Balantica

About Balantica

Balantica is a single player strategy game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Team Hanzan and was released on December 16, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Safely guide the twins to the altar. The path to the altar branches into multiple routes, each filled with trials and unexpected events awaiting the twins. As their companion, you will choose their path, build a deck of cards to give hope and overcome increasingly challenging trials.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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Reviews

83%Audience ScoreBased on 41 reviews

gameplay7 positive mentions

Unique and original roguelike deckbuilding mechanic centered on balancing hope and despair between two siblings, offering a fresh twist on traditional card games.
Engaging and challenging gameplay with satisfying card play and deckbuilding, alongside a distinctive and charming art style that sets an atmospheric tone.
Free to play with regular updates, providing accessible fun and introducing interesting story elements and thematic depth that resonates emotionally with players.

Significant difficulty spikes, especially with the final boss, and a lack of clear in-game hints on important mechanics lead to frustration for some players.
Limited replayability due to repetitive events, few meaningful choices, and absence of permanent upgrades or varied story paths, which reduces long-term engagement.
Issues with English localization, presence of bugs such as stuck pop-ups and black screens, and use of AI-generated art unappealing to certain players affect overall polish.

gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30% positive mentions, 57% neutral mentions, 13% negative mentions
The gameplay features unique and engaging card-based mechanics with a distinctive scale balancing element, offering a fresh take on the deckbuilding roguelike genre. While runs are relatively short and easy to grasp, the repetitive nature and limited run diversity reduce long-term replayability. Overall, it provides an enjoyable and challenging experience, though some players may find depth and variety lacking over extended play.
- “Runs don't take too long, the gameplay isn't something I've seen before (in a good way), and it's simple enough to be easy to understand while difficult enough to pose a challenge.”
- “The scale balancing mechanic and competent card play makes this bite-sized game a real treat.”
- “There are clear Slay the Spire influences with the flow of play but the 'trials' aspect, forcing balanced gameplay to succeed in building trust, was a lot of fun to navigate.”
- “Subsequently, repeating the game can feel frustrating due to the repetitive nature of the gameplay and the absence of permanent upgrades.”
- “After winning on my second run, I already felt like I explored all the game had to offer in terms of gameplay (though there are certainly events and belongings I haven't seen yet).”
- “Overall, I have very mixed feelings on this game. Absolutely, I have a skill issue and that would resolve some of these problems, but the lack of run diversity and the execution of some mechanics leaves a lot to be desired.”
story
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20% positive mentions, 60% neutral mentions, 20% negative mentions
The story is generally seen as unique and thematic, focusing on emotions like hope and despair rather than combat, with whimsical writing and strong integration into gameplay. However, it faces criticism for its limited plot depth, single story route, and occasional typos or mistranslations. Despite these flaws, many appreciate its concept, art, and the emotional weight of some events, enhancing replayability.
- “Deckbuilding roguelike kind of like Slay the Spire, but the story and mechanics center on hope, despair, balance, relationships, courage, and fear rather than combat.”
- “One of the most unique deck builders I've ever played; the artwork and story throughout is well done. Some of the events are absolutely tragic. It's short but has a ton of replayability for a free to play.”
- “This strategy game feels both familiar while telling a new story.”
- “The plot, conflict, and story arc are terrible.”
- “It is a story about nothing.”
- “The main negative point is that there is only one route for the story, which restricts replay value.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30% positive mentions, 40% neutral mentions, 30% negative mentions
The game features a charming and unique hand-illustrated art style reminiscent of titles like "Don't Starve," which many players appreciate for its appeal and uniqueness. However, some criticism arises from occasional use of AI-generated images and rough edges around certain graphics, which detract slightly from the overall visual quality. Despite these issues, the graphics are generally well-received and contribute positively to the game's atmosphere and replayability.
- “It's a good game with a unique art style.”
- “I really like the art style for the game, the twins give a very 'Don't Starve' feeling.”
- “I really like the concept of this game and how the artwork looks!”
- “Art style is unoriginal and stolen from other games.”
- “Charming hand-illustrated graphics marred slightly by some poor 'cutting' around the edges/borders of some graphics.”
- “The worst part is that the actual art style (not the AI slop) is actually really nice.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38% positive mentions, 24% neutral mentions, 38% negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, with some users noting a lack of multiple story routes and insufficient difficulty to encourage repeated play. However, features like collections and unique deck-building elements add some value, resulting in moderate replay appeal, especially considering its free-to-play nature. Overall, it may not sustain long-term engagement for players seeking extensive replay options.
- “One of the most unique deck builders I've ever played. The artwork and story throughout is well done; some of the events are absolutely tragic. It's short but has a ton of replayability for a free to play.”
- “Collection - enhance its replay value.”
- “Not as infinitely replayable, but I put in more time than I expected.”
- “But in spite of having a roguelike structure, it lacks replayability.”
- “As it stands, it was an interesting take on the concept, but it doesn't feel like it has enough replayability or difficulty to come back to.”
- “The main negative point would be that there is only one route for the story, which restricts the replay value.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 25% negative mentions
The music is praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the game's dark mood. Some players note the music loop but generally find the soundtrack enjoyable.
- “The game’s dark, atmospheric art and haunting music set the perfect mood, and the card-based mechanics make for a unique challenge.”
- “The music is nice too.”
- “Music.”
- “The music loop is repetitive and tiresome.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The game’s dark and atmospheric art combined with haunting music create an immersive and fitting mood, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The game’s dark, atmospheric art and haunting music set the perfect mood, and the card-based mechanics make for a unique challenge.”