Crash The Core

About

Crash The Core is a single player and multiplayer role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Jerome Labelle and was released on November 26, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"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.

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68%

Audience ScoreBased on 41 reviews

gameplay7 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game offers enjoyable mechanics and interesting card synergies, making it a fun experience for fans of the genre.
The developer is responsive and actively working on updates and bug fixes, showing commitment to improving the game.
At its low price point, the game provides good value for those looking for a casual roguelike deckbuilder experience.

The game feels unpolished and lacks depth, with repetitive enemy encounters and limited variety in events and mechanics.
The user interface is clunky and confusing, making navigation and gameplay less enjoyable.
There are several bugs and technical issues that detract from the overall experience, including problems with co-op play and unclear mechanics.

gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
61%
12%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of engaging card mechanics and a dynamic battle system, with some original features like summon and gadget mechanics that show promise. However, many players find the overall experience lacks depth and clarity, with several mechanics poorly explained and some gameplay elements feeling out of place. While the game has potential and offers enjoyable moments, it is often seen as a basic entry in the deckbuilding genre, needing further refinement and complexity to fully realize its ideas.
- “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.”
- “If you are into the genre, the summon and tool mechanic looks like a solid system when you give it time.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players criticizing the inconsistency and clash of visual elements, particularly in enemy card artwork and overall theme. While some appreciate the simple yet engaging art style that evokes nostalgia, others feel that the visuals lack polish and variety, suggesting that improvements are needed to enhance the overall aesthetic experience. Despite these criticisms, the developers are noted for their responsiveness to feedback, indicating potential for future visual enhancements.
- “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.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
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. 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, 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.”
- “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.”
- “- Low effort and repetitive music had me mute the game audio halfway through the run.”
- “Some variety or a better soundtrack would be nice.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
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.”
- “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...)”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by lovely art and atmospheric music that evoke a nostalgic, rustic charm reminiscent of a bygone era in gaming. However, the quality of the voice acting detracts from the overall experience. The graphics and sound design successfully blend modern elements with a quirky, low-budget aesthetic, creating a unique and immersive environment.
- “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 infuse the world with any sense of wonder or intrigue.”
- “Despite the potential for a rich environment, the atmosphere falls flat, leaving players feeling disconnected and unmotivated to explore.”