Upcoming Tactical Spaceship Deckbuilder Set to Release from Early Access

Takara Cards blends the aesthetic of 1980s anime with gameplay reminiscent of FTL. Players navigate challenges with tactical card-play. Each hand represents a single jump in the spaceship’s journey, where a variety of enemies must be overcome before reaching hyperspeed.

You can see the actions of ships, drones, and asteroid clusters unfold in the next turn, but your available power to counter those actions is limited. You might choose to fire a forward gun and evade danger, or power-up shields to absorb damage.

In my experience with the early access version, I find myself frequently opting for the more aggressive approaches. While the starting deck allows for shooting options, often the path forward is to ramp up shields and crash tactically. It remains to be seen if later decks introduce more nuanced gameplay strategies.

Thematic Elements of the Game

Each ship’s deck centers around fantasy tribes, starting with dwarves, while elves and humans become available as you progress. The overarching story involves a quest against space dragons who are notorious for thievery, culminating in epic confrontations with these formidable foes. The structure of Takara Cards is similar to FTL, with decision-making scenarios that may lead to karma layer effects or, surprisingly, unexpected tax duties.

Voice Acting and Expectations

While interludes feature voice acting, the quality leaves much to be desired. Thankfully, players can disable the sound, and there’s hope for improvements in future updates as the full release approaches. You can check out Takara Cards on Steam.

Takara Cards Trailer
Watch the early access trailer for Takara Cards on YouTube.