A Simple Game That Runs Out of Luck
The indie game boom has brought countless card-based roguelikes. They continue to evolve and change, bringing new entries that feature different mechanics and systems to help them stand out. Some focus on hardcore challenges, while others strive to provide a more laid back experience.
XIII A Final Game of Tarot falls into the latter category, with a straightforward gameplay loop that relies on a unique aesthetic and calm soundtrack to pull in the player.
The Art of the Balanced Score
XIII A Final Game of Tarot is, at its core, a game about balance. The game follows a simple set of rules, as the player is dealt five cards over the course of a single round. These cards must be placed on a cross shaped board of five tiles, each marked with a multiplication modifier.
These modifiers include the positive integers one through three, as well as a negative two and negative three. Each card is marked with a number that shows its value, and each card must be placed on the board throughout the round.
Zero Sum Game
On the left side of the screen is a bar that marks the current score. Each placed card will increase or decrease that score, based on the tile it’s placed on. Obviously, the positive will raise the bar into the positive and vice versa. If the round ends with too high or too low of a score, then the game ends. Keeping the score as close to zero as possible is the best way to guarantee success.
You see, the closer the score stays to zero, the more coins that are granted at the end of the round, and further to that, if it all ends at exactly zero, then three coins are awarded at the conclusion of the round.
Random Draws and Death Cards
Initially, three cards are drawn, which must be placed. Once situated, the fourth card is drawn and placed, then finally the last card will be dropped down, much like the community cards in a game of Texas Hold ’em. This incorporates some randomness into the game, since it’s not possible to plan out all five card placements at the beginning of the round.
There is also the chance to draw the death tarot card, which will set all placed cards’ scores to zero. The death card will retain its score, though, so it can still cause a loss.
Between rounds in XIII A Final Game of Tarot, there is a shop where three different items can be purchased. One will flip the modifier from positive to negative or negative to positive. Another sets the score of a selected card to zero. And the final one allows a card to be discarded and redrawn.
Each round in the sequence narrows how high or low of a score constitutes a loss. While the game may start with a range from positive 30 to negative 30, after a few rounds you may need to keep the score between positive 18 and negative 18.
Limited Depth, Quick Completion
The glaring issue with XIII A Final Game of Tarot is how limited the gameplay actually is. The mechanics explained so far constitute the entirety of the game. The board doesn’t increase the tile count, modifiers don’t occur that adjust the gameplay, and the shop offerings never change.
This culminates in an ultimately shallow experience. There’s no doubt that the base idea isn’t bad, but there just isn’t enough variety or depth to give players a reason to come back. Playing through even a handful of times is enough to cause the game to start feeling repetitive.
A Gamerscore Hunter’s Dream, But Not Much More
So what is the main reason to keep playing? Gamerscore! Manage to max out the achievement list, and it does give a staggering 2000 Gamerscore. And better still, that can be gathered up in under 15 minutes, without any real struggle.
For the right person, there may be some replayability, but both casual and hardcore gamers will struggle to come back to XIII A Final Game of Tarot. There is a surplus of card based roguelike games on the market. There are games like Balatro that feature an immense amount of depth and complexity, delivering dozens of hours of replayability. I am sure there are players that will find XIII A Final Game of Tarot enjoyable for hours at a time, but realistically that’s going to be a very small minority of players. The majority will probably get at most an hour or less out of the game.
There is a unique art style and the background music is very chill. So there is some value in it as an incredibly casual game. But it would work as a mobile game that can be played in bed while something plays on the TV.
At the price point, XIII A Final Game of Tarot may be justifiable for players, especially achievement hunters who are looking to maximize their Gamerscore. But beyond that, it’s hard to recommend, especially when all the content can be experienced in less than 30 minutes.
Important Links
Ready to Balance Your Karma? XIII: A Final Game of Tarot is a Hypnotic Xbox Puzzler – https://www.thexboxhub.com/ready-to-balance-your-karma-xiii-a-final-game-of-tarot-is-a-hypnotic-xbox-puzzler/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/xiii-a-final-game-of-tarot/9np0n8dm0l6b
