Transcript
Speaker: Welcome to Chattsunami.
Speaker: I feel like the deck-building genre of games is probably one of the few that I am least familiar with. That's not to say that I haven't had my fair share of experiences with them, from The Witcher's iconic Gwent to my friend and fellow co-host Martin McAllister utterly destroying me in Yu-Gi-Oh! And while there's always been a dedicated following, games such as Bilatro have only reinforced the notion that this genre is here to stay. So, as I was scrolling through Blue Sky one day,
Speaker: I came across a game that piqued my interest. That of course being today's topic, Creaturekind. Developed by Valiant Games Studio and published alongside AuroraPunks, the game has you plunged into a world where magic is running out due to overconsumption.
Speaker: In an attempt to save magic, you are forced to fight against a variety of fantastical creatures, but maybe not in the way you expect. Maybe it says more about me, but when I hear about a world in danger overrun with fantasy creatures, my mind drifts to images of knights or heroes bravely adorning themselves in armour and taking up arms to fight.
Speaker: And while I can no doubt blame Skyrim for that one, Creaturekind takes an approach that I was pleasantly surprised at. Set in a modern fantasy hybrid setting, you initially play as dance enthusiast Riley, who sets out on her own journey to convince the world that they should be moderating their use of magic. Over time, you encounter allies who will aid you in your quest, and in turn provide their own strengths to the team.
Speaker: Coupled with a comfy lo-fi soundtrack, you travel the world across the land in search of creatures not to destroy, but instead debate. While I probably would have been interested in this game anyway due to its visual style, it was this particular selling point that pushed me over the edge in wanting to try it out.
Speaker: After all, I become so accustomed to seeing games that solve these issues with their fists rather than their words. So to say this takes centre stage felt somewhat refreshing. But why did Creature Kind leave such an impact with me? Did it succeed in what it set out to do? And how important is this message within the game itself?
Speaker: Without any further ado, grab your debating notes as we dive into the game. As I said before, The central premise of this game revolves around the world losing its mana, a precious resource that without it will affect their way of life forever. Therefore, plucky band of activists travel all over the world in order to try and limit their usage for trivial matters.
Speaker: The reasons range from people using magic to try and get dates, to creating the perfect cake. While this of course draws parallels to her own real-world issues of sustainability, it is done in such a light-hearted and humorous way, which I think makes the game very approachable.
Speaker: Without it feeling overwhelming, coupled with the soothing lo-fi track, it feels incredibly inclusive. While the designs of your team members are delightfully diverse, I like the fact that the inclusivity extends beyond just the character designs.
Speaker: Gameplay-wise, it is a very easy game to pick up and play, meaning that you won't automatically be overwhelmed. Like many deck building games, you have a set amount of cards which have a wide range of effects, from damaging to delaying a target's move. What i also found interesting was the way Creature Kind structures its health bars in combat, if you can even call it combat. Depending on the person you're facing, their health can be split into three core groups.
Speaker: Rational, Factual and Emotional. Cards that deal damage corresponding with the same argument type does more damage, while the other ones will do less. Initially, i wasn't a fan of this system, as even if you had more points of damage than the health bar itself, then the excess damage, again if you can call it damage, doesn't carry over to the next health bar. But the more I played it, the more I appreciated how this forced you to slow down and analyse how you would plan your next move, much like a real debate. Just like real life, you're not always going to be able to just steamroll a conversation to get your point across flawlessly.
Speaker: It also allows you to savour what the game is trying to tell you, rather than just barrelling your way through, which I also think is a neat touch. After every battle, or rather debate, you gain coins to upgrade the powers of your cards, as well as plushies that help boost certain attributes. However, during one of my playthroughs, I encountered a weird glitch which allowed me to infinitely upgrade one of my characters which led to them being grossly overpowered. But then a few hours later they ended up losing all of their cards, so I have no idea why it happened.
Speaker: That being said, Valiant Games Studio seemed to be open to taking feedback about their game, which, as I said last week, is a sign of a great developer. So, should you get creature kind? Absolutely.
Speaker: While I can't deny that they have done a stellar job with the game, there may be some who find this repetitive if they decide to rush through and level up as fast as possible. This is a game to kick up your feet, relax to the sound of lo-fi, and make your way through this fantasy world old at your own pace, all the while learning a thing or two about the importance of debate. If cosy deck builder games are what you're after, then this has it all.
Speaker: While there are a plethora of similar games that boast violence over words, I greatly admire the developer for choosing this message to go with. Every so often a game creator will use games like this to promote a positive message, and you know what? It was absolutely worth it.
Speaker: This Friday I'll of course be talking with the developer and CEO of Valiant Games Studio all about her journey both with this game and as a developer. So if you want more information on this game as well as Valiant Games Studio then you will not want to miss that episode. But as always, thank you all so so much for listening to this episode. If you would like to listen to more episodes from ourselves then you can check us out at our website chatsanami.com as well as all good podcast apps.
Speaker: I also want to thank our amazing Pandalorian patrons, Robotic Battle Toaster, Zonya, Ghostie, and Cryptic 1991. Thank you all so, so much for supporting the show. But if you would like early access to episodes, commentary tracks, as well as a whole plethora of exclusive content, then you can check us out at Patreon page, patreon.com forward slash chat tsunami. This podcast is, of course, a member of the PodPack Collective. For more information, check us out at our Twitter slash X page, PodPackCollect.
Speaker: But until next time, stay safe, stay awesome, and most importantly, stay hydrated.
