This game does everything wrong that Balatro does right

[Haohmaru]

As per my review, this game became dead to me when I tried to play a valid poker hand and was disallowed with an ugly giant text box saying that I couldn’t do that due to game balance reasons. I’m sorry, but if you’re going to base a whole game around poker conventions, then adapt your game design to allow any valid poker hand, and balance it accordingly. Having a solution of “it’s unbalanced so the computer says no” is terrible game design.

Compare this game to Balatro, which allows you to play any valid poker hand, and more. Manage to break the rules so you can play five of a kind aces, go for it! Want to break the rules so only four cards count as a straight or flush, go for it! Want to trim down your deck so you only have two suits instead of four, go for it!

Feel free to defend this game if you want, but the numbers don’t lie. Balatro is leagues ahead of this disappointment.

[Melodia]

I don't really see any similarity between the two games outside of 'both are rogue-like deck builders that use standard playing cards and some aspects of poker'. The actual mechanics are completely different -- in this one you're fighting enemies turn by turn and have to use resources to survive across multiple battles. In Baltaro there's no fighting, no "losing HP", nothing of that nature. Just trying to figure out how to optimize points.

That's not to say that your points aren't nessesarily correct, but this game fails on its own without needing to compare it to a different game that's only marginally similar.

[Haohmaru]

Originally posted by Melodia:

I don't really see any similarity between the two games outside of 'both are rogue-like deck builders that use standard playing cards and some aspects of poker'. The actual mechanics are completely different -- in this one you're fighting enemies turn by turn and have to use resources to survive across multiple battles. In Baltaro there's no fighting, no "losing HP", nothing of that nature. Just trying to figure out how to optimize points.

That's not to say that your points aren't nessesarily correct, but this game fails on its own without needing to compare it to a different game that's only marginally similar.

Yes I agree with you that the way the games play quite different from each other. Point I was trying to make was that Aces and Adventures restricts the freedom you have in types of poker plays you can make whereas Balatro is the opposite where it encourages to try weird combinations and illegal plays. I have found with Balatro the whole journey of discovery a positive one whereas A&A was such a disappointment the more I discovered about the game.

[Roze]

As far as I've played, 2 pair is the **only** hand that isn't allowed. I'm not really sure why, but it has very little effect on how the game is played.

[Darcnexil]

Nonsense, the more you play, the more ways you have to win in this game. Balatro's gameplay may be freer, but that doesn't make Ace & adventures bad.

A lot of games have similar gameplay.

[Melodia]

Originally posted by Darcnexil:

, but that doesn't make Ace & adventures bad.

True. Aces & Adventures manages to be bad on its own.

[ferty]

two pair is the only hand that is not allowed and its because attacks can only be defended by hands with the same number of cards. two pair is too cheap and easy to get but takes up 4 cards making it basically just as strong as 4 of a kind. It is a bit awkward but i played this game for like 20 hours before I even tried to play a two pair once. One of the best games ever made in my opinion just wish there was more story.

[TARTrazine]

Originally posted by Haohmaru:

this game became dead to me when I tried to play a valid poker hand and was disallowed with an ugly giant text box saying that I couldn’t do that due to game balance reasons

I had that same terrible first impression. It's very misleading that the game is largely NOT about making poker hands, rather it's more like your standard cards are dice you're rolling to attack or to fuel your ability cards. But the game clicked with me once I got what it's going for despite its misleading description.

[CalvinHobbes]

I've unlocked and completed all the content in Aces & Adventures and did the same with Baltro including all twenty challenges. Not all decks and other options but I completed them at the highest difficulty level.

I enjoyed both games and I strongly recommend both of them. I don't know which I prefer, they both have their strengths and weaknesses. As others have written, the two games aren't that similar despite both being card based.

One huge drawback to Baltro that Aces & Adventures didn't have for me was the lack of game balancing. I don't expect all cards to be of equal value but the incredible range of usefulness of the jokers was absurd. I usually knew within one ante whether my run was going to be successful. Completing the game on the highest difficulty level and doing some of the challenges was, for me, just a matter of grinding the runs until I got a decent selection of jokers (except for the challenge that didn't allow any jokers). I still very much enjoyed Baltro, but it definitely has its flaws.

[squire]

I'm not gonna lie I have to agree that I was EXTREMELY disappointed that Two Pair is not a valid hand. Why market the game that uses POKER HANDS when you can't use a poker hand? It is severely disingenuous especially when I was hoping to find a better poker based game than Balatro BECAUSE I did not like Balatro. This really ruined the experience for me I don't care how you defend it. You CANNOT market the game that revolves around Poker Hands and then proceed to deem a very common poker hand "illegal. Refunded.

[imaginecatchynamehere]

It pays to actually read the full store page of any game.

[Haohmaru]

Originally posted by imaginecatchynamehere:

It pays to actually read the full store page of any game.

From the store page:
Go poker-powered and throw a pair, triple, four-of-a-kind, or valid five-card poker hand.

Oh ok it doesn’t explicitly state “two pair” therefore it’s my fault for not reading the store page closely enough? Maybe they should add a disclaimer “***excludes Two pair because we can’t figure out how to include that into the game without breaking the game balance. We thought the best solution was to flash a giant error message on the screen if someone tries to play that hand.”

[NoSoup4you]

The game seems ok after a few runs, but the poker mechanics feel like they're just bolted onto the game clumsily.

[iwansquall]

Dunno why i checking this community forum, but i played this game in 2 phase.
First impression is that this game abit excessive with its 3D menu (felt unnecessary) and over-animted play screen. As fan of roguelike deckbuilder, the game did scratch the itch at first but I uninstalled since probably I didnt understand the offensive / defensive concept.

Phase 2 is after I played many more roguelike deckbuilder this year, and tried to give the game more fair chance. I think i played I unlocked all classes and 6 or 7 campaign quests. This time i experienced more flavour of the game and tried to make couple of decks to play around with. I also dabbed to 2nd game mode which i assume is meat of the game.

However after like 4 hours in, i just uninstall because it just simply didnt hook me much.
I will vaguely remember why that were the cases.

1. Story campaign was too samey
At least it it didnt offer much RNG to add to your deck to for replayability. That one is kinda reserved for roguelite (spiral mode iirc) with multiple path planning. Spring difficulty at least seem beatable with default deck assuming you know all encounters in the run.

Worse part for me about this mode is the rank that reward you to play fast. Nothing bored me than just flailing cards around try the beat the time limit for rank S. Easy to work around with deck that doesnt required much thinking / clicking though.

2. Meta progression & Roguelite mode
At first, i didnt realized the progression was carry forward between this 2 mode. Thus i saw the strategy was to keep playing the game, unlocking more cards, then upgrade each class tree branchs for more unlock. While it is fun at first, then i realize I need to keep doing the same run & unlock over and over again (im fairly sure you only unlock 1 new card per booster)

I didnt do spiral mode run much, aside from losing because enemy kinda ramp up toward the end (not to mention i was trying with default deck)

*Kinda late to realized this thread is more about discussion about valid poker hand and i took the opportunity to rant despite i rage uninstalled 2 weeks ago.

Ok, personally I dont like to compare from 1 game with another 1 game. But I did completed Zoeti this year which is pretty flawed roguelike deckbuilder game. In that game, you cant modify the deck's card, but you can modify what each poker hand do (each one of the class have its set of poker hand) and you have strategic decision to keep your current hand for next turn (instead of capped at 5 like in this game) assuming you have big hand size. It felt much more strategic thinking in that game from the get go.

I dont mind not having 2 pairs tbh, but i kinda like hate the game doesnt offer much option with the way you draw / play your hand. Felt generous that you keep able to redraw card during defensive phase. Surely there is some that modify hand size, but this game just wasted the "poker deck" mechanic. The one existed in the game just not enough for me.

*I might give the game another chance, but not anytime soon. Usually when i ran out of deckbuilder to play.