Tainted Grail: Conquest

Great deckbuilding roguelite game. It is not very difficult (at least in default difficulty) if you have experience with other deckbuilding games and remember that adding a new card into the deck is sometimes worse than skipping it. Pros: [list] [*] Metaprogression available to boost your stats (some of it being very strong, like more hp/armor/card draw) [*] Solid world/ambiance design, including graphics, story. Although it is quite dark. I really like Boss theme - Danheim Reida [*] 9 classes that play very differently, with 3 different set of class cards. [*] Achievements are relatively easy to get, although you might want to look for the [spoiler]bard[/spoiler] one as it can be painful to get if you don't follow the right path. I ended up doing one rune with each class + an extra run to get the achievement for winning in less than 15 fights and that was enough for all achievements. [/list] Cons: [list] [*] Overall game can be slow, although it depends on the character [*] If you are looking into min-maxing then you must make the right choice in a few events as they are not reversible from one run to another [*] If you want to unlock all meta-progression then it can be quite grindy. I am not there yet even after 40+ hours [/list]

Slay The Spire if it was a little bit less effective at communicating what stuff does, and a lot more roguelite with the progression. To that end, I think if you want a really polished deckbuilder roguelike, you'll not have a great time. But if you wish to feast upon jank, there's a lot of game here. Arthurian fantasy has been kind of a "we didn't know what to do so we did that" genre for a while, which has resulted in devs putting very intentional spins on it to try and stand apart. Tainted Grail takes a sort of acid folk angle, where the world has dissolved into dreams and you're slowly repairing it. Graphically, this means the enemies are silent hill residents and half the time you're playing there's a blur filter over everything. The other half of the time you're looking at mud and fallen in cottages. It's not an especially pretty game. It sounds gorgeous, though. The soundtrack reminds me of a Wardruna album. There's not *too* much variety to the tracks and some of them loop pretty heavily, but there's a boss song that goes incredibly hard and the chanting and strumming is a nice vibe regardless. Progression is decent. There's a lot of content, some of which you have to do pretty ideosyncratic stuff to get, but the pacing is fine and you get noticeably stronger whenever you unlock something. I'd say on a pretty deep sale, this is a safe pick. Edit: There's a weird initial hill where you're unlocking the things you need to grind. For example, you can't start improving your candles until you find the chandler. But improving your candles is really important, and the chandler appearing feels sort of random, so you kind of have to bash your head against a few runs for minimal returns until the rng blesses you. If you can get past this hill, the game gets significantly better.

I’ll be the first to admit that I not terribly bright when it comes to roguelike deck builders. In fact, I went into Tainted Grail: Conquest expecting my taint to get [strike] grailed [/strike] grilled? (hur hur). So it was much to my surprise, that I found I could quite easily grasp the main mechanics of the various classes quite easily. Yes, it definitely requires one or two playthrough with a class to understand. But despite that accessibility, there’s actually a surprising amount of depth to the various classes here. As with any deck builder, the joy comes from discovering a new tactic/card/synergy and TG:C definitely delivers in this aspect. The gameplay actually reminds me a bit of the very old Magic: The Gathering Shandalar (like 1997 old), with mild narrative elements and bits of lore about the denizens of the Wyrdness - the mysterious realm the game takes place in . That said, because of the game’s rather niche status (i.e. a roguelike deckbuilder) there’s not a tonne of information or build guides out there. What does exist is scattered across different sites and communities. So be prepared to do some digging if you want optimisation tips or quest info. I played this game primarily on the Steam Deck and for sure, frame rates were decent, though it does drain battery at a slightly faster rate than average. There were occasional freeze frame during battles as well (it’s apparently a known issue even on PC). Though the usually resolve in about 5-6 seconds - it’s annoying, but not severely game-breaking. Though the control scheme is serviceable for the most part on the Steam Deck, I did notice the occasional input lag (or even nonresponsiveness). But again, nothing game-breaking. Managed to 100% the game easily enough, though there is honestly quite the lack of information out there. In fact, the closest I found was [url=https://www.trueachievements.com/game/Tainted-Grail-Conquest/achievements] TrueAchievements [/url]. 
 You’ll need proficiency in all the classes (i.e. progress through the game and level all classes to Level 20). Most challenging achievement by far is ‘Quick One’ which requires you to complete a victorious run in 15 encounters or less. Definitely takes some class mastery and know-how and perhaps a little RNG for good skill/passive/cards. Took me a few tries but nothing too difficult. 

 All-in-all, I had a great time with TG:C. It’s a moody roguelike deck builder with great class variety and a solid atmosphere. Performance quirks aside, it’s absolutely worth a shot - especially if you prefer your deckuilders slower-paced.

本作与《杀戮尖塔》的本质区别在与：后者靠职业、流派和新卡牌带来的无穷可能性和随机性提供可重玩性。局外成长只是解锁新卡牌的手段，而不是目的，解锁所有卡牌也并不会花多少时间，属于比较纯正的“肉鸽”玩法。而本作则是一款偏向刷刷刷的“肉鸽like”，局外成长的占比非常高，甚至高到不去刷就通不了关的程度，随机性和玩法的上限都较低，可重玩性也与刷刷刷直接绑定。 [h3]多而不精的玩法堆砌[/h3] 卡牌玩法与《杀戮尖塔》大体类似，伤害预览、路线选择、商店删牌、过关选牌等元素一应俱全。本作虽没有遗物系统，但也有类似的”被动技能系统“，与人物等级绑定：杀怪可以获得经验，每升两级抽一次被动技能，升一级抽一次卡。 不同之处主要有三点： ---------------------- ①游戏总共有3个大关，每关一个BOSS，把三个关卡全部清空所需的战斗场次大约在35~40场之间。关键在于，单个关卡内的路线并不是线性的，玩家可以在地图里自由移动、自选路线，甚至可以直奔BOSS（比如有一个成就要求在15场战斗内通关）。这个设计的初衷是好的，可以提高游玩的自由度。但问题在于，大多数职业的核心被动技能都需要角色达到10级甚至20级才能解锁，而部分职业如果没有这些被动技能，几乎完全处于残废状态。不刷级在低难度（比如简单难度） + 强势职业确实可以做到15次甚至更少次数内通关，但难度稍微高一点，想要这么玩就不现实了，所以说刷级几乎是必须做的。 矛盾点就在这里：想要提升人物等级，就必须通过战斗获取经验，那自选路线的意义其实就没有那么大了。我在高难度下每一次通关，几乎都需要把所有事件 + 怪物全清，这基本已经是必选项。看似自由度很高的路线选择，最后还是变成了“尽可能多打怪升级”。 ②本作有符文和可消耗道具的设定，两者需要通过杀敌掉落获取，而且数值强度非常高，合理使用能够极大地改变战局（这也从侧面说明了清怪的必要性）。符文类似于装备，可以提供永久加成和特殊效果，可以是简单的增伤，也可以是每回合额外攻击之类的强力效果。可消耗道具则可以暂时提供BUFF或造成直接伤害，效果虽没有符文那么强，但是胜在可以叠加。比如一回合内降防增伤的道具可以多次叠加使用，很容易达成单回合内增伤10倍的效果。 我不会说符文和可消耗道具是制作组为了降低游戏难度而给予玩家的怜悯，反倒更像是后期数值膨胀后不得不打上的补丁，与其他玩法系统之间的结合比较割裂。尤其是这些系统全部叠加在一起之后，战斗就从卡牌构筑变成单纯的数值碾压了。 ③个人认为，本作玩法上唯一比较突出的亮点，在于它顺滑地将RPG元素与卡牌融合在了一起。玩家在路线探索过程中，除随机事件之外还可以接取大量支线任务，而做出的选择也会在不同游玩轮次之间得到保留。游戏中还有一个类似基地的村落，村落里的NPC每个都对应一个强化分支系统，比如提供属性加成、符文强化和商店功能等等，而这些功能都需要通过完成支线任务逐步解锁。 随着完成的支线越来越多，村落里的NPC越来越齐全，玩家可以解锁更多的主线信息和玩法系统，并逐渐变得更强，这个开荒的过程非常有趣。剧情方面基本就是神神叨叨的神话故事，虽然做了全配音，但着实没什么营养，可有可无。RPG元素真正的乐趣，我认为主要还是在于通过支线任务逐渐解锁NPC，以及做出不同分支选择的过程本身。 ---------------------- 本作总共有3个职业大类，分别是百变牌术士、战士和召唤师，不同大类之间的卡池与被动技能池都是不一样的。每个大类有包含3个职业，同一大类内的职业之间只有初始被动技能和大招有所不同。所以说虽然总共有9个职业，但实际卡池只有3种。而且我实际体验下来感觉每种职业基本都只有1~2种比较成熟的套路，职业之间强度也不算平衡，冥尘猎人和探路者都非常超模，而召唤师成型慢，前期容易暴毙，术士又比较吃构筑，容易卡启动。 综上来说，本作虽然有比较新颖的RPG元素，也塞进了非常多的玩法子系统，无疑是做到了“多”，但却是“多而不精”，玩法深度并不高，各子系统间联动有限，可替代性强（比如符文就完全可以和被动技能合并）。不过话虽如此，游戏内容支撑10~15小时的高质量游玩是没有什么问题的，尤其是前期做支线、逐步解锁NPC和新玩法的开荒期，还是非常有乐趣的。 [h3]为了3D而3D的美术[/h3] 本作另一个不得不提的点就是美术了。虽然乍看之下立绘很惊艳，也做了3D模型、捏脸和时装系统，花在美术上的资源比大多数独立卡牌肉鸽游戏都要高。但实际上，本作的3D模型质量几乎只有12/13年的水准，角色脸丑出天际不说，而且99%的时间角色都是屁股对着玩家的。再加上场景单一，怪物模型种类也不多，砸资源搞3D化对于更看重玩法的牌佬来说，着实意义不大。 而且3D化也带来了一个非常明显的缺点——跑图真的有点浪费时间。其他肉鸽卡牌游戏选路线，只要鼠标点一下就行，而本作则需要操纵角色慢悠悠地走过去。如果是对这方面比较敏感的玩家，可以考虑直接放弃购买了。 "角色需要走到事件点"这一设计，其实是“冥尘机制”衍生而来的。角色探路需要使用冥尘蜡烛，蜡烛如果烧完了，系统就会时不时往手牌塞一张负面BUFF卡，不消耗能量打出去就会叠加DEBUFF。反之如果蜡烛点着了，就会给玩家塞正面BUFF卡。如果不用蜡烛在地图里乱逛，就会触发一些特殊的随机遭遇。这个机制只能算是给玩法上增加随机性的添头，可有可无（再次印证了前面提高的“多而不精”，为了丰富系统而增加系统，最后反而让一些原本很简单的事情变得更加繁琐）。 [h3]过度拆分资源导致的肝度上升[/h3] 如果单靠RPG要素和现有的卡牌玩法，虽然本作内容不算多，但短时间游玩的体验其实还算合格甚至还不错。但问题在于，制作组为了强行拉长时间、提高局外成长的占比，把角色的初始性能砍得太狠了。 游戏前期的卡池是不完整的，而且因为没有做支线任务，村落里一个NPC也没有。而不少玩法系统是只有在NPC解锁后才能使用的，比如铁匠对应符文系统、女裁缝提高角色数值以及商人提高物品掉落率等等。也就是说，前期不仅卡池强度低、缺少KEY卡导致流派不成型，角色初始属性弱，甚至连玩法机制本身也是残缺的。普通难度都容易暴毙，更别提开局就选困难难度了。而解决上述问题，不是简单多玩几次，把系统和卡牌解锁出来就能实现的，而是必须花时间反复多次重玩，刷局外成长。 我认为局外成长的设置问题有二，一是分得太细，二是太肝： ---------------------- ①首先是细分问题，游戏总共有8种货币：[list] [*]金钱：用于购买道具、增益和符文等物品，战斗和事件提供； [*]冥尘石：解锁NPC功能，提高血瓶等级（初始回复30点HP，满级50点），战斗和事件提供； [*]符文石尘：每次将相同的符文三合一给1个，用于解锁铁匠的永久加成，如符文掉率； [*]血液：战斗掉落，用于解锁角色属性加成和裁缝功能，如解除诅咒和购买被动技能； [*]烛油：点燃蜡烛，随着蜡烛燃烧掉落，用于解锁制烛匠功能，提高蜡烛燃烧时间和初始蜡烛数量 [*]卡牌碎片：升级时提供的抽卡，弃选了几张卡牌就给几个碎片，用于解锁战士功能，可以移除卡牌、购买卡牌、增加回合抽牌数等 [*]黄金代币：通关时剩多少金币，就按照金币数除以100获得，比如剩1000金币就给10个，用于提高可消耗道具的性能和掉率。 [*]札记书页：万能货币，用于兑换其他货币，解锁新卡牌，新事件，新被动掉落。[/list] 看到这些密密麻麻的货币分类是不是麻了？每种货币的获取方式都不同，都要单独去刷，再去对应的NPC处消费使用。我只能说，系统不是越多越复杂越好，简简单单的一个货币系统，搞得太过复杂。 ②另一个问题是太肝。首先，符文的插槽解锁需要花钱，符文也分普通、稀有和传说等级，不同等级之间也需要合成转换，需要肝。卡池和被动技能池也要肝，比如初始职业冥尘猎人，我通关了10多遍，随机地点和事件每次都是全清，都还没有解锁全，这已经脱离正常范畴了。 NPC处通过消耗上述的货币可以获得的加成也非常夸张，包括增加初始护甲和血量的属性加成，也有直接移除卡牌、增加每回合抽牌数、增加可消耗物品性能、符文掉率、金币掉率等逆天加成。想要流畅游玩必须要肝。而且这些货币的数值要求非常高，想要把所有局外成长全拉满，我估计至少要80-100小时。此时你能做的就是一遍又一遍的打那同样的3个BOSS，但是玩法深度又支撑不起那么长的游玩时间，手动刷完全是坐牢，我的建议是直接风灵月影。让我想起了《漫威蜘蛛侠》，同样是为了强行拉高肝度，整拼好币，屁大点的新系统全部都设计一套新的货币，所有东西都要单独刷。 ---------------------- 局外成长不刷是坐牢，刷局外成长的过程是重复劳动也是坐牢。那把局外成长刷满之后呢？又变成可以无脑通关、一路碾压了，比如无尽模式几乎可以无限玩下去，怪物数值膨胀几百上千倍也还能继续碾压，血量几千万，伤害几亿也照样玩。在两个极端之间游走，后期体验跟肉鸽几乎已经不沾边了，玩法基本都是固定的。可以说既没有《杀戮尖塔》那种不断尝试新构筑的乐趣，也没有传统刷子游戏不断刷装备、刷BD的爽感，一旦把所有随机事件都触发了一遍，随机事件等内容全部体验完（大约需要20-30小时），剩下的只有重复劳动。 [h3]结语[/h3] 个人评分6.5~7，中评，鉴于完成度还是很高的，最后给了好评。本作玩法深度有限，个人评价是可玩可不玩。喜欢刷刷刷/对前期开荒解锁NPC和分支选择感兴趣/单纯想无脑打牌的玩家可以考虑购入（前提是用修改器把资源先拉高一点，或者调高资源掉落倍率，不然说实话真有点坐牢）。 PS：觉得有帮助的话可以康康我的[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44921690] 个人鉴赏家 [/url]与[url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/mylonelycabin] 群组 [/url]

This game hits all my boxes. Turn Based? Check! Amazing soundtrack? Check! Rogue-lite with multiple characters to unlock so it doesn't get dull? Check! Card combos out the wazoo? Check! If any of the above even REMOTELY interests you, then by all means, buy this game!

Easily the best rogue-lite game I have played. 9 classes are all unique and provide a totally different play style. Every class also has multiple ways to build them in a run, so the game play stays fresh even if you play the same class for multiple runs. Worth full price, but also constantly goes on sale for $5. Can not recommend enough if you enjoy deck builders or rogue lite style games.

I played [i]The Fall of Avalon[/i], liked the setting and got [i]Conquest[/i] on sale. I have played [i]Slay the Spire[/i] before, so I'm not entirely new to deckbuilding rogue-lites, either. I thought I knew what to expect, but it still disappointed me completely. The setting is weird in a funny way and I could have gone along with it. Unfortunately the wyrdness is a mechanic that doesn't really make the game fun. You need wyrdcandles to withstand it, of which there's only a limited supply. This means you can either explore the world to level before the regional boss and run out of candles at some point or go to the boss more quickly and get smashed. As if the limited amount of health and recovery was not enough to limit the extend of exploration. The gameplay just falls flat entirely. The starting class is kind of boring and gets easily overwhelmed by mob packs - which make up most encounters and bosses. I only slogged through some runs to unlock the next class. The second class plays a lot better and I immediately progressed a lot further. Unfortunately that class is massively reliant on RNG. Not only based on the draws which can just ruin an entire run on a whim, but even more so the fact that you cannot select targets for summoned minions. In a game where certain mob packs require a strict killing order, such a design is just intolerable. A single run of the second class got me far enough to unlock the third, which represents the last archetype. That one felt so massively weak compared to the second with little health, comparatively little damage and bad defensive capabilities. Permanent upgrades are also hard to unlock and rely on even more RNG. So while the setting is fine, the gameplay, class design and progression are not. Maybe there is a class I would have enjoyed more out of the 6 I have not yet unlocked, but that's just another problem. You cannot expect players to slog through for hours upon hours to hopefully unlock the one fun class that is not entirely RNG or badly designed - if it even exists at all. Well, at least it was cheap and the money goes to the developer of the much more enjoyable [i]The Fall of Avalon[/i]. So it's not a complete waste. But it is a disappointment nontheless.