Cobalt Core is a sci-fi roguelike deckbuilder from developer Rocket Rat Games and publisher Brace Yourself Games. As a trio of cute anthropomorphic animals, players must skillfully maneuver through a series of one-on-one battles with other spaceships, earning stronger cards to build up their arsenal. With the array of cards and artifacts to collect and a beautiful visual style, this should be on everyone’s ‘must-play indie games‘ list this year.
The introduction starts with the animal pilots seemingly aware they’re stuck in a time loop. For now, that’s all the exposition players are given before they must battle their way across the space sector, resulting in turn-based battles where the two ships will take turns dodging, firing, shielding up, and more. They must pick from a couple of nodes to travel to, each one marked with a potential battle, a repair station, or other helpful/harmful events. Fans of the roguelike genre may recognize these tangled webs as a trope of the genre, requiring players to weigh the risks and potential rewards of going for that mini-boss instead of stopping to rest and heal. The entirety of Cobalt Core revolves around making potentially risky decisions, so this method of travel suits the game perfectly.
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Once a battle starts, it’s time to bring out the cards. Each turn grants 3 energy, which players must use effectively to attack, build up defenses, or simply move to safety. Before each turn, the enemy ship will move and declare their attack, which players must then prepare for on their turn. Sometimes, that means allowing a laser to hit so that you can inflict heavy damage, other times it requires that you spend the whole turn on shields, allowing the ship to stay intact for just one more turn. While the early fights are appropriately low-stakes, Cobalt Core turns up the heat plenty by the time the boss arrives on the scene, with more advanced mechanics introduced. Some attacks can weaken the enemy hull, dealing double damage on subsequent attacks, but the card uses all 3 energy, meaning the ship would be unable to move or shield for that turn. These risks are the core of the game, because pulling them off successfully typically results in rewards, while failing can mean ending the run early.
While the starting deck is initially effective, it quickly starts to fall behind against tougher opponents. Luckily, there are many opportunities to earn more cards, like after defeating an enemy, or from a shop that can be found on some nodes. Eventually, players will also find artifacts, which grant passive bonuses that are always enabled, such as the ability to retract the ship’s wings to make it a smaller target. These added boons often work in tandem with other cards, and finding a pair that synergizes well is always an exciting moment. The possibilities are expansive.
The player is represented by a ship and a trio of animal pilots. There are only three to pick from at first, but players can unlock more animals, each with their own cards and stories to make each run unique. This allows players to pick a crew that best suits their playstyle, but experimenting may reveal some unexpected combinations. Additionally, the animals, along with the ship and the rest of the game, are drawn in a pixel style that suits the game perfectly. While it looks simple at first glance, there are numerous details hidden within.
Cobalt Core looks great and plays even better. With a pack of cards and animal friends, it’s an adventure you’ll want to relive again and again.
Cobalt Core releases on PC in 2023.
