It feels nice to take a week off. I don’t want to fall into a slump where playing and talking about games becomes a chore and I fall off it all together. It’s a nightmare, honestly. Now I’m back this week to highlight a deckbuilder about killing mushroom abominations.

This week is the Shroom and Gloom Demo

Shroom and Gloom is a roguelike deckbuilder from Team Lazerbeam and Devolver Digital. The game will release some time in the future for the PC.

Whenever I sit down to play a deck builder, I need it to hook me instantly. Partly because there is so much of a learning curve. Though that can also be partly what makes deck builders fun, experimenting with deck construction, learning the map, and how the currency and shops function. It is a lot, and I need the game to be able to onboard me in the most efficient way possible.

Shroom and Gloom nailed it and I was hooked instantly.

The player is given two separate decks, an explore deck and a combat deck. The explore deck is used when walking around, upgrading cards, shopping around, and navigating the map. Everything the player does is tied to a card: Want to camp and get HP back? card. Want to learn an upgrade for a card at an altar? card. Want to open a chest? It is either to bash it open (and lose some HP) or use a wide range of key cards.

The combat deck is just as straightforward. You have cards that deal damage, passive buffs, and apply debuffs. The standout card, Roast which gives the player food when an enemy is killed with the card. It is important to note that the food can be used as a currency to purchase stuff, used in cooking, or just used as a quick, zero-cost +5 HP mid-combat.

Each deck is different, but they ultimately play the same. The player starts with 3 energy, and cards cost anywhere from 0-3 energy. Things like upgrading, opening locks, and camping require energy while exploring. In the combat deck, I think the general idea is that the more powerful the ability, the more it will cost, for example, dealing damage to more than one enemy, in my case, has always cost two, unless I had to discard/destroy a card.

Lastly, I just wanted to note that there are cards that have limited uses and once they are used up, they are essentially worthless. It is a good mechanic that rewards players for playing properly.

Enemy encounters are to the point, and I like it. Mushroom men pop up out of the ground, and the combat deck appears, and you draw cards. Enemies have red health numbers, above their heads are what they are going to do when it’s their turn, and buffs/debuffs are on the bottom, underneath the health. Beat them up and earn a reward of some kind, and move onwards towards the mini-boss/boss.

There is no blocking, only eating, so being smart in how to dispatch enemies with the intent to cook them will keep you alive.

Art design is great. Everything is hand-drawn. I think the dungeons are 2D with a 3D feel. I walked through the dungeon, looking at everything on the walls, watching as the vines, limbs, and mushrooms reel as I walk by them. The various types of myco-enemies are ghoulish, adorable, and hellish. The colors look like they were paint bucket to give each area its own flat feeling color scheme.

The sounds fit the game, I think. The mushroom men make mushy pop sounds when they unearth themselves. Striking enemies makes an underwhelming “twang,” as if you were trying to hit something more powerful than you. Other sound effects like the fire, reward sound, and lock opening sounds are all great.

Shroom and Gloom is already shaping up to be a great deck builder. I am intrigued with the “no blocking, only healing” and prioritizing food and other cards as currency makes for interesting turns and, ultimately, routes.

Overall, I love the look, the sounds, and the gameplay. Already wishlisted.