Cardinal Quest 2

About

Cardinal Quest 2 is a single player tactical hack and slash game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by randomnine and was released on November 23, 2015. It received positive reviews from players.

Hack, slash and rush the forces of darkness. Assault castles and mountain lairs to liberate all in this super-sleek modernization of the classic roguelike formula! Will you play a crafting Alchemist, a sneaky backstabbing Thief... or something else?

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 96 reviews

story6 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

Highly accessible and approachable roguelike with simple controls and UI that are easy to learn for newcomers.
Great replayability through multiple classes, character customization, numerous unlockables, and a wide variety of playstyles.
Polished gameplay with smooth performance, engaging soundtrack, pleasing pixel-art graphics, and well-balanced combat mechanics.

Lacks depth and variety in enemies, environments, and gameplay for long-term engagement, making it feel repetitive after several hours.
Limited movement options (only four directions) and restrictive small talent trees reduce strategic choices and immersion.
Developer support is lacking with unresolved bugs and no leaderboard moderation, leading to issues with cheating and stagnation.

story
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
77%
8%
Cardinal Quest 2 features a light, well-paced story that serves as a secondary element to the gameplay, with brief dialogue and lore providing immersion without being story-heavy. While some players appreciate this balanced approach as a good gateway into roguelikes, others find the story shallow or lacking depth compared to traditional roguelikes. Overall, the narrative complements the accessible dungeon-crawling experience but is not a major focus of the game.
- “Great storytelling with the in-game character dialogues throughout the levels. The soundtrack is fantastic and deserves much more recognition.”
- “The well-paced story is small, secondary to the gameplay, with a perfect ratio of story to gameplay.”
- “The in-game dialogue and lore tooltips provide just enough lore to immerse the player without making the game story-intensive.”
- “- Story is lacking.”
- “But in all seriousness, saying there's story campaign in this game is misleading, because there's really no story.”
- “For long time roguelike fans, Cardinal Quest 2 is entirely lacking in the depth and variety that makes those games interesting and the reason they've been played for 25+ years.”
gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
49%
13%
The gameplay offers a fun and addictive roguelike experience with simple yet strategic combat, character customization, and achievement-based progression that encourages learning mechanics and skill development. While praised for its minimalist style and rewarding core loop, some find the mechanics lacking depth and variety, causing the gameplay to feel repetitive after a few hours. Overall, it suits players seeking straightforward roguelite gameplay but may disappoint those expecting more complexity or innovation.
- “Extremely fun gameplay loop with a good amount of character customization for each run and a ton of achievements to hunt that are all tied to in-game rewards.”
- “The unlocking system via achievements by playing the game is neat, making the player learn the basic mechanics, abilities, and has a simple skill tree system whenever you level up.”
- “+ strategic gameplay / problem solving (you need to plan out your attacks).”
- “One would think that, if the gameplay itself is lacking for the price, then it would at the very bare minimum entail half-decent customer support.”
- “While its base combat and mechanics work, it wears out its welcome very quickly, as the variety of enemies, environments, and tactics don't last for more than a couple of hours.”
- “Certain extra elements hinder gameplay despite being a new ability due to unintended side effects that it can have.”
music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
22%
17%
The music is consistently praised for its catchy, nostalgic chiptune and 8-bit soundtrack that complements the retro pixel art style and enhances the gameplay experience. Many users consider the soundtrack a standout feature, describing it as both memorable and perfectly fitting the game's atmosphere. Despite its quality, some feel the soundtrack remains underrated and deserving of more recognition.
- “The soundtrack is a banger and the gameplay mechanics feel chunky and rewarding to get a grasp of.”
- “Very strategic, coffee-break roguelike with tons of replayability and great music.”
- “Lastly, the original soundtrack is top notch 8-bit magic fantasy goodness.”
- “The soundtrack... my ears have been blessed... sadly will never get the recognition it deserves.”
- “It has decent music and pixel art, unlockables, a global leaderboard and seems like a good foundation to build a deeper game on.”
- “Containing music from the first and second games.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
Cardinal Quest 2 features simplistic, retro pixel art that is charming and easy on the eyes, successfully enhancing its approachable roguelike gameplay. While the graphics are minimalist and not groundbreaking, they run smoothly even on low-end hardware and contribute to a distinct, enjoyable atmosphere reminiscent of classic dungeon crawlers.
- “Cardinal Quest 2 is an indie roguelike RPG with pixel graphics that presents a very welcoming and approachable dungeon crawler experience.”
- “The minimalist pixel art style is easy on the eyes and a delightful addition to the gameplay.”
- “Very pleasing graphics with a charming style, showing that time was taken to make each stage of the level feel different from the last.”
- “Don't let the 'crappy' graphics fool you.”
- “Oh, the game can also run fine on a toaster - personal experience - I don't even think the game utilizes more than 50% of my graphics card.”
- “If the term 'roguelike' means to you being forced to drink potions to find out what they do, ascii graphics, and exhilarating inventory-management action, you won't find much to entertain you in Cardinal Quest II.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers high replayability through diverse classes and multiple playstyles, combined with unlockables and an endless mode that extends gameplay beyond standard acts. Its strategic roguelike design ensures engaging experiences without requiring extensive time investment. Overall, the variety and challenge contribute to significant replay value.
- “Very strategic, coffee-break roguelike with tons of replayability and great music.”
- “Great variety of playstyles - even for the same class - makes for high replay value.”
- “If you go on normal difficulty it should take you a few hours to complete all the acts, but the game is extremely replayable with most of the 7 classes each having multiple satisfying playstyles, lots of unlockables unlocked by completing some extremely intense achievements, and an endless mode where you can do things not possible in the acts.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is considered tedious, as players often have to wait for their abilities to recharge between small fights, resulting in a slow and repetitive experience.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a straightforward monetization approach with no ads or in-app purchases, offering a seamless experience similar to the original Steam version but optimized for touch controls.
- “No ads or anything, basically exactly how it is on Steam but touch instead of keyboard.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by random, quirky actions—such as protecting pets, mind-controlling others, and hunting merchants—that provide amusing distractions and enhance character customization options.