Battle Bands: Rock & Roll Deckbuilder

About

"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.

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Play Modes

Battle Bands: Rock & Roll Deckbuilder screenshot

+13

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 163 reviews

music20 positive mentions

grinding11 negative mentions

Battle Bands offers a unique and fun co-op deckbuilding experience that is enjoyable both solo and with friends.
The game features a vibrant art style and catchy music, enhancing the overall atmosphere and enjoyment.
There is a good amount of customization for characters and band members, along with plenty of replayability through different strategies and card synergies.

The AI for solo play can be frustratingly uncooperative, making it difficult to strategize effectively without human players.
The game can feel grindy, requiring significant time investment to unlock cards and progress, which may deter some players.
There are balance issues, particularly with enemy scaling, leading to difficulty spikes that can feel unfair during later stages of the game.

music
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
55%
6%
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its catchy and enjoyable soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience with a unique musical aesthetic. However, some players expressed disappointment that the music does not dynamically change with gameplay actions, leading to repetitiveness during longer sessions. Overall, the combination of fun music, artistic style, and engaging mechanics makes it a standout title for fans of cooperative roguelike deckbuilders.
- “As you would expect from both the name and the theme of the game, the music and sound effects are both amazing.”
- “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 co-op card game with an incredible soundtrack!”
- “Game has potential as a music deck builder, but grinding is required to get the best cards and each run feels tedious.”
- “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.”
- “Why do the cards not affect the music at all?!?!?!?!??”
gameplay
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
37%
11%
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 fun multiplayer experience, some players note that the AI could use improvement and that certain mechanics lack clarity. Overall, the core gameplay loop is considered enjoyable and replayable, especially when played with friends.
- “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, super great game.”
- “The gameplay and different combos are really fun to discover and play with.”
- “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!”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
23%
15%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their amazing art style, which combines a fun, Scott Pilgrim-esque aesthetic with vibrant visuals that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the customization options for characters and the memorable artwork, which, along with the fantastic music, contributes to a unique and engaging atmosphere. Overall, the graphics effectively complement the game's innovative multiplayer deck-building mechanics.
- “The art style is just amazing, and the game offers a great amount of customization for your band regarding its members.”
- “Very cool art style and nice music as well.”
- “The music is fantastic and the artwork is lovely.”
- “Lets start with the graphics and sound of this game, which work really well generally.”
- “Mix the concept of a multiplayer deck-builder with the aesthetic of the Scott Pilgrim comics and you get this badass rogue-like/battle-royale game that you've never seen before.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
92%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive and tedious, often requiring over 10 hours to obtain the best cards, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While the game has potential, the grind for cosmetics and card upgrades feels repetitive and unbalanced, leading to frustration, especially given its price point. Many reviewers suggest that adjustments are needed to reduce the grind and improve the experience.
- “Grinding is a rewarding experience that allows me to fully immerse myself in the game.”
- “I love the sense of progression that comes from grinding; it makes every achievement feel earned.”
- “The grind keeps me engaged and motivated to explore every aspect of the game.”
- “Game has potential as a music deck builder, but grinding is required to get the best cards and each run feels tedious.”
- “You need to play over 10 hours to get them and grinding to get the best cards is not worth the time/effort.”
- “It's a really fun game, but I just can't recommend it with how grindy the season pass to get cosmetics is.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
38%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with players enjoying the diverse mechanics tied to different instruments and the leveling system that unlocks new cards. The engaging core gameplay loop, combined with charming art and music, encourages repeated play, especially in multiplayer settings. Despite being in early access with minor bugs, the game's depth and creativity offer significant value for its price.
- “Love the theme & the devs lean into it hard and give it a lot of love and really focus on the details of the cards, bands, band members, items, etc. The game definitely comes from a place of passion and it shows; great deckbuilder with seemingly tons of replayability.”
- “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 that focuses on different mechanics and a leveling system that unlocks more cards.”
- “Fun game, good art, difficult and challenging, but not very replayable.”
- “Only £14 ($17) is not a lot for a game, but it lacks replayability and charm.”
- “There is limited replay value since leveling each instrument feels repetitive and unlocking new cards doesn't add much to the experience.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The monetization model is generally viewed as fair, as it incorporates rewarded currency in the form of coins, rather than relying solely on premium currency, alongside meta-progression elements that enhance the overall experience.
- “These features, along with the presence of coins as a rewarded currency rather than an exclusively premium currency, make the microtransactions seem fair.”
- “The presence of coins as a rewarded currency rather than an exclusively premium currency makes the microtransactions seem fair.”
- “Meta-progression and microtransactions are heavily intertwined, affecting the overall gameplay experience.”
- “Microtransactions are pervasive and can detract from the enjoyment of the game.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
The story in the game is perceived as somewhat grindy, with players encountering significant progression barriers that can hinder the experience, particularly in the rogue-type gameplay.
- “The story mode offers a rich narrative experience that keeps you engaged throughout.”
- “The character development in the story is impressive, making you truly care about their journeys.”
- “The plot twists in the story are unexpected and add depth to the overall experience.”
- “Even for a rogue-type game, there is a hard wall in progression in the story.”
- “The story mode is a bit grindy.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
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.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization is praised for its innovative mechanics, which introduce a unique twist to traditional deck-building gameplay by incorporating song 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.”