Ring of Pain

 PC
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 19 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 19
  3. Negative: 2 out of 19

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  1. Xandl7
    Oct 17, 2020
    10
    Cool rougelike game, catchy design. Suggested!

    This is a great twist on the usual card-roguelite game. Every choice feels important and card combos are really interesting.
    the art and Atmosphere of the game is also excellent
  2. srx
    May 2, 2021
    6
    A unique take on the roguelike deckbuilder genre, but it's not only very repetitive, but also terribly luck-heavy to a point that it's just unfun most of the times. However, it does show promise and with more content and balance tweaks when it comes to "dungeon" generation, I can see it being a banger.
  3. aditya1101
    Oct 8, 2021
    7
    I have a lot of experience in other card-based roguelikes like Slay The Spire, and for a while I felt like this game would be a great alternative. There are a ton of elements to this game that I really enjoy, but after playing about 20 or 30 runs now I have to say that there is just too much volatility, especially in the endgame, and it leads to runs where I've made hundreds of goodI have a lot of experience in other card-based roguelikes like Slay The Spire, and for a while I felt like this game would be a great alternative. There are a ton of elements to this game that I really enjoy, but after playing about 20 or 30 runs now I have to say that there is just too much volatility, especially in the endgame, and it leads to runs where I've made hundreds of good decisions ending because of a single misclick, which is just aggravating and not very fun to play around. I enjoy playing games with a lot of risk, but this game takes it way too far and makes it unconscionably easy to die in an instant to something that wasn't even obviously a threat.… Expand
  4. savvym
    Mar 1, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ring of Pain is a linear survival card game with 16+ levels.

    Gameplay
    5/5

    We can either move left or right, sometimes teleport to a different position, pass cards, try to sneak past enemies or attack them. There are plenty of stat cards, healthy potions, random rewards, chests and various strong enemies. New levels have stronger enemies and ultimately lead into a boss battle.

    Replay value
    5/5

    Each run is unique as we build our deck of cards, increase our stats and gain some special abilities.

    The game also offers daily challenges that have special rules.

    Graphics
    5/5

    Cards look very distinctive, move positions in the ring, they can transform, explode or evolve.

    There is a symbol above them what action they will do next and below, there are stats.

    We will unlock new cards everytime we discover them in the treasures or at the traders, there are also various exits.

    Similar to Slay the Spire.

    Music
    5/5

    It is very subtle and mostly focuses on sound effects.

    How many hours
    It's possible to finish it from start to boss ending in an hour but as a newcomer there will be some unexplored parts and getting used to game mechanics takes a while. Moreover, we need to play carefully, build up for the finale with the best possible card combinations.

    Difficulty
    Hard. Tricky. It is different from game to game, some can last almost till the end without struggle, some end up being too short because the placement of enemy cards makes it painful to stay in the level.

    Verdict
    10/10

    It's an interesting spin to card games, giving players freedom of choice, forcing them to make well thought-out decisions when overwhelmed by strong opponents.

    I've only been half successful as I have unlocked the majority of items but only beat one of the bosses.

    It's got great replay value and despite not offering direct progression, it feels rewarding after a long run.    … Expand
  5. Brnlv
    Nov 7, 2021
    5
    This game has a fun central card-battler mechanic and art style, but the gameplay design is way off, as many critics and gamer reviewers have noted here. It feels more based on luck than strategy, and is too punishing and brutally tough to be fun for long. I sometimes wonder if game devs, especially solo, lose perspective on difficulty and the importance of tutorialisation duringThis game has a fun central card-battler mechanic and art style, but the gameplay design is way off, as many critics and gamer reviewers have noted here. It feels more based on luck than strategy, and is too punishing and brutally tough to be fun for long. I sometimes wonder if game devs, especially solo, lose perspective on difficulty and the importance of tutorialisation during development… feels like the case here. I hope it gets tweaked based on all the reviews and feedback - it’s *almost* really good. But something just isn’t clicking.… Expand
  6. nicholasimon
    Oct 31, 2021
    9
    Really good, if you like a challenge and don't mind randomly dying due to the luck based system. You really have to play for a good couple of hours and unlock more powerful cards before the game reaches its full potential.

    When I first started playing this game immediate comparisons were to Slay the Spire however, whilst on the surface it seems similar, the games are not that much    Really good, if you like a challenge and don't mind randomly dying due to the luck based system. You really have to play for a good couple of hours and unlock more powerful cards before the game reaches its full potential.

    When I first started playing this game immediate comparisons were to Slay the Spire however, whilst on the surface it seems similar, the games are not that much alike. Ring of Pain has a grittier, darker aesthetic and plays a bit differently. I have put in about 20-30 hours of the game and still have not managed to beat it as the later dungeon levels are quite difficult. The biggest negative is that some runs are impossible, this is due to the game relying heavily on luck. This means that if you draw 3 powerful enemy cards in a row it is highly likely that you will die and have no alternative way of working around it.

    That said, runs can be quick so not the end of the world if you die and there are a lot of cards to unlock the longer you play. These unlocks make the game a bit easier, giving you more powerful loot. All round if you like deck-building roguelike games then definitely worth playing.    … Expand
  7. 0959kedi
    Jan 26, 2023
    8
    very good art design, awesome soundtrack, infinite re-playability, good strategy game.
  8. maluigario
    Dec 5, 2022
    7
    TL;DR: A cool mobile game, except it's not on mobile and they're charging $20 for it.

    DISCLAIMER: Got this one free on Epic Games. This game reminds me a lot of some card-based dungeon crawlers on the mobile scene, something along the lines of "Night of the Full Moon" or "Dungeon Tales", I think both of which have been likened to "Slay the Spire" in some way. Get cards to equip your    TL;DR: A cool mobile game, except it's not on mobile and they're charging $20 for it.

    DISCLAIMER: Got this one free on Epic Games.

    This game reminds me a lot of some card-based dungeon crawlers on the mobile scene, something along the lines of "Night of the Full Moon" or "Dungeon Tales", I think both of which have been likened to "Slay the Spire" in some way. Get cards to equip your character, decide whether to fight or sneak past enemies in a ring, and escape to the next room as you attempt to get to the end of the dungeon and get one of the game's two endings.

    No doubt about it, I found the game fun, if not frustrating at times (par for the course in RNG-heavy roguelikes). But I guarantee I'd have never paid $20 for this game. If I had spent $5 on Android, I would have felt like I got about what I paid for. I got one of the endings in roughly 8 hours of in-game time and didn't feel compelled to go find the second ending.    … Expand
  9. NightVisions
    Jan 31, 2023
    9
    Interesting spin on the deckbuilding dungeon crawler. Instead of relics that give passive abilities to synergize that need to be used strategically to get any benefit from. This game uses equipment that bolsters your stats like an RPG allowing for situation where some gear gives you bad stats but a worthwhile effect and the reverse. Unlike a deck builder game like Slay the Spire youInteresting spin on the deckbuilding dungeon crawler. Instead of relics that give passive abilities to synergize that need to be used strategically to get any benefit from. This game uses equipment that bolsters your stats like an RPG allowing for situation where some gear gives you bad stats but a worthwhile effect and the reverse. Unlike a deck builder game like Slay the Spire you balance stats that you need to improve to face special enemies that all have various weaknesses and strengths instead of cards.

    A complicated puzzle with a lot of variety in-between runs and going for achievements can be quite fun or tedious no in-between.

    Wish there was an ability to turn off some pieces of equipment since some pieces of gear are just overpowered in this single player game even on hard mode. So I'd like that feature to be implemented.

    I like Simon Boxer's art and the style of this game a lot.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. GamingTrend
    Oct 28, 2020
    55
    Ring of Pain shows creativity and promise, but all to little depth to carry those qualities through. The choices presented by the game are interesting in principle, but in practice your success or failure are determined by luck more than anything else. The result is a game defined by repetition, which struggles to justify the time it asks of you. That said, for a minor price and a fun few runs, you could do far worse as a distraction.
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  2. GameSpot
    Oct 28, 2020
    80
    Ring of Pain is interesting and enjoyable in ways that can keep you enthralled despite doing almost the exact same thing for hours. The quick runs are really nice for just jumping in and having a few goes rather than oversaturating yourself with this world. It nails the creepy aesthetic from the art and sound design right down to the way it plays. It can make you feel a bit unsettled no matter what stage of the game you're at and how confident you're feeling. Ring of Pain swings between frustration and satisfaction but thankfully leans heavily to the latter most of the time. It's a delightfully disturbing mix of roguelike and card game genres that's worth stumbling in the darkness to discover.
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  3. COGconnected
    Oct 20, 2020
    82
    All in all, Ring of Pain is a different enough take on the card game genre that it’s definitely going to be a good time. While not perfect, it has enough lurking in its depths to keep you thinking “Okay, well just one more run!”
    Read full review
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