Tactics ‘Em Up Duelyst [official site] has left open beta to join the ranks of games that are really-for-real out now, no foolin’. It’s a free-to-play collectible card game with a tactical board on which you position units, whose cool blues and hot pinks initially saw it healthily Kickstarted back in March 2014. There’s a couple of new trailers below to mark the release.

First up, here’s a “gameplay” trailer which shows disappointingly little gameplay.



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They also released this intro cinematic if what you really want is some lore, or alternatively you can read Marsh’s look at the game from June last year. He enjoyed it for its tactical options:

I’m intrigued by the direction this is heading – but I’m more easily persuaded by Duelyst on the basis of its snappy, tactical combat, and the fact that the game exists not merely to service an old IP – like so many upcoming CCGs, MOBAs and other me-too genres – but appears to be attempting boldly novel things with its peculiar blend of mechanics. While the megabranded Star Wars and Elder Scrolls CCGs prepare to slug it out, it’s the Duelyst – smaller, sleeker and smarter – that may prove the more deserving victor.

Whether that holds true after six months of open beta tweaks, I’ve no idea. The game has changed a lot since its original conception in any case, switching from an originally planned one-off purchase to a free-to-play model based around the sale of cosmetic items. I know from comments that this is a bugbear for many of you.

In any case, I’m almost convinced to try Duelyst based on this video showing off its pixel art character animations, but what say you, reader – are you or will you be playing Duelyst?