Paid deckbuilding strategy game
Stacklands is a paid strategy game from Sokpop Collective. This game combines rogue-lite and card gaming elements, with card gameplay similar to a game of solitaire. Play as a village builder who fulfills his duties—building structures, collecting resources, and fighting creatures—by playing the cards in your hand. Win battles and expand your village, with each run offering a unique experience.
Featuring a simple art style similar to Everhood or Patapon, Stacklands is a fun card-based rogue-lite for hours of fun. Similarly, you might want to check Inscryption for deck builders and Despot’s Game: Dystopian Army Builder for rogue-lite strategy.
Deceptively simple and very addictive
Imagine if you have a turn-based strategy game like Civilization that is dealt with using cards—that’s how Stacklands feels like. Everything in the game can be settled with a card fight. A particularly addictive part is its combat mechanics. You start out with a villager card you can play against a variety of creatures like rats or goblins. They can get stronger by “equipping” weapons or by banding together.
In terms of graphics, it uses a brighter color palette. It feels bright and cheery compared to the darker, occult-themed aesthetic of Inscryption. It also features a significant lack of curses or violence or any other mature stuff, giving off a child-friendly appeal. Additionally, it has a lot of content, making it replayable. There are over a hundred cards and more than 50 quests to collect and complete.
However, it has its own challenges, starting with the time cycle for the game. Even with a modifiable day length, the game still feels fast-paced, pressing new players to make decisions under a set time limit. It gets manageable the more you play, but it’s still a tough nut to crack for new players. Additionally, like most rogue-lite games, it has a short playthrough.
The Cursed Worlds DLC and other updates
Stacklands’ first-ever downloadable content, the Cursed Worlds pack, has been officially released for purchase. In it, the player can visit three different worlds and help villagers there rebuild their towns and lift the curses that blanket their hometowns. There are more than 50 quests to clear and over 130 cards to collect. Pets scattered around the map can be petted, too, and villagers can be named by the player.
Besides that, the free modding support update has been released, as well. Through this, players can seamlessly and effortlessly integrate to the games the mods from the Steam Workshop.
Fun, fast-paced card strategy
Overall, Stacklands is a fun game. It has a short playthrough length offset by its replayability opportunities. Its concept is something you can enjoy, once you get past the challenges of its time limit. Farm for resources, build structures for your village, and fight opponents all by drawing and playing cards. Its content and rogue-lite nature offer it good replayability value. Simple and addictive, recommended.
