Battle Bands: Rock & Roll Deckbuilder
- November 13, 2023
- Aerie Digital
- 14h median play time
Get on Steam"Battle Bands: Rock & Roll Deckbuilder" is a roguelike game where you progress from a garage band to a rock legend, building your deck with unique cards and special instruments. Customize your band and play solo or with friends in a cooperative campaign, earning experience and tokens to unlock new cosmetics. The game is free-to-play and offers a deckbuilding experience with a musical twist.
Reviews
- Battle Bands offers a unique and fun co-op deckbuilding experience, allowing players to strategize together while managing their individual band members.
- The game features a charming art style and an engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
- Frequent updates from the developers show a commitment to improving the game, addressing balance issues, and adding new content.
- The AI for bot-controlled band members can be frustratingly uncooperative, making solo play less enjoyable and often leading to poor strategic decisions.
- The game suffers from a low player base, making it difficult to find matches for the PvP mode and diminishing the co-op experience.
- Some players find the grind for leveling up cards and instruments to be tedious, with a lack of variety in enemy encounters and overall gameplay.
- music26 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy and engaging quality, enhancing the overall experience with a vibrant soundtrack that complements the gameplay. While many players appreciate the unique musical aesthetic and the fun mechanics of the cooperative deck-building format, some express disappointment that the music does not interact with the gameplay as they had hoped. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“The music is catchy, and while you might get your teeth kicked in early runs, as you increase your instrument level, which unlocks more potential cards to be obtained, then you'll find yourself starting to turn the tide against some rather varied AI bosses.”
“Really fun coop card game with an incredible soundtrack!”
“Great music, artistic style, and gameplay.”
“Why do the cards not affect the music at all?!?!?!?!??”
“I had also really hoped that music would actually be a more integral part of the game rather than just a sort of skin and it's really not at all.”
“Basic, you need to play a music sheet and play many cards as required to complete it.”
- gameplay19 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this roguelite deckbuilder is praised for its depth, strategic variety, and engaging mechanics, particularly the unique integration of music and performance elements. While the game is easy to pick up and offers a compelling multiplayer experience, some players note issues with AI behavior and a lack of clarity in card mechanics. Overall, it provides a fun and replayable experience, especially when played with friends, though some aspects may require further refinement.
“Gameplay-wise, there is enough depth in the game that you can create various builds to beat the game.”
“Addicting gameplay, quick and easy to pick up, a lot of strategy involved; overall, a super great game.”
“This game's core loop is extremely fun and replayable, with each instrument being its own class and a leveling system that unlocks more cards.”
“Almost nobody is currently playing this game, meaning that if you want to experience the co-op gameplay, you'll need to drag one or two friends away from Pal World (or whatever is the new hotness on Steam at the time you're reading this).”
“For one thing, please do something to improve the AI bots or implement some sort of mechanic to work better with them.”
“Gameplay is a bit one-dimensional as of now, but the developers are working on it!”
- graphics7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their amazing art style, reminiscent of Scott Pilgrim comics, and effectively complement the game's unique musical aesthetic. Players appreciate the vibrant visuals and the extensive customization options for characters, which enhance the overall experience of this multiplayer roguelike. The combination of engaging artwork and a solid soundtrack contributes to a memorable and enjoyable atmosphere.
“The art style is just amazing, and the game offers a great amount of customization for your band regarding its members.”
“Love both modes, and the music and artwork are fantastic.”
“Lets start with the graphics and sound of this game, which work really well generally.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, particularly in relation to the season pass for cosmetics and the necessity to grind for card level-ups to progress. While the game is enjoyable, the grind required to unlock content and compete effectively detracts from the overall experience, especially for a game priced at nearly $20.
“Grinding is a rewarding experience that allows me to improve my skills and progress in the game.”
“I love the sense of accomplishment that comes from grinding; it makes every victory feel earned.”
“The grind keeps me engaged and motivated to explore all the game's content.”
“It's a really fun game, but I just can't recommend it with how grindy the season pass to get cosmetics is.”
“For an almost 20 dollar indie game, I certainly wouldn't expect there to be an incredibly grindy season pass... or a shop where you can pay real money for 'coins' to buy cosmetics with.”
“After you have seen the 8 bosses, you are just grinding for card level ups.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its challenging mechanics, diverse instrument classes, and a leveling system that unlocks new cards with each playthrough. Players appreciate the fun core loop and the creative opportunities available, making it a worthwhile investment for its price. Overall, the combination of engaging gameplay and charm contributes to its high replay value.
“The animations, music, concept, replayability -- just top notch.”
“Only £14 ($17) is not a lot for a game with this much replayability and charm.”
“This game's core loop is extremely fun and replayable, with each instrument being its own class, focusing on different mechanics and a leveling system that unlocks more cards.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is highly praised for its immersive quality, with many users highlighting the impressive synchronization of environmental objects to the rhythm, enhancing the overall experience.
“The atmosphere in the game is awesome.”
“The best thing about Battle Bands' atmosphere is that numerous environmental objects are in sync with the rhythm.”
- story2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story in the game is perceived as somewhat grindy, with players encountering significant progression barriers that can hinder the experience, particularly in the story mode.
“The story is engaging and keeps you invested in the characters and their journeys.”
“The narrative is rich and filled with unexpected twists that enhance the overall experience.”
“The character development throughout the story is impressive, making each moment feel meaningful.”
“Even for a rogue-type game, there is a hard wall in progression in the story.”
“The story mode is a bit grindy.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is well-executed, making it an enjoyable experience, especially when played with friends.
“The humor is on point, and this is surprisingly fun to play with a group of friends.”
“The witty dialogue and hilarious situations kept us laughing throughout the game.”
“I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously, making every moment enjoyable.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the monetization model for incorporating coins as a rewarded currency, which contributes to a perception of fairness in the microtransactions, rather than relying solely on premium currency.
“These features, along with the presence of coins as a rewarded currency rather than an exclusively premium currency, make the microtransactions seem fair.”
“The game feels like a constant push to spend money, making it hard to enjoy without feeling pressured to buy something.”
“I was disappointed to find that many essential features are locked behind a paywall, making it frustrating to progress.”
“The monetization strategy is overly aggressive, with frequent prompts to purchase in-game currency that disrupt the gameplay experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is praised for its innovative mechanics, which introduce a unique twist to traditional deck-building gameplay by incorporating songs and performance cards, offering a refreshing experience compared to standard attack and defense strategies.
“The new twist on deck-building gameplay is refreshing; instead of the typical 'I play an attack card against this monster and play this card for 5 block,' the mechanics of playing songs and performance cards offer a unique take on the genre.”
“The optimization of card interactions allows for strategic depth, making each decision feel impactful and rewarding.”
“I love how the game encourages players to think critically about their deck composition, leading to a highly personalized and optimized gameplay experience.”
