Recent reviews by kap

In the current glut of roguelite deckbuilders, Astrea is the first title since Monster Train to capture the magic of Slay the Spire while bringing something new to the table. The well-designed systems promote creative strategizing that feels satisfying.

Despite feelings the term "dice-building" may evoke, the game is not an RNG-fest and never feels unfair. The systems in place empower the player's decision-making. Every loss I've had has felt like it was a result from my own decisions.

The game has meta-progression, but it doesn't exist to pad out the playtime. It's mostly horizontal progression akin to Slay the Spire where you unlock new ways to interact with the game, keeping things fresh and interesting, but absolutely not required to win a run.

It's unfortunate that the publisher seems to have put little effort into marketing this game, because I would like to see more games from these developers, designers, and artists.

Darkest Dungeon meets Slay the Spire. If you like either of those games, you will like this game. Highly polished with tons of content; you wouldn't even know it's in early access. Runs perfectly on Linux with Proton - constant 100fps w/ a 100hz monitor. Supports ultrawide (3440x1440, in my case) perfectly.