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Wildfrost

Credits

Release Date

ESRB Rating

Platforms

Publisher

Reviewer

Bob Hoose

Game Review

Wildfrost was originally released for Switch and PC in 2023. But it’s now available on the Xbox and smartphone platforms as well.

To be honest, this game is kinda hard to explain. It’s called a “deck-building roguelike.” But that gaming descriptor might not mean a whole lot to many who haven’t played one. So, let’s start with the setting and work our way forward from there.

The world of Wildfrost is a frozen and snowy place where the sun has been snuffed out by evil baddies who are coming at you through the tundra. You’re based in a cozy little snow-bound village, and you fight back through card battles—quick throw-down-a-card-and-compete skirmishes that take place while you’re attempting to build up a winning deck.

The game offers you a choice of an initial “leader” card that has its own special combination of health, team buff and attack points. Then it gives you a basic, randomized deck of attack, defense and character-buff cards to work with.

You can only play one card per turn. Once played, characters don’t immediately attack—instead, each has a turn countdown until they can act, with the monstery foes following the same rule.

Win your first monster battle, and you’re given a two-path option to move forward through the ice and snow. There you’ll encounter nodes that reward you with choices of supporting battlers, the option to visit merchants who offer important items, and choices of additional buff and attack cards.

If you choose the right combinations of cards and draw those cards at the right time in the upcoming battles (each battle harder than the last), then you’ll keep moving and building toward a successful “run” and a multi-layered victory against the enemy. If you’re beaten by the decks of the AI-powered foes, then you hustle back to the beginning where you choose a new leader, check out any permanent items you’ve unlocked, and set off on another run.

That repetitive nature of play may sound a bit frustrating, but you quickly get a sense of the deck-building choices you have and the possible card combos you’ll want to keep an eye out for. That’s when your strategic brain kicks in. And though you’ll lose many a card battle, the speed and variety of the game will keep strategy fans engaged.

Though it might be fun to compete against friends in this card-based title, you can’t. Wildfrost is a single-player only game. But on the positive side, you don’t need an internet connection to play it, either.

POSITIVE CONTENT

You’re a hero chosen from three possible tribes who gives his or her all to battle monster foes. And the gameplay is graphically colorful, strategically engaging and fun. From a family perspective, the fast and challenging play can easily lend itself to handing the controller back and forth between family members.

There’s also enough randomized variety and new card generation to keep the deck-building process involving for long stretches of time. That said, play can be limited to brief, self-contained segments if so desired.

CONTENT CONCERNS

As character cards bop or blast their foes—with zaps of poison, ice, fatiguing frost and physical thumps—there are some small instances of blood spatter that lightly colors the snow near the character card. And the battling characters are essentially “killed” when defeated (the beaten or expended cards falling off the board).

Younger players may find the initial deck-building challenges to be somewhat frustrating, as finding the right strategies can be difficult. They will definitely suffer many defeats along the way before getting the knack of the deck-building process.  

GAME SUMMARY

The deck-building battles of Wildfrost can feel a tad frustrating for the uninitiated. But once players burrow into the snowy card-playing battles, there’s lots of colorful and warm fun to be had in this E10+ title suitable for most players.

Bob Hoose

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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