As We Descend Review

As We Descend enters the increasingly populated arena of roguelike deckbuilders with a bold ambition: to merge strategic card combat with city-building mechanics and tactical unit positioning. Developed by Box Dragon, a studio formed by veterans from Stunlock Studios and Riot Games, As We Descend is the team's debut title and is published under the banner of Coffee Stain Publishing.

Following in the footsteps of other genre-defining Early Access hits, such as Slay the Spire and Monster Train, As We Descend launched into Early Access on May 28, 2025, offering an intricate balance of two parallel gameplay systems. One where you build and defend the last human city buried deep underground, and another where you deploy your expedition forces into a hostile world teeming with horrors.

With every choice impacting both systems, As We Descend crafts an experience that is both mechanically dense and narratively immersive. There is only one underground city left, Vault City, in As We Descend. People are on the verge of destruction.

As the city's last defender, the player takes on the role of the Warden of the Wall and has to go into a world that is decaying and full of monsters to find reactor parts, supplies, and information that will keep the city running. In every part of the game, there are strong themes of religious zeal, governmental corruption, and sacrifice.

As players deal with a large group of citizens, nobles, and factions, they need to choose whom to trust and which relationships to work on. While not overly heavy on exposition, As We Descend tells its story through events, location lore, and branching choices, some of which have immediate and brutal consequences—such as being exiled or losing an entire run.

The narrative structure doesn't rely on heavy cutscenes or dialogue trees, but it's remarkably effective at evoking a living, breathing world. There are different stories, creatures, and groups in each biome and expedition zone.

Every choice makes a difference in the story, whether it's about finding a long-buried treasure or working with an exiled cult. Characters you help in Vault City may later betray you or help you based on what choices you make. This illustrates the connection between politics and war.

At its core, As We Descend is a deckbuilder where each card represents actions that can be taken in both city and combat scenarios. In the city, players use scout and envoy cards to interact with buildings and NPCs, initiating events, upgrades, and unlocking powerful technologies.

Each card has distinct requirements and outcomes, with some only accessible through passing charisma, intelligence, or strength checks. Resources like Favor, Copper, and Force Field Energy act as currencies that enable or limit these interactions.

The city-building mechanics are more than a background layer. Players can improve facilities to get better cards, unlock new units, or change what events will happen in the future. There is always tension when people have to decide whether to spend limited funds on political favors, tech study, or the well-being of the people. It's a fine line between helping too many powerful elites and ignoring them, because ignoring them could make it harder to get rare tech.

When players venture beyond the city walls, the game shifts into its second mode: tactical turn-based combat. Players deploy up to four units, each with their own set of cards and passive traits. There are Guard and Support zones on the battlefield, which enhance the strategy of utilizing space.

It is important to put units in a way that lets them avoid or absorb strikes while doing the most damage possible. Each unit has its unique card that can do things like block attacks, give splash damage, or change the player's status. Between encounters, players explore the overworld, managing scavenger teams that return with loot, artifacts, or ancient relics that modify future runs.

Combat in As We Descend functions as a hybrid between Slay the Spire's turn-based card play and the tactical positioning seen in games like Into the Breach. Enemies telegraph their attacks in advance, allowing players to reposition units or use defensive cards to mitigate incoming damage.

Each unit can move between the Guard and Support zones. Those in Guard can absorb melee attacks, while Support units would be vulnerable to splash or ranged attacks unless shielded. The Lantern, a glowing, skeletal construct behind the lines, serves as a high-value target. If it falls, the run ends.

Mini-bosses and siege events are the hardest to fight because they get harder quickly and often add modifications like cleave attacks, poison fields, or summoned minions. In these intense fights, you need to carefully arrange your cards, think quickly, and know what your deck can do.

There are moments when a single movement or a mistimed card can swing an entire battle. Mastery of synergy between unit types—like combining a stun-heavy Initiate with a backline AoE caster—can make the difference between survival and annihilation.

As We Descend excels in creating meaningful combat choices. The interaction between positioning and card selection offers a refreshing departure from traditional card play. There are a lot of different ways to play with cards that move, strengthen, or protect certain areas. Bosses make fights more like puzzles by having multiple weak spots that can be targeted, and the ability to stagger.

However, the fighting system's complexity can sometimes work against new players, especially since there isn't a lot of tutorial material, and the difficulty spikes early on can be too much for them. Players might not understand important mechanics like exertion, recycling, or state synergies if they don't get the right help.

The randomness of certain map events can also frustrate strategic players. While the deckbuilding side rewards control, the world exploration occasionally throws unpredictable consequences without sufficient foreshadowing. That said, repeated playthroughs allow you to learn patterns and better anticipate these traps.

Experience in As We Descend is delivered through a mix of objective-based progression and deck evolution. Unlocks are tied to in-game achievements such as completing certain quests, surviving boss fights, or winning runs with specific faction units.

Units level up with persistent bonuses, and players can discover miracle cards and powerful one-time-use abilities through expeditions and relics. Instead of grinding XP through repetitive enemy kills, progression is more focused on thoughtful exploration, efficient decision-making, and successful navigation of both city life and combat.

Unlocking new groups, each with its types of units and cards, is another way to move up in the metagame. Notably, some groups might excel at using brute force while others would be more adept at controlling, fixing, or manipulating people. Also, mixing and matching units from different backgrounds can add significant depth to the game by encouraging players to try new things and ensuring that each run is unique and challenging.

The visual identity of As We Descend is distinct. It blends a muted, steampunk aesthetic with exaggerated character designs that evoke both elegance and decay. The enemies—especially the flamboyant bugs—are unsettling and memorable, capturing a grotesque theatrical flair.

City locations are hand-painted, while battlefields lean toward utilitarian design with readable zones and clear UI cues. Although some textures may appear dated, the game compensates with a strong atmosphere and visual coherence.

Dynamic lighting in battle, flickering background effects in Vault City, and the smart use of UI changes all enhance the game's visual appeal. The general tone does a good job of blending scary and mysterious elements, which makes exploration feel both tense and rewarding. Every click shows something scary or important.

As We Descend features a haunting orchestral sound that evolves as you explore, become tense, or win. There are different ambient tracks for each biome and city area, making for a moody and immersive soundscape. When units move, enemies attack or cards are played, they have strong effects that help make your choices feel real. While voice acting is limited, the narrative is carried well through evocative writing and environmental cues.

Special credit should be given to the adaptive music system. It rises subtly during card-play crescendos and softens during narrative beats. The hissing of valves, distant machinery, and whispered cultist chants add a layer of atmospheric storytelling rarely seen in the genre.

As We Descend is an ambitious roguelike deckbuilder that pushes genre conventions by fusing narrative-driven city management with cerebral, zone-based tactical combat. The game feels deep without being overwhelming and presents a strong foundation for future expansion. While it still grapples with onboarding issues and a few performance hiccups, its core loop is already addictive. 

Strategic players will find satisfaction in optimizing routes, building synergistic decks, and uncovering the many secrets buried within their world. With a content-rich roadmap and a highly active development team, As We Descend seems poised to ascend into the roguelike pantheon with the right amount of polish.

There's a raw potential here that speaks to fans of both deckbuilders and strategy RPGs. It's a game of choices, consequences, and complexity—wrapped in a uniquely grim yet oddly hopeful setting. As We Descend takes you to dark places but gives you the tools to shape the light.