Crown Trick Critic Reviews

Crown Trick is a roguelike that isn’t afraid to make you feel overpowered through its systems. However, it’s also not afraid to test your skills by introducing powerful enemies and traps. No matter what, though, there are plenty of ways for the player to take on the challenge. It’s this design that makes Crown Trick a must-play for both dungeon-crawler and roguelike fans. Even as I’m writing this, I just want to play more, which is the first time I’ve ever wanted to be in a nightmare.

I’m confident that if you like the challenge that roguelikes offer then you’ll find Crown Trick to tick all of your boxes. It’s fun, beautiful, and challenging enough to keep you trying harder, but not so much that you want to delete your PC. It’s going to be a game I keep going back to, and on that note, I’m going to go and play it some more.

I was taken in by the game from the get go… the visuals are lovely an playful and the gameplay is challenging but not frustrating (no doubt some will find it “too easy”, but for me it was a good balance). It’s a great title to be able to pick up and have a play through to pass time and thanks to the random levels and loot it seems fresh each time. If you like this style of game I am quite happy to recommend it!

Typical roguelikes are usually a nightmare for me, but Crown Trick turned out to be pure pleasure. Its synchronous turn-based gameplay gave me +50 to calmness and +10 to good mood, as I could take all the time I needed to plan my steps. I actually felt I was playing a turn-based tactical shooter rather than a roguelike. Apart from being fun, the game looks and sounds cool.

Crown Trick offers turn-based tactical depth as you battle your foes on numerous dungeon floors. You'll chain the effects from traps, items, spells, and the elements, all while hoping you're lucky with the RNG. It's rogue-lite goodness wrapped in a challenging, engaging, and highly enjoyable package. Just be ready to restart manually often if you want to have an ideal run.

You’ll have to leave any run-and-gun sensibilities at the door when you jump into Crown Trick; it’s a game about thoughtful manoeuvres and carefully-planned attacks. But it results in combat that’s extremely rewarding, and a challenge that’s a lot of fun to take on. Progressing in Crown Trick may be tricky, but it’s never insurmountable – and you’ll be enjoying yourself so much that you’ll want to keep jumping back in, seeing if you can get that bit further next time.

Quotation forthcoming.

While not perfect, Crown Trick has managed to give a unique rogue-like experience to a genre oversaturated with copy-paste ideas.

The cute shell holds challenging combat and a mature story. The turn based fights are fair, due to their transparency and calculability. Nevertheless, the lack of proper replayability and endgame as well as the small amount of dialogue dull the experience a little.

Crown Trick is a very cute, addictive and thoughtful game with a small number of problems. The biggest one lays in the dungeons' sameness.

Crown Trick is a melting pot full of great ideas and is a solid performer, but never quite rises above the sea to fully shine.

While you may have to be prepared for a slow start and a grind, there’s fun to be found in Crown Trick, thanks to its unique turn-based take on roguelike dungeon crawlers, its enjoyable and deep mechanics, and the vibrant world of the Nightmare Realm. Whether you’re a patient player, a strategy buff or just someone looking for something different, NEXT Studios have something for you that might not be an absolute dream, but will be an interesting little fantasy.