Griftlands was first revealed back at E3 2019, and while deck-building rogue-likes might have been a hit back then, how is the game standing up to the changing market in 2020?
Developed by Klei Entertainment, the same studio behind the popular Don’t Starve series, Griftlands merges several different genres and the unique ‘Don’t Starve’ art style to create an unusual game that is still worth checking out, even if you’re not into collectable and deck-building card games.
This isn’t a typical rogue-like. Turn-based combat is shaped around collecting cards and utilizing them against different enemies. It’s like Final Fantasy meets Don’t Starve meets Slay The Spire.
The gameplay might also be compared to a card game like Magic the Gathering, as there are special types of cards (combat and negotiation) that introduce elements of strategy. Much of the fun comes from figuring out powerful combos.
Negotiation is Klei’s attempt to introduce cards into dialogue. Different cards can earn the player different responses, which shape the overall narrative. It’s a bit clumsy but can have interesting repercussions as the game goes on.
Even the crafted narrative is not typically rogue-like. Your choices are largely dictated by a set of narrative rules, and the choices you make determine your loadout and success on the run. If your character dies, that’s it. Game over. Start again.
Griftlands does introduce an interesting relationship mechanic into the mix. All the characters in the game form opinions of your character as the story progresses and will either help or hinder your march through the game.
Love, hate, like and dislike all come with their respective buffs and debuffs, and this does put a lot of weight behind making the right decisions as you navigate your character through the strange world of Griftlands.
Griftlands has been in early access for just under a year, and it’s typical for Klei Entertainment to keep their games in early access as long as they need to polish off any issues and listen to player feedback.
The full release of Griftlands is scheduled in for June 15th when the game leaves early access. It’s currently available on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
