Demon’s Mirror [PC] | REVIEW

Demon’s Mirror brings a cool little twist to the deck-building genre by integrating match-three mechanics into its gameplay, resulting in a unique and engaging experience that differs to the norm. I’ll admit, I often struggle to deal with deck-building alone, but matching tiles too? It can be tough, but it also makes for a clever amalgamation of ideas that creates a dynamic where both card strategy and tile-matching skills have to be balanced to achieve victory.

Check out some screenshots down below:

At its core, Demon’s Mirror plays like a traditional deck builder. Players build up a deck of cards with varying effects that they can use to attack enemies, strengthen their own character’s defence, debuff enemies, and so forth. However, the twist is in the match-three mechanic, which adds another layer of strategy to each turn you take. The match-three board consists of different types of tiles, with each linked to a specific effect. Matching sword tiles allows you to deal damage to enemies, shield tiles boost your defences, essence tiles provide buffs to your cards, and willpower tiles enable the use of special abilities. This hybrid system ensures that victory isn’t achieved by just playing the strongest cards in your hand, but also by using the board to your advantage.

Each turn you take in Demon’s Mirror is limited by your Action Points, which you spend to use cards from your hand or interact with the match-three board. Some cards don’t require Action Points to play, but instead serve as setup cards for future plays, which emphasises just how much each mechanic complements the other. Balancing this becomes critical, especially when you’re trying to string together card and tile combinations to maximize damage or protection. Deciding whether to focus on playing a card or matching tiles brings a surprising amount of tactical depth to Demon’s Mirror, with the wrong choice often being the difference between success and failure. You need to consider whether to play aggressively or defensively based on the board’s current state, your current hand of cards, and the abilities your enemies are going to perform on that turn.

Whilst you’ll utilise match-three mechanics to your advantage, the enemy can also affect the board in a nefarious manner. They’ll often drop bomb-like tiles that detonate after a certain number of turns, dealing substantial damage to the player if left unchecked. You can mitigate the damage from these bombs by matching them with other tiles (which reduces their damage counter), but this sees your priority shift from defending yourself or attacking the enemy, leaving you vulnerable to the actions they perform that turn. It adds a sense of urgency to the match-three system that forces you to think critically about how you approach the board, even when you wish you could do be doing something different.

“Ultimately, I found Demon’s Mirror to be a compelling and addictive experience – even if it could be a bit tough in places.”

It caught me out several times, especially when I became too focused on playing my cards and forgot to neutralize those ticking bombs, and honestly? It could be a little frustrating. Proper planning becomes essential, particularly in these tense moments where the difficulty of Demon’s Mirror can really ramp up.

The game also introduces additional mechanics that further deepen the experience. Trinkets grant various bonuses that can be a game-changer in some battles, whilst each playable character has their own advantages that help them stand out. You’ll continually add cards to you deck too, with your evolving options giving you fresh tricks up your sleeve that’ll definitely help you get out of a fix when you’re deep in a run. The game’s modifiers also alter the rules in small but significant ways, keeping each playthrough fresh and unpredictable (and, sometimes, a little less challenging).

Progress in Demon’s Mirror takes place across a map that’s dotted with a variety of different events – some lead to battles, while others offer treasure or present you with a scenario that can affect your run. This branching map gives an element of control over how your journey pans out, though the random nature of encounters does mean that you can never really plan too far ahead. Learning how to navigate this map efficiently does add a layer of strategy to the experience though, with the right or wrong move bringing with them varying consequences.

Check out some screenshots down below:

While the hybrid deck building and match-three system is innovative, it can also be a bit stressful. Juggling between card play and tile matching, especially when facing multiple enemies or when you’re barely hanging on between battles, can be overwhelming. At times, it’s tough to know where to focus your attention – do you prioritize using a strong card or instead spend your Action Points on matching tiles? Boss battles especially up the intensity and demand careful planning if you’re going to come out on top (something which was admittedly a rarity for me). I’d be lying if I said that these moments of high tension couldn’t be frustrating, but when you do prevail and get a victory? It’s mighty satisfying.

Developer: Be-Rad Entertainment
Publisher: Good Shepherd Entertainment
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed)
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1600910/Demons_Mirror/