Tamarak Trail

One flipping good idea can't save this repetitive roguelike deckbuilder from only rolling above average.

Tamarak Trail follows a lot of the familiar beats of a deck-building roguelike, with enough character and unique twists to make a worthy addition to the genre. Its soundtrack and art style shine, with a world that is ripe for deeper exploration.

That isn’t to say everything is lackluster here, as the artwork is fantastic and the music and sound are also quite solid, but it isn’t enough to carry Tamarak Trail when so much could be improved upon elsewhere.

Tamarak Trail presents an intriguing proposal by incorporating dice as a central piece of its combat mechanics. However, the title is hampered by the superficiality of its roguelike elements, resulting in a monotonous journey lacking a palpable sense of progress. Therefore, despite its potential, it is not recommended for those who have not yet explored all the good options available within the genre.

Tamarak Trail’s unique idea is to give players dice to roll while also allowing them to choose exactly what action is on each face. This creates opportunities for interesting interactions, enhanced by the random way the dice bump into each other when thrown. Artifacts that can be slotted into die add to their power.

Tamarak Trail has a unique take on the deck building roguelite genre; however, with the use of dice, you trade strategic choices for randomness. The campaign doesn't help keep you interested, and ultimately, it feels like a chore, especially when you come across the same enemies. Yarrow Games rolled the dice with Tamarak Trail and they ended up with a promising structure that lacks meat on the bone.

Tamarak Trail‘s compelling art style and battle system are ultimately weighed down by poor design choices. If you can push past the thicket of mild annoyances, the well-honed dice-rolling mechanics shine through. Despite my hesitations, I kept rolling through tough bosses, mystifying character traits, and other less-polished moments. Hopefully, a little additional work bring Tamarak Trail a devoted audience. While frustrating, the journey through the woods is worth saving.

A smart and challenging take on a roguelike deck builder that instead decides to roll the dice for luck

A good roguelike leaves you as enchanted as you are frustrated. Tamarak Trail is a good roguelike. If you don’t play this game, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Play Tamarak Trail.

An interesting and engaging video game that offers a classic story and a context already seen in other works, while remaining faithful to its foundations. Tamarak Trail can satisfy, it can make you angry, and yes, it could take up entire days. Fantastic, right?