I would not looked twice at Dead Man's Draw if it was not Stardocks. I used to be a big fun of Stardock, but as of late they have not produced anything impressive. Still I'm curious about what they are doing, so I took a look at this title.
This is an iOS 2-player card game heavily dependent on the luck factor. It is not free to begin with, but it does offer in-app purchases to get bonuses ("traits").
Game website:
http://www.deadmansdrawgame.com/App store page (NZ):
https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/dead-mans-draw/id584916423?mt=8Review 1:
http://www.capsulecomputers.asia/2013/10/dead-mans-draw-review/Review 2:
http://www.appsmile.com/2013/10/05/dead-mans-draw-review/Review 3:
http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/23786/dead-mans-draw-ios-reviewReview 4:
http://www.pockettactics.com/reviews/review-dead-mans-draw/The game is played by a deck of 60 cards, with 10 suits, 2 to 7 in each suit. In the beginning of the game all 2's are separated and form the initial bust pile. The remaining 50 cards form the deck.
The game play consists of players taking turns to draw from the deck to collect as much points as possible. The game ends when the deck is exhausted and the player who has most points win. Points are assigned for the highest card of each suit that player has at the end of the game. For example 2 and 3 of one suit and 3 and 5 of another give 8 points in total (since max are 3 and 5 and those give 8 when added up).
On each players turn a player can draw as many cards as they want, however if a card drawn has the same suit as another card drawn the same turn, this is a bust and all the drawn cards go to the bust pile instead of players hand. If a player stops drawing before bust happens they get to keep the card drawn and add them to their hand. Player hands are public and each player's hand can be seen by the other player all times.
The card suits affect what happens when a card enters the draw (which can happen either as player draws cards or as an effect if other cards drawn).
These are the suits and what they do to affect the game when entering the draw:
- Anchors - protect cards drawn before the anchor on the same turn as the anchor drawn. In case of bust protected cards go to players hand instead of the bust pile. The anchor itself and all the cards drawn after it bust normally.
- Hooks - you can add a card from your hand to the draw. The card suit's effect happens as if the card was drawn. The card becomes a part of the draw and at the end of draw either busted or added to the players hand as if it was drawn. You cannot add a card that would bust a draw. If you have a card that you can add without busting you must do so even if it's disadvantageous.
- Oracles - reveal (turn over) the next card in the deck without drawing it. You can choose to draw (or not to draw) the revealed card even if it will bust you.
- Swords - steal from a suit you don't already have in hand. Do this by adding a card from the other player's hand to the draw. The card suit's effect happens as if the card was drawn. You cannot add a card that would bust a draw. If the other player has a card that you can add without busting you must do so even if it's disadvantageous.
- Chests - draw a chest and a key on the same turn and get additional random cards from the bust pile equal in number to the cards in the draw on this turn. This only happens if the draw did not bust. If the number of the cards in the bust pile is less than the number of cards drawn this turn, you get all the cards from the bust pile.
- Keys - see above
- Cannons - choose a suite that the other player has in hand. The other player discards the highest value card in this suit from his hand to the bust pile.
- Krakens - compels you to draw two more cards.
- Mermaids - worth more points. Cards are numbered 4 - 9 instead of normal 2-7. The mermaid in the initial bust pile is therefore 4, not 2.
- Maps - three cards are chosen from the bust pile at random (?Note: I'm not entirely sure if it's random, or the cards are taken from the "bottom" so to say of the pile.), but so that neither of it cab bust the draw. If less or no cards can be chosen this way, then less or no cars are chosen. You must choose one of the cards presented to add to the draw.
There is an opportunity to "chain" the effects together. For example you draw a hook, then you add a sword from your hand, because the hook allows you doing that, and then you add a cannon from opponent's hand because this is the effect of the sword, and finally you move a card from opponent's hand to the bust pile, because this is the effect of the cannon. Now you can either put all the cards in the draw into your hand, or risk it and draw another card.
These above sum up the rules of the game.
Now, to make things interesting and for profit, game developers added some other stuff into the game. This is:
- Games against AI with changed rules. They have a lot of tweaks, for example rules changed that busted cards go to the opponent's hand instead of busted pile, or that every card in the hand give you points, not just the highest value in each suite, or that bust happens when same value card is drawn not the same suit... etc.
- Each time you play an AI game you earn certain amount of gold (in game currency). You earn win or loose, obviously you earn more if you win. You also get some XP and gain levels.
- There are so called "traits". These are more like cheats. They change rules in your favour. For example there is a trait that allows your cannons to move whole opponent suit in the bust pile not only the highest value card. Or another one allows oracle to reveal three cards from the top of the deck, not just one, etc.
- AI Games can be won with 0/1/2/3 stars, depending on your final score. Getting 3 starts is difficult, but it earns you additional unlocks.
At the start of a game you select what trait (or traits - you have two trait slots in a single game) you want to use in this game. The first trait slot becomes available with the first trait unlock, the second trait slot is unlocked on level 15. (Or you can pay gold to unlock earlier).
The traits are implemented so that you a) get some for gaining levels. You need to choose which ones you unlock you can't unlock them all just from levels b) You can buy them with gold. Obviously the gold is scarce and it's not easy to unlock them all.
Of course you can by gold for real money in the in-app purchase.
The thing with traits though, is that in single player when unlocked they are not active all the time. They have limited number of uses (one use is expended per game played with the trait) so you need to buy "refills" again with gold. Of course the further into the game the harder it to play without the traits because AI opponent obviously uses them liberally.
There is pass and play 2player multilayer, and for the multiplayer the unlocked trait don't expend uses and once unlocked in single player always available in multilayer.
These are the traits that can be found in the game:
- Master Gunner - Cannons discard every card in a suit stack
- Treasure Hunter - Triple your cards when collecting matching Key and Chest
- Mystic - Oracles reveal three cards instead of one
- Navigator - Maps give access to every card in the bust pile
- Swordsman - Steal any suit, even if owned
- Golden Scales - Mermaids are worth an extra five points. (It's additional to the 2 points more they already worth)
- Safe Harbor - Anchor card and next 2 draws are protected
- Scavenger - You bank the cards you blast with Cannon
- Beastmaster - Opponent must draw 4 cards after a Kraken is drawn
- Fisherman - Krakens are banked automatically and don't force draws
- Casanova - Mermaids are banked automatically
- Captain's Hook - Hooks plays 2 cards in a row from your hand
- Miser - Hooks, and cards played with the Hooks are protected
- Misfire - Opponent that draws Cannon must discard from their own hand (they choose)
- Parry - Opponent's Swords must steal a Kraken or be discarded
- Davy Jones' Locker - You bank your opponent's busted cards
- Plunderer - Key Chest bonus cards come from your opponent's hand (randomly)
I think this is a nice game. The graphics is appealing, and if you do not mind heavily luck influenced games the game process is fun.
I don't really like the in-app purchases model. It's said that you do not have to purchase anything if you don't want to, I'm not far enough in the game to judge if it's true. All I can say that the game becomes more and more difficult as you progress. Whether there will be a tipping point when I decide that it's too difficult without in-app purchases I do not know. I've put quite a few hours in the game already and we also played it together with wife and enjoyed it.
Other two things I did not like are: there is no confirmation for in-game purchases, it's too easy to spend gold by a "misclick". While the game counts your points for you and even counts dynamically how the current draw will affect the points balance if not busted, the game fails to show anything about the bust pile. I'd like to see how many cards are left in it as a minimum, otherwise you play a map or a chest and key and get... nothing. Surprisingly.
And these are the in-app purchases:
- Gold Multiplier - Double all the gold you earn forever! (2.59NZD)
- Trait Pack - Instant access to every trait in the game, and the ability to use two traits at once (24.99NZD) I wonder if this still means that for single player you need to buy this again as again as trait uses get depleted....
- Premium Pack - Get the Gold Multiplier, Plunderer Trait, and 12000 bonus gold (6.49NZD)
- Plunderer Trait - Devastate your opponent! Key Chest bonus cards come from their hand (2.59NZD)
Gold is sold: 4000 for 1,29NZD, 12000 for 4,19NZD, 30000 for 8.29NZD ad 80000 for 24.99NZD.
The most expensive trait unlock is 8000 gold, the cheapest refill (3 uses is 600 gold) depending on the trait.
