Cartomancy Anthology

About

Cartomancy Anthology is a single player arcade simulation game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Cartomancy Anthology and was released on August 9, 2022. It received very positive reviews from players.

The Cartomancy Anthology is a collection of 22 games, each representing a card of the Major Arcana in tarot readings. Players can customize their readings by shuffling and drawing cards, with each game providing a unique interactive experience based on its card's meaning. Gameplay varies widely, from platformers to visual novels to cooking sims, offering a fresh and exciting experience with every pull. Learn about the contributors and reflect on the meaningful themes presented in each game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 29 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The anthology offers a wonderful variety of unique and artistic experiences, showcasing the creativity of various indie developers.
Many games provide thought-provoking narratives and engaging gameplay, making them enjoyable for players who appreciate introspective and experimental design.
The collection allows players to explore different styles and themes, with the option to skip games that don't appeal to them, enhancing the overall experience.

Several games are plagued by bugs and technical issues, which can hinder the overall enjoyment and accessibility of the anthology.
Some games feel immature or lack depth, leading to a mixed experience where not all titles resonate with players.
The anthology's diverse quality means that while some games are excellent, others may feel underdeveloped or overly simplistic.

story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The reviews highlight a mix of engaging and lackluster narratives across various games. While some titles, like "Empress" and "High Priestess," are praised for their concise and charming stories, others, such as "Justice" and "The Tower," are criticized for their convoluted themes and draining gameplay. Overall, many games emphasize themes of self-discovery and introspection, with art and storytelling often enhancing the experience, even if the narrative itself is not always compelling.
- “Empress - overall great puzzle game, level difficulty is just right, concise story and to my surprise there's also voiced lines.”
- “Emperor - I'm probably biased because I love cooking games, but I still think it's great because even though the game is short, the story and message are still solid, and definitely need some thinking to interpret what the emperor desires.”
- “Almost every game here has a theme of self-discovery, introspection, or self-reflection; even when the game is not a visual novel (most of them are), there is generally a story being told as you play.”
- “Overall, the storyline and changing allegiance felt altogether unimportant and uninteresting (though the dog, soliloquy, somewhat made up for it). 3.5/10”
- “While the game showcased this through growing sunflowers, the main storyline was one of manipulation and collecting glass shards which didn't tie in with the theme.”
- “Justice: while this is one of the more mature storylines that clearly follows the theme of the card, the musical mechanics when acting as an all-seeing oracle seeking truth are very finicky and it overall felt very draining completing the story.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
37%
27%
The gameplay across these indie games is generally characterized by a focus on experiential elements rather than traditional mechanics, with some titles offering charming and unique interactions, such as potion brewing and narrative-driven experiences. While games like "The Emperor" and "Empress" are praised for their solid mechanics and storytelling, others, like "Justice," suffer from finicky gameplay that detracts from the overall experience. Overall, players appreciate the fresh art styles and contemplative nature of the games, though some mechanics may not function as intended, leading to a mixed reception.
- “Temperance - a charming potion brewing game (also there's a capybara!!), although it took me a while to realize how the gameplay actually works.”
- “Seeing so many fresh art styles and interpretations of the different cards and associated mechanics makes for some nice contemplative play sessions.”
- “Empress and Emperor were both just really solid games with great mechanics and execution. While I could honestly see them as 'full length' games, they were also just perfect in length and didn't overstay their welcome, plus, once again, they both told great stories.”
- “The problem is that the core mechanic (changing personas) just simply doesn't work.”
- “Justice: while this is one of the more mature storylines that clearly follows the theme of the card, the musical mechanics when acting as an all-seeing oracle seeking truth are very finicky and it overall felt very draining completing the story.”
- “The world: this final card is one of completion, but ultimately the game is draining to complete and many of the mechanics and special effects simply don't appear to work.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The graphics of the game are praised for their diverse and fresh art styles, enhancing the overall experience and storytelling. While some visuals, like those in "Death," may lean towards a monochrome aesthetic that feels more like a meta-experience, the overall presentation is considered beautiful and engaging, contributing to the game's charm. Players appreciate the unique artistic interpretations across different cards, making for a visually compelling journey.
- “Seeing so many fresh art styles and interpretations of the different cards and associated mechanics makes for some nice contemplative play sessions.”
- “I sincerely recommend this game, for the various art styles, the stories being told, and the beautiful setup.”
- “Hierophant won me over with a very unique and beautiful art style, though the story also helped a lot.”
- “Death: while I can appreciate the message about change and letting go that heavily relates to the theme of this card, the monochrome visuals and ability to only move forward made it more of a visual meta-experience than anything.”
- “You don't get to choose the order in which you discover the games, but you can skip them once you see the title artwork.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its wholesome nature and the opportunity for intimate interactions with characters, allowing players to engage with their feelings and make thoughtful decisions. Many users appreciate the heartwarming and creative narratives, which evoke a range of emotions and foster meaningful connections, often reflecting diverse and queer experiences. The option to skip emotionally challenging content further enhances the game's sensitivity to players' mental well-being.
- “Overall, it's a really wholesome game that plays a lot like 'Death and Taxes,' but with the ability to have more intimate conversations with the fruits and vegetables you might plant in the garden before making your decision.”
- “Each time you pull a card, the game allows you to 'skip' playing it if it isn't something you are personally able to handle emotionally or mentally at the time, and places it in your deck for referencing later.”
- “While some games—or experiences, I guess—are more technically impressive, polished, or even just longer than others, they overall embody a messy, emotional, beautiful, meaningful, and often queer experience.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in "Justice" is noted for its mature thematic alignment with the storyline, but players find the musical mechanics to be finicky and draining, detracting from the overall experience of seeking truth as an all-seeing oracle.
- “The musical mechanics, while attempting to enhance the storytelling, often feel finicky and detract from the overall experience.”
- “Completing the story felt draining due to the inconsistent musical elements that failed to engage the player.”
- “The music, intended to support the narrative, ultimately became a frustrating aspect of the gameplay.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant optimization issues, particularly with vsync stutter affecting moving objects on screen. While disabling full screen optimizations has provided some relief for the main client, individual games continue to experience similar problems.
- “One major issue I'm running into is weird VSync stutter on moving objects on screen. So far, the fix is to disable full screen optimizations, but this has only worked on the main client, excluding individual games that all seem to have similar issues.”
- “The optimization in this game is severely lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and inconsistent performance, even on high-end hardware.”
- “I constantly experience lag and stuttering during gameplay, which makes it nearly impossible to enjoy the experience. The optimization needs significant improvement.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users found the game's stability to be better than expected, with only one title in the collection being significantly buggy and unplayable. Most reviews indicate a generally stable experience across the games.
- “I was also under the impression from some of the other reviews that this would be far buggier than it was; really, there was only one game in the whole bunch that was buggy to the point of being unplayable.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is diverse and caters to a wide range of tastes, seamlessly blending with its puzzle and narrative elements to create an engaging experience for all players.
- “There's something for everyone here, whether it be puzzle-focused, humor-focused, narrative, and more.”