Card Shark is a historical lesson through the lens of a bunch of card games. This is not a typical card-based game though. It doesn’t involve collecting unique cards and battling them like in an RPG, although that would be an interesting theme for a game set in 1700s France though.
Instead, players begin as a nameless mute servant in a parlor that is run by Ms. Porterhouse. After her passing, a patron, Comte de Saint-Germain, takes the protagonist under his wing and starts teaching him how to swindle people. It might be the most unique indie game of 2022 so far. Is that a good thing for Card Shark though or is it too niche? Let’s find out in this review-like breakdown.
8 Best: Fun Dialogue
There are no voices in Card Shark, which is not out of the ordinary for an indie game. That is okay considering how snappy the dialogue is otherwise. This may be set in 1700s France, but a lot of the jokes feel more modern in the game.
There are a lot of puns with proper names, card games, and even jabs at history. The humor overall is dry, so it’s not going to be for everyone. The dialogue should at least produce a smirk or two throughout the adventure.
7 Worst: No Retry Button
Getting to a full-on Game Over screen is difficult in Card Shark. However, that doesn’t mean players won’t struggle with some of the game’s challenges. It would be one thing if players could hit a retry button after losing. That would go against the whole idea of the money system in the game though so that part is fine.
What is more baffling is the fact that players can’t pause the game and hit retry during training segments. If players realize they have screwed up, they have to finish the whole tutorial and then wait for a prompt to retry at the end. It’s more complicated than it needs to be.
6 Best: The Difficulty And Hint System
Players not used to classic card games like Poker need not worry as there are three difficulty settings in Card Shark ranging from easy to hard. There is even a hint option in the menu which is one of the game's assist-like features.
There is one other feature players can utilize. If players lose a game and quit back to the menu, they can skip that mission altogether with a new prompt. Players still have to see the story play out, but the mini-game will complete itself, awarding players with gold.
5 Worst: The QTEs
There are a few card games and mini-games that are essentially QTE missions in Card Shark. For example, when trying to fool characters during Three Card Monte, players must time their buttons right as they fall within circles. Sometimes it can feel natural while other times it seems like there is a lag in the response.
This was tested among many controllers to see what the issue was. Every time it seemed like Card Shark was at fault. It’s nothing game-breaking. QTEs are just, by default, old news and a little frustrating.
4 Best: Always Something New
While not every game is going to be fun to play, like the QTEs in Three Card Monte, Card Shark’s variety does deserve praise. It could easily be a game about cheating at Poker, which it is a majority of the time. However, how players cheat is constantly evolving.
At first, players have to remember what suits competitors have while pouring wine. Then they need to learn how to polish a table correctly. The ever-evolving nature of cheating, along with the variety of card games present, is sure to keep players interested and on their toes.
3 Worst: Very Complicated
There is a major downside to the changing nature of each card game in Card Shark. The rules start to stack, making it difficult to remember everything. Players can pause the game at any time to see some refreshers. However, the best tip is to take notes.
As the in-game menus can only do so much, manual notes should keep things fresh in the player's mind. Keeping track of everything can get frustrating after a while.
2 Best: The Art Style
Card Shark is not quite a cartoon, but it is colorful like one. The visuals are more like a painting come to life but mixed with a more certain-like nature. However, if one were to describe it, the art style is unique for an indie game. It fits the 1700s French aesthetic. The backgrounds are gorgeous, and every character has a small interesting trait to them.
They’re not going to stick out like bosses in Metal Gear Solid, but it’s hard to compete with a game with character designs like that. Characters pop out even more in the journals in Card Shark.
1 Best: The World Map
Card Shark can be best described as a non-linear puzzle game. After a few tutorials, players will head onto a map that will be punctured with missions. Some missions have restrictions, such as gold requirements, but otherwise, players can tackle them in any order before moving on to the next chapter.
This open-ended nature allows players to move between missions freely without having to hammer away at a particular puzzle that seems impossible to solve. Sometimes all players need is a good rest before trying again.
Card Shark was released on June 2, 2022 and is available on PC and Switch.