First of all PLEASE check the dates on the top negative reviews, they are from a long-ass time ago in early access and seem incredibly unfair to the games current state.

It's a fantastic little deckbuilder akin to slay the spire, this one has a beautiful art that's a mix of stylized and traditional chinese, and the characters decks are far far more interesting than those in most other similar games, I'm really really enjoying the mechanics of the individual characters, they're far more unique and in depth and varied than any other StS esque games, and I've played most of them.

Yao-Guai Hunter stands on its own as a great addition to the roguelike deck-building game genre and a must-have for those who want more of this style of gameplay. Don't allow the old top negative review (from a guy who has played it for less than two hours) or the game's shallow similarities to StS fool you. Each character operates completely uniquely and expects the player to approach them in different ways. As the vessel for the player to explore the game's mechanics, they are a treasure trove of options, and it feels like rather than chancing upon the right relics (though in this case Elixirs), the major focus for each character is their deck and some inner-skills that help you to focus on specific strengths you've built within the characters. As a side-note, whilst it irked me at first, the limited energy regeneration forces you to consider all of your moves and what you can afford to handle before using up all your energy, adding to the complexity of gameplay with just this small difference.

A good example of when this game really clicked with me is with the character Ao Yu. I found one of her inner-skills (the one that has her start in dragon form) completely useless if not actively detrimental. But after spending Act 1 and part of Act 2 cultivating the cards for it, it became the key to making one of my best builds with her.
It seems that every character has at least three different areas you can focus on (or not) when building them, Ao Yu just lays it out in the most obvious way: dragon-form, ancestor cards or spells?
Each character has a central 'gimmick' that helps to define them, but there's a lot of workaround and options within that sphere, to make sure it doesn't feel like a restraint, but instead a direction. There's many unique buffs meant for each character to benefit from as well as the usual universal stuff.

There are no glaring problems with the game like having annoying enemy types that completely shut down a build, or terrible end-game bosses that work off of shutting down your ability to be creative as a player. Neither are there any mechanics that force only a single approach to work. Instead, they all offer their own challenges to be overcome by your carefully crafted deck. I don't find myself needing mods to further increase my choices either, because the game has a wealth of choices that doesn't diminish the challenge that the enemies can pose. Even the Special Events offer up a lot of additional room for the player to commit to specific options, and there's always a way to avoid particular enemy types you may dislike, like the crab with a counter-hit, or the guy with the sword army.

It's hard to really sell how good the game is with just words, if card games interest you at all, buy it and the you'll understand.

TLDR: This game is incredibly deep and no it's not a Slay The Spire clone. I personally think Yao-Guai Hunter is a lot better but also demands more from you as a player so it's less chill to play (take it from me as a player who has Ascension 20'd every character in StS, and then also the Hermit from Downfall). When you fail it doesn't feel like you got screwed because of a bad match-up or other factors out of your control, but instead most of it is your fault. The game has FIVE deep characters to get good with and explore their options. The enemies are also incredibly fun to figure out and learn how to prepare for and deal with. All this for less than $20.

Good game, many branches to build, solid decks and skill synergy. Can't wait for mods like Slay The Spire.