I love a good roguelike; I love a good deck-builder. What do you get when you put them together? Demon’s Mirror by Be-Rad Entertainment, published by Good Shepherd Entertainment. In the self-proclaimed mix of “Slay the Spire meets Puzzle Quest”, players must battle various monstrosities to escape the Demon’s Mirror. A force that lures vulnerable souls into its hostile world. I tested my prowess on the battlefield with the Steam preview, and I got pretty entranced by the Demon’s Mirror.

The battle system reminds me of Bejewelled, with grid-based mechanics focusing on chaining buffs and attacks. Demon’s Mirror throws in cards that grant additional abilities to up the ante. With over 200 cards, building a deck worthy of vanquishing foes is crucial, with cards that buff up defences or deal hefty damage.

The action takes place in a 2D realm that harkens back to turn-based RPGs of the past. With gorgeous painterly art and the occasional text-based storytelling, the nostalgia and gameplay are the perfect blend for a casual gameplay session. The demo is but a sampler of all the Dragon’s Mirror promises, which the devs promise plenty of fantasy-inspired areas, including caves filled with glowing fungi and, in the demo, your usual lush forest.

During my encounters, I encountered plenty of worthy adversaries, including ravaged demon dogs, imps, and my favourite, an enemy who looks just as his name describes. It’s legit, just a Smiley Rock. To top it off, Demon’s Mirror has that unmistakable fantasy adventure feel with an epic orchestral soundtrack that mixes between each battle and satisfying sounds when completing chains or landing a hit.

The short demo allows a tease of what’s coming for players to experience the first world and the first boss. The demo can be played as Draga, a humanoid dragon and one of the three playable heroes, the remainder of which will be available on release. Each hero has their own trinket for a little strategic boost; Draga had the Oracle Pendant to gain +1 insight each turn with more trinkets to be found and stacked for even more power in a fight.

Combat boils down to having a strategic hand to play cards and spend action points to deal and defend from damage. As a roguelike, each reroll of the game means a new deck needs to be built up. With over 200 cards, there’s plenty of replayability, with no two battles or runs feeling the same. Enemies put up a fight too, with their own enemy tiles they can throw into play, as well as various status effects and modifiers, which will be included in the release. The gameplay is challenging enough, with good foresight needed to master combat, taking a learn-by-doing approach.

At the end of each battle, a good old chest appears, where your hero picks one of three cards. The world map has a few pathways to explore, which include standard and elite battles, campfires for healing, the Great Stone for card management, a store, and random events for bonus buffs or disadvantages. Taking the best route can be the difference between making it to the boss at the end of the road, so choosing wisely is crucial. I enjoyed exploring different approaches.

In some random events, there are small choices to be made that deliver that Dungeons and Dragons feel of choosing your own adventure, or in this case, bonuses; stumbling upon a mysterious rock formation, for instance, may grant a buff at the cost of some health or allow for drawing a bonus card.

Overall, the addictive gameplay made me want to keep on journeying back. The demo is currently up on Steam if you want to enter the Demon’s Mirror for yourself. It will be fully playable on Steamdeck on release, perfect for on-the-go gaming.

For the fans of a casual puzzler session with a little more oomph, and if you have a few hours to spare, the Demon’s Mirror demo is an incredibly moreish adventure worth trying.

Written by: Yasmin Noble