

With all of the genre-combination happening recently in the games industry, it’s almost as if playing games that focus on just one genre is obsolete. From puzzle-shmups to racing-sports, these genre-defining games have provided me with countless hours of entertainment and innovated in a way that brings a new level of fun in a time where we are faced with so many clones and remasters. Ancestory is the latest of these genre-combining games, and features a mix of turn-based strategy and card game mechanics.



In Ancestory, you take on the role of a shaman who has the ability to summon minions that will do battle for you. On top of being able to control these minions, you are also able to cast deadly spells, which are represented by cards. The game is very simple when it comes to its description, but the choices available for spells and minions, as well as the strategic choices to be made in each match, make for an extremely challenging and varied experience in each match.

One of the more interesting features of Ancestory is the ability to create your own deck of spells and minions. This allows you to tailor your card choice to your playstyle, and find powerful combinations that will assist you in your attempt to defeat your opponent. If you’re like me, and find deck-building to be one of the most enjoyable portions of any card game, then this will be right up your alley. The ability to figure out the best combinations of cards is quite entertaining, and the satisfaction from discovering a powerful new combination is a feeling that is second-to-none.



In terms of the base gameplay of Ancestory, you will spend the majority of each match summoning your minions and moving them around the board. The game board is set up in a grid-based format, meaning that you can move each unit a certain number of tiles, which I find to be akin to games like X-COM. Moving and battling with units is extremely simple to understand, which makes the game very accessible to new players. However simple the base mechanics may be, it is the in-depth strategies that can be created through deck-building and unit placement that will make the game even more entertaining.

The objective in a battle is to capture various totems that are spread across the battlefield. These points can be captured by moving units into their radius, and controlling them is the only way to achieve victory. The battles take place in a 1-on-1 format, and can be played in online multiplayer, local multiplayer, or against the game’s AI. Each battle takes place on a different battlefield, but all are set on the back of a giant golem, which I must say is pretty awesome.



As of right now, Ancestory is in beta, and is planning for a release sometime this fall. I’ve played a couple of matches of the multiplayer, and found the game to be quite entertaining. I really enjoyed having choices in terms of which minions and spells I bring into battles, and I found the strategy aspects of the game to be fairly well done. Although it’s only a beta, I can easily see Ancestory becoming a staple in my gaming lineup once it is released.