Quantum Protocol Reviews

Amazing solo card game

I had no idea what to expect from Quantum Protocol when I picked it up, and yet as a fan of deckbuilding games since playing the original Pokemon TCG back in card shops years ago, I can't say I have ever come across a game quite like this. On one hand, it is very much a deck builder; on another, it is very much a puzzle game. Yet, while there are explicit puzzles the game asks you to solve, figuring out how the many decks work is a puzzle in and of itself. While I have not completed the game as of yet, I'm a fair way in and have been mesmerized by how intricate the underlying mechanics are. To be clear, this game is brutal and difficult and is not for the feint of heart. The game has a series of characters all with different decks, and for the most part you get to pick and choose which deck and which character you'd like to use for each mission in a campaign. Each deck seems perfectly capable of completing each campaign mission, and yet doing so can be a confuddling and baffling experience as the decks themselves expand and change each run. Each deck starts with a certain card set, and each level has a fixed sequence of boards you must complete one another another. As you progress new cards get added in within a random subset of "drops" that exist for that given deck -- some specific to that deck, and some that may appear in any deck. These radically alter how your tool kit performs and create a puzzled web of interaction that's exemplified by a very complex shuffling mechanic. Many of the cards on the board, both by you and the AI, interact very deeply with shuffling. Drawing and cycling are similarly powerful as in most card games, and yet in this one you must be very careful. Each deck has a reshuffle card that resets your board and empties your discard pile, and it is vital you know where this is at all times. Many board effects require you to remove poison cards from your board, and in doing so you often must cycle cards from the board into your trash. These reshuffle mechanics keep your board and hand constantly in need of careful management and refreshment, and each deck plays a bit differently. I have yet to really dig into all the different decks, but I think part of playing the game properly is finding a few you like and sticking with them. More generally, the music in the game is superb and the story is somewhat interesting...but is plagued by absolute garbage dialogue that begs "SKIP! SKIP! SKIP! SKIP!" as it's on the caliber of 10 year old texting speech. The game goes on sale fairly often, and while I'm not sure the price tag is quite right at full price it's definitely worth it on sale. I still have a ways to go to finish (it looks like there's around 80 "mastery levels" with 1 "mastery" awarded per event and I'm at 30) but I'm confident I will. It's a friendly game to pick up and do a level or two for 15-20 minutes and be done. Recommended.

Sick music, loads super quick, and scratches the card game itch. Great for when you've got a half hour to spare

Bought this game on sale thinking it would be fun to play around with for a couple of hours... here I am, over 100 hours later and I LOVE IT! The first thing I will say is, this game will not be for everybody. But personally, I love it so much that it has earned its place as one of my most favourite games. -Story- Perfect for what the game is, in my opinion. There's enough to introduce you to the characters and keep you interested enough to play through what feels like the rather extended tutorial levels. At the same time, it doesn't drag out unnecessarily, allowing you to enjoy playing the game. Would I have objected to reading more about the characters and world they live in? Absolutely not. But to sum it up, this game should NOT be treated as a visual novel with a bit of gameplay. The gameplay is where this game really shines for those with enough patience and interest in it to learn about the different decks, which I will cover in my next point. -Gameplay- Easily overwhelming when starting out. If you can push through the multiple puzzle like levels that serve to introduce you to new decks and their abilities, then you can really start to have some fun building your own decks. I personally thought the introductory levels were good, as it forced you to try different decks and see which one you might like better, but I will concede that the ascension levels once you get to the end are still where you really start to get some satisfaction from playing. At that point, you start to get a real choice about how you want to play and you can really experiment with the finer arts of each deck. It's so satisfying to finally go 'I get it. I finally understand how this deck that I thought was hard can actually be really strong.'. There were many of those moments for me, which was great! It's always felt like there's something more I can learn and explore, even after playing for hours. -Difficulty- Adding on to my comments on gameplay, there are options to make the game easier if you're really struggling, which you can change at any time (with the exception of certain 'puzzle levels' that require you to do a very particular sequence of actions). The hardest or intended difficulty, whichever way you want to look at it, is by no means impossible and makes the game so much more satisfying to beat. In my opinion at least, but maybe I just enjoy getting my backside handed to me. -Music- Brilliant! One of my favourite parts of the game and really adds to it in a meaningful way. Playing a level or two just to vibe to the soundtrack? Yeah, that was me. -Art- No complaints there from me. As an observation, the character portraits don't change expression like they do in some visual novels, merely serving to show you who's talking at any given moment. They do, however, use styled emojis in chat to convey emotion at times. In conclusion, I could not recommend this game enough for those who love a challenge. Engaging, beautiful, difficult, an absolute blast! 9.9/10