Isle of Swaps

About

In "Isle of Swaps," compete in the Critter Combat craze by collecting and trading cards with varied stats, abilities, and elements. Build a strong deck with compatible Skill cards and Critters, while considering weaknesses and resistances. The game encourages strategic deck-building and thoughtful team composition for success in Critter Challenges.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 158 reviews

gameplay24 positive mentions

Isle of Swaps captures the nostalgic charm of trading card games, reminiscent of childhood experiences with Pokémon TCG, making it a delightful experience for fans of the genre.
The game features engaging mechanics with a focus on deck-building and card swapping, allowing for strategic depth and a variety of viable builds.
The art style is vibrant and appealing, with cute critter designs and a charming schoolyard aesthetic that enhances the overall gameplay experience.

The game suffers from balance issues, with some encounters feeling unfairly difficult and a lack of meaningful evolution mechanics that detracts from the gameplay.
The user interface can be cumbersome, particularly when navigating the card binder, which can slow down the gameplay experience.
Despite having a variety of cards, many are perceived as reskins with minimal differentiation, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness in gameplay.

gameplay
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
63%
4%
The gameplay is generally praised for its fun mechanics, charming art, and engaging card interactions, reminiscent of classic trading card games like Pokémon. While the roguelike elements and master binder feature add depth and variety, some players feel the card balance is off and the gameplay loop can become monotonous. Overall, it offers a rewarding experience with strategic deck-building opportunities, though it may lack complexity for some players.
- “This game has a great economic strategy along with simple and fun mechanics.”
- “With the cards' variety and mechanics, you can create countless combinations, crafting decks that are not only fun but also challenging to play.”
- “The decisions feel meaningful, and even after hours of gameplay, you’ll continue to discover new approaches.”
- “Honestly, I know this game came out, but the balance of the cards feels off. While there are advertised to be 300+ cards, many are basically reskins with an additional type (which affects what cards can be played on them). The gameplay loop feels monotonous.”
- “I find the gameplay itself to be just a little bit simple—think of it like a truncated and faster-paced version of the Pokémon trading card game.”
- “The game definitely has some good points, the art style is cute, the game loop is interesting enough, it leans on a lot of understandable mechanics from the Pokémon card game, but if you've not played this, then you might miss some things because the tutorial isn't great.”
graphics
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
61%
13%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming schoolyard setting and nostalgic diorama aesthetic, reminiscent of beloved card games like Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh. The card art is particularly noted for its beauty and variety, although some players find the 3D character designs less appealing. Overall, the visuals effectively capture the playful spirit of trading cards, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
- “The schoolyard setting and diorama aesthetic are incredibly charming.”
- “There isn't a deep story, but the card art is gorgeous in a way that perfectly nails what's good about Pokémon cards, and the overall playground aesthetic is cute.”
- “And the visuals are absolutely perfect; they make me feel nostalgic and put me in a really nice headspace.”
- “Had an eye on it for a while but thought I would wait for reviews as the art style is a bit... meh.”
- “I am not super into the art style of the 3D characters (seems like the devs have other similar looking games) but the art of the cards and critters is great!”
- “Minor thing: art styles from cards can be very different, even when portraying the same character.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The music in the game is widely praised for its bright and cheery soundtrack, which evokes a sense of nostalgia and playfulness reminiscent of childhood adventures. The starting school bell effectively sets the atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience with fun and engaging tunes that complement the game's lighthearted tone.
- “The music is fun to listen to, and the starting school bell when you open the game sets the atmosphere really well.”
- “The soundtrack is bright and cheery, with just enough intensity to evoke the feeling of being a kid at the playground who's pretending to engage in some world-deciding battles between classes without the game actually taking itself that seriously.”
- “Also, the music is nothing but nostalgic fire.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game offers strong replayability through various viable builds, multiple modes, and four playable characters, making it enjoyable for many hours. However, some players note that once all content is completed, the replay value diminishes, despite the initial fun and achievement completion taking around 21 hours.
- “Lots of fun viable builds and great replayability.”
- “Isle of Swaps is a very charming game with great replayability.”
- “With multiple modes and 4 playable characters, this game is definitely worth its asking price, is fun and replayable.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The game is praised for its monetization model, offering over 400 cards without any microtransactions, making it an appealing choice for players who dislike pay-to-win mechanics. It provides a balanced and engaging single-player experience reminiscent of traditional trading card games like Pokémon and Magic, without the financial pressures often associated with multiplayer games.
- “When you remember that it's over 400 cards without any microtransactions, then it really does hammer home how good of a deal it is.”
- “It's a single-player TCG game with simple to learn yet hard to master mechanics, good balance, and no microtransactions whatsoever.”
- “If you like Pokémon/Magic style TCG but don't want to get into multiplayer games (in my case, it's because I hate microtransactions), then this game is for you.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, providing a stable experience; however, players are required to rely on the touchscreen or trackpad for controls.
- “I have been playing on my Steam Deck, where the game runs great.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a simplistic story that lacks depth, but it compensates with stunning card art that captures the charm of Pokémon cards and a delightful playground aesthetic.
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is effectively established by its engaging music and the nostalgic sound of a school bell at the start, creating an immersive and enjoyable experience for players.
- “The music is fun to listen to, and the starting school bell when you open the game sets the atmosphere really well.”