Novus Orbis Review Summary

An excellent deckbuilding roguelike with a praised combo system and gorgeous pixel art, though early access content is thin, class balance is uneven, and softlocks and freezes persist.

Combo system praised highly: The combo system is consistently highlighted as a brilliant, engaging, and distinctive addition that adds strategy and depth to gameplay. It is described as the biggest feature and a fun twist that makes the game stand out.

Excellent deckbuilding roguelike: The game is widely regarded as an excellent, well-balanced deckbuilder and one of the best deckbuilder roguelikes played. It is praised for its strong foundation of cards, blessings, pets, and enemies, with plenty of interesting card/build combinations to explore.

Pixel art looks great: The pixel art graphics are consistently praised as great, gorgeous, and charming, elevated with good lighting and animations. The visual style is a standout positive feature for many players.

Strategic depth and complexity: The game has a lot of strategic depth while remaining simple to understand. The combo meter and countdown mechanics add complexity and encourage thinking ahead, providing a strategic layer that rewards careful planning.

Gameplay is very fun: The game is described as a lot of fun, an absolute blast, and very fun by multiple reviewers. The engaging and solid gameplay is a recurring positive theme across the feedback.

Early access lacks content: Multiple reviewers note the game is in Early Access with limited content, including a small card pool, few classes, and low replayability. This leads to repetitive runs and a sense of being basic or unpolished.

Balance issues across classes: Class balancing needs work, especially for the more complex class, and there are mechanical balance issues and frustrating difficulty spikes. Some bosses hard counter certain decks, and enemy modifiers can be more frustrating than fun.

Softlock and freezing bugs: Several players encountered softlocks where the game fails to complete actions, preventing clicks and menu use, sometimes requiring ESC or ALT F4. Freezes also occur frequently, though a mitigation button exists.

Difficulty spikes are brutal: There are occasional but brutal difficulty spikes, especially from stage 3 bosses with inflated stats and harsh actions. The first act can be very hard without easy mode, and the dragon at the end is tough without a coherent build.

UI is cluttered and confusing: The UI has many icons that require hovering, small symbols under the health bar are easy to forget, and the player side is a cluttered mess, especially for the mage class. This hampers clarity and adds to the game's rough feel.

Combo system enhances card play: The game features a combo mechanic where playing cards in a specific order reduces costs and boosts effects. Cards have combo values, and matching them continues the combo, making optimal ordering crucial.

Roguelike deckbuilder genre: The game is consistently described as a roguelike deckbuilder, combining card-based combat with roguelike progression. This genre is a core part of its identity.

Countdown timer for enemy actions: Enemies have a countdown timer that decreases when cards are played and when turns end, triggering their attacks when it reaches zero. This adds a strategic layer to pacing your plays.

Combo meter starts at zero: Each battle begins with a combo meter at zero, and playing cards with matching combo values reduces their cost and increases their power. This encourages building combos from the start.

Similar to Slay the Spire: Many reviewers note the game plays very similarly to Slay the Spire, with some calling it a clone or inspired by it. The core mechanics are familiar but with a lighter tone and a few twists.

Performance issues and crashes reported: Several players experience performance problems, including crashes at startup, especially in windowed mode after resizing, and frequent freezes. These issues can significantly hinder gameplay and require workarounds like a mitigation button.

Long loading times and resolution glitches: The game takes a long time to load, and the resolution may be incorrect on first launch, requiring a restart to fix. These technical hiccups add to the overall frustration with the game's stability.

Recommended for deckbuilder fans: Many reviewers recommend the game to fans of deckbuilder roguelikes, noting it offers a fresh twist on the genre. It is considered a no-brainer for enthusiasts seeking a challenging deckbuilding experience.

Worth the low price: Several reviewers highlight the game's low cost of entry, stating it is highly worth the price. They suggest it offers good value for money, especially for fans of the genre.

High difficulty but rewarding: Reviewers mention the game's relatively high difficulty, but they still recommend it to those not put off by challenging deckbuilders. It is seen as a rewarding experience for players seeking a tough challenge.

Strong genre recommendation: A significant number of reviewers give a strong recommendation to fans of the roguelike deckbuilder genre. They emphasize that the game is definitely worth checking out for genre enthusiasts.

Buy the game immediately: Some reviewers are very enthusiastic, urging players to buy the game without hesitation. They use strong language like 'BUY THE GAME' and 'Don't second guess' to convey their excitement.

Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00.

Session length: 2.5h.

The game initially engages players with its unique pacing and combo mechanics, but enjoyment drops sharply around the 2-hour mark due to perceived repetitiveness, swingy runs, and a sense that winning is impossible without meta progression.

Friction: rough around the edges; repetitive gameplay; swingy early runs; learning curve spikes; lack of consistent meta progression; inconsistent mechanics.

StS Veteran Seeking a Fresh Fix: Compares mechanics, optimizes builds, and seeks strategic depth similar to established deckbuilders. Motivation: To find a new deckbuilder that captures the Slay the Spire formula with enough innovation to feel fresh. Stance: buy.

Challenge-Seeking Enthusiast: Experiments with different builds, persists through failures, and enjoys the adrenaline of tough decisions. Motivation: To overcome difficult runs and experience the thrill of high-risk, high-reward gameplay. Stance: buy.

Frustrated Perfectionist: Analyzes mechanics, compares to other deckbuilders, and seeks fairness and strategic depth. Motivation: To find a polished, balanced deckbuilder; frustrated by flaws and lack of progression. Stance: deep sale.

Favorable comparison to Slay the Spire: Many reviewers compare the game to Slay the Spire, often stating it improves upon the formula with unique mechanics like combos and countdowns. Some even prefer it over the original, finding it fresher and more engaging.

Developer is highly responsive: The developer is very active on Discord and Steam forums, responding well to player feedback and criticism. They frequently update the game based on community input, fixing bugs and adding content quickly.

Unique mechanics add strategy: The combo and countdown mechanics differentiate it from other deckbuilders, adding an extra layer of strategy. Reviewers find this innovation refreshing and engaging.

Comparison to other deckbuilders: Reviewers compare the game to Monster Train, Wildfrost, and NEOVERSE, often stating it takes good design elements and adds new mechanics. Some prefer it over these titles.

Early access with active development: The game is in early access but already offers substantial content and is consistently improving. Reviewers note it is intuitive and satisfying to play even in its current state.