Publisher Surefire.Games and indie developer Yfrit Games have released their roguelike deckbuilding TCG, Primateria, on Steam. The game aims to redefine the roguelike deckbuilder while still keeping the classic Yu-Gi-Oh! experience in mind.
Everything about the gameplay is strategic. While the game world is dark it offers a narrative-rich experience as players travel down a path filled with divine entities and mythical challenges. No two playthroughs are the same as there are a variety of relics, consumables, and ever-changing maps.
A complete story mode offers 9 unique quests. There are over 100 cards with hundreds of effects, mechanics, and combos. Players can challenge themselves to unlock 43 Steam achievements.
We made a cool single player game and merged the TCG with the roguelike genre, modernizing the gameplay and creating a completely new loop.
Matheus Pinheiro, Game Designer at Yfrit Games
Incentivizing creativity, the game encourages experimentation while offering rewards. At the same time, players can easily get rid of cards in their deck.
In the game, players navigate the map like any regular roguelike and will encounter card battles as they progress the run. The battle system is a TCG style with a few twists. There is no mana, no sacrifices, and no summoning sickness.
Players can play as many cards as they want. All the cards are balanced and designed around a fusion mechanic. The fusion mechanic governs card play and enables special abilities to be powered up.
Enemies are randomly selected cards and players will draw from their deck to defeat them. Boss battles are symmetric by means of both players and bosses having their own decks.
Ditching the traditional HP mechanic, the game utilizes a Damage Pile mechanic. The Damage Pile carries from battle to battle and defeated player cards are sent to the Damage Pile.
Cards in the Damage Pile will remain there until the player heals. This change from the norm adds a lot of strategy to the game as effects can add or remove cards from the Damage Pile which can effectively increase or decrease a player’s HP. The Damage Pile works as a part of a dual graveyard system alongside the traditional Discard Pile.
Primateria Availability
Primateria is available on Windows PC via Steam for $11.99. A release discount of 10% is available until January 15, 2024. Interested players can also download and play the free Primateria demo on Steam.