Ancient Gods
- August 3, 2022
- Hexpion
- 20h median play time
Get on Steam"Ancient Gods" is a turn-based card battle game with a single-player mode and randomly generated events. Players can collect and battle with over 30 unique characters, each with their own cards and passive skills. The game features a class system and a combo system based on the color of the cards played, allowing players to craft their own powerful decks. Join the discord community for updates and discussions.
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PC
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Reviews
- The art style and graphics are beautiful, enhancing the overall experience.
- The game offers a fun and casual deck-building experience, suitable for both new and experienced players.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback and actively work on updates and improvements.
- The game suffers from a lack of content and variety, leading to repetitive gameplay.
- Character and card balance issues make certain combinations overpowered while others feel useless.
- The gacha mechanics can feel frustrating and grindy, detracting from the enjoyment of the game.
- gameplay142 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its repetitive mechanics, lack of variety in cards and enemies, and poorly executed controls, leading to a frustrating experience. While some players appreciate the art style and potential for fun, many feel that the game lacks depth and innovation, making it less engaging over time. Overall, it offers a basic roguelike deck-building experience but requires significant improvements to be truly enjoyable.
“The gameplay is fun and as simple or complex as you would like it to be.”
“Gameplay-wise, the passives for each god, the 9 different starting classes, and the 'choose your path' type endless mode offer a lot of replayability while the campaign lets you learn the game as you progress through it.”
“Its mechanics are smooth and combat/card combos are much deeper than they feel at first once you get past the second tutorial level.”
“The gameplay is marred by repetitive mechanics and poorly executed controls, leading to a frustrating experience rather than an enjoyable one.”
“The different gods don't really have enough variety in their gameplay, so if you play one that uses water cards, then all the other water card playing gods feel basically the same.”
“It's not fun running through 10-60 events where the gameplay is exactly the same, but with bigger numbers.”
- graphics74 mentions
- 76 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their appealing art style and beautiful character designs, which many players find impressive and enjoyable. However, there are criticisms regarding the lack of polish and animation, leading to a perception that the visuals alone cannot sustain the gameplay experience. While the audiovisuals create a pleasant atmosphere initially, the repetitive nature of the gameplay diminishes the overall impact of the graphics over time.
“The art style is great.”
“The visuals are really good and I love the theme of using mythology; the game is addicting, you can easily go for quick farming to upgrade or instead a long endurance run to try and go very far.”
“The audio and the visual design is outstanding and the art style matches flawlessly with the music and the atmosphere.”
“While the game has some really pretty graphics, the gameplay falls short and brings very little to the table.”
“There could be more animations when an attack happens, but besides that, I personally like the art style.”
“There are no sound effects really or popping visuals either.”
- story48 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely criticized for being virtually nonexistent, with many reviewers noting a lack of depth, progression, and world-building. The campaign is described as short and uninspired, consisting of only a few maps and minimal narrative context, leaving players feeling disconnected from the characters and their backstories. Overall, the absence of a compelling story detracts significantly from the gaming experience.
“All gods have some essential backstory, which is nice.”
“For a game with so many beautifully designed characters, I'd really love to get to actually experience them on a unique story level for each one.”
“Story - there is little in the way of story, but the setting is really neat.”
“The narrative fails to captivate, leaving the story feeling disjointed and uninspired.”
“The campaign is really short and there is no story - only 5 maps, out of which 1 is a tutorial.”
“There's not a lot of world building or story to cement you in why you're there, why you're collecting gods, or what they mean to each other.”
- grinding38 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a significant focus on grinding in the game, with many players feeling that it detracts from the overall experience due to its excessive nature and lack of variety. While some players find enjoyment in the grind and appreciate the game's visuals and theme, others criticize it for being overly time-consuming and potentially leading to a pay-to-win model. Overall, the grinding aspect is a polarizing feature, with opinions ranging from it being a fun challenge to a frustrating necessity.
“Overall, this game looks very clean but is lacking in several key areas such as card variety, event variety, and the majority of what would make this game interesting is locked behind an ungodly amount of grinding.”
“The problem is, every system this game has is designed to not respect your time and to be grindy because otherwise there is no reason to play past 10 hours.”
“It's very much of a pay-to-win gambling sort of system, where grinding for money to progress isn't fun, so they'll add on a payment system later.”
- monetization22 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's monetization model is generally well-received, with a free-to-play mobile version that allows players to enjoy the game without aggressive microtransactions, although some users note the presence of ads and a gacha system. Players appreciate the ability to earn in-game currency through gameplay rather than purchases, making the grind feel rewarding. However, some critiques mention a pay-to-win aspect in the paid version, suggesting a mixed experience depending on the platform.
“There is a gacha system, but you should know it's 100% free, as in no in-app purchases for the currency. Just play the game and grind it out.”
“Excellent artwork, fun mechanics, and while it has a gacha-style method of acquiring new characters, there are no microtransactions, so not really a problem.”
“Thanks to the relaxing atmosphere and the fair monetization model, it's just so easy to play a few rounds and have fun just by enjoying the game, so I can only recommend it.”
“If you have a monkey brain and are addicted to seeing numbers go up, you can play it 'free' on mobile, where it does everything in its power to drive you insane with anti-player tricks designed to make you watch ads or pay up.”
“This game costs 20 dollars, currently on sale for 14, but you buy the game, yes, then you realize the game is pay-to-win when it already feels like a 14+ cash grab gacha.”
“Their mobile version seems to get updates quicker but is free to play with an option to buy it and remove ads.”
- music22 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding the soundtrack repetitive and lacking depth, while others appreciate its chill vibe and how it complements the beautiful artwork. Although the audio design is noted as surprisingly good by some, many feel it does not stand out compared to other games at the same price point. Overall, while the music enhances the atmosphere, it may not be memorable or engaging enough for all players.
“The audio and the visual design is outstanding and the art style matches flawlessly with the music and the atmosphere.”
“This game is really good for winding down your day with the chill music; it might be easier than the hardcore Slay the Spire.”
“Positive: the art is beautiful and the soundtrack is very enjoyable.”
“The sound is almost non-existent and the soundtrack consists of a single track that gets repetitive very quickly.”
“But music is not their strength; it does not make me interested and pay attention.”
“The game has drawbacks though: I think the game is a little repetitive in sound/music; endless gets pretty dull once you've got a good build; or the campaign could use a story.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game offers a decent level of replayability due to its diverse selection of gods, unique skills, and various deck types, enhanced by a roguelike mechanic. Players can explore different strategies through multiple starting classes and an endless mode, although some reviewers feel the overall execution lacks depth. While the potential for replay is acknowledged, there are concerns that the core gameplay may not fully capitalize on it.
“Replayability is good: there are many different gods with different skills, and even though they don't have exclusive sets of cards, there are a dozen types of decks (berserker, defender, archer, venomancer, arcane mage, fire mage, ...), which allow for many combinations.”
“The roguelike mechanic makes this game have high replayable value.”
“Gameplay-wise, the passives for each god, the 9 different starting classes, and the 'choose your path' type endless mode offer a lot of replayability, while the campaign lets you learn the game as you progress through it.”
“I was really hopeful that this game would be replayable and unique, but it falls short in so many ways.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's performance is generally satisfactory, but there are significant concerns regarding card and character balance, which many players feel requires further optimization. While some players enjoy the feeling of having an optimized deck that can secure quick victories, the lack of event variety and the perception that most decks are already well-optimized detracts from the overall experience.
“I felt moments of pure glee at how my deck was optimized in a way to win almost every battle in my first turn.”
“Card/character balance: yes, this is still not that optimized and needs a few more tweaks here and there to get more balanced.”
“The game does a lot right, but the complete lack of event variety and that most of the decks already feel optimized really kills the game.”
- stability8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's stability is generally acceptable, with players reporting minor bugs and balance issues, but no major game-breaking problems. While some mechanics, like bleed effects and reflect, are not functioning as intended, the overall experience remains enjoyable. As it is in early access, users anticipate future updates to address these concerns.
“It is early access, and not 100% bug-free at all. I've encountered a few minor bugs so far, but no game-breaking issues or progress locks.”
“It is early access, and not 100% bug-free at all. I've encountered a few minor bugs so far, but no game-breaking issues or progress locks.”
“Very interesting, it only lacks a little on the content side, but I'm sure they're going to be adding stuff. It hasn't been buggy; the bleed effects and reflect don't really work. I'm playing on Poseidon.”
“Awesome and fun game, but still kind of buggy and really unbalanced.”
“Awesome and fun game, but still kind of buggy and really unbalanced.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from the stark contrast between overpowered god/card combinations and the comically ineffective default options, leading to amusing gameplay scenarios. Players also find humor in unexpected achievements, such as triggering one without actually completing the required actions.
“Certain god/card combos are unbeatable and literally cannot lose, while the suggested/default gods and card combos are hilariously weak and ineffective.”
“Hilariously, I triggered another achievement without actually doing it.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its outstanding audio and visual design, with a harmonious art style that complements the music. Reviewers appreciate the relaxing ambiance, which enhances the overall enjoyment and makes it easy to engage with the game casually.
“The audio and visual design is outstanding, and the art style matches flawlessly with the music and the atmosphere.”
“Thanks to the relaxing atmosphere and the fair monetization model, it's just so easy to play a few rounds and have fun by simply enjoying the game, so I can only recommend it.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that the character design is exceptionally beautiful, suggesting a strong emphasis on visual aesthetics in character development. However, there is no specific mention of narrative or emotional growth for the characters.
