While there are tons of Pokemon style adventures on the gaming market, not enough of these titles are improving the trading card game aspect. That’s where Isle of Swaps comes in, a new title from Fuzz Force (an appropriately named company) that has just been released on Steam. Isle of Swaps focuses the gameplay on building up a deck of critters, celebrating the pack opening and trading aspects of TCGs that haven’t been given nearly enough attention.
Take one glance at Isle of Swaps in action, and you’ll quickly understand why folks are drawing instant comparisons to Pokemon and deckbuilding roguelikes like Slay the Spire. While the comparison is certainly valid, and many gameplay aspects of Swaps are drawn directly from Nintendo’s mega-franchise, there’s undoubtedly enough within developer and publisher Fuzz Force’s newest game to have it stand alone.
Isle of Swaps draws more inspiration from the Pokemon TCG than the video games. The common elements between the two games are the typing of monsters you’ll use and encounter (Water, Fire, Grass, etc.) and the cutesy art style of the monsters. However, the roguelike elements Fuzz Force has introduced here really advance the idea that a digital TCG can function in both gameplay and collecting monsters.
In Isle of Swaps, there are multiple characters you can choose from, and each comes with different special abilities that change the gameplay. Additionally, players can experiment with various strategies on each run without committing to a single deck for extended periods, increasing the game’s replayability.
The roguelike elements slotting into a digital TCG fit like a glove: In the Pokemon TCG, deckbuilding is often a static process where players construct their decks before the game starts, typically sticking to a strategy once the deck is built. However, in Isle of Swaps, deckbuilding becomes part of the gameplay experience, evolving as you progress.
Isle of Swaps has launched on Steam with a free demo you can try for no charge at all. If you like the game, Isle of Swaps is 10% off until Friday October 4 for $13.49/£10.09. You can purchase the game right here.
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