I’m a massive fan of the deck-building genre. There’s something about collecting things as we play that scratches a certain itch that I think is present in most gamers. If this wasn’t the case I’m not sure Pokemon would be as astronomically massive as it is. The problem with anything card related, though, is that it’s pretty difficult to come up with something truly unique. If you go down the multiplayer route you’re moving into CCG territory and as much as I love playing Slay the Spire, single-player offerings seem to be leaning a little heavily on the format laid down by that title. I might just be really jaded but the feeling of “oh, this is a bit like …” runs strong in this genre and it really shouldn’t. Attempting to buck the trend and do something totally new is Verses of Enchantment. From the little I’ve seen so far, I’m loving the premise here. Let’s have a look together, shall we?
Verses of Enchantment is a game coming from the bright sparks over at Nachtvlam. This 18th-century-inspired deck-builder is planned for a full release sometime later this year but can be wishlisted over on Steam now. There’s a demo too if you fancy seeing what the fuss is about. The big question here, though, comes down to what’s making this title stand out from its peers in the genre.
In Verses of Enchantment, you’ll be taking the role of an aspiring wizard in an 18th-century fantasy world. You will head out on a quest to become the ultimate sorcerer as you explore the world around you, collecting cards as you go. As you meet a cast of diverse characters and learn more about the five schools of magic that make up the world you’ll learn the secrets of these sorceries and build your own library of skills and knowledge. Now, as awesome as all of this sounds, this is still fairly standard deck-building fayre; what is it that’s making Versus of Enchantment truly individual?
You’ll face off against experienced spell-casters by putting your own magic to the test in deck-building-themed battles. You’ll need to use the cards you play to influence AI-generated poetry. This is a game about word craft as much as it is spell craft and you’ll need to think ahead if you are to beat your opponent in a battle of calculated pros.
If this doesn’t sound the least bit intriguing there’s something wrong with you. The idea of weaving the deck-building mechanics we all know and love with an element of poetry, (AI poetry nonetheless,) is pretty bloody cool. You’ll be able to get your practice in over three modes too, comprising of the main campaign, versus mode, and finally, the gauntlet. That should give you plenty to get your teeth into, especially if you want to test your linguistic skills against other players.
I have to say I’m absolutely loving this idea. As someone that truly loves language and how it can be manipulated the notion of taking this and weaving it into a strategy game is pretty alluring. If you are in agreement with me, definitely keep an eye on this space, I shall be following this game with great interest as it heads for launch.
