Red Mist
- February 22, 2020
- Pixel Cattle Games
- 50h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Red Mist," a card game with roguelike and deckbuilder elements, your health is tied to the number of cards in your deck. Enemies appear in waves, and strategic planning is required to line up and defeat them. Three types of cards - attacks, skills, and curses - are at your disposal, with a focus on quick and desperate attacks to survive. Level up to add new cards and strengthen your deck against the evils of the mist.
Reviews
- The game features a unique mechanic where your deck serves as your health, adding a fresh twist to the deckbuilding genre.
- There are six distinct character classes, each with unique mechanics and playstyles, providing a lot of replayability.
- The gameplay is engaging and strategic, requiring players to carefully plan their moves and manage their cards effectively.
- The game suffers from balance issues, with some characters being overpowered while others feel underwhelming.
- There is a lack of content and variety, leading to repetitive gameplay after a few runs.
- The user interface and presentation are minimal, which may detract from the overall experience for some players.
- gameplay64 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its unique mechanics, particularly the innovative concept of using your deck as health, which adds depth and strategic variety. Players appreciate the distinct playstyles of the six heroes, each offering different mechanics and replayability, although some classes, like the berserker, are seen as less engaging. While the game lacks extensive content compared to its predecessor, it provides a solid and enjoyable experience with a focus on emergent gameplay and puzzle-like challenges.
“Once you learn the mechanics and types of enemies, it is possible to create some truly overpowered decks.”
“The battle mechanics provide for a lot of fun, the classes are extremely unique and each feels quite original compared with other card battlers.”
“What this game does, it does well - and in a fashion very few deckbuilders have even attempted mechanically - while still feeling very well thought out in terms of mechanics and designs.”
“While it brings some very cool new things, it just does not have much else and has a fraction of the content, flavor, and mechanics of the first game.”
“After winning the game with each playable character, I don't see any reason to play again because the gameplay will be exactly the same.”
“I think there needs to be more scaling mechanics to encourage you to avoid keeping the same enemy alive forever.”
- replayability13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The reviews on replayability are mixed, with some players praising the variety in classes and gameplay mechanics that encourage multiple playthroughs, while others criticize the lack of depth and randomness, leading to a sense of tedium after initial runs. Several users noted that grinding for higher ranks can become tedious, and some felt that the game lacks sufficient content to sustain long-term engagement. Overall, while some find replayability in the gameplay, many express disappointment in its limitations.
“The variety in classes and escalating ascension levels provide a lot of replayability.”
“Clever and replayable.”
“The presentation isn't great, but this gameplay is awesome with lots of replayability.”
“No replay value”
“If there were some more sense of advancement, more new cards that were achieved with levels, more levels to move up, or other improvements to add replay value, I'd give this another half point.”
“Not enough randomness/variability to add a lot of replayability.”
- story10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely absent, with players noting a lack of narrative depth and lore, which detracts from the overall experience. While the mechanics and class variety are engaging, many reviewers express disappointment over the minimal storytelling elements, feeling that the game could benefit from a more cohesive narrative. Overall, the consensus is that the game prioritizes gameplay mechanics over story, leaving some players unsatisfied.
“I'm happy the devs didn't try to fit in a generic story to waste my time.”
“It is not rare that card games detach themselves from any story, but here it feels like all the elements are there, but no attempt was even made to connect them.”
“First, there is basically zero story or any explanation of what is going on; the events are all very minor things, mostly just a tiny bit of nonsense dialogue with a card or item pick.”
“There is just not as much replayability or content as I was hoping for; there is very little in the way of achievements, very little variety, and the lack of lore and story is disheartening.”
“It is not rare that card games detach themselves from any story, but here it feels like all the elements are there, but no attempt was even made to connect them.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as minimalistic, with a simple user interface that aligns with its gothic noir aesthetic. While some users appreciate the unique designs of cards and enemies, they note that the visuals lack animation and depth, drawing comparisons to other card battlers like "Slay the Spire." Overall, the game's aesthetic is considered appealing, but there is room for improvement in future installments.
“Though it still shares the same gothic noir aesthetic as the original and a haunting soundtrack that perfectly complements the theme and art.”
“It is a good looking game with a fun aesthetic; the cards and enemies are cool, there are a bunch of unique classes, and it has a no-nonsense simple UI and approach.”
“Similar to Slay the Spire, but with really pretty graphics.”
“The graphics and UI aren't great.”
“The weakness is mostly the visuals; it looks very card-like and very minimal on animation.”
“Sure, the graphics are minimal, same with the music and sound effects, which I can see improving in part three.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as minimalistic yet effective, with a haunting soundtrack that aligns well with its gothic noir aesthetic. While some users feel that the soundtracks are basic, they appreciate how the music complements the overall theme and art style. There is a sense of potential for improvement in future installments.
“Though it still shares the same gothic noir aesthetic as the original and a haunting soundtrack that perfectly complements the theme and art.”
“Sure, the graphics are minimal, and the same goes for the music and sound effects, which I can see improving in part three.”
“The music consists of basic soundtracks.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly when aiming for achievements like ranking up each class to level 10. While the game offers significant replayability, the grind can feel dull and unfulfilling for those who dislike such mechanics.
“Especially for someone who hates dull and repetitive gameplay with little sense of accomplishment, grinding for that 6 grinding achievement is frustrating.”
“While there is lots of replayability, grinding to rank 10 on each class can become quite tedious.”
“The grinding aspect feels overly drawn out, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find humor in the game's mechanics, particularly the contrast between upgrading cards in other games and the absence of this feature in "Slay the Spire," leading to amusing moments of confusion when encountering merchants.
“...and the funny thing is - I got so used to upgrading my cards at the shop between floors in this game, that not having it available in STS just felt super weird each time I'd encounter the merchant.”
