If you’ve read some of my previous reviews, you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of indie titles. Throw some deckbuilding and roguelike mechanics in there and I’ll be thrilled. Recently I was lucky enough to play the demo for Pyrene. A roguelike deckbuilder, with a twist.
Check out these moves
When you think about deckbuilding roguelikes, your mind probably jumps to games like Slay the Spire or Balatro (and you have good taste if it did). Pyrene is a fast-paced roguelike dungeon-crawler and offers a unique blend of strategy and action.
Set in a world inspired by Basque mythology, Pyrene players must navigate through treacherous terrain, battling hellish monsters with a clever combination of movement and positioning. Utilizing the WASD keys or the mouse, you can manoeuvre you character’s card across the grid-like “danger zones,” engaging in battles that are as much about wits as they are about brute force.
Each encounter is a delicate dance of give-and-take, where dealing damage is directly tied to your character’s health, making every confrontation a thrilling risk. The grid is the biggest different from other deckbuilders you may be used to. You can’t retrace you steps during the same round, so planning your route to maximise rewards and minimise damage is key. You also need enough resources to rest between turns so take care to strategise your turns to make sure you can upgrade the Voltive Alter as much as possible for better rewards!
Another big difference is you card deck. You always know the order your cards will appear, so you can adjust their order prior to encounters based on whether you want to prioritise damage, set up or resource gathering.
Meta Gaming
Outside of runs you build up your town with various buildings that unlock different forms of meta progression. You’ve got the Archives and Workshop for Talismans and Relics respectively, and the Cartographer and Tavern for new zones and characters. In the demo there’s 2 available characters, each with their own unique playstyle, and 3 biomes that introduce new spins on how the “danger zones” work. There’s also a Watchtower that contains the accessibility options for those that need/chose to use them.
Most of these are limited in the demo, but there looks to be a huge variety of things to unlock and I’m looking forward to playing more upon the full release!
Final Thoughts
With a rich lore and a variety of characters, each with their own unique abilities, Pyrene promises a deeply engaging experience that rewards strategic planning and adaptability. Whether you’re upgrading your deck with powerful relics or restoring your village to unlock new abilities, Pyrene is shaping up to be a wonderful addition to the deckbuilding space. I know I’m definitely looking forward to it!
