Black Jacket

Superb atmospheric blackjack deckbuilder! My only negative critic would be that there are not enough artifacts to choose from and you mostly end up with more than half of the same ones each run, but that is already on their development roadmap.

- Good - Complex

夯

I personally like blackjack more than poker so this was balatro 2.0 for me.

As a huge fan of deckbuilding and roguelike games, Black Jacket caught my attention almost immediately. The fact that it combines those elements with poker was more than enough to make me curious — but after playing it, I can say that the game offers much more than I initially expected. The card mechanics and deckbuilding system are absolutely fantastic. There is a surprising amount of depth in the way cards work together, and building a deck never feels like something you are simply doing because the game requires it. You are constantly thinking about what works together, what you should remove, what you should add, and how you can push a particular build further. What impressed me even more, however, is how well the story is integrated into the card game itself. From what I understood, you find yourself in another world — perhaps even some kind of purgatory — where you have to follow a roadmap of different challenges in order to progress. Boss fights, Soul Fights, deckbuilding challenges and other encounters gradually lead you forward, with the ultimate goal of confronting Reed, the person who taught you the game in the first place. I really enjoyed how the story never feels completely disconnected from the gameplay. The card game is not simply a mechanic placed on top of a story; it actually feels like an essential part of the world you are experiencing. The secondary characters are another highlight for me. Each one has their own story and place within this strange world, and the Relationship Level system gives you an additional reason to interact with them. I particularly like the fact that progressing through these relationships actually matters when it comes to moving forward. It makes these characters feel like more than simple NPCs you encounter along the way. The different card sets are also a fantastic idea. The Shame, The Vice and The Royalty each introduce their own mechanics and behave differently depending on how you arrange them on the board. This adds another layer of strategy to an already deep system and constantly gives you something new to think about. And this is probably the best way I can describe Black Jacket: it keeps your brain working. It is incredibly addictive, and even after completing the game and unlocking all the achievements, I still find myself coming back to play more. The 21 difficulty levels are also a fantastic addition for anyone looking for a serious challenge. The higher difficulties can really push you to understand the mechanics and optimize your decks rather than simply relying on a strong build. What I also appreciate is that the game doesn't feel like it is finished and forgotten. With more content and challenges planned for the future, I am genuinely looking forward to seeing where Black Jacket goes next. For me, this is one of those games that starts with a simple idea — cards, poker and deckbuilding — and turns it into something much deeper. If you enjoy deckbuilders, roguelikes or card games with a strong strategic component, I highly recommend giving Black Jacket a chance. And yes, even after finishing it and getting all the achievements, I'm still coming back for another run. That probably says everything.

Co tu napisać... Chyba najważniejsze, że to naprawdę oryginalna gra. Poza tematyką związaną z prawdziwą grą karcianą, nie ma nic wspólnego z grami takimi jak Balatro. Jest inaczej, bardziej nastrojowo, spokojnie, ale przy tym mechanicznie też znakomicie. W zasadzie to mi się ta gra podoba dużo bardziej niż Balatro czy większość typowych karcianych rogoulike-ów. Black Jacket jest niesamowicie klimatyczna. Ma niezbyt długą, ale dopracowaną historię, opowiedzianą dialogami wygłaszanymi do naszego niemego bohatera. Co ciekawe, chyba pierwszy raz doceniam grę aktorską, szczególnie aktor dający głos naszemu pierwszemu przeciwnikowi robi to znakomicie i gra dużo na tym zyskuje. Mechanicznie gra jest bardzo wciągająca. Dosyć szybko odblokowuje się większość kart i możliwości. Pierwsza wygrana też nie zajmuje dużo czasu. Ale potem można grać ponownie i ponownie podnosząc poziom trudności. Niestety wiele z tych poziomów praktycznie nic nie wnosi, ale szczególnie poziom 10 (chyba) bardzo mocno zmienia grę, bo powoduje, że przeciwnik odsłania zagraną kartę dopiero po tym, jak zagra kolejną. Z prawdziwym blackjackiem, jak to w tego typu grach przystało, gra ma niewiele wspólnego. Od początku mamy dostępny rękaw, w którym możemy chować karty, albo po to, żeby ich nie musieć zagrywać, albo żeby je zagrać później. Poza tym z czasem możemy ulepszać karty do wersji ze specjalnym działaniem, na przykład wpływającym na inne karty. Generalnie jest dużo więcej strategii, losowość bardzo mocno ograniczona. W zasadzie dobrze grając można wygrać każdą rozgrywkę, niezależnie od szczęścia. Ogólnie polecam mocno, bardzo przyjemna gra. Dziwię się, że nie jest bardziej znana.

very good and fun game