Dungeon Drafters review

Fusing grid-based movement with card battling, Dungeon Drafters demonstrates a lot of ambition. But given the nonsensical writing, incompetent user interface, and lack of balance, only exceptionally patient players should proceed.

2005’s Metal Gear Acid was one of the first games to blend grid-based battles with deck builder elements. The spinoff might not have had the intricate storyline of the main series. But that was OK, as a turn-based approach to stealthy navigation and tactical combat proves to be one of the best PSP originals around. Konami, if you’re looking to publish a remaster, Acid and its sequel would be an astute choice.

Since the odds of that happening are likely infinitesimal, Dungeon Drafters might comfort those yearning for a vaguely similar experience on Steam. As the Brazil-based developers’ sophomore title (following 2018’s Wild Glory), you’ll have to put up with an assortment of minor issues that can make the title feel like it should be in Steam’s Early Access program. In its present state, Drifters irritates just a bit less frequently than it engages.

Six Archetypes, But no Proofreader

The game’s premise is conveyed through a word soup that’s overseasoned with lore. The opening text crawl has a surprisingly rich vocabulary but doesn’t make a lick of sense. There are incomplete sentences like, “Clearly opposed to the stable rigidity and orderly harmony of the 4 Archetypes”. Other statements are like Zen paradoxes. “Until a young man traveled to a forgotten corner of The World of Four Corners” is the type of prose you’ll be forced to contemplate. I’d advise you to ignore most of it and enjoy the game’s pixel art animations. At the beginning of a run, these show your character’s ship confronting a massive storm. They awaken marooned face-down on a beach, with an imposing spite in the distance. Most gamers will recognize what this signifies.

Although there’s a map that offers plenty of NPCs to communicate with, the long-term objective is to improve your starting deck. Pleasingly, you can begin the game with one of six characters that range from a hunky brawler, a miniskirt-clad mage, a shinobi with fox ears, and a stout Totoro-looking creature. Each represents a different class and comes with its own initial deck that caters to a distinctive style of play. From a bard that summons minions, a monk who can invert the tide of combat, and that certain Ghibli-esque character’s ability to lay down traps, role-playing’s aptitudes are all accounted for. Whether you prefer direct, indirect, a robust offense, or resilient healing, you’ll earn cards that let you transcend rigid class styles.

Aggravating UI, Disappointing AI

The downside is that you’ll have to do a portion of the learning on your own. Sure, there’s an interactive tutorial as well as a help guide that comes up with a push of the analog stick. But both have their minor faults. Some of the lessons can be a bit vague, so when you first encounter an effect state that leaves you immobilized until you play a specific card, bewilderment can emerge.

This is exacerbated by card descriptions that aren’t always clear. In time, you’ll figure out what each different card does and there is assistive highlighting on the gridded battlefields. But card-based combat only feels satisfying when you comprehend all of your available actions. Meanwhile, the in-game encyclopedia is weakened by interface issues- an issue that also plagues deck management and even core play. Accidentally tap the directional pad and you’ll inadvertently move your character, which can ruin a turn. And sadly, Drafters lacks any kind of undo function.

Dungeon Decker’s delightful art is one of the best aspects of the title. Although the graphical fidelity and widescreen output elevated the title over Game Boy Advance efforts, there’s a similar style that paints the world with bulky, warmly colored pixels. Elements like particle effects, sweeping animations (love that Hokusai reference), and attractive title cards that announce player and enemy turns will undoubtedly charm the eyes. But the low-res look constricts the amount of in-game information. Although there’s an option for high-resolution dialog text, card descriptions are impacted.

Draft Dodging

But these substantial grumbles aside, Dungeon Drafters’ core gameplay can be satisfying. As you enter each procedurally-generated room, you’ll likely find adversaries scattered about. Characters have three action points that can be used to move, attack adjacent squares, or play one of the cards in your hand. Once your points are consumed, enemy units get to do the same. Although opponent AI isn’t sophisticated, adversaries assail with different techniques. Some monsters might charge you, others might launch ground or air-based projectiles, while still other varieties summon minions.

Since the game randomly draws cards from your custom deck, with a bit of practice and luck, you’ll be able to take down enemies as quickly and methodically as Denzel Washington’s character in the Equalizer films. At its best, Drafters provides a lot of autonomy, with players able to vault across the playfield while dropping a bomb midflight, or even pushing opponents into traps. Things don’t always work, with foes oblivious to a dropped dummy or an inoperative crossbow that was dropped in the middle of the playfield. But there is an auspicious amount of variety. Later, an ice zone caused the character to slide, extending my movement range.

Even when you’re dealt a subpar hand, maneuvering to make the best of the situation can be fun. But your character has ten hit points which can be depleted quickly. And facing a run that doesn’t result in any rewards or boosters feels punitive. The game is vexing without an upgraded deck. And since you might not earn any upgrades from early runs, prepare to face frustration with your underpowered character. The best deck builders nail a shrewd balance, where you’ll have the tools to face robust challenges. Here, Dungeon Drafters frequently falters. Even if you’re able to look past the sporadic soft locks, it can feel like the deck is sporadically stacked against you.

Dungeon Drafters was played on PC with
review code provided by the publisher.