Deathless. Tales of Old Rus Review — Ruthenian Deck Building

I’ve gotten my hands on several roguelike deck builders this year. You may recall my review of Knock on the Coffin Lid back in August or my more recent review of Menace from the Deep—two fantastic and unique spins on the style of gameplay popularized by Slay the Spire. It’s a pretty solid game archetype and one that I’m a big fan of. Such a big fan, in fact, that I may be working on one myself. Of the roguelike deck builders I’ve reviewed this year, however, my favorite so far has got to be Deathless. Tales of Old Rus.

Deathless. Tales of Old Rus is a roguelike deck builder steeped in Slavic mythology. As one of four characters, you engage in unique, procedurally generated campaigns, fighting progressively harder battles, building a deck of cards, and trying to complete your character’s quest without dying. Even if you do, you’re rewarded with XP to further unlock cards for that character’s deck.

As I mentioned before, Deathless. Tales of Old Rus. follows in the footsteps of Slay the Spire and plays very similar to other roguelike deck-building games on the market. If you’ve played Knock on the Coffin Lid or Menace from the Deep, chances are you already have a fairly good idea of what to expect from Deathless. Tales of Old Rus. mechanically, although Tales of Old Rus. certainly puts its unique spin on things.

If you’ve never played any of the aforementioned titles—or any game in the roguelike deck-building genre, for that matter—the concept is pretty simple.

Like any roguelike, you proceed through a branching path of procedurally generated combat encounters with different rewards at the end of each encounter. Generally, at the end of most encounters, you’ll be given a card to add to your deck. This deck is used during turn-based combat encounters, essentially like you would use attacks or abilities in a more traditional turn-based game. You have a resource limiting the number of cards you can play each turn and can see what your enemies plan to do on their next turn. Most cards are broken up into damage-dealing offensive cards or defensive cards that reduce the damage of incoming enemy attacks. This creates a back-and-forth dynamic where you must balance attacking enemies and defending yourself depending on the cards you draw that turn.

With the addition of character-unique cards and abilities, Deathless. Tales of Old Rus. essentially plays as described above, which is pretty standard for the genre. However, the game stands out with its addition of corpses and positional targeting and movement. Essentially, all attacks, unless otherwise stated, target the enemy at the front of the line. When an enemy dies, it leaves behind a corpse that must be destroyed or moved to access the enemies behind it. This mechanic is similar to the combat in Darkest Dungeon, with a few unique twists, such as the ability to pull corpses to your side of the field to use dead foes as an effective shield. It’s a fun addition to the genre format and one I appreciated during my many battles.

Like my previous examples of games in the genre, Deathless. Tales of Old Rus. uses the familiar gameplay of the roguelike deck-builder archetype to deliver a unique setting and visual experience.

This is most noticeable in the game’s art, which consists of a gorgeous, hand-drawn 2D style. Tons of hard work and talent clearly went into the visuals of Deathless. Tales of Old Rus., which personally reminds me of old Disney animation and a storybook-like aesthetic.

This wholesome appearance, of course, is contrasted by the inclusion of dark fantasy elements inspired by Slavic mythology. While I’m not calling Deathless. Tales of Old Rus. derivative of the Witcher series, because it certainly isn’t; fans of the Witcher might notice a few familiar beasts and legends between the two games. Deathless. Tales of Old Rus. brings creatures of Slavic mythology to life in horrifying detail. Many take the form of gruesome monsters trying to rip you to shreds and end your run early. I really enjoyed the design and concepts behind most of the creatures in the game.

The game also features excellent animation. While some attacks reuse animations, the action on-screen remains engaging and immersive. A small quality-of-life feature I appreciated was the ability to play cards during the attack animations of other cards. If they’re the same type, they’ll sync up and play back-to-back, speeding up your turn.

Deathless. Tales of Old Rus. has easily become one of my favorite new deck-building roguelike games, thanks to its solid grasp on combat and its unique Slavic mythology setting. The game’s art is gorgeous, from its awesomely gruesome monster designs to its intricately beautiful backgrounds, making it a visual treat. Add in a host of interesting characters, with the whip-made-from-her-own-hair-wielding Varvara being my personal favorite, and you have something uniquely special.

Try Hard Guides received a PC review code for this game. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! Deathless. Tales of Old Rus is available on Steam.