Across the Obelisk stands out as a roguelite deckbuilding RPG that blends strategy with cooperative adventure, letting players form parties to tackle procedurally generated quests in a fantasy realm.
Gameplay
In Across the Obelisk, you control a party of up to four heroes, each with their own deck of cards that represent abilities and attacks. Combat unfolds in tactical, turn-based encounters where positioning and synergy between heroes matter. You draw cards each turn to play actions like dealing damage, applying status effects, or buffing allies. As you progress through maps, random events force decisions that can alter your path, grant rewards, or introduce risks. Deck customization happens between runs, using experience points to unlock perks and upgrade cards from a pool of over 500 options and more than 300 items. Heroes belong to one of four classes: warrior, scout, mage, or healer, and combining them creates varied strategies, such as overwhelming enemies with brute force or setting up intricate combos with magic and stealth.
The core loop revolves around exploring zones divided into acts, each ending with a boss fight. Procedural generation ensures no two runs feel identical, with events that might involve helping villagers or chasing loot, impacting the story and your party's fate. Co-op mode allows real-time coordination with friends, sharing decisions on card plays and event choices, while single-player gives full control over all heroes.
Game Modes
Across the Obelisk features three main game modes that cater to different playstyles. The standard mode lets you embark on a structured quest across four acts, building your party and decks as you go, with options for solo or co-op play. Obelisk mode ramps up the challenge by introducing deck drafting at the start and fully randomized adventures, demanding adaptability to unpredictable setups.
Weekly challenge mode provides a fixed deck and map for all players, testing skill in a competitive format where you compare runs against others. All modes support crossplay, enabling teams across platforms, and story content from DLCs shares with the party, enhancing group experiences without individual purchases.
Heroes and Customization
With 16 unlockable heroes spread across four classes, the game encourages experimentation. Warriors focus on direct combat and tanking, scouts excel in agility and traps, mages handle area effects and spells, and healers provide support through buffs and restoration. Each hero has unique starting cards, and as you gain experience, you unlock perk points to tailor abilities further.
Customization extends to items that modify card effects, creating combos like boosting fire damage for mages or adding poison to scout attacks. Regular updates have expanded the card pool and introduced new heroes, keeping strategies fresh.
Is It Worth Playing?
For those who enjoy roguelite deckbuilders with a cooperative twist, Across the Obelisk delivers strong replayability through its procedural elements and party dynamics. It suits players seeking tactical depth in short sessions or longer campaigns, especially in groups where coordinating strategies adds excitement.
Player reviews on platforms like Steam show an overall positive reception, with 82% of over 7,600 reviews favorable, praising the variety and co-op features. Recent feedback has been mixed at 57% positive in the last month, often citing pacing issues in combat. The game continues to receive updates, including new content drops that maintain engagement. If you prefer strategic card games with friends and don't mind occasional slow moments, it's a solid choice that rewards repeated plays.
