Blackjack is a game that has been played for hundreds of years, but it’s safe to say it’s never been played or crafted in the way that Purple Moss Collectors has done with Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers.
Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers is a roguelike that takes the simple game of Blackjack, and turns it into a battle between players.
The premise is pretty simple, take a deck of cards and go on a run against a variety of opponents in the classic card game. This game, however, takes that premise and turns it upside down through power ups, special cards, and a battle mechanic that attacks your opponent.
But just how well executed is the idea, and is Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers worth your time?
Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers Review
Things start pretty straightforward. You’ll start a run by choosing your suit, each having different base abilities. For example, choosing hearts will help heal you while clubs deal extra damage. There are a number of decks in this game, – 18 in total at launch – many to be unlocked that have different abilities to help you control the game and beat your opponents one by one.
Now, once you figure out your base deck, it’s time to begin your run. You start by playing a short starter match where you’ll then get to pick your advantage chip that could help you on your run.
After each match, you’ll be able to add a card to your deck. Three are usually visible while a fourth requires you to spend chips you’ve earned on your run to view.
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Throughout your run, you’ll also be able to make choices like staying a night in a hotel to heal or even paying a counterfeiter to secretly adjust your cards. All of these cost the aforementioned chips.
Each opponent plays a bit differently, some have decks built around stealing the card you’re currently playing. Others are built around forcing you to bust. But the more you play, the more you get the hang of what they’re going to do. There’s nothing that really changes things up from an opponent standpoint during a match. The biggest risk comes down to the fact that Blackjack is a game of chance. You could think you have the best deck in the world, but if your opponent just keeps hitting 21 after 21 after 21, it won’t matter.
At the end of your run, there are boss fights that allow you to get to the next difficulty. Like the regular opponents, the bosses don’t change as you play them over and over. It’s main about building a deck to beat their consistent strategy and getting lucky on the draw.
Of course, it’s not a deck builder without being able to add special cards that change things up entirely.
Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers has a number of cards that vary in their abilities. You have cards like The Chariot that force an opponent to stand no matter what they have. Then there’s the Blank card that allows you to set its value anywhere between 1 and 11 when played. Some, like the Jackhammer of Clubs that can deal five damage when using your advantage chip to exploit, are one-time-use cards for your run.
There are cards that pay homage to games like The Witcher and even make fun of NFTs in a not-so-subtle way. It’s all just good fun seeing what each card does and figuring out its inspiration.
There are 307 cards to collect at launch and even after nearly 10 hours of playtime, I’ve yet to collect all of them on my runs. Right now, I stand at 197 of the 307 cards collected. There’s also card and deck stickers to collect for the completionists out there that should keep you coming back.
Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers Review Verdict
When looking at Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, it’s almost a guarantee that people will compare it to the 2024 breakout hit Balatro. While the comparison can be made, in a way, it’s not a completely fair one to make.
Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers is a more traditional deck building roguelike that features battles and power ups. It just so happens to be a casino card game at its base. It’s a fun time that has this “one more run” feeling with it. I would’ve liked to see more variety in the opponents you face because it can get quite repetitive and bland after a little while. That said, it seems to subside a bit when you come across a new card that changes up your strategy entirely. It really makes the deck building aspect of the game one of the more fun ones on the market.
Will that remain the case? I don’t know. I haven’t unlocked every single card yet. But no matter what, this is still a game that’s hard to not recommend for those who love gambling, roguelikes, and everything in between.
A copy of Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers was provided to Insider Gaming for the purposes of this review. The game is available on PC via Steam.
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