Info about Draft of Darkness:

Official game description:
Draft of Darkness is a roguelike RPG in a post-apocalyptic setting with survival horror, deck building and resource management mechanics. Choose a survivor, build your starting deck, and delve into the darkness!  
During your journey:  
*   **Fight infected creatures**, government robots, and other survivors in an ammo-focused turn-based card battle system.  
*   **Explore the post-apocalyptic city** consumed by darkness. Each map is procedurally generated and unique with every run.  
*   **Recruit a party of survivors** to help you on your journey. Each has their own deck of abilities!  
*   Trade to collect better equipment and cards, which you can use to strengthen your companions.  
*   **Manage the darkness.** The more enemies you slay, the darker and more dangerous the map becomes. However, Darkness brings rewards.  
*   **Make important story-based decisions.** Your choices are key to progressing the story.
Unique Weapon Based Combat System
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Each card in Draft of Darkness can be used by equipping a type of weapon. Determine your strategy by building unique decks combining cards from different weapon types. Each weapon has unique mechanics that can be mixed and matched for insane combos!  
Explore Procedurally Generated Maps
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Find friends and foes lurking deep within the dark corners of the Residence, lurking in the shadows of the Streets, or even victims of the Lair's hostility. Manage the status of your party, avoid radiation and infection at all costs!  
Survive the Darkness
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Delving into the dark and dungeon-like maps will see you face a variety of infected and gruesome foes. Every successful combat encounter adds to your darkness level, the higher the darkness the more dangerous the stage becomes. However, survive the darkness and you may be richly rewarded.  
Every Run Matters
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At the end of every run, even if you fail, you will receive credits that can be used to open booster packs to unlock new starting cards for your next run. Every death is a chance to try out new strategies!  
Every Choice Matters
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Draft of Darkness has a unique "meta-story progression" system, where every decision can alter the outcome of the story and allow for new ways to progress. You might try different choices on your next run, but be careful. Some have serious consequences.

Release date: Aug 23, 2023

Categories: Roguelike, Deckbuilding, Survival Horror, Resource Management, Turn-based Combat, Procedural Generation, Character Progression, Multiple Endings

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 75; verdict: Broken; summary: The Steam Deck experience is marred by a high-probability Alt+Tab stability bug that requires a restart, and unreadable UI text due to doubled descriptions and misleading damage indicators. Controller support is advertised but not properly integrated, and the game demands intermediate English reading skills. Despite some positive feedback on controls and stability, the presence of unreadable UI and a disruptive bug pushes the experience into the broken range.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $15.00
  - Reasoning: The community generally views the game as worth its full price of $14.99, with some explicitly recommending it at that price. However, a few note that a deep discount around $5 is a good deal, suggesting a lower perceived value for those bothered by mechanical clunkiness. The Japanese review indicates that under 2000 yen (~$13) is a fair price for the content, aligning with the full price. Thus, the fair base-game price range appears to be between $10 and $15, with $5 being a bargain rather than the typical fair value.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: 15.0h
  - Session length: 3.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The story completion metric is supported by the explicit range of 10-20 hours for the story, from which a midpoint of 15 hours is used as a representative value. The session length metric is supported by two independent statements indicating that a typical run lasts about 3 hours, which represents a standard play session. No specific total time to fully complete the game or reach endgame content was provided, so those metrics are set to null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game starts with a steep learning curve and slow combat, but after completing a first successful run (around 3 hours) it opens up and becomes engaging through meta progression and revealed secrets.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: After first successful run
  - Time to anchor: 3h 0m
  - Friction: steep learning curve; slow-paced combat; repetitive battles; tedious reading of mechanics; unintuitive progression; long run duration
  - Unlock drivers: meta progression; unlocking new characters and cards; speed up animations setting; learning game mechanics
  - Conditions: if you stick with it; after first successful run; steep learning curve; may take a few goes; combat can get repetitive; unbalanced state; slow pacing; need to figure out everything
- Player Archetypes:
  - Survival Horror Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing the horror atmosphere and the unique blend of survival horror and deckbuilding.
    - Playstyle: Explores the world, appreciates story and ambiance, may not optimize card synergies, often plays on easier difficulties.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: fan of RE
    - Reference games: Silent Hill; Resident Evil; STALKER; Darkest Dungeon
  - Deckbuilding Strategist (buy)
    - Motivation: Mastering the deckbuilding and roguelike mechanics, optimizing runs, and unlocking meta progression.
    - Playstyle: Strategic and experimental, focuses on card synergies, resource management, and long-term meta progression.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: roguelike card game veteran
    - Reference games: Slay the Spire; Darkest Dungeon; The Black Book; Tainted Grail: Conquest
  - Cautious Newcomer (buy)
    - Motivation: Curiosity about the unique mix of horror and deckbuilding, wanting to try without commitment, and value for money.
    - Playstyle: Cautious, tries the demo first, uses easy difficulty, explores at their own pace, and may not engage deeply with complex mechanics initially.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: not much of a card player
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Disappointed Veteran (no buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking a polished and well-designed experience, but frustrated by flaws in encounter avoidance, pacing, and visual filters.
    - Playstyle: Plays extensively, but is critical of design, may use speed-up options, and may stop recommending after encountering issues.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Immersive dark atmosphere (weight 0.29): The game's atmosphere is consistently described as scary, oppressive, and immersive, with a dark and creepy feel. This atmospheric quality is a major positive point for players.
- Unique and original concept (weight 0.25): The game is described as pretty unique, with an interesting aesthetic and a highly original roguelike deck-builder. It challenges notions about deck builders and is genuinely unique in the genre.
- Great music and sound design (weight 0.21): The battle BGM is cool and too good, while the overall sound design is excellent with a haunting soundtrack and well-executed sound effects. Audio significantly enhances the atmosphere.
- Retro survival horror aesthetic (weight 0.2): The dark atmosphere combined with a grungy PS1-style aesthetic perfectly captures a classic 90s survival horror feel. The retro and atmospheric graphics are excellent, with pixel art that matches the game's tone.
- High replayability value (weight 0.19): Players note a ton of replay value, with the story opening up in each new run and a decent amount of replay for the asking price. This makes the game highly replayable.

Common complaints:
- Balance issues are prevalent (weight 0.49): Many reviews mention significant balance problems, including overpowered cards, weak builds, and difficulty spikes. Some cards and combos are broken, while others are unplayable, leading to an inconsistent experience.
- Enemy encounters are problematic (weight 0.34): Enemies are often too tanky, have annoying mechanics like thorns, and can apply excessive debuffs. Encounters are unavoidable and punishing, with enemy AI not being threatening but detection radius too large.
- Story is confusing and uninteresting (weight 0.28): The story is described as cryptic, convoluted, and a mix of old tropes, with major consequences obscured and dialogue clunky. Many players find it uninteresting and tedious, detracting from the overall experience.
- Game is extremely difficult (weight 0.28): Players consistently report that the game is very hard, even on normal difficulty, with a steep learning curve and frequent deaths. The lack of a step-by-step tutorial makes it harder to get into.
- Tutorial and explanations are lacking (weight 0.27): Core mechanics like Layering, Timeline, and status conditions are poorly explained, leaving players confused. The lack of clear definitions in the info menu and the absence of a step-by-step tutorial hinder learning.
- Runs are too RNG-dependent (weight 0.23): Success heavily depends on random factors like companion spawns, merchant placement, and card drops, making runs feel unwinnable on higher difficulties. Bad luck can end runs despite perfect play, leading to frustration.
- Progression and rewards are unsatisfying (weight 0.22): Progression doesn't feel good or make sense, and exploration rewards are often unnecessary because the starter deck is too strong. Unlock elements require multiple playthroughs and are tedious.
- UI is clunky and unclear (weight 0.19): The UI is hard to understand, tedious, and clunky, making statuses, buffs, and card effects difficult to parse. Poor UI design contributes to confusion and frustration during gameplay.
- Bugs and technical issues (weight 0.17): There are various bugs, including skills showing damage when none is dealt, duplicated trait descriptions, Alt+Tab requiring restart, and settings reverting on relaunch. Minor typos and GUI errors also exist.
- Game feels unfinished (weight 0.12): Some players feel the game is not finished, with underwhelming release and a lack of polish. The later part of the game feels forced, and the ending is anticlimactic.

Gameplay feedback:
- Deckbuilding roguelike with horror (weight 0.97): The game is consistently described as a deck-building roguelike that blends survival horror elements. Players build and improve their decks through dungeon crawling and card-based combat.
- Resource management is central (weight 0.45): Resource management is a key mechanic, with cards consuming resources like ammo, chemicals, and energy. Players must carefully manage limited resources to succeed.
- Turn-based card combat (weight 0.28): Combat is turn-based and card-driven, with some systems resembling Final Fantasy's ATB. Cards dictate actions and often require energy or other resources.
- Character and weapon variety (weight 0.17): The game offers multiple characters with distinct weapon classes and usable weapons. Some characters can wield more than one weapon type, adding strategic depth.
- Deck customization options (weight 0.13): Players can customize their starting deck, though it is limited to 10 cards. Many cards have weaker alternate modes that do not consume resources.

Performance notes:
- Alt+Tab movement bug (weight 0.06): Pressing Alt+Tab triggers a bug where the character moves left without input, forcing a restart. This disrupts gameplay and requires a workaround.
- Game is lightweight (weight 0.05): The game is noted for being lightweight and undemanding on system resources, making it accessible on lower-end hardware. This is a positive aspect for performance-sensitive players.

Recommendations:
- General strong recommendation (weight 0.45): Many reviews give a general strong recommendation, telling readers to buy the game or give it a shot. This indicates broad positive reception.
- Recommended for deckbuilder horror fans (weight 0.37): Multiple reviews recommend the game to fans of deckbuilders, roguelikes, and survival horror. The combination of these genres is a key selling point.
- Try the demo first (weight 0.21): Several reviews suggest trying the demo before purchasing, especially for those unsure if the game is for them. This is a common cautious recommendation.

Other player notes:
- Frequently compared to Slay the Spire (weight 0.91): Many reviewers compare the game to Slay the Spire, often favorably, describing it as a better or more unique take on the deckbuilding roguelike genre. Some also mention Darkest Dungeon and Resident Evil as inspirations.
- Good content for price (weight 0.28): Reviewers note the game offers a substantial amount of content, with around 15+ hours of gameplay, making it worth the price. It is also described as an indie title with good value.
- Early Access actively developed (weight 0.23): The game is in Early Access and has become more complete and feature-rich over time, with ongoing updates and developer involvement. It is not considered bare bones.
- Solo developer behind game (weight 0.2): The game is developed by a solo developer, often referred to as 'crawly' or Crawly Games, who is responsive to player feedback and actively improving the experience.
- Chinese language support added (weight 0.14): The game has received official Chinese language support in the full release, which is appreciated by players. Some note that Chinese support was added post-launch.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.15): Players enjoy the unique blend of survival horror, RPG, and deckbuilding, with satisfying resource management and exploration. The high difficulty and dark atmosphere make each fight feel meaningful, and the game's originality and rewarding progression keep them engaged.
- Frustration (weight 0.13): Frustration stems from a steep learning curve, confusing UI, and vague terminology that make choices feel like guesswork. Slow-paced battles, high randomness, and punishing debuffs that persist after fights contribute to a sense of unfairness and tediousness.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.12): Satisfaction comes from mastering the game's systems, achieving narrow victories, and discovering powerful card synergies. The meta progression, fair challenge, and polished presentation make the game feel rewarding and worth the price.
- Appreciation (weight 0.11): Players appreciate the game's unique indie flavor, dark PS1-style aesthetic, and oppressive atmosphere that evoke classic survival horror. The responsive developer, quality balance, and detailed monster designs are also highly valued.
- Disappointment (weight 0.06): Disappointment arises from clunky story and dialogue, uninteresting boss fights, and a lack of balance between characters. UI issues like missing enemy trait info and overpowered elements like the Dream Terminal reduce immersion and fairness.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): Excitement is driven by the game's unique mechanics, such as the weapon and ammunition system and the freedom to build diverse decks. Thrilling intrusion events, story choices, and the anticipation of future updates keep players engaged.
- Love (weight 0.04): Players love the game for its appealing art style, music, and the successful fusion of card builder and survival horror genres. The immersive atmosphere and well-crafted character progression make it a favorite among fans.
- Admiration (weight 0.04): Admiration is expressed for the solo developer's impressive progress and the game's masterful thematic unity. The clever integration of deck building, party building, and resource management is seen as superior to other roguelikes.
- Interest (weight 0.03): Interest is sparked by the intriguing premise of survival horror mixed with turn-based deckbuilding. The strategic depth of mode switching, novel deck customization, and branching routes keep players curious about the story and mechanics.
- Liking (weight 0.02): Players like the game for its grimy art style and horror aesthetic, even if they typically don't enjoy deck builders. The resemblance to Darkest Dungeon and the multiple paths and endings add to its appeal.
- Immersion (weight 0.02): Immersion is achieved through the game's atmospheric design, professional cohesion, and square sector map movement. The ambiance and detailed world-building create a truly engaging experience.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise comes from the game's continued updates in late 2025 and its high quality despite few reviews. The unexpected find challenges preconceptions about deck builders with unfamiliar elements.
- Tension (weight 0.01): Tension is created by constant resource scarcity and the nail-biting ambiguity of resource dependency. Map exploration is tense due to limited visibility and hidden enemies, adding to the pressure.
- Fear (weight 0.01): Fear is induced by the scary atmosphere and the mechanic where enemies ignore turn order when Darkness is maxed. This creates a sense of dread and unpredictability.
- Fun (weight 0.01): The game is fun due to its successful mix of dungeon crawling and deckbuilding. Players describe it as super fun, enjoying the unique gameplay loop.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Anticipation is high as players eagerly await new content and balancing. They can't wait to see what the developer will create next, indicating strong engagement.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Joy comes from the absolute pleasure of playing the game, with exploration and combat being particularly enjoyable. The overall experience brings happiness to players.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): Happiness is derived from the game's style that encouraged a risk, which paid off, and the addition of official Chinese language support. Players are glad they gave the game a chance.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance is caused by clunky controls and accidental enemy encounters during exploration. Poorly implemented full controller support also frustrates players.
- Tedium (weight 0.01): Tedium arises from movement that feels tedious and combat that is extremely tedious and luck-based. These aspects detract from the overall enjoyment.}