Anyone who's played Slay The Spire has probably spent the last few months wondering how to get another fix of deck-building roguelite monster-slaying, right? Neurodeck might have what it is you crave.
Described as a "dark fantasy deck-builder" in which you fight your own phobias, nightmares, and fears, the cards that appear in your deck are less "hit monster with sword" and more "take a nice bath". The monsters that appear are still as scary and daunting as those you fight in other deck-builder games, but they come from within: Agoraphobia, Mysophobia, and even Masculinity are all concepts that you'll have to defeat in order to become a stronger person.
Neurodeck looks like it has a ton of systems and skill trees to support the gameplay, if you like your roguelites robust: reading through specific memories to understand how phobias began, additional personality traits that affect how the game plays out, and customisable stats and skills to help you in combat.
Besides being an interesting concept for a deck-builder, Neurodeck is also a meta-narrative about the struggles of mental health, and the tools in our arsenal that can defeat phobias in real life. Many games have tackled the subject of mental health in the past, with Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice employing actual specialists in the field, and other games - like the flippant comedy game Suicide Guy - handling the topic with a little less tact.
We're intrigued to see if Neurodeck will give us any real-life tips on how to take care of our own mental health - but we also just really love a good roguelite deck-builder. Here's hoping it will be. Neurodeck comes out on the Switch eShop on March 18th.
Is Neurodeck the Slay The Spire-like you've been hoping for, or does the idea of a game that works like therapy sound a bit too exhausting for you? Give us your thoughts below.
[source goblinzstudio.com]
Comments 6
Oh, cool! So kind of like how Ring Fit Adventure gives you work out routine without having to go to a gym, this game calls you out on problematic and self-deprecating behaviors instead of paying for a therapist. Awesome! Sign me up!
Not a fan of this art style, but I do love Slay the Spire.
Absolutely not.
@Desrever Or maybe, just maybe, instead of assuming that people use this as a substitute for professional help we can maybe give them the benefit of the doubt that 1. something like this could be therapeutic enough and/or 2. it's one tool in a much larger toolbox that they're using to battle their afflictions. If it helps folks, I don't see why any of us should judge how they go about it.
@bozz Very well put. I've definitely had meaningful and emotionally cathartic moments through video games, both in regards to story as well as simply playing to overcome obstacles in a game.
And just to clear up any misunderstandings through my thick fog of sarcasm here, the gamers I'm referring to that are seeking these games out instead of seeking therapy is me. I am the gamers.
(also, I'm a sucker for deckbuilding roguelikes)
i'll try doing more pushups to cure my insanity
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