Gordian Quest review – “A wonderfully complex deck-building RPG”

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  • A fantasy hybrid of heavier genres
  • A compelling story available as a full unlock, but a perfectly serviceable free version
  • A solid port almost entirely free of any technical issues

Gordian Quest boasts not only striking visuals but also a rich layer of complexity, setting it apart from many mobile games. Despite following well-trodden themes and activating widely enjoyed gameplay elements, it still manages to bring a unique experience to the table.

Gordian Quest, which lies at the intersection of RPG, Deck-Builder, Strategy, and Roguelite elements, occasionally seems overly complex. It appears as if it has drawn upon many robust aspects from these genres throughout the years, yet combined them haphazardly without considering how they came to be part of the game.

While standing on the foundations laid by predecessors can be beneficial, it’s crucial to guide and teach users effectively. Regrettably, the onboarding process here could use some smoothing out. Although this might be something that most people will overlook once they’ve uncovered enough details to become fully captivated, it may initially deter potential players from experiencing just how exceptional Gordian Quest truly is.

How does Gordian Quest play out?

And, Gordian Quest is fantastic. That, and it’s doing something incredibly clever with how it monetises: offering the dungeon-diving, roguelite mode away as a free experience (albeit with half the characters – five of ten, with each having three play styles) while having the core campaign and the other half of the characters available for an incredibly affordable price point.

Previously, I mentioned that this game was constructed upon the foundations laid by greats, and indeed, that’s true. Many aspects within it will resonate with enthusiasts of RPGs such as The Banner Saga, plus numerous old-school jRPGs. Additionally, a well-structured deckbuilding mechanism for each character is present, reminiscent of Slay The Spire. The run-based roguelike mode also excels in its execution, offering a node-style map filled with events, shops, and battles leading to a climactic boss battle.

In combat, character placement is important, with most battles taking place across two 3×3 grids, one for each battling team. Enemy attacks are incredibly varied, but their intent can be seen through tapping on them, giving you a decent window of time to move around the rows and columns to negate or avoid damage. Similarly, clever placement of your own units (and allies) can work out really well, with others joining into your attacks, or the card/attack effects stacking depending on how and which ones you use.
There is, as you can probably tell by now, an incredible number of moving parts all going on at once. While those parts might feel familiar (and they’ll certainly seem less familiar once you start investing time into the campaign), the more and more you play, the less that will matter, because the scale at which all of those pieces are moving is incredibly impressive. To have a fully fledged adventurer’s party, running off a hybrid RPG, ttRPG, jRPG system, directed by deck-building… it’s an amazing feat of balance, and one that very few companies are able to pull off.
Where Gordian Quest does fall down, beyond that faith that you’ll quickly learn the UI as a reflex, is in some of its UI elements, which are just a little bit too small. This isn’t too much of an issue when you’re playing on a larger screen; however, things like the level-up prompt, and some of the smaller icons on characters, are tough to tap on smaller screens, which can be quite a frustration when there’s other interaction points nearby.

Overlook the challenges, or just enjoy it on a bigger display, and you’ll discover an RPG with astounding depth that seems perfectly suited to this portable version.

It’s exciting that Gordian Quest seems to be a harbinger of things to follow, being one of the growing number of premium titles under the ‘Post Subscription’ model by the original creators and distributors of PC and console versions. I eagerly anticipate it becoming a cornerstone in the upcoming surge of outstanding “hardcore” mobile games. If you’re seeking a challenge that will truly engage you, this is an excellent choice for you.

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2025-04-03 14:18