Takara Cards

repetitive. shallower than it looks. +voice effects -few cards. similar cards every encounter. -encounters feel too long. -slow-paced.

I have had a conflicted time with Takara Cards. I really enjoy the atmosphere and world the game sets up, and the mechanical foundations of the game are very solid. However, the game gets to be extremely repetitive extremely quickly. There is a distinct lack of enemy and encounter diversity, and it leads to the game feeling stale overtime. I would love to see some new enemy types and obstacles with different drawbacks / rewards. When I got to my act 2 boss and it was the same as the act 1 boss I basically lost all interest in the game. The node travel is fun, but the fact that you can visit every node on the map really drags out the travel segments. having to choose certain nodes and forgo others is a core strategic element for many rougelikes and its sorely lacking here imo. The UI while beautiful is also needlessly confusing, and while I definitely want to keep the flavor, I would appreciate more clarity in how elements are labeled in the UI. I think you definitely get used to it but it’s needlessly obtuse imo. The deckbuilding elements are kind of thin, there aren’t many cards with explicit synergies and the fact that you can’t upgrade cards (combined with the lack of enemy diversity) makes me feel like I’m not really progressing my deck in a meaningful way and instead am just filling it full of the best cards I can in every shop. Overall, really beautiful game with a really solid foundation for some very strategic gameplay, but I just don’t think it’s there yet.

Bought this game based on the store description, looking forward to a deckbuilding RPG. Should have checked the tags more carefully because the roguelike I got is both familiar and disappointing. The mechanics feel shallow and at times frustrating. The draw of a roguelike is usually being able to replay with varying builds and options, but I never felt like the cards in my deck changed my general strategy and usually just wished I had more consistent options. The loss of cards to extreme damage made the boss fights turn into death spirals or very long slogs without clear outs if they didn't go flawlessly. The RPG elements that exist feel underutilized or misplaced, the fact that the end of the game leans into them instead of the deckbuilding combat that is the core gameplay loop is confusing and underwhelming.

"Not Quite the Adventure I Hoped For." Takara Cards makes a fantastic first impression. The visuals are vibrant and expertly crafted, with a style that immediately draws you in. Every area feels alive and thoughtfully designed. On top of that, the music pairs perfectly with the aesthetic, creating a really distinct vibe that makes the game feel special from the moment you hit “Start.” At first, the mechanics seemed deep and promising. The card-based movement across a grid is a clever idea, and I actually admired how different it felt compared to other deck-based games. There’s an interesting layer of planning involved—choosing which card to play just to position yourself correctly does add a puzzle-like element that initially kept me curious. But after about two hours, the cracks started to show. The game leans heavily on that movement mechanic as its primary gameplay loop, and over time it became repetitive instead of engaging. Most turns boil down to the same decision-making pattern: pick a card that matches the grid space you need, move, repeat. Once the novelty wears off, the experience starts feeling stale, and the sense of deeper strategy I expected never really materialized. The progression also didn’t do enough to keep me motivated. While the game offers choices and branching moments, the overall flow still felt limited. There were times I really wanted the mechanics to expand, evolve, or challenge me in new ways, but the gameplay stayed essentially the same for the duration of my run. Eventually, I realized I was forcing myself to push forward, hoping for a spark that never came. That said, I don’t think Takara Cards is a bad game — it’s just not for me. I can absolutely see a niche audience appreciating the unique movement system and the slow, methodical style. The developers clearly put a lot of love into the presentation and worldbuilding. But in my case, despite a strong start and some genuinely cool ideas, the gameplay loop just didn’t hold my interest long enough. I personally can’t recommend it, though I respect what it’s trying to achieve.

Important note: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3441540/Takara_Cards_Academy/ There's a free "prologue" available (you probably know this type of demo by now) Stealth sequel to critically underappreciated "NEXT JUMP: Shmup Tactics" Both are turn-based Shmups, but while NJST was much more of an FTL-like with its fairly fixed stable of ship and equipment-defined moves, TC is [i]entirely[/i] card-based: Yes even the traditional Ship Equipment, available every turn, is served in the form of cards! The variety of available cards is fantastic and opportunities to refine your deck are plentiful. TC also features a "Card Search" mechanic which allows you to increase the likelihood of certain cards appearing for a small cost. The visual aesthetics are fantastic throughout, though I do wish the enemy drones had a bit more flare to their design.

Played for over an hour without enjoying any of it. Combat is way too simple and the rest of the game is not very well explained. Not sure what the overall motivation is to play. You toss your ship around a 3 x 3 grid for some reason to crash into other "enemies" with your shields to destroy them. There are attacks but it seems more geared to just using your ship to smash into things. I purposely destroyed my ship to see the outcome and it gives you an SOS ship to continue play. Um, no thanks, it wasn't fun in the first place. The game loop is boring and the story is uninteresting. There just isn't enough there to keep me interested. Maybe coming off an incredible game like Inkbound caused me to eye this game harshly but I can't see spending any more valuable gaming time on this rather tedious and lifeless venture.

there are so many deck builders out there, and there are so many not worth your time...; this one is tho.

很可惜，并不推荐。 Pros: - 美术风格挺好 - 价格宜人 - rpg方面的创新有点意思 Cons: - 中翻不行 - 设计的很粗糙，加上指引差让前一个小时玩的一头雾水 - 战斗ui真的是依托 - 卡牌设计和平衡性无闪光点 - boss战素材复用有点。。。 - 另外，评论看了一圈多半有点像刷的

EVERYTHING is very specific. There is no throw away cards really. Builds cannot be broken, tough. I yet to find something where I wasn't on the edge of my seat. This also makes it hard to describe. It is a PERFECT game just to throw at yourself at, without goals. Just play and spend some time with a fun stuff. Thats it for me and should be enough for anyone, especially for this price.

Xbox controller needs improvement, still requires mouse, given that steam does not allow neutral reviews, left it as positive