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Ardor

95%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
optimization, replayability
95% User Score Based on 163 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
Buy NowGet on Steam

About

Slice and dodge your way through a hex grid in this puzzle tactics card game. Avoid danger while dealing damage with the cards on hand, while powering up your deck. Turn Based Combat: Consider enemy attack patterns and decide how to navigate them while lashing out along the way. Upgrade any number on any card: Augment your deck's potential, while leaning into your own playstyle. Combine any…

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Ardor screenshot
Ardor screenshot

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 163 reviews
gameplay17 positive mentions
optimization2 negative mentions
  • Ardor features a unique and flexible card upgrade system that allows players to customize their strategies and create powerful combinations.
  • The game offers a relaxing yet challenging experience with engaging turn-based mechanics and a visually appealing aesthetic.
  • As a free game, Ardor provides a surprisingly deep gameplay experience, making it a worthwhile download for fans of strategy and deck-building genres.
  • The game can become repetitive quickly due to a limited number of cards and enemy types, which may affect long-term replayability.
  • Some players have reported performance issues, including lag and crashes, especially during longer sessions or in endless mode.
  • The onboarding process and tutorial could be improved, as some mechanics and card interactions are not clearly explained, leading to confusion for new players.
  • gameplay
    37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by engaging turn-based and rogue-like mechanics, featuring a unique card upgrading system that encourages strategic planning and tactical combos. Players appreciate the intuitive mechanics and addictive nature, despite some minor polish issues and repetitive elements. Overall, the game offers a satisfying and fun experience, especially for those who enjoy deck-building and tactical gameplay.

    • “The game uses turn-based and rogue-like mechanics where you must defeat various enemies and upgrade cards.”
    • “This game is fantastic; the UI is simple, mechanics intuitive, and gameplay easy to learn but difficult to master.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly unique, and the upgrade mechanics are very interesting.”
    • “The infusion mechanic was coded in a way that resulted in the cards not always being in the same place every time you go to infuse cards, so make sure to take your time and pay attention when doing this.”
    • “It's a little unpolished: enemies aren't very distinct, the UI is a little bland, it could use some quality of life features, but none of those things interfere significantly with the gameplay.”
    • “While the main campaign doesn't have much content yet, it has an endless mode where you can play around with the mechanics a bit more.”
  • graphics
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a simplistic yet appealing art style that complements its addictive gameplay. While some users appreciate the aesthetic and sound design, others note performance issues such as stuttering, even on low settings. Overall, the visuals are described as limited but effective, allowing for fluid gameplay without major distractions.

    • “The visuals are great and the sound design is wonderful.”
    • “The art direction is slick, sound and visuals alike.”
    • “Love the game so far, I am enamored with the art style, and the upgrade system is definitely my favorite out of any game I’ve ever seen.”
    • “Oh, and the game stutters hard, even on the lowest graphic settings.”
    • “Graphics are pretty limited.”
    • “Both the graphics are rather basic and the limited number of options you see when you launch the game.”
  • music
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally well-received, described as calming and fitting the overall aesthetic, though some players noted a single track that feels out of place. Overall, the sound design is considered solid, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.

    • “Its a really good game for its simplicity with some calming music and cool art.”
    • “Great game, good music, lots of strategy.”
    • “The sounds are solid for what they are, the music is quite nice, everything in general is done to a high degree of quality - in short, nothing is wrong with this game, and there's quite a lot that's also good about it too.”
    • “The music could be better, as it's what I'd call 'calming piano.' I have accidentally played this game for multiple hours at a time.”
    • “My only complaint is that there's only one song that doesn't fit the feel of the game at all, but it's largely unnoticeable in the grand scheme of things.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for being great, original, and polished, contributing to an enjoyable experience. However, some players noted that the initial excitement can diminish over time, despite the appealing enemy art and overall concept.

    • “Great atmosphere.”
    • “Love the atmosphere.”
    • “Atmospheric, fun, original, and polished enough to be frustration-free--ardor is exactly what draws me to indie projects.”
    • “I did really enjoy the concept, the card upgrading, the enemies, and the enemy art/atmosphere of the game, but that wore off after a little while.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received mixed feedback; while some players experience significant performance issues, particularly in later levels, others report only minor frame rate drops that are often negligible. Overall, the optimization appears to vary depending on the player's progression through the game.

    • “Last I played, it was so poorly optimized that it slowed to a crawl after many levels.”
    • “However, you can start to see some degradation in performance in later levels, past the main run of the game, though the drop in frames is negligible at worst and almost unnoticeable at best.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players note that while the game offers strategic depth and combo potential, its replayability is currently limited, with a desire for more cards and modifiers to enhance the experience in future updates.

    • “It hurts replayability, so I hope to see more cards and modifiers in the future!”
    • “The combos, the strategy, the replayability.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted by amusing passive names and clever puns, contributing to its charm. Players appreciate the quirky mechanics, such as the eyeballs that follow you, which enhance the overall comedic experience. Despite being a proof of concept, the game successfully incorporates humor into its design.

    • “I love how the eyeballs follow you, and the funny passive names.”
    • “Excellent game with fun mechanics, small but only because it's a proof of concept. The puns were also quite funny.”
  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users have reported some stability issues, including glitches such as the game expanding infinitely when switching from fullscreen mode.

    • “There are a couple of glitches; for example, when I turned off fullscreen, the game started expanding infinitely within the window.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress.”
    • “I've encountered several bugs that disrupt gameplay, including freezing and unexpected shutdowns.”
  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly in levels with overwhelming enemy numbers, suggesting that a challenge mode or reduced enemy counts could enhance the experience.

    • “I think specific scenarios would suit this game well, maybe a challenge mode, but especially reducing the number of enemies on some levels, as the level where the screen had a whole bunch of enemies was hard, but also very tedious.”
    • “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “I find myself spending too much time grinding for resources, which takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game compelling, noting that while it requires significant effort and sacrifice to achieve progress, the rewarding premise and moments of success can provide a sense of uplift and positivity.

    • “The premise is super cool, and winning on the first try made me feel somewhat better about life.”
    • “This game really pulls at your heartstrings and makes you reflect on your own experiences.”
    • “The emotional depth of the characters and story left a lasting impact on me.”

Buy Ardor

5h Median play time
5h Average play time
5-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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