Card Dungeon

Good
  • Great art work and card variety with players encouraged through limited use cards to try new options
  • Mashup of genres creates for a unique experience
Bad
  • Just a tad on the slow side of game pace
  • Limited customisation and control on your strategy path
8.5

Combining rogue like elements, card collecting and turn based role playing is Card Dungeon, a uniquely entertaining experience for your mobile device and computer. With a crusader under your control, thousands of cards at your disposal and hordes of enemies in the dungeon before you Card Dungeon will keep you engrossed for hours and hours as you uncover new strategies to overcome increasingly difficult game challenges.

card-dungeon-gameplay-crusader

Set in a game world where players are returning from a long voyage they find their homelands have been overrun by unholy creatures allied with the Nethermist. Settling into the various crypts and dungeons across the land they seep out from these bases of operations to terrorise the lands around them. As the hero of this world players are one of the few that can take out vengeance and make the lands safe once again from the unclean monsters that now claim pockets of it.

Mixing the card and board game genre into one is never an easy goal but Card Dungeon manages to do so while keeping the core mechanics simple with a steady pace of evolution. This ensures that there is plenty of depth within particularly at the price point and platforms the game operates in. Underneath all of this is the rogue-like mechanisms which kick in upon player death although do give you one opportunity to reclaim your loot.

card-dungeon-gameplay-lava-eruption

At the start of each game players can select a two passive trait cards to help in the adventure ahead and influence some of your playstyle. Importantly one of these has a positive effect (such as healing you randomly) and the other has a negative effect (such as only being able to purchase 1 shop item) that players will have to overcome. While you’ll start off with only two traits you’ll eventually end up with many more as you collect knowledge gems throughout the dungeon.

In addition to your trait cards players will get dealt three cards for each new adventure which can range from healing to magic, attacks, blocks and summoning. For example players may get a card that allows them to cast a shock blast or swing their sword with a devastating strike that will form the basis of combat for that run. Using these cards players will traverse the various game chapters exploring rooms and defeating evil creatures that range from slimes to zombies, spiders and everything in between.

card-dungeon-gameplay-zombies

As a turn based game you can only perform one action for each turn though, be it moving, searching a chest or attacking an enemy within range. Both chests and slain enemies will allow you to find new cards to replace your damaged ones along with potions to recover any lost health or mana. From time to time players will also come across items to improve their monster slaying stats with all of these elements combining to a steady pace of gameplay progression.

Overall Card Dungeon is a solid addition to the growing rogue like genre on mobile devices, it’s a highly addicting mix of genres that ticks all the right boxes.

Summary:

  • Unique artwork for every card with fantastic designs across the cards, world and enemies.
  • Every card has limited uses which encourages players to try new cards.
  • Rogue like gameplay delivers a real challenge as you push further into dungeons each time.
  • Positive and negative traits system creates interesting decisions and challenges.
  • For iOS and Windows/Mac devices.

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Review Platform: iOS

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Written by
Samuel Franklin
Samuel Franklin is the founder and lead editor of the Games Finder team and enjoys video games across all genres and platforms. He has worked in the gaming industry since 2008 amassing over 3 million views on YouTube and 10 million article views on HubPages.

Games Finder is a Steam Curator and featured in the aggregate review scores data of MobyGames and Neoseeker.
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