Shroom and Gloom — indie deckbuilder with two decks: praised combat and hand-drawn visuals in early access

Lead

A reviewer played Shroom and Gloom and reports it is a roguelike deckbuilder set in subterranean areas of vines, bones and mushrooms, where the player completes quests, unlocks characters and collects items.

Two-deck design

The game uses two distinct decks. The exploration deck contains tools such as shovels to dig for cards, lighters to start campfires and implements to break doors; uses from that deck are limited by stamina, which restricts how many actions a player can take before resting.

The combat deck holds cards that deal damage, stun or heal and are used when encountering mushroom enemies. The reviewer describes combat as reliant on combos and on modifying enemies or attacks with spices and hot sauce to increase damage.

Resting and stamina management

Resting at campsites inflicts damage to the player; the game displays the exact damage a rest will cause. Stamina is replenished after fights, which the reviewer says encourages pushing ahead to fights rather than frequent rests.

Progression and replay

The reviewer notes limited meta-progression so far: a few repeatable cards and unlockable characters that grant different bonuses. Advancement across runs comes mainly from player learning—identifying priority targets, early-card value and feeding particular in-game allies.

Art and presentation

The review highlights numerous hand-drawn stills layered to create an impression of a 3D tunnel. The reviewer finds the visuals and combat compelling and intends to follow the game's early access journey.

Byline

The review was written by Elie, who notes prior gaming journalism experience.