Cardpocalypse

About

"Cardpocalypse" is a single-player RPG that combines card gaming with an intriguing story. As 10-year old Jess, players must navigate the challenges of a new school and the unexpected invasion of mutants from a collectible card game. The game features a unique roguelike mode, Gauntlet, where players can draft new cards and rules in every run, included for free with the game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 178 reviews

story40 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

Cardpocalypse offers a charming and nostalgic experience, effectively capturing the feel of 90's schoolyard card games with its engaging story and relatable characters.
The game features a unique card modification system with stickers, allowing for a high degree of customization and strategic depth in deck building.
With a fun and quirky art style, excellent voice acting, and a captivating soundtrack, the game provides an enjoyable atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.

The AI can be quite poor, often making suboptimal decisions during battles, which detracts from the challenge and strategic depth of the gameplay.
Many players find the game to be relatively short and lacking in replayability, with limited post-game content and no option for a New Game+ mode.
Some players are disappointed by the art style and pacing, feeling that the game can be slow and that the dialogue-heavy sections hinder the overall flow of gameplay.

story
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
51%
3%
The game's story is described as engaging and relatable, with a simple yet complex plot that keeps players invested for over 20 hours. Many reviewers appreciate the nostalgic and charming narrative, which features a likable protagonist and elements reminiscent of childhood experiences, though some express a desire for more character customization and post-game content. Overall, the story is well-received, providing a fun backdrop for the card game mechanics, despite some criticism regarding pacing and predictability.
- “The story is excellent and genuinely feels like those old grade school days full of the politicking and drama that comes along with that.”
- “This is a very fun game with an entertaining story that really makes you feel like you're back to playing card games in elementary school, with the addition of supernatural monsters that want to consume you and your friends.”
- “At first, I wanted to write a short thank you note to the developers because as a lifelong wheelchair user and a geeky girl, the protagonist of this game and her story made me very happy.”
- “I mean, how do you expect me to be invested in the story if the game does not allow you to create your own character, name your character, or even pick the gender of your character?”
- “I wish the storyline was a little bit longer, or that the gameplay kept going after you beat the entire story.”
- “The story is charming, but also cumbersome.”
gameplay
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
41%
9%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of fresh and engaging mechanics, with a gradual increase in difficulty that keeps players challenged. While some reviewers found the card game mechanics to be simplistic or lacking depth, others praised the dynamic and enjoyable experience, drawing comparisons to popular titles like Hearthstone. Overall, the game offers a solid and balanced gameplay experience, though some players wished for more options to enhance pacing and extend play beyond the main storyline.
- “Gameplay is dynamic, challenging, and enjoyable.”
- “Extremely fun game with unique and well-designed card game mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is very smooth and reminiscent of other games like Hearthstone.”
- “The fun presentation doesn't elevate the game above mediocre mechanics.”
- “The actual card game mechanics are terrible.”
- “It's a bog standard card game - no complaints but there are no options to speed up gameplay or dialogue.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
69%
19%
The graphics feature a unique and cute art style reminiscent of a 90's schoolyard aesthetic, which some players find endearing while others may find divisive. Although the visuals are appealing, animations are limited outside of champion intros, and the overall design reflects a clear artistic vision from the developers. However, the subjective nature of the art style means it may not resonate with everyone.
- “The art style is cute and endearing, just like the characters.”
- “While the art style is certainly subjective, it's immediately clear from the title screen that the developers had a clear vision in mind.”
- “Hearthstone with a 90's schoolyard aesthetic.”
- “Graphics are cute at first but animations are pretty limited save for the champion intros which are pretty fun.”
- “Cons: the graphic art style may be somewhat divisive, especially for the card art.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
25%
8%
The music in the game has received positive feedback for its great soundtrack and charming, retro style, enhancing the overall experience. While some players initially found it cringeworthy, they quickly grew to appreciate its unique and kitschy qualities, contributing to the game's fun atmosphere. Overall, the soundtrack and voice lines are highlighted as standout features.
- “Initially I felt strong cringe at the music, but this feeling quickly gave way to a very charming, cute, and unique gaming experience.”
- “The soundtrack is great.”
- “The music also deserves a mention for its kitschy, retro style.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely praised for its humor, described as fun, quirky, and original, with a particularly amusing "footloose but card game" storyline. Reviewers highlight the funny writing and well-paced narrative, contributing to an overall entertaining experience.
- “It is very fun, funny, and quirky.”
- “The card game itself is very fun and original, and the whole 'footloose but card game' storyline is pretty funny.”
- “Nice pacing, pretty funny story and setting.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be minimal, as progress is primarily achieved through quests rather than repetitive tasks like opening packs. While trading cards with other players adds a layer of engagement, some users note that certain matches can be challenging early on, and the animations and walking may become tedious over time.
- “You get plenty by doing quests, but you'll have to trade the cards you own with other kids for cards you can't get otherwise; there's no grinding to keep opening up packs from a store.”
- “Animations and walking can get a little tedious on multiple playthroughs.”
- “Not overly grindy, but there are matches you probably won't be winning early on.”
- “The game flows so seamlessly, it's easy to take for granted what can only be a mountain of love and tedious follow-through to make this game what it is.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Cardpocalypse is praised for its emotional depth, combining heartfelt storytelling with humor reminiscent of the most touching episodes of The Simpsons. It offers a sincere narrative about navigating challenges, such as being in a wheelchair at a new school, appealing to those who enjoy heartwarming children's content.
- “Lovingly crafted, Cardpocalypse blends sweet sincerity with wit in the style of the most heartfelt episodes of The Simpsons.”
- “I would recommend it only if you're into watching PBS children's cartoons targeted for five-year-olds and want to see a heartwarming story about being in a wheelchair in a new elementary school.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Character development is hindered by intentionally unattractive designs that fail to resonate with the intended time period or related multimedia franchises, detracting from the overall immersion in the game's setting.
- “The character designs are intentionally ugly and fail to evoke the time period or the actual multimedia franchises, which detracts from the overall setting.”
- “The character designs are intentionally unattractive and do not capture the essence of the time period or the multimedia franchises, pulling me out of the experience.”
- “The character designs are purposefully unappealing and do not resonate with the time period or the multimedia franchises, which disrupts my immersion in the game.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players express a strong interest in exploring optimized gameplay and experimenting with different factions, indicating that the game's design encourages strategic play and replayability.
- “I am pretty interested in doing a more optimized run and trying the other factions.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Users consistently highlight the game as "very replayable," indicating that it offers engaging content and experiences that encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “The game offers incredible replayability with multiple paths and choices that keep each playthrough fresh.”
- “I love how replayable this game is; every decision I make leads to a different outcome, making me want to play again and again.”
- “The variety of characters and storylines ensures that no two playthroughs are ever the same, enhancing the game's replayability.”