izigame.me

Zoeti is a game that, if you are a fan of roguelite deckbuilders(Slay the Spire, Roguebook, Inscryption, etc) is a must try. But make no mistake, this is game is a strategy game just as much as it is a roguelite deckbuilder. Relying on combinations of cards and keeping track of what you have in your hand as well as your upcoming draws is crucial to the gameplay.
Gameplay:
You do not build a deck, but rather you build the array of abilities you can use by having specific combinations of cards from a deck made of traditional playing cards. This feels a bit unfamiliar compared to other games in the genre, but once you figure it out, it works well. Combat encounters feel very hit or miss, you will one shot an elite encounter and then the very next encounter be completely helpless. This is partially the nature of roguelites, but at the same time this feels very extreme and very unforgiving.
Story:
The story, if you are interested, has a lot of depth, however having a story that you repeatedly try to complete and start from scratch after each failed run makes the runs feel a little monotonous. I wanted to skip dialogue, but there are a lot of times where in the middle of 20+ dialogue panels you get to make decisions on gaining specific items so you feel like you can't skip anything.
Pros:
- The actual gameplay is simple enough to pick up and understand, you don't need to understand poker to understand this
- There is a surprising amount of depth in how you manipulate your hand to succeed, and when you can properly manage your hand turn to turn it feels very satisfying
- The soundtrack is fantastic
- The game is visually very well polished, and accomplishes exactly what it is trying to do
Cons:
- The tutorial is a bit of an information dump, most people will do better just jumping right in if they have prior experience with the genre rather than trying to read everything and understand what it is saying
- This is not a good intro game to roguelike deckbuilders, there is enough complexity that you would be better playing something more straightforward to understand the genre and then coming back to this.

Zoeti can be very unforgiving, especially if you do not understand the values of offence and defense and how to balance them in your abilities. If you are a fan of a challenge and roguelite deckbuilders, this game is for you. If you have never played a roguelite deckbuilder before, then look somewhere else, and if you enjoy it, then come back here. You won't regret it.