Neurodeck Review (PC)

very good
key review info
  • Game: Neurodeck
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: No
  • Reviewed on:
Neurodeck key art

Agoraphobia is hard to fight. It wears one down and makes it hard to act. It blocks cards and deals damage over time. It can defeat a player who fails to move quickly and lacks the cards to boost his stamina when needed. But I have some good cleaning cards and slices of pizza in my hand and I know I can defeat it. A real-world phobia powers a good gameplay moment in the new Neurodeck.

The title was created by TavroxGames and published by Goblinz Publishing via Steam. The game is expected to arrive on the Nintendo Switch as well and mixes deck-building mechanics with light role-playing and a focus on good information.

A run is mostly focused on combat events. The player faces off against a particular phobia, each with its set of powers and tactical approaches. Cards are drawn from a deck and stamina governs their use. Sanity represents health, which can be quickly drained by enemies as their abilities develop. A character has three actions each turn (sometimes more, depending on card effects) that can be used in a variety of ways: healing or stamina boost, direct attacks, status effects, item creation, and more.

The cards are varied in terms of both flavor and capabilities: cleaning deals damage to phobias but costs plenty of stamina, comfort food boosts player sanity and stamina, a plush ball deals damage and provides healing over time, a coin adds one action and draws another card and more. The player always knows what the opponent will do next and hand management is very important. One good or bad move can often be enough to lead to victory or defeat.

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Run are centered on battles but they offer plenty more activities. Players will sleep, visit a library or a kitchen, or a gymnasium, to get more cards, change some of them or get upgrades. There are more locations to discover, each with its own effect. Sometimes five-question surveys appear, built around personality traits, that will introduce permanent traits. Players who do very well can unlock more starting emotions and a new character, which transform the entire experience.

The narrative is good enough to keep the player going but never creates a big world around the mechanics. There are snippets of insight into the characters but the focus is on utility. The text is well-written and informative, especially when cards are involved. I expect most players will focus on fighting phobias rather than reading.

Neurodeck is careful when it comes to phobias, their presentation, and their attack powers. The intention is clearly to educate and explain, to make things clear. But phobias can be scary and weird. The way agoraphobia is portrayed in-game clearly has the potential to negatively affect someone who it actually affects. A way to eliminate some of the opponents from runs or an option to randomize some powers would be a solid future addition. The game also needs a little more warning about the kinds of phobias it presents and how they might impact some players.

The fact that both the deck players can use and the abilities of the phobias evolve is what keeps runs fresh in the long term. Neurodeck understands that progression is required to keep players engaged and delivers it. The problem is that there are difficulty spikes that feel unfair. A balance pass post-launch will probably make the game smoother from a challenge perspective. But the core mechanics are good and engaging, even if they do little to push the card-building genre to its limits.

Neurodeck has a simple and clean presentation. The game does not deliver a lot of special effects or impressive attack moves. But the interface is easy to read and there was no situation where I failed to see how and why I was defeated. The art of the various phobias is unsettling at times, while the images for the player cards are bright and beautiful. The sound design is less impressive but also serves the game well. If it becomes repetitive, it can be replaced by some low-fi or classic ambient beats.

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The Good

  • Card mechanics
  • Varied run activities
  • Phobia design

The Bad

  • Limited story
  • Some difficulty spikes
  • Phobia design

Conclusion

Neurodeck is an engaging take on the deck-builder genre. The enemies are varied, the cards have cool synergies, the runs in their entirety integrate combat and other activities well. Some difficulty spikes feel unfair. The good news is there are no opponents that cannot be taken down with good card selection and battle strategy.

The game does not have the breath or innovation of the best of its class. But the focus on phobia, mental health, and stress make it an interesting experiment. Neurodeck shows how you can create a video game that offers information about the real world without looking preachy while also offering good core mechanics.

story 8
gameplay 9
concept 9
graphics 8
audio 8
multiplayer 0
final rating 8
Editor's review
very good
 
NEXT REVIEW: Battle Brothers

Neurodeck screenshots (26 Images)

Neurodeck key art
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