Crash The Core
- November 26, 2021
- Jerome Labelle
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Crash the Core" is a deck-building game featuring diverse card types such as Abilities, Summons, Gadgets, Weapons, and Consumables. Customize your playstyle by earning Renown to unlock new starter cards and specialties, creating a unique class for each mission. Play solo or enjoy local co-op and online play through Steam's Remote Play, with no advantage or disadvantage in multiplayer mode.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers interesting mechanics with summons and gadgets, providing depth and strategic options for deck-building.
- Despite its rough edges, the game is enjoyable and engaging, especially for its low price point, making it a good entry for fans of the genre.
- The developer is responsive to feedback and actively working on updates and bug fixes, showing commitment to improving the game.
- The game feels unpolished and lacks variety in enemies and events, leading to repetitive gameplay.
- The user interface is clunky and confusing, with issues like hitboxes not aligning properly and unclear mechanics that aren't well explained.
- There are numerous bugs and technical issues, including problems with co-op play and inconsistent game mechanics that detract from the overall experience.
- gameplay28 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of interesting card mechanics and a dynamic battle system, though it lacks the depth found in more established titles like Slay the Spire. While some mechanics are engaging and original, many are poorly explained, leading to confusion and a sense of incompleteness. Overall, the game shows promise with its unique elements and replayability, but it feels more like an early access title in need of refinement and clearer instructions.
“For the 5, I get to try and solve a set of interesting card mechanics, a dynamic battle system with cool synergies, and get lost in the music, sounds, and card art.”
“The mechanics have so much focus and coherence, and there has obviously been so much love, careful consideration, and dedication put into it by its creator, who is, I believe, a one-man band.”
“And much as its strength lies in the distillation of the purest essence of that classic deck-building rogue-like, it does bring some new stuff to the table and effectively steals other elements from some of its more expensive peers, whilst still managing to keep the mechanics graceful, simple yet with room for complex strategy and different builds.”
“It's the bland oatmeal of deckbuilders, offering nothing but a lukewarm mush of mechanics that fail to ignite even the faintest spark of interest or excitement.”
“There are some mechanics that aren't explained, like apparently the fact that your first death will be spared and you'll instead be stuck with 1 HP.”
“Some gameplay features aren't explained well (or aren't explained at all, e.g. the fact that weapon cards remain in your hand, or that you can only hold 5 items, or that summon damage/block does not apply to starter summons, etc.) and some text has errors and typos.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players criticizing the inconsistency and lack of variety in artwork, particularly in enemy card designs, which detracts from the overall aesthetic. While some appreciate the simple yet engaging visuals that evoke a nostalgic atmosphere, others feel that the graphics clash with the game's theme and could benefit from more polish and coherence. Despite these criticisms, the developers are noted for their responsiveness to feedback, suggesting potential improvements in future updates.
“Loved the artwork and how it's simple but you can still play it for hours.”
“The graphics and music reflect the game perfectly: rustic, warm, cute and weird by turns, conjuring up a rose-tinted atmosphere of a period in gaming where shareware was king, whilst having enough modernity to come across like a game crafted in an alternate future where the solo bedroom game programmer cottage industry was never marginalized by market forces and predatory business models and instead continued on in all its low-budget, high-obsession glory.”
“This game takes a lot of everything and while not very consistent in its visuals (some are good, some look more like placeholders), the dev is actively listening to feedback and does changes and bug fixes quickly.”
“Most of the graphics clash with each other and with the story/setting.”
“Enemy card artwork is often repeated and could do with more variety.”
“There doesn't seem to be any consistency in the artwork nor is there an overall game theme.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as atmospheric and fitting, enhancing the overall aesthetic with a nostalgic charm, though some players find it low-effort and repetitive, leading them to mute the audio during gameplay. While the sound effects and card art are praised, the voice acting is criticized as subpar. Overall, the soundtrack evokes a unique blend of rustic and modern vibes, but it could benefit from more variety.
“For the game, I get to try and solve a set of interesting card mechanics, a dynamic battle system with cool synergies, and get lost in the music, sounds, and card art.”
“The graphics and music reflect the game perfectly: rustic, warm, cute, and weird by turns, conjuring up a rose-tinted atmosphere of a period in gaming where shareware was king, while having enough modernity to come across like a game crafted in an alternate future where the solo bedroom game programmer cottage industry was never marginalized by market forces and predatory business models and instead continued on in all its low-budget, high-obsession glory.”
“I highly worship this game as if it were a popular music artist like Katy Perry: no other rogue-like game comes close to this powerhouse of a game.”
“The low effort and repetitive music had me mute the game audio halfway through the run.”
“Some variety or a better soundtrack would be nice.”
- story3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story features a branching narrative that allows players to choose their paths during missions, adding a layer of interactivity. However, some users feel that the graphics do not align well with the story and setting, detracting from the overall experience. Additionally, there are concerns about the lack of continuity in metacurrency between missions.
“I love that you get to choose which path you go down while doing missions.”
“The story is engaging and keeps you invested in the characters and their journeys.”
“The narrative is rich and immersive, making every decision feel impactful.”
“Most of the graphics clash with each other and with the story/setting.”
“I like that you get to choose which path you go down while doing missions.”
“And when we cleared the first mission, none of the metacurrency carried over (which I remedied by editing a save file, but come on...)”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly due to repetitive actions like right-clicking on unplayable cards each turn. While the progression can feel slow and lacks the polish of other titles, many still view it as a worthwhile experience given its price.
“Overall, it lacks the polish of certain other games and feels a bit grindy with progression, but it's a rough diamond, especially for the price.”
“Right-clicking every card that you can no longer play every turn gets tedious after a while.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by lovely art and atmospheric music and sound effects, creating a nostalgic and whimsical experience reminiscent of a bygone era in gaming. However, the quality of the voice acting detracts from the overall immersion. The graphics and audio effectively blend rustic charm with a modern twist, evoking a sense of a vibrant indie gaming culture.
“The graphics and music reflect the game perfectly: rustic, warm, cute, and weird by turns, conjuring up a rose-tinted atmosphere of a period in gaming where shareware was king, whilst having enough modernity to come across like a game crafted in an alternate future where the solo bedroom game programmer cottage industry was never marginalized by market forces and predatory business models and instead continued on in all its low-budget, high-obsession glory.”
“The graphics and music reflect the game perfectly: rustic, warm, cute, and weird by turns, conjuring up a rose-tinted atmosphere of a period in gaming where shareware was king, while having enough modernity to come across like a game crafted in an alternate future where the solo bedroom game programmer cottage industry was never marginalized by market forces and predatory business models, and instead continued on in all its low-budget, high-obsession glory.”
“The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, lacking any real depth or engagement. It’s as if the developers forgot to breathe life into the world they created.”
“Despite the potential for a rich environment, the atmosphere falls flat, leaving players feeling disconnected and unmotivated to explore.”
