14 DAY TRIAL // Offense or defense? Should I drop another companion on the field to take down enemy HP? Do I need to use my dice on the offensive or should I try to make sure that my hero receives no damage next turn? Which of the cards in my hand do I really want to use, and which can be sacrificed safely? Does the next set of doors feature another big battle, a health replenishment, or maybe a morality-tinged decision?
Doors of Insanity is being developed by OneShark, with Neon Doctrine handling publishing duties. The game can be bought on Steam in Early Access, with the team aiming to use feedback from players to improve the overall experience.
The game is a card-focused combat experience with a rogue element. Choose a hero, built a hand of cards and a specialization, find the best combinations of protection and damage to get past ever more capable enemies. The bosses, with extra hitpoints and some special abilities, offer the toughest challenge.
Once the hero dies players get to retain some of their progress for the next run, gaining power and finding ways to make their character even more powerful. Doors of Insanity also adds dice to the card combat, as a way for the careful player to mitigate some risk or press an attack that fell just short of the mark.
The systems work pretty well together. The problem, widespread in the genre, is that there’s no huge innovation to push everything forward. I enjoyed my time with this card-based game but there are better and more established ones I want to return to.
Doors of Insanity has an interesting if not fully developed presentation. The art for both characters and cards does not conform to classic fantasy tropes and manages to capture the attention. I particularly like the cartoonish but still threatening design of the enemies. The interface is also well-put-together and helpful. The music is a little average.
Conclusion
The addition of dice and the different art approach makes the game stand out from its peers. The problem is that both these twists feel a little peripheral. The developers at OneShark need to add something more to Doors of Insanity before it leaves Early Access to make it truly innovative.
