by theygamesI’ve been eagerly anticipating the 1.0 launch of Takara Cards ever since I first laid eyes upon it. Its neon-stained, ‘80s retro-futuristic style immediately caught my attention, and the pitch of a tactical deckbuilding space RPG about chasing a band of thieving space dragons secured my interest soon after. After nearly two years in early access, the full release of this card-battling roguelike is finally here, and developer Post Mortem Pixels has a big Steam sale discount to celebrate the launch.
As a Federation Cadet, it’s up to you to chase down the aforementioned space dragons. In order to do so, you’ll have to kit your ship out with tricks and equipment as you fly across the galaxy of Takara Cards in search of your target. Each run of this deckbuilding roguelike begins with you choosing your preferred species, each of which comes with its own distinct traits and starting ship. You’ll also pick an initial reputation, which influences how you can respond to events as well as how others might respond to you.
That initial choice isn’t set in stone, however – it’s constantly influenced by your actions. Perhaps your exploits among the stars will earn you a reputation as a fearless fighter. Or maybe you’ll start to be known as a shady thief, opening up the potential to go behind the Guild’s back to pick up some under-the-counter equipment from the black market, or even straight-up steal cards to add to your deck. Of course, there’s every chance your actions might come back to bite you if you’re not careful.
Combat takes place on a grid of spaces, with many of your actions reliant on positioning or capable of moving units around themselves. Build up careful synergies and you can clear out an entire board in a single turn, utilizing combos for bonus experience and demolishing full waves at once to recharge your batteries for more moves. With more than 140 cards to discover, there’s plenty of variety to ensure no two runs play out quite the same, even if you start from the same initial point.
The result is the kind of satisfying combat puzzle that tingles the brain in the way only the best strategy games can – think the likes of Into The Breach or XCOM. All the while, the sheer style of Takara Cards makes everything feel like a magical dream. The gorgeous artwork inspired by 1980s anime is a delight to behold, with its bold character designs and soft neon lighting, and the soundtrack settles in a sweet spot between soothing your brain and driving you forward to the next encounter.
Takara Cards version 1.0 is out now on Steam, and to celebrate you can get it at a 50% discount until Friday January 31. Expect to pay just $7.49 / £6.39 if you buy it now, or $14.99 / £12.79 once the sale period ends. Head here to check it out and get a copy for yourself.
For even more options to shuffle through, here are the best card games to play in 2025, along with the best space games on PC for more interstellar delights.
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