Ring of Pain is a card game where you explore a ring of cards…

…and it is a pain.

A roguelike card crawler where encounters come to you. Each step around the ring a dire decision. Go for the loot or backstab a creeping horror? Meet strange friends bearing gifts and treasure. Choose your gear wisely to survive and discover the secrets of the Ring of Pain.

Ring of Pain Game Play

Ring of Pain (by Simon Boxer) is a roguelike video game that uses a card system to create a circular puzzle for you to solve and survive. Survive until the end of the final ring to win.

Theme

This is weird. Even looking at the main character of the game is unnerving. All the creatures you meet, friendly or otherwise are disturbing.

I’m still not sure why you’re doing what you’re doing though.

Visuals

Again, very freaky. Ignoring the art, the iconography etc is all very clear. You know where you stand and the tooltips do their job really well.

UI & Ease of Play

The ease of play comes from the great and helpful visuals. Where an accidental move left or right in the ring could cost you half your health, you’ll want to make sure you’re making the right choice.

It’s easy to play but seems VERY hard to play well. I haven’t played it much but I don’t appear to learn a lot from a losing run. It just appears to be “oh, I’m dead now.”

Ring of Pain Summary

Positives

I haven’t looked, but I don’t think you’ll find a game like this anywhere else.

I’ve mentioned the UI and how much it helps you play the game, that’s all good.

Balancing pushing forward to pick up new items and just getting to the exit to progress is a fun balance. You also need to kill enemies for their souls to spend on new gear so you can’t just keep avoiding them.

Managing your equipment to keep your stats how you like them and keeping spells you might need provides a lot of tactical play.

It’s very replayable if you can put up with the fact that…

Negatives

…it’s bloody hard!

You have to cross your fingers and pray to RNGsus in this game more than most others I’ve played. Things can combo and quickly kill you and quite often there is nothing you can do about it.

The art style is weird and not for me.

Summary

It’s OK, but it’s so random at times it feels just unfair. I have Slay the Spire for my weird looking roguelike of choice and I feel I have more control over that game.

Jesta ThaRogue