Card-based strategy games seem to have really found their feet over the last 12 months. Now that we're a few years clear of Slay The Spire's chokehold over the genre, deckbuilders are starting to come thick and fast in a variety of exciting mash-ups. This year alone, I've sunk a hefty number of hours into the deckbuilding tower defence 'em up ORX, got lost in the tabletop plots of Foretales, and later this week we'll see the launch of Marvel's Midnight Suns, the new card-based strategy RPG from XCOM makers Firaxis. It's a good time to be a fan of deckbuilders, is what I'm saying, and early next year the mythological exploits of Mahokenshi will be looking to carry the baton forward into 2023.
Made by the Paris-based Game Source Studio, this turn-based strategy battler sees you take control of four types of samurai as you seek to bring balance to a mystical realm above the clouds. Oni, goblins and other creatures from Japanese myth are your primary antagonists here, but its hexagonal islands are also stuffed full of text-based narrative events, sidequests, and treasure troves to uncover. It's a lot to take in, but the latter in particular are vital to your success. That's because every time you start a new mission in Mahokenshi, you'll be going in with a completely fresh deck - and based on an early preview build I've been playing recently, it's both an ingenious way to keep things feeling fresh, but it can also be a double-edged sword when it comes to trying out new tactics.