Info about Relief:

Official game description:
Relief is a deckbuilding roguelike set in a post–Journey to the West world. As the awakened heir of the Green Bull Demon (Azure Ox), you'll fight alongside five unique spirits, collect cards and artifacts, and craft powerful builds to carve out your own legend.
Each features its own cards and brings a distinct combat style to the fight.
*   **Lu Wei**: Transforms troublesome status cards into cards with random special modifiers.
*   **Cui Beibei:** Summons all manner of lovely feline spirits with a variety of abilities to aid in battle.
*   **Chechi Rocket Team**: Seamlessly switch between the tiger, deer, and goat captains to adapt your strategy mid-battle.
*   **A.Lian**: Features a unique Tribute card fusion mechanic. Cards with Blessing gain additional effects when placed at the far left or right of your hand.
*   **Mrs.Luo**: Wields three elemental forces that combine into devastating chain reactions and intricate builds.
The Roc presents a choice midway through each of the first three acts, each powerful enough to alter your strategy and deck direction. Play it safe with reliable boosts, or go all-in on high-risk, high-reward effects to create game-breaking builds with the potential to steamroll everything in your path.
**_Roc's Aid Powers (24 total):_**
*   **Rebuild**: Remove every card from your deck. Gain that many choices.
*   **Glass Cannon**: You have only 10% Max HP and gain only 10% of any Max HP increases, but deal 250% damage.
*   **Less is More**: Card removal costs 50 less gold. +1 card removal at the Black Market.
*   ... ...
Complete quests from the Roc to earn Incense, then offer it at shrines to grant your cards random powerful affixes (12 total). The right affix can turn even the most unremarkable card into a force to be reckoned with, while strong cards can become downright broken, unlocking wild new build paths.
**_Blessings (14 total):_**
*   **Combo**: Play all copies of this card in your hand and draw pile.
*   **Overdraw**: Play this card for free. At the start of the next X turns, lose 1 Energy (X = its cost).
*   ... ...
*   **Over 1,000 cards and 300 artifacts**: Character-specific cards, general cards, and Black Market options combine with a massive pool of artifacts to create near-endless build variety! No two runs ever feel the same.
*   **Unique 14-day cycle**: The game unfolds across five acts, built around a repeating 14-day cycle. While in town, strengthen your build at the Shop, Hot Springs, and Shrine, then venture beyond its gates to explore the unknown. Plan your days wisely and work your way toward the final boss.
*   **Curious encounters**: Over 50 random events steeped in Chinese folklore and urban legends await. Will you accept an offering in a dim, shadowy corner, or awaken something... unknown? Every choice shapes what comes next.
If you enjoy **roguelike deckbuilders, deep strategy, and game-breaking synergistic combos**, or if you love any of the following titles:
**Slay the Spire** | **Monster Train** | **Griftlands** | **Inscryption** | **Chrono Ark**
...then you will definitely love **Relief**! Step into a post-Journey to the West urban legend world, and experience the same highly addictive card battles, insane card modifiers, and limitless deckbuilding possibilities!

Release date: Jun 22, 2026

Categories: Roguelike Deckbuilder, Deckbuilding, Card-based Combat, Turn-based Combat, Character-specific Mechanics, Meta-Progression, Resource Management, Chinese Mythology


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The reviews describe the game's run structure in terms of in-game rounds, acts, and days, and one review says a run takes a fairly long time without giving hours. None of the evidence provides an explicit hour count for completing the game, finishing the story, typical session length, or endgame playtime, so all playtime metrics are left null rather than inferred from the 14-day act structure.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Reports describe a rough early game, expensive deck thinning, and unusual unlock progression, while the strongest positive evidence says the game becomes addictive once a build comes together. Late-game and balance complaints keep sentiment mixed, but the clearest supported profile is clicks after.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: After the build comes together
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Weak early game; Expensive card removal; Unusual unlock currency requirement; Late-game bosses punish specific playstyles; Poor character and gameplay balance
  - Unlock drivers: Completing tasks for incense; Shrine card enchantments with 14 effects; Assembling a coherent build
  - Conditions: Whether the build comes together; Playstyle matchup against late-game bosses; Cost and timing of card removal; Handling negative-status cards; Amount of investment in a given character; Spirit-power unlock progression
- Player Archetypes:
  - Slay the Spire Veteran Deckbuilder (buy)
    - Motivation: Mastering deckbuilding systems and comparing them against genre benchmarks like Slay the Spire.
    - Playstyle: Optimizes builds, hunts key card synergies, and exploits mechanics such as shrine enchantments and free shop relics.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: tower-climbing enthusiast; card player
    - Reference games: Slay the Spire
  - Casual Power-Fantasy & Character Art Enjoyer (buy)
    - Motivation: Relaxed, satisfying power growth and cute character art rather than deep optimization.
    - Playstyle: Plays casually, leans on strong buffs and easy build formation, and picks characters by aesthetic appeal.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Lore & Urban-Fantasy Immersion Player (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing the post-Journey to the West urban legend world, humor, and character interactions.
    - Playstyle: Explores events, reads text and memes, and enjoys the setting and character roster.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Price-Sensitive Early Adopter (sale)
    - Motivation: Getting fair value and respect for early purchase, especially after post-launch price cuts.
    - Playstyle: Evaluates the game as a purchase, may wait for discounts, and warns others about early-adopter treatment.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: old player
    - 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:
- Striking character art (weight 0.59): Reviewers consistently praise the character artwork and designs as excellent and striking. The visual appeal of the characters is a major highlight across multiple feedback clusters.
- Satisfying and addictive gameplay (weight 0.44): Players find the game fun, interesting, and quite addictive. The overall gameplay experience is described as comfortable, light, and very satisfying with no major problems.
- Massive card and artifact variety (weight 0.39): The game offers over 1000 cards and 300+ artifacts, enabling diverse combat strategies and rich build combinations. This high content volume is frequently highlighted as a strength.
- Novel cyberpunk Journey to the West setting (weight 0.29): The modern city cyberpunk take on Journey to the West with corrupted heroes is novel, creative, and atmospheric. The familiar setting feels welcoming yet refreshed.
- Distinct characters with unique playstyles (weight 0.27): Multiple selectable characters, especially the five spirit characters, have completely independent mechanics and build directions. This diversity makes deck construction varied and engaging.
- Innovative roguelike card experience (weight 0.27): The game innovates on the traditional Slay the Spire structure and offers a distinctive roguelike card experience. It is considered a worthy alternative or even better by some reviewers.
- Rich deckbuilding and synergies (weight 0.24): Deckbuilding content is rich with many variations, and card-to-card synergies produce unexpected effects. The design encourages different playstyles and clever combinations.
- Enchantment systems add depth (weight 0.23): The land temple and quest enchantment systems allow useless cards to become powerful and provide good returns for card affixes. These systems support many build types and add strategic depth.
- Good story and cute characters (weight 0.16): The story is considered good, and characters like Cuibeibei are very cute and appealing. The art style is also described as cute and attractive.
- Dapeng assistance system (weight 0.1): The Dapeng assistance system with 24 types can alter enemy strategy and deck direction. It offers powerful choices that change how runs unfold.
- Easy to learn for casual fans (weight 0.09): The game is easy to learn and suitable for casual card game fans. The card game is not hard to learn, making it accessible.
- Overall okay but not exceptional (weight 0.09): Some reviewers find the game itself just okay and gameplay merely decent. While there are bright spots, it may not stand out for everyone.

Common complaints:
- Crude and unintuitive UI (weight 0.54): Numerous reviewers describe the UI as crude, rough, and unintuitive, sometimes comparing it to an outdated Flash interface or a student project. The style is also seen as inconsistent across the game.
- Blurry low-quality visuals (weight 0.3): Players repeatedly report that graphics, card art, and assets appear blurry or below 1080p, giving the game a low visual fidelity. The overall art quality is considered poor.
- Thin and cryptic story (weight 0.22): Reviewers find the story incomprehensible or cryptic, with insufficient character background and plot development. Many note a lack of notable narrative.
- Cluttered and messy presentation (weight 0.2): The visuals and content are described as messy, with cluttered layouts making events hard to see. This contributes to an unpolished feel.
- Bugs and untested card effects (weight 0.16): Some cards fail to trigger effects correctly due to bugs, and minor glitches are still present. These issues suggest insufficient testing.
- Shallow enemy and event variety (weight 0.1): The game is criticized for scarce enemies and events, leading to a lack of depth in enemy variety and skill sets.
- Expensive card removal (weight 0.09): Removing cards is costly and slow due to a fixed high cost, which hampers deck-building flexibility.
- Confusing quest descriptions (weight 0.09): Several Roc quest descriptions are unclear, such as the two-poles-reversal quest, making objectives hard to understand.

Gameplay feedback:
- Card roguelike core gameplay (weight 0.93): The game is fundamentally a turn-based card roguelike with deck-building and exploration elements. Players build decks and engage in card battles across runs.
- Journey to the West setting (weight 0.54): The game is themed around a post-Journey to the West urban legend world with Chinese mythological elements. This setting permeates the narrative and card design.
- Card enchantment with random affixes (weight 0.44): Cards can be enchanted with random affixes, often via incense earned from quests. This system allows for build customization and powerful synergies.
- Multiple unlockable characters (weight 0.39): Beyond the initial spirits, additional characters can be unlocked using spirit points. Each character has unique abilities, decks, artifacts, and passives.
- Five distinct spirit characters (weight 0.33): The game features five playable spirits, each with unique combat mechanics, exclusive card pools, and distinct playstyles. This adds significant replayability and strategic depth.
- Quest and incense progression (weight 0.33): Completing in-run tasks and side quests rewards incense, which is used to enchant cards with various effects at temples. This ties quest completion to deck enhancement.
- Greed-anger-delusion stat system (weight 0.17): Greed, anger, and delusion values affect character status, trigger negative effects, and determine boss types and final boss strength. This adds a layer of risk-reward management.
- Cui Beibei's summoning build (weight 0.15): Cui Beibei specializes in summoning cat ghosts to fight alongside, enabling a summon-focused build strategy.
- Slot machine minigame (weight 0.14): A slot machine gambling minigame is available, adding a diversion and potentially resource-gathering opportunity.
- Large card and artifact pool (weight 0.14): The game boasts over 1000 cards and 300 artifacts, providing extensive variety and replayability. This large pool supports diverse deck-building strategies.
- Reed card purification mechanic (weight 0.12): The Reed item purifies negative cards into random keyword cards, helping to remove debuffs and improve deck quality.

Performance notes:
- Game freezing and crashes (weight 0.14): Players report the game freezing immediately after the first session, on the reward screen after battle victory causing lost rewards, and briefly when starting a battle. These freezes disrupt progression and can force save-exits.
- General bug presence (weight 0.1): Multiple reviewers note that bugs are present throughout the game, though some say they do not greatly affect play. This indicates a broadly noticeable but variably severe quality issue.
- Card-play animation lag (weight 0.06): Card play is slowed by waiting for current card animations and effect resolution to finish. This makes combat feel sluggish and unresponsive.
- Ultrawide fullscreen UI scaling broken (weight 0.06): In fullscreen on ultrawide monitors, the UI scaling is way off and renders the game unplayable. This is a significant display compatibility problem for ultrawide users.
- BGM drops in ending cutscenes (weight 0.05): The background music volume briefly drops out during ending cutscenes. This is a minor audio glitch that affects presentation quality.

Recommendations:
- Ideal for deck-building fans (weight 0.54): Many reviewers recommend the game specifically to players who enjoy deck building and card roguelikes. It is repeatedly described as a safe pick for fans of the genre.
- Strong card roguelike appeal (weight 0.33): Multiple comments say the game is worth trying for card roguelike enthusiasts and offers a satisfying experience. The feedback consistently highlights its fit for this niche.
- Recommended for card game players (weight 0.27): Reviewers frequently recommend the game to card game enthusiasts and those who enjoy discovering new systems and combos. It is seen as easy to pick up for this audience.
- General try recommendation (weight 0.26): A recurring sentiment is that interested players should simply give the game a try. It is often framed as low-risk or worth experiencing.
- Worth it on sale (weight 0.17): Some reviewers condition their recommendation on price, suggesting the game is worthwhile if discounted or if the price feels justified. Others note the discounted price is still not cheap.
- Potential with future updates (weight 0.16): Reviewers see potential if developers continue to polish and update the game. Some suggest waiting for a few updates before buying.
- Beginner-friendly entry point (weight 0.13): The game is described as especially beginner-friendly and a low-barrier deck-builder. New players are advised to start with story mode.
- Casual deck-building substitute (weight 0.09): It is recommended as a casual deck-building roguelike or a substitute for similar games. The Journey to the West indie theme is also a draw for some.
- Specific build strategy shared (weight 0.05): One reviewer shares a strategy using the character Beibei and stacking Armored Stone cards to clear the highest difficulty. This suggests viable build diversity.
- Not for story-focused players (weight 0.05): Players seeking strong story or major gameplay innovation are advised to wait and see. This indicates the game may lack depth in those areas.
- Art and content warning caveat (weight 0.05): The game is not recommended for those put off by its art style and content warning. This is a specific but notable concern for some players.
- Current state refund concern (weight 0.05): One reviewer is considering a refund and does not recommend the game in its current state. This highlights potential dissatisfaction with polish or content.
- Try demo before buying (weight 0.05): A reviewer advises buying only after trying the demo first. This suggests the game may not appeal to everyone despite positive genre fit.
- Text quality praised (weight 0.05): One reviewer recommends the game especially for its text. This indicates the writing or localization is a standout feature for some.

Other player notes:
- Heavy Slay the Spire Comparison (weight 0.95): A large amount of feedback compares the game directly to Slay the Spire, often calling it a copy or reskin. Reviewers note shared cards, relics, and core structure, with some calling it unoriginal and others seeing it as a worthy substitute.
- Responsive and Frequent Updates (weight 0.41): Many reviewers praise the developer for frequent patches, quick bug fixes, and active engagement with player feedback. Updates are seen as sincere and responsive, with some noting overnight fixes for serious issues.
- Strong Journey to the West Theme (weight 0.37): Players consistently highlight the Journey to the West setting, especially its cyberpunk reimagining and modernized characters. The familiar theme is seen as a major draw, particularly for Chinese players.
- Hand-Drawn Art Praised (weight 0.28): Reviewers note that all card art is purely hand-drawn rather than AI-generated, and many consider the art style cute or good. Character portraits and the weird tale theme are highlighted as standout elements.
- Large Content Volume (weight 0.23): The game offers a substantial amount of content, including over 1000 card faces, many cards and artifacts, and five playable characters. This is often cited as justifying the price, especially when on sale.
- Affordable Price Point (weight 0.16): The game has a low price point, with one reviewer noting a discounted price of fifty. The content is generally seen as sufficient to justify the cost, though one feels it is a bit expensive.
- Suggestive Card Art Warning (weight 0.15): A few players mention that some card art includes suggestive designs. The store page has an adult content label, though one reviewer notes nothing related was encountered in the actual flow.
- Suspected Fake Positive Reviews (weight 0.14): Some reviewers suspect that the positive reviews are fake or controlled by the developer. One claims the review section is full of paid or fake reviewers, suggesting marketing budget should be spent on the game instead.
- Unlock Currency Farming Exploit (weight 0.12): Unlocks are earned via spirit power currency rather than at the end of a run, which allows players to repeatedly die at the 10-minute mark to farm currency before starting proper gameplay. Additional characters can also be unlocked using earned spirit power.
- Limited Content and Reused Assets (weight 0.09): Some reviewers feel the game has a limited amount of content, with enemy and scene assets reused significantly. This contrasts with others who praise the large content volume.
- Low Barrier to Entry (weight 0.09): New players can pick up the game quickly due to the low barrier to entry. The gameplay is described as having a higher tolerance for mistakes compared to other roguelike card games.
- Comparison to Other Card Games (weight 0.09): Besides Slay the Spire, the game is compared to Monster Train and Griftlands for its fun factor and random exploration mechanics. One reviewer feels it is more like a six-sided dice game.
- Cyberpunk Setting with Gods (weight 0.09): The game is set in a cyberpunk city where gods are no longer worshipped and merits are exhausted. This urban legend premise blends dark Journey to the West elements with modern themes.
- Small Studio Future Plans (weight 0.09): The developer is a small studio and may add animations in the future. Reviewers are looking forward to future update plans and note the game was recently released.
- Streamer Mode and Achievements (weight 0.08): The game includes a streamer mode setting and achievements, adding convenience and goals for players. These features are mentioned as positive extras.
- Adult Content Label Mismatch (weight 0.07): The store page has an adult content label, but one reviewer notes nothing related was encountered in the actual flow. This may put some players off unnecessarily.
- Thin Story and Narrative (weight 0.05): Story content is described as thin, so players who value narrative should lower their expectations. The focus is more on gameplay than on storytelling.
- Playable Demo Available (weight 0.05): A playable demo is available before purchase, allowing players to try the game first. This is seen as a positive for those unsure about buying.
- Chinese Language Support (weight 0.05): The game has Chinese language support, making it accessible to Chinese players. This is likely important given the Journey to the West theme.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.15): Players are frustrated by punishing RNG and economy systems, such as impossible task requirements, escalating card removal costs, and scarce gold that make runs feel unwinnable. Severe balance gaps, unclear mechanics, and technical bugs like game freezes, unresponsive buttons, and monsters surviving at 0 HP compound the frustration. Poor UI, forced dialogue, and a boss that drains HP with every card played further undermine the experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.14): Disappointment stems from the game feeling unpolished and derivative, with copied card and relic designs, an AI-generated or thin story, and little innovation beyond Slay the Spire. Balance issues, shallow content, high randomness, and crude UI and art fail to meet expectations set by the cover art and marketing. Many players also resent pricing decisions that favored new buyers over earlier supporters.
- Appreciation (weight 0.1): Players appreciate the distinctive art style, hand-drawn character portraits, and the creative urban weird tale or cyberpunk Journey to the West setting. The card designs, deck-building freedom, and unique mechanics like soul spirit differentiation and shrine blessings are praised. Responsive developers who fix bugs and add content also earn positive recognition.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.09): Satisfaction comes from completing powerful deck archetypes and executing satisfying combos, such as infinite loops or one-shotting bosses with huge damage. The free-form deck building, diverse character mechanics, and low-barrier synergies make building strong runs rewarding. Balanced double-edged choices and varied build paths also contribute to a fulfilling experience.
- Amusement (weight 0.05): Amusement is driven by the game's humorous tone, including meme-filled dialogue and card art, playful Journey to the West references, and absurd urban supernatural settings. Fun events, the blind-box machine, and the hidden merchant reveal add comedic moments. The cheerful style and wacky characters keep players entertained.
- Excitement (weight 0.05): Excitement arises from discovering new character kits and card synergies, and from the high freedom of deck building combined with the inner demon system. Enchanting cards feels like opening a blind box, with modifiers that can produce absurd damage, and powerful buffs like Glass Cannon enable satisfying power fantasies. Unexpected treasure and card combinations make each run thrilling.
- Annoyance (weight 0.04): Annoyance is caused by forced, unskippable dialogue at the end of every round and run, along with cluttered visuals and sluggish card animations. The greed meter and accumulating greed-anger-delusion debuffs punish attack card play in a frustrating way. A permanent price drop right after purchase adds to the irritation.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.04): Enjoyment comes from fun character mechanics, such as playing as Cui Beibei with her cat ghost summoning build, and from the game's humorous puns and anime easter eggs. The freedom to choose when to rest, upgrade, or visit the black market, combined with rich content and good choice design, makes the game entertaining. Players also enjoy the new art style and story.
- Mild disappointment (weight 0.02): Mild disappointment is attributed to weak beginner guidance, build imbalance, and repetitive later content. Incomplete card descriptions, crude UI, incomplete resolution adaptation, and limited pet slots also detract from the experience. Derivative cards and relics with blurry assets contribute to a sense that the game is unpolished.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger is fueled by the perception that the economy system is designed to torment players, along with poor card design and an incomprehensible story. Perceived plagiarism, review manipulation, and poor game quality provoke strong negative reactions. Random summons replacing the ghost king despite empty slots and derivative design add to the outrage.
- Disgust (weight 0.02): Disgust is caused by the three poisons mechanic and odd task mechanics, as well as gold consumption and monster design. Poor and excessive writing with inserted dialogue, abrupt music, and relics and cards copied from Slay the Spire also contribute. Perceived paid reviews exacerbate the feeling.
- Attraction (weight 0.02): Attraction is primarily drawn from the attractive cover and beautiful character card art. The appealing art style, as seen on platforms like Black Box, makes the game visually enticing.
- Interest (weight 0.02): Interest is sparked by the game's original take on the Journey to the West setting and characters, combined with a dark cyberpunk style. Varied spirit mechanics, shrine blessing randomness, and the land temple enchantment system add a luck-based twist that intrigues players. The fresh combination of themes and card roguelike gameplay keeps attention.
- Addiction (weight 0.02): Addiction is driven by the satisfaction of forming a complete build and the large variety of cards and build styles. The deck-building gameplay and engaging mechanics make players want to keep playing. The addictive loop of optimizing builds and maximizing damage is central.
- Dissatisfaction (weight 0.02): Dissatisfaction is caused by reskin-like design, a luck-based three-poison system, and crude presentation. Lack of sincerity, copied relics, and poor balance further disappoint players. Many bugs, cluttered content, and rough, inconsistent UI design contribute to the overall negative impression.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise comes from the game being more fun than expected and from gameplay innovations compared to typical Slay the Spire-likes. Discovering hidden details, such as the black market merchant being a pervert after turning off streamer mode, also catches players off guard.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from mechanics like the headband artifact and blind debuff seeming like bugs, and from an unclear story and narrative. Unclear quest descriptions, such as the two-poles-reversal quest, leave players unsure of what to do.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration is earned by the full hand-drawn anime-style character art and the excellent overall art style. The creative monster designs based on real-life counterparts also impress players.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom sets in due to a lack of content after a few days of play and the fixed single-path map that makes every run feel the same. The repetitive structure reduces the desire to continue playing.
- Happiness (weight 0): Happiness is caused by the developer listening to feedback and fixing bugs, as well as optimizing the game's feel. The responsiveness of the development team improves players' overall mood.}