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Dance of Cards

Developer: Pineapple Works

Adventure
Budget
Simulation
  • Price: $9.99
  • Release Date: Jan 23, 2025
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Last on Sale: -
  • Lowest Historic Price: -
  • ESRB Rating: T [Teen]
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    An unusual mix of truly high-stakes poker, RPG, and other odds and ends that are unique but may not have broad appeal

    When planning to make an indie game, one popular move is to combine elements nobody has necessarily seen before, setting yourself apart from the crowd. Of course, that could mean you’ve doubled down on elements that may confuse your potential audience, but there’s no doubt that when developers have done their work properly, something a little different could be just the thing to help garner a load of attention. Dance of Cards is absolutely a bit of an odd duck, one part poker sim, one part story-driven RPG with you trapped on a boat and playing to stay alive, and then further refined with a sprinkle of other elements to add some flavor including a number of mini games that help break things up.

    The crux of the gameplay revolves around playing poker, whether solo or with a teammate, and while I appreciate its approach from a strategic standpoint I’ll admit that the presentation and controls simply don’t feel quite right. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by the very refined interface in Balatro, or some other card games I’ve played in the past, but there’s just something a bit cumbersome about how you interact with everything in this phase. It’s absolutely workable, and you may not find it to be a problem once you’re used to it, but given the amount of time you spend in this phase of the game it could have been better.

    The other major aspect of play revolves around the story, your interactions with other characters, and strategy concerning your choice of teammate and how you make use of your special abilities. While the abilities can be useful in a pinch if you’re keeping an eye out for opportunities, they also feel a little under-developed, and at times again cumbersome to use. In some cases I would actually get wrapped up enough in the current hand that I’d even forget to use them. Throw in some concerns with how stacked boss battles can feel, as well as the fact that being overly aggressive while backed by your last save often seems to be your best tactic, and there can be a diminished sense of gravity for your character’s fate, even if things can get pretty grim for competitors who lose.

    In the end this just feels like a very niche experience, and I’d say you’ll want to be equally interested in the game’s story as in the card playing itself. Overall, I’d say I’ve enjoyed other gambling sims more, whether due to their tone or their general execution, but I’ll give credit for the premise feeling quite fresh. I do wish everything were a bit more refined, especially in terms of the interface and controls, but if you’re willing to overlook them being a little clunky, the rest of the experience should still provide some entertainment.


    Justin Nation, Score:
    Good [7.0]
2025

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