Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 664:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (9/10)

Do you guys know that "Let's go gambling! Aw dang it!" meme that's gone viral over the last couple of years? Yeah, yeah, you guessed it: Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers ("D&DG") is literally that sound. And I, quite frankly, love it. Like, I didn't expect to get hooked this quickly, this early? Seriously, I only have about five hours in this game, but dare I say it's number 3 on my roguelike list (Monster Train 2, Slay the Spire 2, and D&DG)? And I might even venture to say it's more fun to me than Balatro...

So. Blackjack. The game will teach you everything you need to know, but in sum: you and your opponent take turns to either "Hit" and gain a card or "Stand" to end your turn. Get as close as you can to 21, but going over will force a bust. Once both players Stand, the numbers will clash. I mean, the game says it plainly: damage is equal to the score difference. Bust equals zero. Nice and easy, right? Well, not exactly. You're encouraged to cheat to win, and the game gives you new tool after tool: Lucky Charms, Tarot cards, Advantages, chips, events, RNG, Blue chips, and cards. So many incredible cards. Oh, the boss' deck only has cards that equal 21? Why don't I just get rid of one! Or better yet, I'll change the rules so their maximum score is 20. Hell, maybe I'll steal that shiny foil 21 card for myself, thanks. Factor in the beautiful art, clear love for the game, and awesome references, and it's clear to see how Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers deserves every bit of love Balatro got. My only ♥♥♥ is that the music is a bit plain and repetitive.

✅ Ebb-and-flow between skill and RNG. There's a reason you're called a "degenerate gambler," not a "super smart and wise gambler." The best way to win is to ironically notgamble. Sure, you might get screwed if you're at 12 and get a Face card. But in general, you are in control of your luck if you're patient and thoughtful. In general, my tips are to remove cards with the largest numbers, don't be afraid to spend chips, and take the small losses. There's a reason why your health pool is greater than most of your opponents'! For example, your opponent is at 18, and you are at 16. If you stand, you take 2 damage. Now you can Hit and maybe you get a 3-5 and end up winning by the skin of your teeth. But if you go bust, you're taking a whopping 18 damage. Take chipi damage until you can strike back for long-term gain!

✅ Gameplay and choices. There are different layers of control, not just RNG. Take the Advantage and Exploit system, for instance. There are a ♥♥♥♥ ton of Blue Chips with different requirements to give you Advantage. You can use it on special cards in your hand as a trump card. Or, even better, you can combine them with the "Exploit" effects found on some cards. Exploit effects are attached to cards already played on the table. You can leave them there and activate the effect later, so you're making a timing decision rather than getting a one-and-done effect. Man, D&DG is just a surprisingly deep game. You can play with deck manipulation, card selection, health, discarding, reshuffling, risk/reward, and probability manipulation. Super underrated!

✅ Tons of references. Let's see. I've spotted "Gerald from Riviera," a dealer who sings "coss a toin to your dealor," Charizard, the Fibonacci sequence, Limit Break, Leg Sweep, Claw, Terminate the Tower, and Eruption from Slay the Spire. Not to mention Jack and the Beanstalk, Jumping Jack, Queen of Wonderland, Queen of Drag, Kingmaker, King of the Hill, a Get Out of Jail Free card, a Card Sleeve, a Valentine's (Day) card, Trump Card, Time Card, Loyalty Card, Hall Pass, Library Card, Fake ID, Business Card, Yellow and Red Card, Communist Party Card, Squid Game Card, and so on. Seriously, how does bro even think of these puns and jokes? There's so much to giggle at...

✅ Customization! You can choose the back of the cards you play, and you can even make a cute lil avatar of yourself!

♥♥♥♥:

🟥 Music. It's a quiet, chill sound that I didn't pay any attention to. It changes during the boss battles, but it's nothing memorable like Slay the Spire 2 or Monster Train 2.

🟥 Some of the achievements are super RNG-based.

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Meh, the game is cool and all, but I think it has too many effects that turn it into a random fiesta... most of the runs idk what is happening, why that card is in my deck? why did I burst? how did I win that? It doesn't feel good when that happens, if happens once in a while it's ok, but most of the games becomes like that. It really shines when you can actually build a deck with synergy and isn't just random BS, but that rarely happens.

Maybe i'm dumb but like theres too much random ♥♥♥♥ going on to feel like decisions about deckbuilding really matter, and unfortunately that's all there is. It has a vibe but no narrative, nothing to unlock but deck cosmetics. After 3 hours I feel like I've seen everything it has to offer, and actually there wasn't much more to it than the demo except for more areas/opponents who are amusing the first time through but thats it.