14 DAY TRIAL // The world of roguelike deck-building games is pretty crowded, but as a fan of the genre, I’m pretty content with the amount of titles we get every month. Arcana of Paradise: The Tower is one of the upcoming roguelike deck-building games that offers a fresh take on the formula.
Developed by Japanese studio Tasto Alpha, Arcana of Paradise: The Tower changed its name from The Tower: To the Bottom and was delated to April 20, 2023. However, I’ve had the chance to play several hours of this roguelike deck-building game that has some unique mechanics that make it stand out.
In Arcana of Paradise: The Tower, you manage a group of children at the top of the tower. Set in a light fantasy world where Christianity seems to be predominant, Arcana of Paradise challengers players to form the perfect party and adventure into the depths of the tower.
The Tower is home of no less than 20 unique children, although not all will be available from the start. As you progress into the game and reach lower floors, you might find new children to add to your roster. Bread is the main resource in the game and when you run out of it, it’s game over. Each day, the children in the tower consume one bread and the only way to replenish your food reserves is by fighting your way through the lower levels.
You can form parties of two children, each with their own unique traits and starting decks. Their stats can be rerolled by spending bread, but that’s meant for those who are looking to min-max their party. The children are split into three classes, each with their own passive skills and decks, which can be upgraded by increasing your affinity with that child. Affinity can be increased by either talking with them in the so-called Commune, your main base at the top of the tower, or by taking them into the Tower.
Each run, you’ll have 9 children at your disposal, but if you run out of food, you’ll start with a different set of children. Although this is a roguelike deck-building game, all unlocks during a run will transfer to the next one.
The three classes available in the game are Swordsman, Mage and Diviner. Each class plays differently and is very powerful when find the best synergies. Combat in Arcana of Paradise: The Tower is rather unique in the fact that it happens in real-time. You always draw four cards and play them in any order you wish. There’s no limit to how many cards you can play since there’s no mana and there are no turns. If you don’t want to play a certain card, you can reshuffle it and draw another set of four cards.
The more attack cards you manage to chain together, the higher the damage you’ll do to the enemy. Some classes like the Swordsman have shields that protect your party from a certain amount of damage, but when these cards are timed perfectly, they can stun the enemy. Every time an enemy prepares an attack, you can see a circle that charges up and flashes red when it’s about to hit you.
It’s an interesting mechanic that spices up the traditional formula. Adventuring through the lower levels of the tower not only rewards you with more bread, but you can also find legendary items, new cards, and interesting NPCs that sometime need your help.
Conclusion
The only thing that I’m not really fond of is the art style, but that can easily be overlooked if the game’s mechanics are solid. That being said, I’ve been hooked for several hours fighting in the tower, so I’m certain that I’ll revisit Arcana of Paradise: The Tower once it releases in just a few months.
Preview key was provided by the publisher.
