Pyrene

Pyrene plays fast and the idea of making everything, from the player-controlled hero to enemies, objectives, and items, a card set in a square is a nice twist on familiar mechanics. The core loop is easy to understand but takes time and concentration to master. Even better, gamers can always tweak the difficulty of their next run to suit their taste. The rogue-lite elements are solid but lack the same level of innovation. The Basque lore and the title’s presentation enhance immersion. Pyrene could have taken a few extra risks with its structure but the moment-to-moment card action is tense and fun.