Blood Card

About

Blood Card is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Pixel Cattle Games and was released on May 24, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

"Blood Card" is a card game that combines roguelike and deckbuilding elements, where your life value equals the number of cards in your draw pile. Getting hurt discards a card, and running out of cards ends the game. The final boss relentlessly pursues you through three distinct zones, offering the choice to engage or evade. Your unique deck is built by gathering cards to defeat enemies in your path.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 263 reviews

gameplay38 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Blood Card introduces a unique mechanic where the player's health is directly tied to the size of their deck, creating a fresh and strategic gameplay experience.
The game features a large selection of cards and diverse playstyles, allowing for various strategies and deck-building approaches.
The dark, gothic aesthetic and atmosphere enhance the overall experience, making each run feel immersive and engaging.

The game suffers from balance issues, with certain cards and builds being overpowered, leading to a lack of challenge in some runs.
Some mechanics, such as the appearance of Death as a timer, can feel punishing and may frustrate players who prefer a more strategic approach.
The user interface and card descriptions can be unclear, making it difficult for players to fully understand the mechanics and effects of certain cards.

gameplay
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
66%
6%
The gameplay of "Blood Card" is characterized by its innovative mechanics, particularly the unique concept of using your deck as your health, which adds a fresh twist to the roguelike deckbuilder genre. While the game encourages strategic decision-making and experimentation with card combos, some players find certain mechanics, like the reaper mechanic and card balance, to be frustrating or poorly explained. Overall, the game offers a compelling mix of tension, replayability, and engaging mechanics, making it a noteworthy entry for fans of the genre, despite some areas needing refinement.
- “The unique mechanics, like sacrificing your health as part of your deck strategy, add a fresh twist that sets it apart from other card-based games in the genre.”
- “The blend of roguelike elements and strategic gameplay keeps things exciting.”
- “The card mechanics are well-designed, offering a deep and engaging gameplay experience that will keep you coming back for more.”
- “The reaper mechanic that acts as a ticking clock during battles forces quick decisions, and while this urgency adds tension, it can also feel unfair when you’re building momentum only to be undone by bad luck.”
- “Overall the title is lacking in refinement in graphics, interface (e.g. visible hotkeys like in Slay the Spire) and perhaps most notably mechanics and game balance.”
- “Unfortunately the game mechanics right now don't feel nearly as deep as the competitors, but then again this game is still early access, and I can remember when Slay the Spire only had one character and no mods.”
graphics
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
58%
7%
The graphics of "Blood Card" feature a grim, gothic aesthetic characterized by dark tones and stylized pixel art that evokes a sense of mortality and decay. While some players appreciate the unique art style and atmospheric visuals, others criticize the graphics for being simplistic and lacking polish, leading to mixed opinions on their overall quality. Despite these criticisms, many agree that the visuals effectively complement the gameplay and contribute to the game's dark and immersive atmosphere.
- “Visually, Blood Card embraces a grim, gothic aesthetic that complements its theme of mortality and decay.”
- “The art style is simple yet evocative, with dark tones, muted palettes, and stylized depictions of grotesque monsters and otherworldly figures.”
- “Love the pixel-art style drenched in macabre blood and gore aesthetics; the cards are fun, and it's a nice addictive little roguelike deck-builder.”
- “Graphics are exceptionally bad, which is probably why this game is not more popular than it should be.”
- “Poor graphics, overly simplistic play, and mind-numbing repetition make this game at $2.99 a waste of money/time.”
- “The graphics were a big turn off for me initially but they grew on me and now I like them.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
37%
19%
The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to enhance the dark and immersive atmosphere, with somber and ominous tracks that complement the gothic aesthetic. However, several users noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, leading to a desire for more variety or remixes. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the experience, its repetitiveness is a common critique.
- “The sinister ambiance, combined with the game's music and sound effects, enhances the overall immersive experience, making you feel as if you're truly part of its dark, mysterious world.”
- “Love the music, very ominous and adds to the gothic aesthetic.”
- “The soundtrack reinforces the mood with somber, tension-filled loops that underscore the inevitability of death’s approach.”
- “The music gets repetitive after a while.”
- “The game runs smoothly, but the soundtrack is my only complaint; if I wanted a screaming violin, I would look up videos on YouTube of teens practicing.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
Overall, "Blood Card" is praised for its high replayability, driven by diverse mechanics, card combinations, and varying difficulty levels. Players appreciate the strategic depth and the challenge of mastering different hero abilities, which contribute to a compelling experience that encourages repeated play. The game's design and engaging art style further enhance its replay value, making it a worthwhile investment for strategy game enthusiasts.
- “For anyone who enjoys strategy games with a high skill ceiling and plenty of replayability, Blood Card is an absolute must-play.”
- “The different mechanics and card deck combos create multiple combinations, heightening the replayability of the game as you clear levels and encounter enemy bosses per floor.”
- “Its replayability is super high.”
- “The different mechanics and card deck combos create multiple combos, heightening the replayability of the game as you clear levels and encounter enemy bosses per floor.”
- “Tentatively, as it stands right now, it's a decent amount of entertainment for the dollar, and as replayable as you want it to be.”
- “Simple controls and pleasant graphics make the gaming experience very replayable.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a minimalist yet haunting aesthetic that effectively captures a dark and gritty tone, reminiscent of classic dungeon-crawlers. Players appreciate the grim ambiance, marked by themes of death and existential dread, enhanced by eerie visuals and a compelling musical score. Overall, the game's unique atmospheric experience, combined with its engaging mechanics, makes it a standout in the roguelike genre.
- “Blood Card is an exceptional roguelike game that captivates players with its eerie and dark visual style, creating a uniquely atmospheric experience.”
- “The grim atmosphere, the constant presence of death, and the haunting repetition of battles all reinforce this existential undercurrent.”
- “The visuals and atmosphere are simple yet effective, creating a dark and gritty tone that perfectly matches the gameplay.”
- “The music is also very good: the creepy choral vibe emphasizes the generally dark atmosphere and complements the deathly graphical theme.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
43%
43%
The story in Blood Card is minimalistic and thematic rather than plot-driven, lacking a traditional narrative or character development. Critics note the absence of a compelling storyline, describing it as bland and suggesting that the game would benefit from a more engaging narrative to enhance the experience.
- “Just use a story, just add some flavor to the game about why these two characters are trying to escape death.”
- “Blood Card’s minimalism extends to its storytelling, which is more thematic than narrative-driven.”
- “There’s no elaborate plot or cast of characters; instead, the world’s personality emerges from its mechanics and tone.”
- “A bland storyline, with no real closure or novelty; frankly, the game was already about escaping from the underworld.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its dark and absurd elements, with players finding amusement in unexpected situations, such as self-inflicted defeats during intense battles. The quirky character designs, like a big arm and a rich pig, add to the comedic charm, making the gameplay experience both entertaining and engaging. Overall, the humor complements the game's darker atmosphere, enhancing its appeal.
- “I accidentally killed myself on the final boss due to a powerful deck design that I was using (which was funny as hell to witness).”
- “Bro, you get to play as a big arm and a rich pig; very funny.”
- “When it happens, it's humorous and definitely a bit easier to win.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The monetization model is player-friendly, as there are no microtransactions; instead, players unlock cards through gameplay, which may lead to initial losses but allows for a relatively quick progression.
- “The game has a bit of a slow start, but you unlock cards through gameplay relatively quickly, and there are no microtransactions, which is refreshing.”
- “You have to unlock cards through play, but this happens quickly, making the initial learning curve manageable without the pressure of microtransactions.”
- “It's great that you can progress and unlock cards through playing the game, and the absence of microtransactions means you can enjoy the experience without spending extra money.”
- “The monetization system feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to progress at a reasonable pace.”
- “It's frustrating that the game heavily favors those who are willing to pay, making it nearly impossible to compete without spending real money.”
- “The lack of balance in the monetization model creates a pay-to-win environment that detracts from the overall experience.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find grinding to be a necessary but tedious aspect of the game, as it often involves defeating the same enemies repeatedly without significant challenge. While the death monster can become an annoyance through overexposure, it ultimately poses little threat, leading to a repetitive experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “But the death monster is not really dangerous; if you kill him a lot, he becomes tedious and annoying, but never a threat.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization aspect of the game is central to its strategy, requiring players to effectively balance survival with resource management to succeed.
- “This balance between survival and optimization forms the heart of the game’s strategy.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is generally acceptable, though players have reported minor bugs, occasional screen glitches, and temporary freezes.
- “Some minor bugs, screen glitches, and temporary freezes.”