Dread Draw – Is Dread In The Cards For You?
Dread Draw is a competitive fortune-telling game designed by Ryan Miller and published by Upper Deck in 2017 where players take turns playing cards to summon monsters, dealing damage to their opponents, until only one player is left standing. At the end of the game the players attempt to tell the winner’s fortune.
How do you play?
First, randomly determine who will be the starting player. That player shuffles the deck and deals everyone a life deck of ten cards. Players then take turns trying to summon a card, either by drawing one from the main deck or playing one from their reserves. If the card they are attempting to summon has a higher strength than that of their previous card, they successfully summon it. If it doesn’t, that player is eliminated from the round and discards all summoned cards. Play then passes to the player with the lowest strength among their summoned cards. If there is a tie, it passes clockwise to the next lowest player. Play continues until only one player is left in the round, then that player’s monsters deal damage to all the other players. When a player takes damage, they draw that many cards from their life deck, then select one card to keep in their reserves and discard the rest. Players are defeated when they would take damage but have no cards in their life deck. If a player takes damage and has some cards but not equal or greater than the damage taken, they are still in the game. After damage is handled the next round begins. At the end of the game, if the winning player has any cards left in their life deck, they shuffle their life deck and draw cards from it to read their fortune.
Components
The game comes with 100 cards, a six-page rule book, and three foam blocks. My copy was a first printing so it also came with an extra promo card. The foam blocks are included because this box is way bigger than it needs to be. The most logical explanation seems to be that there were originally intended to be expansions at some point, but this is only speculation, and no expansions have ever been released. As it is, it just seems like a lot of wasteful packaging. The rule book has roughly the same dimensions as the box, but it could have easily been smaller, especially given how short it is.
Problems
There are so many issues with this game. The most pressing is that damage feels very unbalanced compared to your starting life total. In my playtests it wasn’t uncommon for a player to deal between six and eight damage in round one. It was also rare, but all too possible, to deal ten or more damage in round one, completely wiping out all other life decks. Games can be over so quickly it doesn’t really feel like you got to do much of anything.
Some things are completely left out of the rules. For instance, what does it mean to banish a card? Is there a difference between taking damage and losing life? I was able to find answers from the designer in the forums on BoardGameGeek, but you shouldn’t have to become an internet detective just to figure out how to play.
There’s no listed upper limit to the number of players, the box just says “2+.” It’s important to think about scaling and at what player counts your game plays best at. Obviously this game can’t scale infinitely; there are only 100 cards & you have to set aside at least 10 for each player while still having enough cards left over for players to draw from. It’s possible that, if the speculation that expansions were planned is true, that the game was meant to be able to vastly scale up, in which case not putting an upper limit on the box itself might seem like a good idea. However, the upper limit for the base game should still be listed in the rule book even if expansions are planned, and potential expansions were never confirmed in the first place.
As a seasoned tarot reader, the fortune-telling aspect was the most interesting selling point to me, but it feels like an afterthought. For starters, there’s no guidebook to offer possible interpretations of cards or card combinations. This might be fine for more intuitive users, but some people might want help interpreting the cards. Plus, the game’s starting life total is so low that often the winner won’t have any cards left in their life deck to read. This could be mitigated by changing the rule that says you can keep playing if you empty your life deck, but it would have the side effect of making this already short game even shorter.
Verdict
There is a certain addicting quality to Dread Draw, though not necessarily because it’s fun. The game feels hollow. You play one game and are left so unsatisfied that you can’t help but try again, looking for something you will never find. It could make for an acceptable filler game if you’ve got nothing better to play. This game had a lot of potential but it fell flat. It gets two out of five cthulhus from me.
(2 / 5)
If you’d still like to give it a try, you can check it out at the link below. Remember that we are an Amazon affiliate and if you buy anything from the links provided, we will get some $ back.
Gaming
Lovecraft Meets Junji Ito in WORLD OF HORROR
WORLD OF HORROR is a cosmic horror roguelite game developed by Paweł Koźmiński and published by Ysbryd Games.
WORLD OF HORROR is a cosmic horror roguelite game developed by Paweł Koźmiński and published by Ysbryd Games. The game is available on macOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. This review will cover the Steam (Windows) version of the game.
You must explore the strange goings on around Shiokawa, Japan. It appears that eldritch forces have influenced the town in incomprehensible ways. So, attempt to comprehend these forces and maintain your sanity to save the town. Plan your investigations, choose between cases, and fight for your life.
There are a few game modes but three difficulty spikes. The easiest is a specific case with some random events. This mode teaches you the basic mechanics of the game. The harder difficulties give you access to an apartment and choices on which case you investigate. Completing objectives earns you customization options for the customized mode.
What I Like About WORLD OF HORROR
Running on GameMaker Studios, the pixelated aesthetic shows influences from Lovecraft and Junji Ito, though the latter more so than the former. WORLD OF HORROR haunts its viewers with its aesthetic, allowing the pixels to evoke those horror legends.
Random generation remains a key feature of the game, with various options and choices giving a massive variety. Your character also has some limited customization to access perks and further development. I will bring up some weaknesses later, but it is surprisingly vast. Adding to this variety, WORLD OF HORROR provides mod accessibility.
The combat allows for a great deal of thought and planning. You select your character’s actions within an action bar and perform the tasks (or combos) to beat an opponent. This JRPG style provides variety in action that makes it engaging and unique.
The random generation and variety make each playthrough different. You might acquire a devastating katana in one playthrough only to bleed out unceremoniously in another.
While not a terrifying gaming experience, WORLD OF HORROR strives to provide an eerie and intense experience. At this, the game is a success. The weird and unnerving collide to invest the player in this strange world.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
Body horror deserves a mention, but the aesthetic and pixels doesn’t particularly evoke realism. Regardless, many designs evoke body horror.
Aside from this, here are some points of consideration. First, WORLD OF HORROR uses JRPG turn-based combat, which seems a point of division among some gamers. However, there are enough interesting mechanics and complexities beyond clicking an action and waiting your turn.
Second, WORLD OF HORROR isn’t a cult detective. You’re experiencing events and choosing how your character responds. Some sage wisdom I heard for WORLD OF HORROR is to focus on the whole campaign instead of a single case. Failing a case isn’t a game over, so prioritize your character’s longevity.
What I Dislike About WORLD OF HORROR
Only a few issues hindered my experience. Some scenarios replay on a single case, let alone a playthrough, which becomes repetitive. Some scenarios have multiple solutions to add variety or require perks to access new options, but that’s not always true. This issue makes the randomization taxing at times.
This next issue is likely a bug or an oversight. After losing my reason (sanity), I found myself still able to investigate despite the game claiming that means death. An unrelated event finished me off, but I can’t help but assume this is a bug.
Final Thoughts
WORLD OF HORROR has its quirks but earns massive replay value and surprising depth. It’s a unique and ambitious indie title worth the price. If Junji Ito’s style or cosmic horror is your particular brand of horror, WORLD OF HORROR delivers an experience you’ll likely enjoy. Though this combination synergizes well, few games combine these elements successfully.
(4.5 / 5)
Step into the mind-bending world of Eldritch Automata as we sit down with Game Designer Nick Francia at GenCon 2024!
Uncover the secrets behind this Lovecraftian mecha-masterpiece and get a glimpse of what’s to come.
In this exclusive interview, Nick Francia shares:
• The intricate game development process • Inspirations behind the eerie Lovecraftian elements
• Unique mecha-infused gameplay mechanics Calling all Lovecraft fans! Dive into a world where eldritch horrors meet steam-powered marvels.
Eldritch Automata promises an unforgettable gaming experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
👉 Ready to embrace the madness? Check out our playable demo at a con near you! #EldritchAutomata #GenCon2024 #LovecraftianGaming #IndieGameDev
Prepare for a spine-chilling experience as Jim Phoenix delves into the shadows with Trick or Treat Studios at GenCon 2024!
In this exclusive interview, we uncover the terrifying secrets behind their latest bone-chilling creations: “House of 1000 Corpses” and “Halloween II” board games.
These games aren’t just about rolling dice – they’re about immersing yourself in the blood-curdling atmosphere of beloved horror films. With unique survival (and kill!) horror mechanics and cooperative gameplay, you’ll feel the terror coursing through your veins with every move!
But wait, there’s more! With the Kickstarter to House of 1000 Corpses shipping soon, we have an in-depth review coming up for that game, Halloween II–AND…Chucky. BOOMMM!!!
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Jennifer Weigel
December 18, 2021 at 9:46 pm
Great to see more game reviews and thank you for being so thorough. It seems like this game may be trying to be a lot of things at once and I suspect you are right in that maybe there were going to be expansions. I’ve never played it so I don’t know. It’s too bad they didn’t play up the fortune telling aspect more, that is kind of unique.