okay so i've been trying to get into a bunch of games recently. played baldur's gate 3 for about 25 hours before running into some weird storyline stuff that gradually wore me off it, tried starting bioshock and had some fun but couldn't really get into it, played a decent amount of ghost of tsushima because i was watching a lot of kurosawa films but then this game came along. i've only had it for about four days and i've already somehow sunk 20 hours into it, and feel like that playtime is just going to balloon more and more.
on the surface it's fairly simple, a poker based roguelike (roguelite? honest to god i do not understand the difference) deckbuilder with no story, multiplayer, or really anything going on outside of the main gameplay loop, but my god is that gameplay loop fun. i like poker quite a bit to be honest (though i'm not much of gambler) but this is barely even poker outside of the hands and the aesthetics, instead it's much more of a luck and math based puzzle game. trying to give yourself the highest possible score by building your multipliers and sprinkling your deck with cards that have a variety of different enhancements. one run you can be scrambling to get a flush or a straight on the last hand to desperately beat the boss and the next run will have you just cruising to the end playing pairs the entire game. you can write it off as "addictive" or "mind-numbing" but to me i just find this game so pure, so raw, about engaging with simple systems to create astonishing results within strict confines. usually have found myself incredibly bored with roguelites (likes?) but this is the first one to really sink it's claws into me and i think i'll have a hard time letting go. it's over for me once the mobile port comes out.
also want to just quickly praise the art direction which is simultaneously charming and psychotic in the same breath. all of the unique joker cards have great designs, some merely being beautifully rendered pixel art, others drawing their influence from other cards (baseball, pokemon, credit, etc.), many of them drawing specific influence from clowns in pop culture (juggalos will love this game, woop woop), but all having their own unique charm that makes some legitmately hard to not buy even if their effects will just tank the run. also love the swirling backdrop that really makes you feel like you're succumbing to madness as you accidentally enter your fourth straight hour of play, and the great punchy sound effects are sure to provide the pure dopamine hits any gambler craves.
i swear i'll try to finish one of those other games at some point.
on the surface it's fairly simple, a poker based roguelike (roguelite? honest to god i do not understand the difference) deckbuilder with no story, multiplayer, or really anything going on outside of the main gameplay loop, but my god is that gameplay loop fun. i like poker quite a bit to be honest (though i'm not much of gambler) but this is barely even poker outside of the hands and the aesthetics, instead it's much more of a luck and math based puzzle game. trying to give yourself the highest possible score by building your multipliers and sprinkling your deck with cards that have a variety of different enhancements. one run you can be scrambling to get a flush or a straight on the last hand to desperately beat the boss and the next run will have you just cruising to the end playing pairs the entire game. you can write it off as "addictive" or "mind-numbing" but to me i just find this game so pure, so raw, about engaging with simple systems to create astonishing results within strict confines. usually have found myself incredibly bored with roguelites (likes?) but this is the first one to really sink it's claws into me and i think i'll have a hard time letting go. it's over for me once the mobile port comes out.
also want to just quickly praise the art direction which is simultaneously charming and psychotic in the same breath. all of the unique joker cards have great designs, some merely being beautifully rendered pixel art, others drawing their influence from other cards (baseball, pokemon, credit, etc.), many of them drawing specific influence from clowns in pop culture (juggalos will love this game, woop woop), but all having their own unique charm that makes some legitmately hard to not buy even if their effects will just tank the run. also love the swirling backdrop that really makes you feel like you're succumbing to madness as you accidentally enter your fourth straight hour of play, and the great punchy sound effects are sure to provide the pure dopamine hits any gambler craves.
i swear i'll try to finish one of those other games at some point.