Developers: Rose City Games
Publisher: Rose City Games, wiip
Platform: Xbox One, PC
Tested on: PC
Floppy Knights – Review
Deck builders and turn-based tactic games go hand in hand, as the combination is a match made in heaven. If you think about it, what does a card game involve if not turns and tactics? This, combined with some unique mechanics and lots of charm is what Floppy Knights offers as one of the latest newcomers to the genre. Here is how it fares.
Story
Floppy Knights’ story is divided into two parts which follow young inventor Phoebe and her robotic companion Carlton. During the first half of the game, the duo will attempt to win an invention competition with Phoebe’s Floppy Knights, which are physical holograms made of magic and technology. After said competition is over, the plot moves on to Phoebe thwarting the plans of the mysterious individuals who are attempting to steal her invention. The game’s story is not particularly deep but all the characters are bubbly and energetic enough to carry it with their charm, and the game also contains some decent puns.
Graphics
The game’s graphics mostly consist of vibrant 2D sprites and pastel colors which are combined to create a whimsical and colorful world. Those who have played Dicey Dungeons will most likely find the style familiar due to it having the same artist behind it; Marlowe Dobbe. Alongside this, the character and area designs are all rather unique and colorful, giving the world a lot of life, although it is a shame areas have small enemy pools.
Sound
Floppy Knights’ sound design is as good as its art, featuring a rather good soundtrack with unique themes for each of the areas. The game’s SFX are also pretty decent, although not particularly remarkable. Besides this, there is no voice acting to speak of, although it is not particularly required thanks to the short dialogues.
Gameplay
As already mentioned, Floppy Knights’ gameplay is a combination of turn-based tactics and deck building. Throughout the game, players will have to build up a deck of cards, including the Floppy Knights themselves alongside passive effects, attacks, and more. Each deck may have up to 30 cards in total, with a handful of basic ones and a leader card always being required.
These leaders also add two special cards to the deck, one of which will appear every turn. Said cards are representative of the leader and often synergize with their attributes. Leaders always have to be played first before any other cards and will trigger a loss if they die. Luckily, to offset these disadvantages, leader cards tend to be more powerful than normal Knights, with all-around better stats.
One particularity Floppy Knights’ combat has is that creatures must be moved by playing specific movement cards. Should a player not have any of these cards in their hand, their summons will be left as sitting ducks. This also somewhat applies to attacking, although the Knights do at least get a free hit each turn. In exchange for these limitations, most movement and attack cards (other than the initial ones) have unique effects, such as bonus damage, range, and more. Playing cards is only limited by the amount of energy Phoebe has each turn, which is fixed at five, unless more is provided by certain cards.
In order to obtain cards, players will simply have to beat levels or spend some of the money earned in order to craft new ones. Inside the crafting menu, new cards will also appear from time to time after levels, each with unique costs. Additionally, certain types of cards will only be unlocked after certain points of the story, upon which up to two new decks will be obtained.
Alongside the mechanics of the individual cards, battlefields will also feature special panels. These panels range from forests to lava and each of them has different effects. For example, forests will provide an armor point, while lava will deal damage each time it’s touched. Each of the different areas features a new gimmick that players will have to account for, adding to the variation between levels.
Overall, Floppy Knights is not a difficult game. Most of the levels have simple solutions which don’t require particularly complex decks. While players are rewarded for coming up with efficient combos, a potpourri approach is also perfectly viable in most cases. This allows for both experienced players and newcomers to enjoy the game, which also provides additional challenge levels for those interested in playing more.
Conclusion
Floppy Knights is a charming game with a decent amount of content for all types of players. Those looking for a refreshing and lighthearted experience are sure to find it here. With around eight hours of content to enjoy and the game being sold for $19.99/€16,79/£15.49, Floppy Knights is a very recommendable experience. If you’re still on the fence, we suggest waiting for a sale, and then you absolutely cannot go wrong with this one.
Personal Opinion
“While Floppy Knights is not the best game I’ve ever played, it is a lighthearted and enjoyable experience through and through. Although it might not be the hardest game, it still has a decent amount of challenge with its optional objectives and extra levels, on top of an already good level design. Plus, combined with the quirky character designs and interesting mechanics, it is definitely worth a shot for anyone interested in the genre.”
Floppy Knights - Review,
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