Deck of Ashes: Complete Edition

Deck of Ashes: Complete Edition is a mixed experience for me right now. The core experience was engaging and one that I enjoyed – when things worked the way I expected them to. Unfortunately, I ran into enough technical hurdles that I stopped my second playthrough and have only picked it up once since then (three days ago to see if the issue with not being able to refresh middle rows of cards was still happening – it is). It’s a shame, as things currently stand – but thankfully with a few tweaks to polish up some of the rough edges and make the most of the core experience.

Deck of Ashes: Complete Edition offers beautiful art design and some fascinating card battles with bosses. Animations during combat are pretty simple, and world exploration is a bit monotonous.

Deck of Ashes basically only appeals to its target audience. Even presenting an interesting card game system, the other elements of the game are only average. Graphics, sound, design and animations are competent, although unattractive. Therefore, we have a title highly recommended for fans of the genre, but not for those who do not enjoy the popular “heart of the cards”.

I have to commend developer AY Games too. It almost feels like they’ve taken visual cues from Darkest Dungeon, mixed them with mechanics from Slay the Spire, all while giving it their own unique spin on things. The result is a pretty solid title.

Deck of Ashes lets down its art with grinding gameplay balance and terrible font choices.

Deck of Ashes exceeded my expectations with a fun, challenging and interesting card game. The mechanics are so fresh it doesn’t feel reminiscent of any other game out there. Despite its faults, Deck of Ashes is a truly refreshing card game.

Deck of Ashes is a card game as it should be: It has a lot of variety and deep mechanics. The beautiful game world is also great. Four different characters with their own story and a reasonable roguelike system complete the package.