Review: Pairs & Perils (PC)

Gimmicks, in the realm of game design, can be both a blessing and a curse. Often, a brilliant game emerges from a fresh idea that’s honed to perfection. Yet, it’s all too easy to focus so intensely on this innovative element that other aspects of the game start to seem lackluster. This is a pitfall some designers fall into, and it can lead to a game that feels somewhat incomplete. In our review today, we’re diving into a PC game that exemplifies this issue: Pairs & Perils. It’s a fun game, no doubt, but it does showcase some of these common pitfalls.

On the surface, Pairs & Perils is a straightforward matching game. Players are dropped into a dungeon to face various foes, each with unique abilities. The game presents players with a card board, where matching correctly means launching attacks or casting spells and abilities through party classes. Conversely, incorrect matches speed up the enemy’s attack timer. The concept is simple and engaging, and honestly, the basic mechanics work well. But the areas where I have concerns extend beyond these fundamentals.

Now, let’s delve into the genre Pairs & Perils falls under—it’s a roguelite. As someone who’s dabbled in plenty of these titles, it is safe to say they tend to polarize more than they inspire ambivalence. And that’s often down to elements beyond the core mechanics, such as storytelling. Herein lies one of the central issues with Pairs & Perils: there’s essentially no narrative to support the gameplay.

Arcade and shooter games often get by with minimal storytelling since they’re action-centric. But in strategic genres with quest undertones, a storyline—or the absence of one—carries significant weight. While a detailed narrative isn’t mandatory, some background helps keep players engaged. Sadly, Pairs & Perils falls short here, offering zero narrative context or character introduction. You’re simply thrown into a familiar map with no clue about your motivations or the stakes.

Jumping in, I expected some form of narrative hook—a character, a quest introduction, something. Instead, I was left guessing my role and purpose. While this absence doesn’t make the game unplayable, it definitely reduces the drive to return, particularly over extended play sessions.

Moving on to the game’s flow, the limited time allocated for memorizing cards feels a bit stingy. Granted, I don’t need a whole minute, but a few extra seconds to survey the board thoroughly would be welcome. At the start, with fewer cards, it isn’t much of an issue, but as the game progresses and the board fills up, the time crunch becomes noticeably restricting. The presence of trap cards further complicates this, diverting attention from the cards I actually need to remember.

As you advance and clear matches, more cards are dealt, each set demanding attention and strategic planning. Yet, the flow often results in focusing solely on new matches, sidelining the full board’s potential strategy. It’s a repetitious cycle that forsakes strategic depth for efficiency, which might turn off players seeking a tactical challenge.

The game’s design influences how players engage with its mechanics. A typical strategy game encourages foresight and planning, but here, keeping track of what the enemy might do distracts from the card-matching, as maintaining focus becomes challenging. This issue, while not inherently a design flaw, limits an otherwise engaging battle mechanic to a simple loop of remembering and matching, overshadowing potential strategic depth.

Mechanically, though, Pairs & Perils delivers well. The matching function operates smoothly, and the progression through new cards and characters fits nicely within a roguelite deck-builder’s structure. The controls and graphics are satisfactory, nothing groundbreaking but appropriate for the genre.

In conclusion, Pairs & Perils is a roguelite card game with a creative core mechanic that somewhat misses the mark due to its surrounding issues. While it’s an affordable and entertaining title for quick sessions, it lacks the polish and depth to stand out in the crowded roguelite market. If the developers decide to enrich the game with some storytelling and refine its mechanics, it has the potential to transform into a noteworthy addition. Currently, it’s enjoyable, but not something I’d readily recommend over other available options.

If you’re intrigued by Pairs & Perils, it’s not a total waste of time or money, especially if you’re keen to explore it. However, if you’re simply browsing for top titles, there are more compelling games out there waiting for you. This review is based on a retail version provided by the publisher, and the game, while possessing some charm, ultimately leaves a bit to be desired in its current form.