F2P Friday: ABYSSAL SHADE

Lauren Darnell

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Black and white shade mouth on a black, void background (Abyssal Shade)

Welcome to this week’s installment of F2P Friday, where we highlight our favorite Free-2-Play games. The video game market is oversaturated, and sometimes, hidden gems fall through the cracks. This is where we dig for you and feature a new F2P game we know you will enjoy every week. This week, we delve into the depths of Abyssal Shade. 

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Abyssal Shade

Are you safe in the light if it casts shadows? Dive into a dungeon of your own making in the mind of Abyssal Shade. Unlock the blessing of emotions to help fight off the anxiety and inner darkness in this dark roguelike with deck-building mechanics. Explore the dungeon maps, solve puzzles and save yourself from the void. Only you can banish the shades. 

The Basics

Let’s get down to the basics of Abyssal Shade. The core gameplay mechanic players will need to manage is the deck-building and energy consumption of the battles. Learning to balance the gameplay requires some trial and error. Each turn starts with ten energy, though most battles won’t require using it all. 

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Players trade off attacking with the shades in the turn-based play. Creating new shades and imbuing them with fear is the key to moving through the combat quickly. The cards are powered by emotion, with fear being the most common from my playthrough. 

Why Should I Play?

Why should you play Abyssal Shade by Jacob Gislason? While lacking a proper story, I enjoyed this unique battle card game. The puzzle aspects are clever but difficult for novices. The dungeon is creepy, with complementary atmospheric art and music. Gamers can finish this game in about an hour with some replay value. There isn’t any tutorial to play through, so refining your play style in the battles is the majority of the gameplay. 

You can peel back the layers of madness in Abyssal Shade for free with Steam

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Lauren Darnell
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