ANTHEM#9

ANTHEM#9’s combat innovates in some interesting ways, taking some cues from match-3 and some from turn-based role-playing battles to create something new, fast, and mostly fun. I like how the two decks, their skills, the blessings, and unique character traits interact to allow players to deal huge amounts of damage and cancel out incoming attacks, if everything goes right. The world-building is limited, and there’s not much in the way of story to uncover as players push through the mission. And the presentation seems to be directly aimed at bringing in gamers who like the Persona franchise. Players who pick ANTHEM#9 looking for good tactical puzzles and strong core mechanics, will not be disappointed.

ANTHEM#9 delivers a tight, addictive puzzle-strategy loop that constantly rewards the player. The minimal storytelling holds it back slightly, but the smart mechanics more than compensate. An impressive solo project and a strong recommendation for fans of deckbuilders and tactical puzzlers.

ANTHEM#9 doesn’t chase mainstream appeal. It complicates the familiar, bends genre expectations, and asks players to think more deeply rather than just play harder. It’s smart, it’s stylish, and it’s proudly distinctive, which are qualities that will delight some and frustrate others. There are rough edges: the UI occasionally buries information you want to see, and the early learning curve can feel opaque. But these are the trade-offs for a game that dares to be smarter than its peers. In a climate that often favours easy accessibility, ANTHEM#9’s refusal to dumb down its systems is both its greatest asset and its biggest barrier. For strategy lovers, deck-build aficionados, and anyone who enjoys the sweet tension where puzzle and combat collide, ANTHEM#9 is a gem worth digging into.

ANTHEM#9 feels like a small-scale game overloaded with too many good ideas at once. It’s undeniably fun to play, and its audiovisual presentation is impressively polished—but why is there a turn timer or an oversized UI that often fills more than half the screen with text? Thankfully, though, everything else carries it to greatness.

There are some interesting mechanics at work in Anthem#9, but its scale and interface make it a game better suited for mobile.

Flashy visuals meet slick, high-energy combat. If you don't overhype it, ANTHEM#9 is more than enough to leave a lasting impression.

For players willing to embrace its sharp edges, ANTHEM#9 stands as a bold, stylish experiment that earns its place in the crowded roguelite landscape. Blending gem matching, deckbuilding, with aesthetics that recall the Persona series, it’s just a few tip screens shy of getting a full recommendation.

Anthem#9 is a stylish, compact roguelite that somehow works by doing less, but doing it well. No doubt it comes with a bold visual identity and an imaginative gem-chaining combat system. The lack of permanent updates might not be one for people who have become accustomed to the modern roguelite design, but this does mean the game is solely focused on offering a game that is purely about the player’s skill. Although the game’s tutorials and explanations can feel underdeveloped, the satisfaction of mastering its mechanics outweighs the early learning curve. In the end, what I found is that Anthem#9 delivers a surprising amount of depth wrapped in a striking, but simplistic presentation.

I really wanted to give ANTHEM#9 a higher score. But even though I enjoyed the game, I feel that the lack of progressive upgrades, as well as the occasionally barebones storytelling, finicky interface, and incredible difficulty, made a higher score impossible. That said, if you’re eager for something utterly unique and want to support a new game developer, I’d definitely give it a shot.

Who knew that arranging gems and collecting cards could be so cool! Anthem#9 is a stylish hybrid of puzzle mechanics and deckbuilding that manages to stand out in an oversaturated market. Combat is highly tactical and fast paced, and it’s super satisfying when abilities are chained together to cancel enemy attacks and trigger long combo streaks. It suffers a tiny bit in terms of balance and a lot more in replay value, yet its slick presentation and rewarding gameplay make it a fun, challenging experience overall.