When I first played Gwent in The Witcher 3, I got obsessed with that minigame. I started traveling all across the map to build my deck and win all the cards.
Then I had the opportunity to play another deckbuilding-style game recently called The Thaumaturge, which was a unique experience.
But those are the only two occasions where I played any deckbuilding-style card games. Needless to say, I’m not an expert or an avid fan of this genre.
So when I came across this new deckbuilding game called Void Grimm, I was hesitant to try it out. However, there was one thing in the game description that captured my interest—This game takes place in Space!
As an avid fan of all things Space, I had to check it out.
What Is Void Grimm?
Void Grimm is a deckbuilding game created by an indie developer. The game takes place in Space and your mission is to navigate through a star chart-like map by unlocking nodes while battling enemies, exploring dungeons, and different sectors. It also has roguelike elements too.
It’s up to you to choose which path you want to take. Some nodes have enemies you need to battle, some have bosses, and some have space stations to explore. As you can imagine, this gives you plenty of replayability to try different paths in your playthroughs.
Your goal is to fly your ship through these different sectors and survive. Along the way, you get opportunities to upgrade your ship and improve your deck as well.
Fast-Paced Combat
Unlike the other two deckbuilders I’ve played, this game is not a slow-paced game that gives you time to think. It actually features real-time strategy with instant action.
For example, when you’re battling a squadron of enemy ships, you get to choose from different types of attack options in the form of cards. You can choose to fire missiles and guns as well as AoE attacks as fast as you can.
In this game, you don’t wait to take turns, it’s all real-time. You just fight and survive as you go.
The goal is to manage your deck efficiently with the limited reload options you have and also defeat your enemy in the process.
Combat Can Be Overwhelming
As a beginner to the genre, I chose the easy difficulty to play the game. Even in the easy mode, I felt a bit overwhelmed as I progressed through the story acts.
Sometimes, you have to battle multiple strong enemy ships at the same time. But you can only attack one ship at a time. Managing my deck while also taking the necessary measures to protect my ship from damage was quite a challenge.
Some of these ships have shields while other ships constantly fire missiles that damage my ship. It’s up to me to use the right cards to maintain my ship’s shields while also attacking enemies. And I had to escape from these battles more than a few times.
Of course, failing is the best way to learn in roguelike games. As I progressed, I was able to unlock some upgrades and add new cards to my deck, making my attacks even stronger.
There’s Potential
Even though the game is in Early Access, the gameplay felt quite smooth. For a game made by just one developer, Void Grimm has lots of potential to be a solid competitor in this genre.
The developer has been rolling out lots of regular updates to the game. Faction quests also appear to be in the works, which will add a new layer of gameplay elements to the player’s story progress.
There’s definitely room for improvement. Managing my deck, for example, was not an easy process. I wished there was an easier way to access and organize the cards before each battle. But I’m sure the developer will work on these quality-of-life changes in the future.
Is Void Grimm Worth Playing?
Since this game combines the fun aspects of deckbuilders and real-time strategy games, it offers a unique opportunity for you to experience something different.
Plus the roguelike elements of Void Grimm make it ideal for busy dads and gamers out there. You can easily jump in and out for a quick gaming session in Void Grimm while feeling quite satisfied.
Having said that, keep in mind that this is an indie game and it is still in Early Access.
Disclaimer: I received a review code for this game from the developer. But this review is not sponsored and was not influenced in any way by anyone. The opinions are my own.