Review - Flamecraft
Developer: Monster Couch
Publisher: Monster Couch, Cardboard Alchemy
Available on: PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Reviewed on: PC
I've enjoyed a couple of other tabletop games turned into video games from Monster Couch. Quilts and Cats of Calico is delightfully cozy, especially if you enjoy tiling together patterns with a background full of cats. Wingspan takes the engine-building card game and puts it in a digital format that makes it easier to get into, whether you're playing alone or online with friends.
Now Monster Couch brings us Flamecraft, a cute and cozy turn-based strategy game about helping artisan dragons.
In This Game, There Be Dragons
As Flamekeepers, the players' objective is to help artisan dragons and shopkeepers by gathering resources and enchanting shops to expand their craft. Players gain reputation as they place dragons in shops and cast enchantments, combining strategic moves to boost their gain. Winning comes down to which player gathers the most reputation by the end of the game.
The system of play in Flamecraft takes some learning. I highly recommend doing the tutorial to anyone who picks this game up because you'll need to fully grasp the mechanics to successfully engage with it.
Each player takes their turn going to a shop, enchanting it or placing dragons, and using the skills of dragons placed in the shop to gain resources and reputation, or draw more dragons, move them to other shops, and plenty more. Players must learn the best strategic combination of the dragons' skills in order to be the most successful at gaining reputation. It's a bit of a learning curve, but once you get into it, it's a pretty fun game.
If You Like Your Cozy with a Challenge
As mentioned, there is a bit of a learning curve in Flamecraft. The game seems simple and cozy, but it does take a minute to learn, and it's around a medium-level challenge, even at its most basic gameplay. Strategic play requires learning the different skills of the dragons and the best ways to place them in shops for a maximum return on investment; otherwise, you'll end up wasting turns and gaining very little.
Story mode is a great way to learn strategic gameplay, with quests focused on meeting specific criteria plus a reputation threshold to succeed. Even if you beat all the NPCs, if your reputation threshold isn't high enough, you won't complete your current quest, and you'll have to start over again. I'll admit, it can be a bit punishing, even on the most basic level. It very much feels like a trial by fire, and I had to do several quests over and over again before I could reach the reputation thresholds while completing the tasks outlined in the quests.
On top of that, players need to know how to adapt when their strategies are interrupted, whether that's due to other players, not getting the dragon draws they need, or just being able to hit those skill combinations for reputation-maxxing. If you really love a challenge with your cozy as I do, Flamecraft was made just for you!
Delightfully Cozy
The tabletop games Monster Couch brings to digital formats already have delightfully cozy art styles. Flamecraft is no exception. The dragons in the tabletop game have lovely art, and the Flamecraft video game expands on that by expanding on the world the tabletop game is set in. Art, music, animation and story add to the cozy vibes and make this a great game to enjoy for those cozy vibes, whether or not players are engaging with it solo or with friends.
Get to Work, Flamekeepers!
One thing I will mention is that I do think the reputation threshold in the basic level of the solo campaign should be lowered a little bit for players who are not as great with turn-based strategy games. It was a bit tough having to replay levels over and over again as someone who enjoys strategy games, and I started to wonder if people who don't enjoy that would likely drop the game altogether if they can't meet the thresholds needed to complete quests.
Other than that, however, I think Flamecraft is great, whether playing with friends or solo, and if you're looking for a cozy challenge, this may just be the game for you!
FLAMECRAFT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Thanks to the Monster Couch Team for the code for purposes of review.
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