Mixing board games with videogames is not something that’s been done much in the West. Apart from Mario Party, you can’t even say it’s ever gained traction when the Japanese have tried to export the formula. But it’s a genre with a tremendous tradition in the Land of the Rising Sun, with some franchises that have a long history and are also hugely successful.
Although the most famous franchises are still around today, in the West they’re little more than footnotes, if they even ring a bell at all. But that doesn’t mean they’re any less important. Or that the Japanese haven’t tried to get them to catch on beyond their borders. It seems now they’re going to try again, starting with the remaster of an absolute classic of the genre that you shouldn’t miss. Because Couldcept: The First is as good as it was on day one.
A unique mix of Monopoly and Magic: The Gathering
Culdcept‘s premise is simple. In a fantasy world, you play as a boy who must travel across the world to take possession of the Culdcept, the Book of Creation and Destruction. To do so we’ll have to gather cards that let us summon creatures and create magical effects on the battlefield in intense duels against other players. Especially because the only way to get more cards and more fragments of the Culdcept is to defeat other people with the same goal as we do. But with darker intentions.
While the premise is that of a JRPG, the game is far from being that. Or not just that. Because it only takes five minutes to realize it’s something else entirely. It’s a mix of Monopoly and Magic: The Gathering.
In Culdcept we move through different levels and in each of them we’re on a board with several possible elemental effects. On these spaces, you can place a creature —which, if it’s of the same element, will have an power advantage—, and if we do, we’ll take possession of the space. Being able to improve the spaces we control and change their elements, our goal is to reach the level objective before our rival does. Usually, reaching a specific number of points.
So far, it’s obvious where the Monopoly is. But where’s the Magic? It’s that if we land on a space controlled by a rival we don’t have to pay anything, but rather face their monster or ignore it. If we choose to face it, we’ll have to choose one of our monsters and fight against it, but knowing that our rival can cast spells to tip the scales in their favor.
A game with more layers than it seems
The game’s appeal is that, of course, all of this is nothing more than its most superficial layer. With offensive and defensive spells that work against monsters and players, a 50-card limit, and matches of up to four players, games are far more complex than landing on a space and making sure your monster has more attack than the rival monster’s defense. And that becomes clear quickly.
That’s Culdcept’s charm. And also its difficulty. But Culdcept The First, as the demo shows, adds all the elements you’d expect from this kind of remaster. With rewind, save states, and the ability to see your hand and your rival’s, it includes plenty of features to avoid frustration that this kind of game might cause.
Is Culdcept the next big hidden gem in videogames? But what does seem likely is that it’s a game that can win over JRPG and board game fans who like a game with charm and a lot more depth than it seems at first glance. Smart, deep, and more approachable than it seems, Culdcept is a brilliant franchise that deserves much more success than it’s had. At least in the West. That’s why this Culdcept The First, which comes out on July 31, should be on your radar.
