Product Info

Platform

Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC, iOS, Android

Publisher

Chucklefish

Developer

Deadpan Games

Genre

Adventure, Permadeath, Strategy/Tactics

Players

1

File Size (Minimum)

1.7 GB

Release Date (NA)

Apr 12, 2023

Purchase From

eShop

Microsoft Store

Steam

Android

iOS

Wildfrost is a roguelike, turned-based card battle game that’s brutal to play through but addicting at the same time.

An Endless Winter

In Wildfrost, an endless winter has gripped the world, and you are searching for a way to end it. If you’re looking for a deep storyline, go elsewhere because this title focuses mainly on gameplay and its mechanics. In short, you start the game at your home base, located in the middle of the snowy landscape, and go from there. The base gives you the ability to unlock unique cards such as allies and items. Once unlocked, they are available to find between battles. It’s too bad there isn’t an option to have them at the start of your adventure.

In between battles, you can choose routes on a 2D map. Some spots on a route let you prepare your deck of cards; on others, you can find “wounded” allies. You could even get charms or locate a shop, among others. Charm spots are like a gacha mechanic where it randomly picks an item for you. Some charms are quite helpful based on how your team is built, such as increasing stats or adding new abilities. Apply these charms to a card, but once added, they cannot be removed.

The storefront is great for purchasing crowns. Applying a crown to an ally card makes the card available to place at the start of battle instead of after a turn or more. You can also purchase additional item cards and charms (still processed like a gacha game). Money can be found during battles and in caves.

Survivors found on these spots on the map can be added but have low health. After a battle, they’ll return to full health. It’s another way to gain an ally during the journey.

Tactical Luck

Every character and item has its own card with its own unique abilities and stats. For example, an ally may have high health and attack power, along with the ability to heal allies upon the defeat of an opponent. However, there are rules that must be followed. You can only have three active ally cards in your deck. Any more have to be placed as backups but can be swapped back in between battles.

You also need one leader card, which does not count against the ally count. Before venturing forth, you will pick between three cards as your leader. Choose a card that best suits your tactical process. If the leader is killed, it’s game over and you are forced to start all over. This means everything you earned—items, allies, and charms—is wiped out. It’s particularly brutal, since you might not retrieve a card again for some time.

Expect to lose a lot. It’s unfortunate the game doesn’t let you keep at least one card or a charm if you die so many times to give you a leg to stand on. Not all battles you faced prior will be the same either. The game randomizes battles and paths, making each playthrough uniquely different. This also means there are battles where you never stood a chance based on what cards you are handed, causing balancing issues. You really are relying on luck each playthrough but also on being tactically smart. If you are a glutton for punishment, this game is right up your alley.

For each battle, you have a leader or anyone with a crown attached placed at the start. Then, a set of cards are given to you to choose from, which can include weapons to damage enemies, healing, allies, and more. Every card has a set of turns before they attack, but you can use a card in your hand to initiate an attack or more. If an ally goes down, they are out of the battle. However, you can pull your wounded ally into the bin to heal. When you reset your deck, your healed ally will appear (or in the next set). You have to pay close attention to the enemy’s turns and attacks. Additionally, there’s a turn-timer for when more enemies will appear. To win, defeat the “boss” and the minions will scatter. You have to wait some time before they show up, so stand strong and hope lady luck is on your side.

Well-Rounded Design for Winter

Wildfrost has great illustrations for each card, and they are fun to look through. Backdrops are vibrant and go well with the design of the cards and the user interface. The game’s adventure map uses monochromatic colors and fewer details compared to elsewhere, though. From an in-world perspective, it makes sense, but for the player, a little more color would make it more pleasing to the eyes.

Another grip involves the player’s deck during battle. When selecting among the cards in your hand, the card that’s highlighted gets bigger, which makes it easy to see. However, this enlarged card also covers up some of the important details on the battlefield. For example, you cannot see the turn count on your allies, which can be useful in your tactical planning.

The soundtrack itself is whimsical, using what resembles Scottish music and instruments such as bagpipes. Larger boss fights have their own score, giving each area a different vibe while still being energetic.

The game also offers another gameplay mode called “Daily Voyage” that’s even more challenging than the main game mode. You are given a random deck of cards with some additional charms equipped to give you some advantage. However, this random set of cards and charms may not work with your team’s skills. You are given one attempt, and after you succeed or fail, you cannot play this mode again till the next day.

The Final Death

Wildfrost may look like a cute and cozy title, but that adorable surface belies its brutal challenges. Still, it’s a fun and incredibly addictive tactical card game. Travel into the wilderness at your own risk.

A Xbox code was provided for this review.