Across the Obelisk: The Obsidian Uprising is a story pack for the roguelike deck-building strategy game Across the Obelisk. It expands the core experience with a self-contained narrative set in a dwarven city from the past while introducing new items, a customizable companion, and visual options that integrate directly into ongoing runs.
Gameplay
The core loop centers on assembling a party of heroes and navigating encounters through card-based combat. Players build decks over the course of a run by selecting cards after battles, managing resources, and adapting to enemy patterns in turn-based sequences. The Obsidian Uprising integrates into this system by placing the party in a new multi-layered environment where progression involves exploring connected areas and uncovering story elements alongside standard combat and loot opportunities.
Combat remains focused on positioning, ability timing, and synergy between hero cards and items. The pack adds four exclusive items that expand combo possibilities without altering the fundamental rules of deck construction or hero progression. A new robot companion named Scrappy joins the party and can be assembled piece by piece through story progress, offering five chassis options and five arm configurations that create distinct visual and functional variations.
Seven steampunk-themed skins for existing heroes and a new card back provide cosmetic variety that carries over to regular play. These elements fit into the existing progression without requiring separate modes or separate saves.
Game Modes
The pack functions as an optional story dungeon accessed through a rift in the existing world map. It supports the same single-player and co-op structures as the base game, allowing parties of up to four players to experience the time-travel narrative together. Only one participant needs to own the pack for the entire group to access the content during a shared run.
Progress through the new area follows the roguelike structure of repeated attempts with persistent unlocks. Rewards such as the new items and Scrappy components remain available after the story segment concludes, feeding back into standard runs. No separate competitive or versus modes are included; the focus stays on cooperative exploration and combat within the time-displaced setting.
Story and Setting
The narrative sends the party thirty years into the past to the dwarven city of Black Forge during a period of unrest known as the Obsidian Uprising. Players interact with younger versions of familiar heroes while working to resolve the conflict and return to the present. The setting introduces industrial and dwarven architecture layered across multiple map levels, emphasizing investigation of a once-prosperous location now facing disaster.
Story beats unfold through exploration and key encounters rather than linear cutscenes. Choices and outcomes influence the immediate run while leaving lasting additions to the roster of available tools and companions for future attempts.
New Features and Progression
Scrappy serves as a persistent pet that players customize over multiple playthroughs. Each completed segment of the story yields additional parts, encouraging repeated visits to refine the companion's appearance and capabilities. The four new items slot into existing item pools and can combine with cards from the base roster to create fresh strategies.
Visual updates extend beyond the new area. The steampunk skins and card back apply across all content, giving long-term players new ways to personalize their parties without changing mechanics. These additions encourage experimentation within the established deck-building framework.
Is It Worth Playing?
Player reception for the pack shows mixed results on Steam, with reviews noting solid additions to the map and aesthetics alongside concerns about overall scope relative to price. The base game receives consistent praise for its depth in runs and team-building systems, and the pack extends that foundation with repeatable story content that integrates cleanly into existing co-op sessions.
This content suits players who already enjoy the deck-building roguelike loop and want additional narrative context plus new customization options. Those seeking substantial mechanical overhauls or entirely new game modes may find the changes incremental. The co-op accessibility, where only one owner is required, makes it practical for groups already invested in the title. Regular updates to the base game continue to support long-term play, and the pack adds to that ongoing ecosystem without disrupting established systems.
