Indies’ Lies is a single-player game that utilizes rogue-like deck building elements with role-playing story mode aspects in this card battling adventure. If you are a fan of card crawling games like Slay the Spire, and Monster Train you will already be familiar with Indies Lies. With a challenging but predictive combat system that rewards tactical thinking, and a wide range of powerful cards and talents to collect and customize your experience, this game is definitely a slow burning and beautifully illustrated game with exceptional replay ability that has something to offer with each new play through.
Familiar Yet Intriguing Game Play
With 12 unique characters (some of which may be DLC add-ons) that have unique traits and completely individual cards, this game has something for beginners and more experienced players alike, but be warned, with too many choices the game does feels a little overwhelming. You start by picking one of four area’s (which also may be locked behind DLC) each with different enemies and stories to unlock. I recommend starting with Riverbank Reminiscence and playing through a few difficulties first, before moving on to the next area. That area gives you an opportunity to try out different characters without having to absorb too much in-game lore at once.
Next you choose a difficulty, there are twenty to choose from each with their own unique way to make the game more difficult, but like most rogue-like games, you have to earn each unlocked level by beating the last. I think if they would have made Indies Lies more story focused by leaving some things inaccessible, allowing players to earn them through game play, that would have relieved a lot of the overwhelmingness. At the same time there is something to be said about the freedom it gives you to play any character or area at any given time.
Multi-Hero Combat Perfected
One of Indie’s Lies most unique and exciting aspects is the team-based partner system. After beating each boss, you are given the choice of three different, random characters, to choose a partner from. They will accompany you throughout the rest of the acts. These additional heroes are cut down to minor characters and should be looked at as support, as your main focus will still need be on your starting hero. With each additional character you will add in new cards and ways to customize your play.
Where you place your characters is also important. Some characters have character specific cards that do additional damage depending on where they are on the battle field. The Front tends to be attacked most, so putting a character that can stand the heat is very important, while the back does tend to be the best place for your lesser health supporting characters. Adding team tactics to this game really sets it apart. It creates a more expansive and flexible game play experience.
Making Sense of Mekka
By giving each of the 12 characters their own story, rich with lore and adventure, it’s easy to get lost in the magic that is in the world of Mekka. The story mode is a lot more straight forward. You are given tasks which you need to complete, but you will still have the options of upgrading cards with runes, healing, and even heading to local shops to improve your decks. The stories are engaging and interesting. You still get two partners but you do not get to decide who they are, and you actually have to defeat them in order to add them to your team. This allows the game to showcase new characters and force you to play particular pairs, while giving you less options but more story.
After you beat the story mode with a character you are awarded three new starting talents for that hero. I really enjoyed the game rewarding you for completing these stories, they helped keep me interested even after playing the game for many, many hours. I found myself excited to play and earn each character’s story just to hear about their particular narratives in this chaos filled world.
Try Before You Buy
If you are a fan of card-crawling, story-rich, easy to play casual games, then this game has probably already been on your radar. While this game is pretty fun to play, it may not be to everyone’s taste. These types of rogue-like games can be particular niches that, if you like them, you love them, but if you don’t, they can start to feel incredibly similar and redundant. So, if you are looking for more games that introduce card battling mechanics, this could definitely be a game for you. I thoroughly enjoyed what the game offered. Was it very similar to Slay the Spire? Yes. Does it bring its own new mechanics of game play to the table as well? Of course. So, I recommend you download the free mobile version and give it a try. This would be something quick and easy to play on any lunch break, or under your desk at a boring office meeting. By playing this game on mobile first, it gives you the opportunity to try the game before you purchase it on Steam. Whether it is for mobile or pc, this game deserves a spot in any true rogue-like lovers’ library.
