A couple of years ago I was browsing itch.io and stumbled upon a concept for a game called Shroom and Gloom. The demo presented a completely hand-drawn cave to explore with one set of cards, while you did combat with weird fungal creatures with a second deck. The demo was tossed out into the world to see if there was any interest in a game like this, and my attention was firmly grabbed. Developers Team Lazerbeam quickly discovered that I was not the only one with a huge amount of enthusiasm for this demo, and the decision was made to make a full game out of the concept.
Since then, the hype surrounding the game has only ramped up, with it eventually garnering over 200k wishlists and the team securing a deal with indie label Devolver Digital to publish it. And now we’re here, with Shroom and Gloom having been released into Early Access on Steam.
The first thing you will notice is that the artwork is phenomenal. In fact, the entire visual aspect of the game is stunning, with the level design a particular highlight. Team Lazerbeam produced frame after frame after frame to create this style, and you’ll be walking through each and every one of them as you explore the underground world of the game. Yes, you’ll be walking, as this is another first-person deckbuilder, a genre that seems to have been gaining popularity recently. It’s a neat feature, but it doesn’t feel completely necessary in your exploration of the game’s levels. All you do is walk from one set piece to another, but the added immersion might be interesting to people.
That last comment might seem unnecessarily harsh, but I mention the walking around because I think it might be the reason that the game isn’t playable on Steam Deck, and I really wanted Shroom and Gloom to be another great game to experience there. Hopefully Deck support will be added in future updates, but for right now you’ll have to sit at your PC to play this one.
Having said all that, the gameplay is a ton of fun already. For an Early Access title, it plays like a dream; I didn’t encounter any bugs while playing. Its current status seems to be more about not all pathways being available yet and maybe some other features that will be added further down the line. Right now, there are two different pathways to choose from – well, after you unlock the second one at least – and two additional characters to unlock aside from the starting Paper Boy. This already provides the game with quite a lot of replayability, despite its Early Access period being set to about 12 to 24 months.
That replayability will be important, because from the hours I’ve spent with the game, I’m a little unsure about it. Playing as Paper Boy, I’ve already discovered every route in the game’s first pathway, and replaying it doesn’t add that much difference. Most of the encounters are the same; there are potential upgrades – full heals, max HP upgrades, etc. – to be found that remain the same on every playthrough, and the boss battles are identical. I don’t know if this changes when you play as the other unlockable characters, as I haven’t been able to unlock them just yet, but for now, the game did manage to get slightly repetitive.
But that doesn’t need to be a problem, due to how entertaining exploring and combat are. The double-deck building is a really interesting concept, and it works well here. During exploration, you’ll run into areas with a ton of possibilities. These can range from adding warmth to the chilling environment (which will remove danger when you decide to take a rest), uncovering new cards, upgrading combat cards by adding spice or magic, freeing or feeding creatures, and unlocking the door to progress. Just like during combat, you’re still limited to three mana to spend, and you’ll have to choose wisely which cards to use while you explore, as each time you end your turn to take a rest, more danger will appear around you.
As you travel through the caves, you’ll sometimes even have to choose which shop to visit, depending on whether you want to add cards to your explore deck or your combat one. Buying cards also doesn’t happen with any monetary currency but with food. And food is gained mostly through combat. Playing as Paper Boy, I had cards that had ‘If Fatal’ conditions that would create food whenever I killed an enemy. This food can be used during combat, usually to heal yourself, to feed other creatures outside of combat or to pay for new cards in shops. It’s a fascinating, if slightly disgusting, feature that really shows you how much character Shroom and Gloom already possess, even this early into their time in Early Access.
It also makes combat stand out from the plethora of games within the genre. In particular, the complete lack of the ability to block attacks, with you instead balancing healing through eating your slain foes, requires a different kind of thinking compared to most rival titles. The different enemy types are all really fun to get to know too, with all of them bringing their own unique challenges to the game; some will inspire their teammates, while others are there just to take and deal a lot of damage.
There’s just a ton of fun to be had already with Shroom and Gloom. Team Lazerbeam are clearly on the right track with this labour of love, and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what else they bring to the game. It looks like the game has already found a loyal fanbase as well, so the future looks bright – certainly a lot brighter than those damp, dark caves you need to get through.
Looking at the whole package, Shroom and Gloom already delivers a lot of interesting ideas and some truly spectacular design. It might still be a little light on content, although that will differ depending on your expectations of the game, but with a clear plan for the future, it seems like this one will be worth keeping an eye on. So go out and play it for yourself, and be sure to share your feedback with the developers; maybe you’ll help shape the future of what looks likely to be a classic of the genre.
