Last Kids on Earth: Hit the Deck!
- February 17, 2023
- SMART Technologies
Get on Steam"Last Kids on Earth: Hit the Deck!" is a strategy-based game where players help Jack and his friends survive in a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies and monsters. Using a battle-card system, players engage in tag-team combat and complete over 30 quests. The game is based on the award-winning novel series of the same name by Max Brallier.
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and engaging deck-building experience with unique mechanics, such as using items to influence card sets and character synergies.
- The art style and animations are vibrant and appealing, enhancing the overall charm of the game.
- It provides a fresh take on the deck-building genre by allowing players to maintain and refine their decks over multiple missions, promoting strategic gameplay.
- The game lacks significant replayability, as there is no meta progression or compelling reason to play through again after completing it.
- Some mechanics, like evade cards, can be unclear, making it difficult to strategize effectively during battles.
- Cutscenes can feel abrupt or lacking in context, which may detract from the overall narrative experience.
- story21 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story unfolds through a series of missions featuring four playable characters, each with unique decks that evolve over time. Players engage with a 'story deck' that introduces mission-specific cards, enhancing gameplay and providing a fresh take on the deck-building genre. While the narrative is presented in a non-linear, vignette style that some may find disjointed, it remains enjoyable, especially for fans of the source material, despite occasional frustrations with card availability impacting gameplay satisfaction.
“Interestingly, the story is presented as vignettes that are not in chronological order, giving it a sort of scrapbook feel.”
“I don't personally know much about The Last Kids on Earth, so I can't say whether it holds true to the story, but the way it's presented here is enjoyable.”
“Slay the Spire with team-ups and a cute, kid-friendly story.”
“I think this could definitely be fixed in the future to make the story or context more cohesive.”
“I do think there are frustrations at times--sometimes winning is just a matter of waiting for the right story deck cards to appear, which can be a long wait or an instant win, neither of which is very satisfying.”
“But if you don't care about the story and/or you've already played it once and want to take subsequent playthroughs on the go, the gameplay works just fine.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Hit the Deck" is a fun and engaging card battler that offers surprising depth, despite its child-friendly appearance. Players can explore various mechanics from a central hub, including card crafting and character teamwork, though some may find the learning curve steep without adequate explanations. Overall, the game provides a fresh take on the deck-building genre with unique objectives and enjoyable customization options.
“With all of the interesting unique objectives for each mission, the story deck, and the various mechanics, Hit the Deck is a very fun and fresh take on the deck-building genre.”
“I also enjoyed the card creation mechanic, and not for nothing, I took a lot of childish joy out of the goofy naming options.”
“As someone who doesn't have much familiarity with any kind of video game, I found some of the mechanics difficult to pick up, and wish there had been slightly more explanation of how things worked.”
“But if you don't care about the story and/or you've already played it once and want to take subsequent playthroughs on the go, the gameplay works just fine.”
“Fun little card battler akin to Slay the Spire, though without the roguelike elements, with a surprising amount of gameplay depth considering it seems to be aimed at children.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their phenomenal and whimsical art style, featuring bright colors and slick animations. Additionally, the inclusion of cutscenes from the show enhances the visual experience for players.
“The art style is phenomenal and the animations are slick.”
“The art style is whimsical and bright, and there are cutscenes from the show, I assume (I haven't watched it).”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is enhanced by its emphasis on teamwork, which encourages players to experiment with different strategies and master various characters. However, some users feel that overall replayability is limited.
“Teamwork really opens the game up to a lot of fun strategies and makes the game much more replayable, as it allows you to explore each character and gives you time to master each of them.”
“No real replayability.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively engages players with its charming and humorous cutscenes, which enhance the overall premise and maintain interest throughout the experience.
“It manages to keep you interested in the premise and game as a whole using the various cutscenes from the series that are full of charm and humor.”
