For its roguelike aspect, however, don't ask me, I'm still on the fence about it. I need to play the game more and I will soon! I just need to recover from the frustration brought by replaying the Dire Mire level, haha.
Speaking of character, the adventure is about the character going on a journey to regain their lost memories. The conflict arises from enemies that you encounter along the way.
Here are my thoughts about the game:
The ambiance: Instead of rushing through levels, the game encourages me to take it slow and enjoy the sights, the sounds, the words and how they're written, and the voiceover.
I spent like five minutes appreciating the port, and how the background noises capture its nature. The chatter, the kids squeal, the merchants shouting, the bells randomly ringing, the seagulls and the waves. That moment, I feel like the sea is calling me...
Oh, did I mention the subtle change in lighting depending on the setting? The artwork on cards (both playing and narrative ones) that fits the overall theme of the game?
The visuals are stunning, and not being stuck in a dreary dungeon certainly helped! A lot of places are still dark and eerie, but not like dungeon's repetitive dark and eerie.
The adventure elements: While I'm not the biggest fan of the adventure genre, I love that the game gives nods to familiar aspects of it. The sirens luring men with their singing, the mandible, the mimic. (Spoiler Incoming in 3, 2, 1...) Oh, and BTW, thank goodness it's a mimic and not the merchant! I knew it, the merchant ain't a weaksauce like that!
The gameplay: Balatro has been on my wishlist since its release, and Aces & Adventures is able to scratch some of that poker/big two gameplay itch. Unlike Balatro, it's not about making a hand that gives the most impressive score, it's about picking one that's most appropriate in the situation.
Still, I won't pass an opportunity to score a flush or better. The opportunity doesn't come so often, so might as well grab it if presented. Just a personal thing.
Another thing I love is how the game didn't introduce a separate currency to purchase stuff from the merchant. Instead, it's by discarding abilities in your hand. No need to wonder why defeating monsters grants you gold.
I have some thoughts about what I'd like to see in the future updates like improving the draw/discard mechanics, adding more options to "thin" the deck, and so on. However, I better complete the entirety of the game first, the minimum being completing the adventure mode with all the characters available.
One thing I can't help but suggest now: Please make the leaf upgrades more obvious. Perhaps, notify players that they have unused points for upgrades. I wasn't able to unlock nineteen until the Muspelheim level. Having these unlocked makes adventure mode soooo much easier, and I'm fine with it. This ain't no Dark Souls, and I'd rather be cozy.
The merchant: The game pointed out how comical it is to have this fella be wherever you are. Dread it, run from it, the merchant still arrives (except on Invernus, man know his limits).
The credits: As I've said earlier, I thoroughly enjoyed the visuals and sounds of the game. The credits enabled me to see the artworks and hear the voices again. Love it.
The cerulean: The narrator pronounces it in a way I don't. Is it wrong? I don't know. Although, I can point out some typos like Heiroglyph and Challanges.
My Verdict:
I enjoyed playing Aces & Adventures, and I'd recommend it if you're interested in the adventure aspect.
For its roguelike aspect, however, don't ask me, I'm still on the fence about it. I need to play the game more and I will soon! I just need to recover from the frustration brought by replaying the Dire Mire level, haha.