Cartomancy Anthology
- August 8, 2022
- Misha [he/they]
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Get on itch.io StoreThe 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.
Windows
Reviews
- The anthology offers a unique and immersive experience with a variety of small indie games that encourage introspection and self-discovery.
- Many of the games are creatively designed and showcase the talents of notable indie developers, providing heartwarming and thought-provoking narratives.
- The presentation of the game hub is enjoyable, resembling a mystery box that adds an element of surprise and excitement to the gameplay.
- A significant number of games are poorly executed, with bugs and minimal gameplay, leading to a feeling of immaturity in design.
- Some games lack engaging narratives and fail to effectively translate the themes of the Tarot cards, resulting in a disjointed experience.
- The overall quality is inconsistent, with many games feeling like student projects rather than polished works, which may disappoint players seeking more substantial content.
- story22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a mix of engaging and lackluster narratives across the games, with some titles praised for their concise and meaningful stories, while others are criticized for their uninteresting plots and disjointed themes. Many games incorporate elements of self-discovery and introspection, though execution varies, with some mechanics detracting from the overall storytelling experience. Overall, the storytelling quality is inconsistent, with a few standout narratives amidst a backdrop of mediocrity.
“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.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay across these indie games is generally described as experiential rather than mechanics-focused, with some titles featuring charming elements like potion brewing and a pettable capybara. However, several games suffer from flawed core mechanics, such as ineffective persona changes and finicky musical elements, which can detract from the overall experience. While some games offer engaging narratives and artistic exploration, others are noted to be draining and lacking in functional gameplay features.
“The emperor: one of my favorite games in the collection both in managing to encompass the meaning behind the emperor card and in the artistry and gameplay. I really enjoyed exploring the world after awakening from my reality in order to serve a dish based on a combination of emotions themed around each of the day's meditation poems to this powerful divine masculine energy to determine whether or not I would be worthy of being sent back to my reality.”
“The concept, gameplay, and pettable capybara make this a really cute game to play.”
“A mystery box of 22 indie games ranging from 5 minutes to about 1 hour in length - most of them have a narrative twist or a unique take on the gameplay deconstruction.”
“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.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics are characterized by a monochrome aesthetic that emphasizes a thematic message about change and letting go, creating a visual meta-experience. While the hub art is likely original and presents a nice overall package, the lack of interactivity and unpredictability in discovering the games can detract from the experience, leaving players uncertain about the quality of what they will encounter.
“The monochrome visuals and the ability to only move forward made it more of a visual meta-experience than anything.”
“I assume all of the hub art is original to the actual package, given the art style, so if nothing else, it's a nice presentation, like a big gift of mystery indie games.”
“While I can appreciate the message about change and letting go that heavily relates to the theme of this card, the monochrome visuals and the 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.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its wholesome and heartwarming nature, allowing players to engage in intimate conversations with the fruits and vegetables they cultivate. This creative approach fosters a deeper connection to the game's narrative, making the experience feel more meaningful and engaging.
“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.”
“The better half really sold it on the heartwarming and creative adventures.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
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 games performed well, dispelling initial concerns about widespread issues.
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in "Justice" is described as thematically aligned with the storyline, but the mechanics involved in its implementation are perceived as finicky and draining, detracting from the overall experience.
“The musical mechanics when acting as an all-seeing oracle seeking truth are very finicky and it overall felt very draining completing the story.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
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, it has not resolved the problem for individual games, which continue to experience similar performance issues.
“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.”
