Nadir: A Grimdark Deckbuilder

Nadir: A Grimdark Deckbuilder succeeds in delivering a visually beautiful experience, but the game around these gorgeously metal images doesn't feel like it had the same care as the art design. It is frustratingly difficult, a fact exacerbated by the inconsistently presented information and issues around how the game's controls were ported to the Switch. This is a game that feels unfinished, despite the visual flair it offers.

Grimdark deck-builder with a slower gameplay loop

Nadir: A Grimdark Deck Builder feels unfinished in parts, but fans of card-based battle games will be intrigued by the ingenious combat mechanism that forces you to balance your attacks against the threat of the enemy's retaliation.

If you like a very slow, difficult romp through a Hell-a-la-tattoo-parlour, Nadir's roguelike deckbuilding may be the game for you. But if you want something genuinely fun and interesting to play, you won't find it here.

Nadir: A Grimdark Deckbuilder seems like the developers wanted to make a roguelike and then decided to make a story-focused game halfway through without ever following through on that desire. If Black Eye Games had fixed some of this game's glaring issues, we could've had something cool here, but there are still much better options out there.

I really wanted to rave about how great Nadir: A Grimdark Deckbuilder was. Unfortunately, while there are some genuinely noteworthy elements in the game, such as the unique combat and striking visual style, it’s ultimately held back by some problematic issues. The game is quite unbalanced in its current state, and the developers desperately need to fix some pretty glaring glitches. Until that happens, it’s hard to fully recommend.

Nadir: A Grimdark Deckbuilder is well on its way to becoming a unique card game that will stick in your mind thanks to its one-of-a-kind combat system—which lets you fully unleash your strategy—breathtaking art, and immersive gameplay. Although the game still doesn’t offer a satisfying amount of content in Early Access, the developers are already working hard to address that.