Once players have mastered the basics there are a healthy amount of cards to find in the game and buy with currency exclusively found within the game. One of the most impressive bits about SteamWorld Quest is that it does a great job of introducing what is ultimately a fairly complex card-based strategy game to the player quickly and clearly. If all of this sounds confusing it’s because I’m compressing into a few paragraphs game mechanics rolled out over nearly 20 hours of play. A card that provides a shield may also heal if it’s played after another hero has acted. For instance, a damage dealing card may have the combo effect that raises the team’s evasion. However, if a card with a combo ability is played in conjunction with another from a specified hero a bonus effect will occur. When the player plays a card with a combo effect in most situations it simply has an effect like any other card (dealing damage, healing, poisoning etc). Whatever the effect, they are all very powerful and well worth prioritizing.Ĭombos are similar to bonus effects but are triggered by playing cards from opposite heroes instead of the same one. It may allow for an extra attack, it could provide a shield to your allies, or allow a hero to play an additional card next turn. Whenever three cards from a single hero are played in a turn that hero automatically plays a combo card that’s unique to that hero. The deepest part of The Hand of Gilgamech’s strategy isn’t steam or deck combination however, it’s combo effects and bonus effects. But after steam is spent the player has to start building it again. Over several turns of play, the player may have enough steam to play cards that cost 4,5, or even 6 steam. The more basic cards that are played the more steam that’s generated. Steam is a resource that builds as players (and enemies) play basic cards. Playing 3 cards every turn can be tricky because more powerful cards require steam to play. However, the player’s hand size is (typically) six meaning there’s a fair amount of strategy required in ensuring you’re building a deck that’s not only strong enough to defeat your opponent’s and protect your heroes but more importantly that the cost of cards is evenly distributed such that the player has multiple cards to play every turn.

During the battle, the player has access to 24 of those cards (the combined total of all active party member’s decks). Each of the heroes in the player’s party has a deck size of eight, no more no less. While the art direction is familiar to any fan of the series, the gameplay is anything but. It’s an RPG card game where the player leads a party of unlikely heroes through an animated steampunk-fantasy style world. It meets the expectation of quality and fun that fans have come to expect in a completely new gameplay package. It’s yet another adventure into the unknown for Image & Form with only the familiar art style and charm of SteamWorld to guide them.

Steamworld Quest Hand of Gilgamech is no different. The only commonality among them (aside from the sequel Steamworld Dig 2) has been the ‘Steamworld’ style. Game after game they’ve defied the odds to deliver unique play and varied design. Image & Form have spent the last several years not only trying but mastering their hand at producing outstanding video games from a variety of genres.

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