Act 1 of this game is a deck builder card battle game. (NB: There is also an "escape room/ puzzle room" bit, described later). Less "CCG" like M:tG, where your goal is to acquire boosters to get great cards, and more like dominion or codex, where you have chances along the way to choose 1 of three every so often, and custom build a deck, one card at a time.

You are fighting with cards that have strength and health; health damage carries over from turn to turn, so cards wear out and must be replaced.

Most cards have a sacrifice cost; you spend cards placed on the board to bring out new cards. You can draw either a "free" 0-1 squirrel, or one of the good cards from your deck that require killing something. After your first death, you start to get cards with a cost of "bones" -- and every time something dies, you get at least one of those for free. So, instead of putting cards into resources, or land, you use them up, constantly cycling them.

Things you can kill: Squirrels, or cards that have used up almost all of their health from previous turns.

The game board -- there are 4 lanes, and most cards cannot change lanes, and only attack straight forward. Your opponent plays their cards one turn ahead of time -- so you see where it will be in time to do something about it. There is no "summoning sickness" -- all cards attack the turn they are placed, and defenders do not deal damage in response. So board tempo is critical, and can switch instantly.

Definitely get the demo to see how the card combat works. It only reveals the first boss, and there are at least three that I have seen so far, plus at least one more that I have not.

There is a lot to this card battle part of the game, and this is only act 1 of three.
After completing the game, there is a long-term series of challenges in this section ("Kaycee's mod", but it's actually part of the game.)

There is significant story, and puzzles, in this game. Act 1, besides the card battle, has a "puzzle room" -- think escape room -- and you can solve these puzzles both for advantages in the card game, and to escape to act 2. These puzzles can be anything from awarding special totems to affect your cards, or special cards. And one of these puzzles gives the item that lets you escape this room.

Act 2 introduces a "world" outside the room you are in, as well as two more classes of creatures. No more just "blood sacrifices" and "bones of the dead", you now gain access to "energy" cards (no sacrifice needed, you gain energy automatically every turn; the cards tend to be easy to play, but weak) and "magic" (three colors, most cards need one of the right color). You gain information, and then act 3 has more story based on this world.

So, act 1 introduces the battle game at the heart of this; act 2 gives you the world. Both act 1 and 2 have story. Act 3 gives you more story. And along the way, you see a "real life story".

Act 1 of this game is a deck builder card battle game. (NB: There is also an "escape room/ puzzle room" bit, described later). Less "CCG" like M:tG, where your goal is to acquire boosters to get great cards, and more like dominion or codex, where you have chances along the way to choose 1 of three every so often, and custom build a deck, one card at a time. You are fighting with cards that have strength and health; health damage carries over from turn to turn, so cards wear out and must be replaced. Most cards have a sacrifice cost; you spend cards placed on the board to bring out new cards. You can draw either a "free" 0-1 squirrel, or one of the good cards from your deck that require killing something. After your first death, you start to get cards with a cost of "bones" -- and every time something dies, you get at least one of those for free. So, instead of putting cards into resources, or land, you use them up, constantly cycling them. Things you can kill: Squirrels, or cards that have used up almost all of their health from previous turns. The game board -- there are 4 lanes, and most cards cannot change lanes, and only attack straight forward. Your opponent plays their cards one turn ahead of time -- so you see where it will be in time to do something about it. There is no "summoning sickness" -- all cards attack the turn they are placed, and defenders do not deal damage in response. So board tempo is critical, and can switch instantly. Definitely get the demo to see how the card combat works. It only reveals the first boss, and there are at least three that I have seen so far, plus at least one more that I have not. There is a lot to this card battle part of the game, and this is only act 1 of three. After completing the game, there is a long-term series of challenges in this section ("Kaycee's mod", but it's actually part of the game.) There is significant story, and puzzles, in this game. Act 1, besides the card battle, has a "puzzle room" -- think escape room -- and you can solve these puzzles both for advantages in the card game, and to escape to act 2. These puzzles can be anything from awarding special totems to affect your cards, or special cards. And one of these puzzles gives the item that lets you escape this room. Act 2 introduces a "world" outside the room you are in, as well as two more classes of creatures. No more just "blood sacrifices" and "bones of the dead", you now gain access to "energy" cards (no sacrifice needed, you gain energy automatically every turn; the cards tend to be easy to play, but weak) and "magic" (three colors, most cards need one of the right color). You gain information, and then act 3 has more story based on this world. So, act 1 introduces the battle game at the heart of this; act 2 gives you the world. Both act 1 and 2 have story. Act 3 gives you more story. And along the way, you see a "real life story".