Cards of the Dead

About

In "Cards of the Dead," players fight through hordes of zombies across three interconnected stories to retrieve a vaccine and save humanity. The game features multiple weapons, from makeshift bottles to futuristic experimental guns, and requires strategic management of health, turns, and equipment to survive.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 93 reviews

story8 positive mentions

replayability4 negative mentions

The game offers a fun and addictive gameplay experience with a unique zombie-themed card mechanic.
Each character has distinct abilities and play styles, adding variety to the gameplay.
The retro-style graphics and atmosphere effectively capture the horror theme.

The game heavily relies on luck due to its randomized card drawing, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
It is very short, with most players completing it in under three hours, resulting in limited replay value.
The difficulty spikes, especially in later levels, can feel unfair and unbalanced, detracting from the overall enjoyment.

story
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
65%
12%
The game's story is divided into three short campaigns, each featuring a different protagonist, and is described as generic and simplistic, with minimal in-game impact from collectible documents. While some players find the narrative engaging enough for an indie title, others express confusion due to its fragmented delivery and lack of depth. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the gameplay, with potential for improvement in future installments.
- “Each character plays through a 'chapter' (story) that consists of a series of encounters, each representing a section of the pathway that progresses to the final laboratory.”
- “There are enough surprises thus far to make the game enjoyable, and the play is simple but with meaningful decisions and a thematically rich story and card flavor.”
- “The story is pretty simple to follow and encourages you to use your imagination to fill in the blanks, using a distinct retro feel without the retro clunk.”
- “The story told is very little and pretty generic, and told across 3 small campaigns each with a different protagonist.”
- “So I started picking up the diary notes for the second protagonist in the middle of my first character playthrough and was completely confused as to the story until I worked things out later.”
- “It didn't become apparent until after the 2 hour mark, and the second story is absolutely infuriating in how badly it is designed in regards to gameplay.”
gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
41%
9%
The gameplay is centered around a grid of face-down cards that players flip to reveal items, hazards, or routes, creating a resource management experience that is both simple and addictive. While the core mechanics are well-crafted and engaging, some players found the randomness frustrating, particularly in later stages. The introduction of different characters adds strategic variety, but the overall enjoyment may diminish after extended play.
- “The basic gameplay is you have a grid of cards that are face down, and each turn you turn one over, and it can be either a helpful item or weapon, an environmental hazard, a locked item, route to the next area, or on occasion some special tiles that are relevant to certain maps.”
- “The game mechanics are good and addictive; each character has its own way of use, discovering cards, planning your next move, equipping items, and trying to survive is just plain fun.”
- “Pros: the game is really well-crafted and the core gameplay loop is addictive.”
- “I had enough after 1 hour of gameplay.”
- “It didn't become apparent until after the 2 hour mark, and the second story is absolutely infuriating in how badly it is designed in regards to gameplay.”
- “Here's the gameplay in a nutshell - you pick a character (and you can only pick 1 of 3 to start with, the other two are locked) and then end up in an 'alley' with some cards to flip.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
40%
40%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the opportunity to collect documents and uncover the story, many criticize it for lacking variation and depth in subsequent runs, leading to a perception of minimal replay value. Overall, the balance of strategy and luck does not significantly enhance replayability, leaving some players wishing for more engaging elements.
- “The game uses replayability to complete the collectible documents and get the whole story.”
- “Very replayable too.”
- “A mix of strategy and luck in equal parts, this is a short simple card game with no replay value.”
- “I wish it was more replayable; there are so many elements from Card Quest that would be perfect in this game.”
- “Along with that, there is little to no replay value, since the game lacks variation with subsequent runs.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The graphics are generally described as decent but not exceptional, fitting the chosen style of the game. While some users appreciate the visuals, others feel that they do not compensate for gameplay issues, suggesting a disconnect between the cute aesthetics and the overall experience.
- “Cool game, nice graphics and questionable balance.”
- “It's not amazing graphics as you can see and the story is... meh.”
- “Unfair, awful and don't let the cute graphics make you think this is anything like a decent card battler.”
- “Well, the graphics are okay for the style they chose.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its retro-stylish and slightly corny aesthetic, effectively capturing a compelling zombie survival vibe. Reviewers highlight the strong visual appeal and immersive experience, making it particularly recommended for fans of solo card games.
- “The atmosphere is captured very well.”
- “I would definitely recommend the game if you like solo card games and the overall zombie survival atmosphere.”
- “The battle system is very nice and the atmosphere is great.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the element of surprise and discovery, as players experience a profound connection to the game through the unexpected revelation of interacting with a car. This sense of engagement fosters a deeper emotional investment in the gameplay.
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
The music in the game is characterized by fitting "indie horror tension" themes and corny sound effects, effectively enhancing the overall atmosphere, though it may not be memorable enough for players to seek out the original soundtrack.
- “The music perfectly captures the essence of indie horror, creating a tense atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience.”
- “The soundtrack complements the game beautifully, with a mix of eerie tunes and corny sound effects that add to the overall ambiance.”
- “While you won't be downloading the OST, the music included fits seamlessly into the game's theme, enhancing the tension and immersion.”
- “You won’t be downloading the OST, but whatever is here fits well - 'indie horror tension' music and, you guessed it, corny sound effects complete the picture.”