Gordian Quest Review – GET YOUR DND FIX!

Gordian Quest is the perfect title for anyone who has wanted to get that classic DND fix from a video game, but just doesn’t have the time to learn the complex mechanics of titles like Pillars of Eternity or Pathfinder: Kingmaker. Even though it may seem basic and ‘just like a standard deck builder’, the overwhelming theme and similarities to DND are unmistakable.

A Very Basic Narrative

When first entering Gordian Quest, you pick your starting character. Suddenly, you are thrust into the middle of things trying to save a town… And that’s about it. Don’t get me wrong, there are many more story elements for different sections later on. But upon entering Gordian Quest, the story is very simple and depends on you doing little quests rather than having an actual fleshed-out story.

The story for Gordian Quest is probably its weakest point. That’s not to say the story is terrible, just that compared to the rest of the game, the narrative is relatively basic. When first playing Gordian Quest, it’s very obvious that this is a title created with DND elements. And even though it’s fun and interesting, story-wise it becomes very repetitive with all the dungeon diving. Personally, I quickly found myself not paying much attention to the story because I found it a bit predictable and obvious. The story isn’t a disaster, it is just not the main reason to play this game.

Where Gordian Quest Shines

The gameplay is where Gordian Quest shines. This is an incredibly fun deck builder. You start with choosing your first character and very quickly end up recruiting more to fill out your party. Each character depends on three stats: Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence. Just like in DND, these stats also determine how good the characters are in their particular class. Spell users depend on Intelligence, Warriors on Strength, and Archers and Rogues on Dexterity. As you advance through the story, you have to investigate all the locations around the Town Center. Whether they be dungeons or enemies. However, that’s not all there is. You can also find markers that get you to perform actions that depend on your character’s abilities and modifiers, as well as little maps you can explore to find some lovely goodies.

Pay attention to all the elements in town and out in the world. If you find that you’re running out of health, you can always build a camp and perform duties or use special skills. Or you can return to the Town Center and heal yourself with some prayer or a good night’s sleep at the Inn. Not to mention, you can also better your equipment at the blacksmiths or buy runes to add buffs. You have to take all of these into account. A lot of equipment ends up giving you extra action cards. However, they don’t always have the correct rune slot for your character, meaning that you now have to amend that equipment. It’s all up to you on how you want to kit your characters out.

The main part of the game is deck-building. Even though it has a very simple premise, it is also a lot of fun. Each character starts with a certain number of cards with different functions. Whether it be guarding yourself, dealing damage or even adding a buff. As you go through the fights, you use these cards to destroy all who come before you. Be careful however, as when you use these cards to help get a better modifier on an action roll, you will gain a point of exhaustion. The best part is that you can improve not only your characters through their skill tree, but also improve their cards and apply special perks as well. There is so much to consider when leveling up your characters.

Gorgeous Design

The world design for Gordian Quest is on par with its gameplay. Firstly, the design of the game looks amazing. I just absolutely love the animation style. The character animations, and the way the map, town, and dungeons look are just awesome. It is also very basic… well mostly. The crafting system can get a little complicated but it’s generally very easy to play.

The best part about Gordian Quest is that the whole atmosphere feels just like a DND deck builder. Now while games like Pathfinder: Kingmaker may promote some very DND-like elements, they do tend to be more complicated and take a while to understand the mechanics. Gordian Quest on the other hand, achieves that DND feel without too much complexity.

Decision

Gordian Quest has some great, easy gameplay. With an interesting world, awesome animation style and immense DND vibes. The story is a little basic, but it does just enough to move you on. This is the perfect game to just pick up and play to get your DND fix. And for that alone, this game is worth a shot.

By Dillon Van Der Putten – Reviewed on PC

Excellent

Gordian Quest is not just a common deck builder, as it features some awesome DND-inspired elements that’ll make fans of the classic tabletop RPG feel right at home. The art design is spectacular and the gameplay is incredibly fun, even if it’s a little easy. The one downfall is the story, which can be quite basic—only serving the purpose of moving the game forward. But all in all, Gordian Quest is immensely rewarding… unless you’re looking for a well-woven tale.

This game was reviewed using a download code provided by Mixed Realms. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however, this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website