GAME REVIEW | "Deadly Heart Gambit" Puts Life in the Cards
Staring across from you is a black-haired girl. She seems very cute, especially with those bunny ears she wears. However, the girl — Alice-sama — wants to play a card game, with your life the main prize. Thus begins Blink Hydrate’s Deadly Heart Gambit, a short tale that’s half visual novel and half strategy game.
The strategy part comes from the card game itself. Each game is set up in a best-of-five situation. There are cards, with each numbered card being an addition to your lifespan. Sometimes it’s days, other times seconds. However, within those cards is the Joker, the loser of the game being whoever draws that. But there are ways to avoid losing, if you are keen on winning.
Deadly Heart Gambit is one of those card games where you’ll need to keep track of what’s been drawn and what’s been played. Having a good memory is keen for obtaining a proper victory. It gets even tougher when more cards are added, with some having the ability to tell you if the Joker is located within X amount of cards. Then there’s the knife, which you can use to stab the next card. But be careful, as failing to stab a Joker will result in you losing a fair chunk of your life.
Where this game gets it right is in the card game itself. While it’s no Balatro, the stakes are still very high. Seeing your time rise with every victory brings a real level of excitement to the gameplay; watching it drop will no doubt result in some hardcore frustration! Trust me when I say I vocally whooped and grunted loudly with every win and loss I obtained.
As for the story behind Deadly Heart Gambit, it deals with your remaining time on Earth. You’ve got only 90 days to live, and Alice-sama wants to help you gain more months — even years — to appreciate your life. However, she also expresses interest in eating your heart, although she says she isn’t a demon. But can you trust her?
It’s the card game part where the real strength of this title is on display. But it’s a shame that there are only two rounds thus far. If Blink Hydrate can find ways to expand with the other cards besides hearts and clubs, then the lifespan of this game could certainly be stretched out more. (I’d also be down for an endless mode if one is ever conjured up.)
Alas, while the story seems interesting at first, the reveal and finale of Deadly Heart Gambit kind of wraps up the game with a firecracker rather than a firework. Alice-sama is a good character, and her reason for wanting to keep you in her world is understandable. However, the story wraps up way too quickly, with any sort of emotional attachment to the narrative being snuffed out like a candle wick.
PROS:
- Inventive card game
- Addictive gameplay
- Decent story…
CONS:
- …but ends too quickly
- Not enough card rounds
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Blink Hydrate has made a potentially fun card game that’s both simple and addicting. However, Deadly Heart Gambit needs to add more to both the game and the story if they wish to make it memorable. For now, Deadly Heart Gambit has enough fun for its $7 asking price; but one hopes that Blink Hydrate considers expanding what they have in order to make something truly mind-blowing!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Blink Hydrate. Reviewed on the PC via Steam.
