Prismata is a game that has been around for a while. Basically, it is a turn-based alternative to Starcraft. Prismata has never really took off (and never will) but it is surely a game that has its market.
There are two things that can be said about the guys that stand behind its creation.
There are two kinds of shop items. Singleplayer content for those who like to play a mission with a storyline or are just looking for a tough puzzle. Anything multiplayer related is of cosmetic value. You can collect cool skins but none of it can help you in the Arena. If you like the game, you should end up spending there some to show the appreciation. It needs to be noted that Prismata is not a blockchain game. No NFTs, sorry.
Every game mechanic is deterministic and full information. No randomly missed attacks, no surprise cards to turn the momentum. This is actually the reason for the game being limited to small cirle of nerdy players who like to calculate 4 turns ahead. The looong alpha/beta/omega testing stage did not help either as the inner circle had a few years' headstart even at the time of the release (two years ago) so it was tough to keep up for the newcomers.
Actually, you do not have to be one of those nerds to enjoy the game if you are fine to play an occasional match with a high rank player where your win probability is equal to their disconnect rate. However, most people don't like that and prefer to actually have a reasonable shot at winning every game they play even if they are inferior to their opponent. To be fair, once you reach a decent level, there is some randomness we will discuss later but as the player pool is small, you are getting some tough games from the very beginning (unless you just hide and play the AI only).
The game cycle is pretty straightforward. Player 1 starts with 6 Drones (a gold-producing unit), usually buying two more. Player 2 started with seven, half-a-turn ahead and now they are one Drone behind until they buy theirs and hand the turn over. At one point someone buys the first mana producing card and next turn the military units start to appear, producing attacks and defence. First cards are being destroyed, firepower grows, defence structures collapse and soon one team is in ruins (some games might end up in a draw if neither side has enough firepower left to destroy one of opponent's cards. The winner grabs a few ranking points from the loser and some rewards to be converted in those cosmetics.
The games are kept diverse by randomly drawing the cards that are being used in addition to the base set used in every game. There is no deck building, both players have access to identical cards. Choosing the optimal weapons (namely deciding on the number of Drones and the right mana color to use) is essential for success, although there is always room for mistakes (and brilliances in the middle game and endings). The best strategy is often different for the players depending how the pricing of cards fits the actual budget after each of the early turns. That often leads to various offense-vs-defense scenarios that are more fun than "mirror" games. At times the difference might be too extreme (that is where your shot at occasionally beating a big name comes from) and the chat might get shaky but I warned you what type of personality to expect with the regulars.
Prismata is available at Steam or you can visit www.prismata.net for other options. I do not get any affiliate payment or other compensation from Lunarch Studios for creating this article. Enjoy the intellectual challenge!
