Darkest Dungeon and Slay The Spire Fans Shouldn’t Miss This Deckbuilder

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Darkest Dungeon and Slay The Spire Fans Shouldn't Miss This Deckbuilder

Highlights

  • Ironhive from Wondernaut Studio promises a unique blend of deck-building roguelite and city-building for a fresh gaming experience.
  • The game introduces a Stability mechanic akin to Darkest Dungeon‘s Stress meter, adding a layer of impending societal collapse.
  • Balancing meta-progression with roguelike elements will be key for Ironhive’s success, but the game certainly looks promising.

As a seasoned gamer with a penchant for left-field genre fusions and a soft spot for indie titles that dare to be different, I eagerly anticipate the release of Ironhive by Wondernaut Studio. With its unique blend of deck-building roguelite and city-building mechanics, this game promises to be a breath of fresh air in the increasingly crowded Deckbuilder space.

For years, indie game developers have been known for blending unexpected genres, and the upcoming game “Ironhive” from Wondernaut Studio aims to bring something fresh to the growing Deckbuilder category. This unique game combines elements of deck-building roguelites with city-builders, drawing inspiration from games like “Slay the Spire” and “Darkest Dungeon”, while also offering a new take on traditional city-building. Although the release date for “Ironhive” is not yet confirmed beyond a tentative 2024 window and a general “Coming Soon” on Steam, its demo suggests that it holds great potential.

The creators of the visually captivating puzzle-platformer, Aspire: Ina’s Tale, which shares a unique art style with fluid animations and color schemes that match its theme or tone, are also responsible for Ironhive. At first glance, Ironhive appears to be a blend of classic city-building elements and deck-building roguelite mechanics. However, the game’s post-apocalyptic setting and undercurrent of looming dread reveal a Lovecraftian narrative reminiscent of Darkest Dungeon. Although it replaces the procedural dungeon-crawling and turn-based combat found in Slay the Spire and Darkest Dungeon with city-building, Ironhive is a game that fans of either (or both) should definitely check out.

Ironhive’s Deckbuilding Mechanics Fit Nicely Within the Context of a City-Builder

In the spirit of Slay the Spire, where I found a fresh spin on traditional RPGs by blending deckbuilding strategies with roguelike gameplay, Ironhive offers an innovative twist to the city-building simulator genre using procedural elements and special cards. As a player in this game, I have to juggle four essential resources: Devotion, Supply, Workforce, and Order. Each of these resources has its unique set of cards and buildings that come into play. The key to success or failure lies in my strategic decisions about which buildings (quantity and type) to prioritize, as well as the luck of the draw when it comes to worker and material cards.

What’s yet to be determined is how Ironhive manages the crucial factor of meta-progression alongside its roguelike features. Like in Ironhive and Slay the Spire, players can increase their level, but the perks that come from these advancements appear to be unique to each playthrough rather than permanent upgrades that persist across every effort to create a final stronghold of humanity. A significant part of what made Slay the Spire so popular among roguelike fans was its skillful blend of difficulty and rewarding meta-progression, and Ironhive must achieve similar mastery in its balancing act to make an impact in a competitive marketplace.

Ironhive Supplants Darkest Dungeon’s Stress Meter With Impending Societal Collapse

Darkest Dungeon and Slay The Spire Fans Shouldn't Miss This Deckbuilder

An unexpected feature found in the game Ironhive is its utilization of the Stability mechanism, reminiscent of the Stress meter in Darkest Dungeon. In the course of a game run within Ironhive, players will encounter milestones that serve as checks on their progress towards rebuilding and maintaining civilization. If resources for sustaining the expanding city and populace become scarce, events transpire that lead to a decrease in the Ironhive’s stability. Once such events have happened three times, a situation arises which the player must address promptly to avoid severe consequences resulting from their inactivity.

In a blend that might not be immediately noticeable, Ironhive resembles Darkest Dungeon more than one might think. The game incorporates Lovecraftian themes and an ever-present feeling of impending catastrophe in every playthrough. Just like how Stress affects characters in Darkest Dungeon, a decreasing Stability in Ironhive can have devastating consequences on gameplay, often necessitating a restart for better results. While it shares elements with two highly acclaimed roguelikes from recent years, its dark, dystopian environment and Lovecraftian ambiance make it distinct. Its genre fusion is unique as well.

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2024-08-09 17:34