Across the Obelisk: Bernard, the Alchemist expands the core experience of the cooperative roguelike deckbuilder with a new scout-healer hero and his companion pet. This hero pack adds depth to party building in a game that blends strategy, card combat, and adventure elements on PC. Players assemble teams of four heroes drawn from multiple classes, then navigate randomized or structured paths while managing resources and status effects during encounters.
Gameplay
The central loop revolves around constructing decks from hundreds of cards and hundreds of items across sixteen heroes. Each run involves selecting cards that synergize with chosen heroes, upgrading them through experience, and adapting to enemy patterns. Combat emphasizes positioning, timing, and applying or mitigating effects such as poison, wet, or dark statuses. Bernard introduces a multiclass approach that combines scouting speed with healing capabilities, allowing him to leverage flask mechanics for positive outcomes and rust mechanics to weaken foes or protect himself from drawbacks. His octopus pet Inky extends these options by shooting ink to layer additional status effects on targets.
Party composition becomes more flexible with the new hybrid class. Players can experiment with combinations that previously lacked strong healing or scouting support, creating fresh synergies around rust curses and flask benefits introduced in recent updates. The hero moves deliberately, trading raw speed for potent control over enemy vulnerabilities and personal resilience. Custom event responses tied to Bernard further reveal his background and motivations during exploration segments.
Game Modes
Adventure mode serves as the primary story-driven experience. Players progress through a series of maps across four acts, facing escalating threats and bosses while managing a shared party. Up to four participants can join, either controlling individual heroes or having one player direct the entire group. This mode rewards careful deck evolution and long-term planning across multiple sessions.
Obelisk mode shifts focus to roguelike variety. Each attempt generates a fresh path with randomized encounters, requiring players to draft decks on the fly and prepare for unpredictable enemy lineups. Success depends on quick adaptation rather than fixed strategies.
Weekly challenge mode presents a fixed deck and map layout for competitive or skill-focused play. Outcomes hinge on execution and understanding of the predetermined setup, offering a consistent benchmark for improvement without the variables of full randomization.
New Strategies with Bernard
Bernard and Inky open avenues for status-heavy builds that combine debuffs with sustained healing. Rust effects can reduce incoming damage or amplify outgoing threats, while flask interactions provide utility in both offense and recovery. The pet's ink attacks add layers of wet, poison, and dark conditions that compound over turns, encouraging decks built around chaining these elements. Skins and cardbacks provide visual variety without altering mechanics, and event replies add personality to random encounters encountered during runs.
Is It Worth Playing?
The base game and its expansions deliver strong replayability through three distinct modes that cater to different preferences: narrative progression, endless variation, and precise challenges. Bernard's addition specifically benefits players who enjoy tinkering with hybrid classes and status synergies in a four-hero party setup. Those already invested in deck-building roguelikes will find immediate value in the new compositions and pet mechanics. The title supports both solo control of the full party and online co-op, making it suitable for individuals or groups seeking cooperative strategy sessions. Ongoing updates have kept mechanics evolving, with the hero pack integrating cleanly into existing systems for continued depth. Players who value thoughtful card play over fast action will likely appreciate the measured pace and strategic layers on offer.
