Ascension: Deckbuilding Game
- December 16, 2014
- Playdek, Inc.
- 88h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Apple Store"Ascension: Deckbuilding Game" is a mobile card game where players build their own decks to battle dark forces and save the Dreamscape. Co-designed by Magic: The Gathering champions, the game offers a challenging and strategic experience for both new and experienced players. The "Deliverance" expansion introduces new cards and mechanics to enhance gameplay.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
PC
Phone
Windows
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- Ascension is a light, beginner-friendly card game that offers a variety of gameplay choices, making it enjoyable for both new and experienced players.
- The game features solid artwork and a fun, engaging gameplay experience that keeps players coming back for more.
- The digital version includes several expansions, providing a wealth of content and replayability without the need for physical cards.
- The user interface can be clumsy and frustrating, especially for new players, making it difficult to perform actions like drawing cards.
- Players cannot adjust the honor pool in online games, leading to shorter and less satisfying matches.
- There are occasional bugs and performance issues, such as slow AI turns and crashes, which can detract from the overall experience.
- gameplay121 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this deck-building game is highly praised for its variety and depth, offering numerous decks and expansions that introduce unique mechanics, ensuring each session feels fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the balance between accessibility for newcomers and complexity for seasoned gamers, with solid mechanics that encourage strategic thinking. While some minor bugs and interface issues exist, the overall experience is enjoyable, making it a standout title in the genre.
“Excellent port of the physical game, with a unique art style, great content variety, decent AI, and core gameplay that'll get anyone hooked.”
“The game's mechanics are easy to learn but offer plenty of depth and complexity for experienced players, making it a great choice for both casual and hardcore gamers.”
“The gameplay is smooth for the most part, except for sometimes I'll accidentally buy a center card while looking at my dreamscape.”
“However, my biggest gripe is with the gameplay itself.”
“Some expansions add new mechanics that give a different flow to the game, so if you play with all expansions active, the deck becomes too diluted and makes some of those mechanics lose their impact and synergies.”
“It's a little regrettable that the game mechanics don't allow you to interact with other players much other than manipulating what's on the center marketplace, but I guess that's also a charm of the game.”
- graphics58 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the unique and stunning artwork that enhances the overall aesthetic experience. While some players appreciate the clean interface and immersive visuals, others criticize graphical glitches and scaling issues on PC. Overall, the art style is a standout feature, though opinions vary on its execution and technical performance.
“The intuitive interface and stunning artwork create an immersive game world that draws players in and keeps them engaged.”
“The artwork is fantastic and keeps a consistent art style across each set of cards.”
“The overall presentation of the game is really cool, mainly due to the unique and, in my opinion, phenomenal artwork of the cards.”
“Terrible graphics, confusing gameplay, and simply not fun.”
“While I like the concept behind this game, the graphic design and the small font they used for each card makes the game pretty much unplayable.”
“There is absolutely no option to modify the resolution or graphics (besides fullscreen/windowed) and the online multiplayer implementation is a joke.”
- stability35 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been a point of contention among users, with many reporting frequent glitches and bugs, particularly due to its origins as a port from mobile platforms. While some players have experienced significant issues like freezing and AI malfunctions, others have found the game playable and enjoyable despite these problems. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the game is somewhat buggy, it remains a solid experience, especially for those familiar with the mobile version.
“Some people complain about the UI, but it does its job. It's not buggy, it plays well, and is great fun.”
“Initially the game was a port from iOS to PC, with all the UI design choices (read: limitations) that come with such a thing, and frequent bugs and glitches of all kinds.”
“After years, you think they fix the problem, still crashing and freezing.”
“However, this PC version is buggy, frustrating, and broken.”
- replayability21 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many users highlighting the variety of decks, expansions, and strategies that keep the gameplay fresh and engaging. While some limitations in multiplayer settings were noted, the base game and its expansions offer extensive content and value, making it a favorite for players seeking long-term enjoyment. The combination of quick play sessions and diverse options contributes to its status as an endlessly replayable title.
“Endlessly replayable.”
“Amazing game, lots of fun and replay value.”
“Base game is highly replayable and the expansions add even more cool cards and monsters.”
“While I still think it's a wonderful game with some serious flaws, the performance issues at least seem to have diminished and it feels a lot more playable across my several devices.”
“Many of the sets are playable on their own, letting you switch up if you get bored playing the base set.”
“A very good deckbuilder: engaging gameplay, bizarre art, fitting soundtrack, immense replayability, and a fine balance of chance and planning.”
- music19 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its aesthetics and the variety of themes across different decks. However, some find the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, and the default volume is often considered too loud. Additionally, the inability to customize background music settings and occasional overlapping tracks are noted as drawbacks.
“I love the aesthetics of the game and the music is quite enjoyable as well.”
“Yet they managed to add lots of different music and themes, and even new card art for the base set.”
“The music is there to set the mood and reinforce your decisions.”
“Definitely better with the music off, and the sound of cultists getting kicked really doesn't get old.”
“There is a bit of background music, although I haven’t heard any particularly noticeable tracks.”
“- no background music slider, music is either on/off (same with all sound options)”
- story9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The story in Ascension is minimal, primarily serving to enhance gameplay mechanics rather than provide a deep narrative experience. Players build armies to combat evil monsters, with lore elements introduced through expansions and card details, but some reviewers express a desire for a more substantial campaign mode. While the simplistic story may not satisfy all players, the game's art and soundtrack contribute positively to the overall atmosphere.
“Good system with a great story and art.”
“I love the world that is crafted through these images and the little bit of story that exists; the soundtrack is really cool and fitting too, even though there are just a few songs and you will know them very quickly.”
“Ascension has a thin layer of lore and story, but those elements are primarily there to give the mechanics of the game some flavor.”
“The simplistic story is that the player is building an army to face the evil monsters of the fallen one.”
“Each new expansion adds a few paragraphs about the lore in the rulebook section of the menu, and some cards have tidbits of story written on them.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has improved significantly since its initial release, particularly on PC, where it runs smoothly with intuitive controls and enhanced graphical quality. While some users still report occasional performance issues, many have noted that bugs have been largely resolved, making the gameplay experience more enjoyable across multiple devices.
“I've played lots of Ascension on mobile and can happily say that the PC experience is excellent in terms of graphical quality and performance.”
“After a year, they have sorted out all the annoying bugs in the Steam client and it now runs smoothly.”
“It also has some performance issues sometimes.”
“While I still think it's a wonderful game with some serious flaws, the performance issues at least seem to have diminished and it feels a lot more playable across my several devices.”
“Do play it if you want a good game that I expect will be rock solid in time, as gameplay is optimized.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its amusing moments and entertaining sound effects, which enhance the overall experience. Players find the comedic elements to be a delightful addition, contributing to the game's charm alongside its strong mechanics and visuals.
“Hilarious moments abound in this game!”
“It has great mechanics, a really good working online mode, beautiful art, and funny sounds.”
“Funny enough, a friend and I started playing Dominion online, then found Ascension online... once again, a drastically better game.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is criticized as being exploitative, with many users likening it to an advertisement or demo for an overpriced physical board game, requiring players to spend significant amounts of money to access the full experience, especially for multiplayer.
“This is MTG: Duel of the Planeswalkers all over again. This game is an advertisement/demo for their extremely overpriced physical board game that they are charging players for, and if you want to play the full game with friends, you'll need to pay tons of money.”
“It is simple: it is like MTG: Duel of the Planeswalkers all over again. This 'game' is actually just an advertisement/demo for their extremely overpriced board game that they are charging people for.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that the game eliminates grinding and pay-to-win mechanics, allowing for a more balanced and enjoyable experience.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its fun and engaging qualities, complemented by impressive original artwork that enhances the overall experience.
“Fun, atmospheric, and features great original artwork.”
