The success of Slay the Spire seems to have kicked off a golden age of roguelike deckbuilding games, with plenty of games taking the addictive formula and putting their own unique stamp on the genre. It’s possible to find kid-friendly, non-aggressive examples of roguelike deckbuilding titles, such as Nif Nif, or cozy experiences, such as Cobalt Core. One thing most of these games have in common is the usage of a deck of cards specifically as their central mechanic; given their nature as deckbuilders, that shouldn’t be a surprise, but what happens when you add dice to the mix? SpellRogue is here to answer that question!
What Is SpellRogue?
Though SpellRogue is a deckbuilding game with strong roguelike elements, its unique spin is that dice are rolled in order to activate the different cards you have in your deck. Some cards require specific numbers to be rolled, others an odd or even number, and some may have a total you need to reach with the use of multiple six sided dice.
Cards have a massive variety of effects, but usually fall into the category of dealing damage or giving your character block points, to negate incoming damage. You’ll be right at home if you’ve played a roguelike deckbuilder before, and if you’ve played dice-based roguelikes such as Dicey Dungeon, you’ll recognize that SpellRogue is a clever hybrid of that game with the structure and gameplay elements of titles such as Slay the Spire.
Is SpellRogue Fun to Play?
Just like the aforementioned roguelike games, SpellRogue is an incredibly compelling game, and thanks to its usage of dice-based mechanics, it manages to feel pretty fresh in comparison to the legions of roguelike deckbuilders which often feel like more minor variations on the Slay the Spire approach.
Each run through SpellRogue feels relatively short, and there doesn’t seem to be a huge variation in the type of events that you’ll encounter with each choice you make along the path, but there’s real depth in terms of the cards available for each character, as well as the ways in which each card can be upgraded.
That’s without mentioning the impressive number of effects each card can have; though, as mentioned, many boil down to being either attack or defense cards, there’s a wide range of buffs and debuffs to choose from. Each card has a choice of two distinct options each time they’re levelled up too, adding a further layer of customization to your overall deck. The number of cards you can take into each encounter is limited, so there’s a real strategic choice to be made when building the deck that you’ll have access to throughout a run.
The fact that the audio and visuals of SpellRogue are so strong really set it apart; though we digital deckbuilding fans are used to 2D art styles, SpellRogue takes things a dimension further, with gorgeously animated, detailed 3D characters. It’s a beautiful looking game, with its dice rolling, spell slinging action complemented by appropriately flashy visual and sound effects; right from the start, the first character you have access to, Lupis, impresses with beautifully fluid, watery animation. There’s plenty more organic-looking touches to see too, with the creature design also being worthy of note.
Like most deckbuilding games, it can be a little overwhelming at first, with so many different stats, bonuses and penalties to get your head around, but the reward for overcoming that learning curve is a game which has a great balance of luck and strategic play, with plenty to see, do and unlock.
There’s also a distinct lack of a narrative, though that is also the case with most digital deckbuilding games, and most players won’t see this as a negative; you won’t be waiting around for cutscenes to play out between rounds, for example. As a bonus, SpellRogue works flawlessly on the Steam Deck, and it’s a game that’s well suited to playing on the go.
The Card Gamer Verdict
Though it’s not hard to grasp the basics of the dice rolling, deckbuilding gameplay of SpellRogue, the wide range of different buffs (and debuffs) can feel a bit overwhelming at times, at least on your first runs through the game
Though it uses familiar deckbuilding tropes, SpellRogue’s 3D visuals, superb creature design and beautifully animated characters make it instantly appealing, and its usage of dice as well as cards makes it stand apart from its contemporaries too.
With several characters to unlock (including one that’s been added for this updated, 1.0 edition following its extended Early Access release) and an impressive array of cards to discover, SpellRogue is a game that should last players an awfully long time.
SpellRogue is an excellent game, and it effortlessly adds itself to an ever-expanding list of titles which feel nigh on essential for fans of the genre.
SpellRogue is available now on Steam.
Want to check out more digital deckbuilding games? Take a look at our list of the top card games on Apple Arcade, where you’ll see the aforementioned Dicey Dungeons making an appearance! You’ll also see the classic Pocket Jockey on that list; read our review here!
