Mobius' Labyrinth (Free Deck-Building Card Battle RPG) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

This article introduces "Möbius' Labyrinth," a deck-building card battle RPG where actions are represented by cards.
This game can be described as a non-field RPG with roguelike elements, where you choose one character from a variety of fighting styles and challenge yourself to conquer a labyrinth.
The scenarios are unlocked separately from the gameplay, and the ensemble dramas of each character told within them are a highlight (viewing the scenarios is optional).

Reaching the deepest part of the dungeon takes approximately 1 to 1.5 hours per playthrough.
There are two difficulty levels, so even at the fastest pace, it will take about 8 to 12 hours to complete everything (4 characters x 2 levels).
In my case, it took me about 22 hours to complete all the BEGINNER and VETERAN characters.

Game Overview

This story depicts the ensemble drama of four adventurers who take on the suddenly appearing "Möbius Labyrinth."
Since the gameplay and story sections are separate and independent, even impatient people who want to start playing right away can enjoy the game smoothly.

When you start the game, the first thing you do is choose a character.
At the start of the game, you can only choose Mireille.
You'll unlock one new character each time you clear a stage.

After choosing a character, you then choose a difficulty level.
There are two difficulty levels: BEGINNER and VETERAN. It's probably best to start with BEGINNER.
However, those familiar with this genre or confident in their skills might be fine with the VETERAN version.
I started playing from BEGINNER.

The game's progression and battles are all represented by cards, making it intuitively easy to understand what to do.
The explanation will be displayed in the window below, where you can choose to fight, learn skills at the altar, and so on.
When you choose something, a new destination card is randomly added to your selection, so there's a bit of luck involved.
You can check the remaining number of destination cards that appear in that area in the upper right corner of the screen, so use this as a reference when planning your route.

Battles are fought by drawing cards from your deck.
Each turn, you draw a card and take actions as long as your AP (Action Points) allow.
The number displayed in the upper left corner of the card is the cost, and your AP will decrease by that amount.
If the card has a cost of 0, no action points are consumed.

Attacking and whittling down the enemy's attacks is important, but shields are also crucial in this game.
Using defensive cards (those with a blue number displayed in the lower left corner of the card) will add a set amount to your shield value.
Since you can offset the damage you receive by the amount of your shield value, if you accumulate a shield greater than your opponent's attack, you can proceed through the battle unscathed.
In this game, there are limited ways to recover HP, so minimizing damage is extremely important.
Note that the remaining shield value is basically reset at the start of the next turn.
(Some skills and card effects may carry over.)

Another important element in the combat of this game is "dust."
Many cards accumulate dust after use, and when four dust points are accumulated, the character enters an awakened state.
When you enter the awakened state, the effects of your cards are enhanced, allowing you to perform powerful attacks and defenses.
While dust is designed to accumulate naturally without you having to consciously think about it, you can gain a greater advantage in battle by calculating your awakening.

You can obtain reward cards randomly by defeating enemies.
Add cards to your hand that you think will be useful.
However, keep in mind that a larger number of cards in your deck will slow down its rotation, reducing the frequency with which you can use useful cards.

To reduce the number of cards in your deck, you'll need to pay money at the shop or visit the altar.
Since the available options are limited, be careful not to include too many unnecessary cards.

At the altar, you can use the SP you've earned to learn new skills.
SP can be obtained by defeating enemies or training at camp (this is an alternative to resting and recovering SP).

Skills are very powerful because they have an overall effect throughout the gameplay.
It's helpful to have a clear idea of which skills you ultimately want to acquire and what kind of combat style you aspire to.
Consider the cards you have and aim to create a deck that makes the most of your skills.

As you progress through the game with each character, scenarios will be unlocked.
The scenario is separate from the gameplay, but it enhances the overall enjoyment of the work.
There are no restrictions on unlocking scenarios based on difficulty level, so if you want to unlock scenarios easily, play on BEGINNER difficulty.

Review (no spoilers)

Each of the four of us cleared both the BEGINNER and VETERAN levels.
It was an extremely engaging deck-building card battle game.
As mentioned earlier, you can access the game immediately after launching it, making it a stress-free experience even for impatient players.

The game uses a system similar to "Slay the Spire," but the awakening mechanic using dust creates a unique sense of exhilaration, which I found enjoyable.
Even when facing a formidable enemy and being forced into a purely defensive stance with no time to attack, the accumulation of dust creates opportunities for action, giving you hope of turning the tide at any moment, which contributes to its addictive nature.

In addition to cards, you can enjoy the fun of RPG-style character development through skill enhancements.
Because it's impossible to acquire all skills, it made me think about what direction I should aim for.
It was interesting to see how players would approach the game differently: some would decide which skills to acquire based on the cards they obtained first, while others would decide which cards to acquire based on the skills they wanted to acquire.

Each character can be built with multiple deck types, allowing for a variety of strategies to be employed.
Once you've gotten used to the game and can consistently clear it, it feels great to be able to fight effectively in a style you think is cool.
With various elements for dedicated players, such as clearing the game in the shortest possible time or playing with restrictions on facilities, I think this game will satisfy even the most hardcore gamers.

What I found particularly interesting was that I would make new discoveries every time I played, such as cards I included thinking they were strong actually being difficult to use, or cards I included because they didn't seem that impressive actually being strong.
Even if you get a game over midway through, you can feel your player experience points gradually increasing, which gives you that true roguelike enjoyment.
With two difficulty levels, BEGINNER and VETERAN, I think this is a game that can be enjoyed by a wide range of players, from beginners to advanced players.

[Added on June 21, 2024]
Regarding the background music, I felt that every song matched the atmosphere and was a memorable and excellent tune.
You'll probably hear the battle music the longest, and the background music changes depending on the character and boss, and I could really feel the care that went into selecting each track.
My favorite is Mireille's battle theme, "Cross Formation" (by Takai, Music Egg).
I thought it was a nice touch that in some areas, the battle continued quietly with the field background music still playing.

Strategy Notes (Spoiler Warning) ver.1.02

I'll write about the points I kept in mind when I was trying to complete the game.
There are many different play styles, but I hope this can be helpful as one perspective.

Notes on things to check during the walkthrough.

- Defeating the boss in each area will fully restore your HP.
Since your HP will be fully restored after defeating the area boss, plan your strategy accordingly.
Towards the end of a boss battle, identify the right moment to go on the offensive without worrying too much about taking some damage.

Make effective use of items
ATK & DEF capsules are highly effective in long battles, so use them mainly in boss battles and against tough enemies.
Conversely, being able to prepare before those battles is very reassuring.
Other useful items include potions that restore HP, which are helpful in any situation.
Since I want to train as much as possible during camping to gain SP, I'd like to have other ways to recover HP.

・Choose training at rest areas
There are several ways to recover HP, but the only ways to gain SP are by defeating enemies or through training.
Always choose training and keep building up your SP.

Mireille

BEGINNER

I found Mireille's BEGINNER mode to be the easiest of all the game modes.
I think this is a good mode for getting used to the game system.

If you prioritize putting up shields while attacking, clearing the stage won't be too difficult.
If you aim to acquire the Mirage ability, which allows you to carry over 20 shields at the end of your turn, and focus on defense, you should be able to progress without any trouble.
In terms of offense, I think that by consciously increasing the number of cards that utilize Phantom Arrow, you can efficiently enter the awakened state and deal damage.

VETERAN

Personally, I found it to be the most difficult of all the VETERAN courses.
This character requires some ingenuity to deal significant damage, so there might be a big difference in difficulty between the BIGINNER and VETERAN difficulty levels.
There seems to be a build that would be easier to play if the cards were selected more carefully, the deck were compressed, and it could cycle faster.

I think the most important skills are definitely Mirage and Guilty Thorn.
If you have both of these, you can carry over 20 shield points, and in the next turn, you only need to add 10 to your shield points to get +1 AP, making things much easier.
However, if you focus solely on acquiring this skill, you'll likely find yourself lacking sufficient firepower along the way, resulting in unnecessary damage and a lower survival rate.
Therefore, I believe that the order in which you acquire skills and the selection of cards are extremely important.

In terms of the order of acquisition,First, acquire "Spirit's Blessing" to secure HP.(During breaks, all training is used to gain SP+3).
after that,With Blind + Charm and Soul Arrow to ensure a certain level of firepower, then use Storm Shield → Guardian Orb → Mirage → Guilty Thorn.We will proceed as follows.
After that, if you have the resources, you should aim for Punishment to secure more AP.

Below, I will write my impressions, focusing on the cards I found useful.

·charge
It increases attack power by +3 and also unleashes phantom arrows, so the damage increase upon awakening is much greater than you might imagine.
I didn't find it particularly useful during my BEGINNER playthrough, but it was a huge help this time.

Sylpheed
It has a good balance of power and cost, and it's easy to use because it also adds cards to your hand.
Let's gradually replace Attack (Poisonous Arrow) with it.

Innocent Arrow
It's a bit heavy at cost 2, but its strength lies in its ability to deal massive damage and create a strong shield upon awakening.
However, be aware that if your opponent has a shield up, your attacks will not deal damage, and your own shield will not be increased.

• Enchantment
It's convenient because simply having it provides a shield increase bonus.
It won't get in the way, as it can also be used as an AP+2 card in emergencies.

Warning shots
It's useful in the early stages of a game when you lack firepower, as it costs 0 to chip away at the opponent's shields while also inflicting a stunned state.
In the second half, his presence becomes somewhat less prominent.

Fast reload
Since you can draw a weapon for 0 cost when your combo count is 0, it helps speed up deck rotation and broaden your range of action options.

Cure
Enemies that frequently inflict status ailments consume AP as you try to cure them, so including one or two of these cards will be useful until the end of the battle.
The HP recovery effect is merely a bonus, but it can be subtly useful when you have some leeway during normal battles against enemies.

Phantomhide
Since it requires you to discard all the cards in your hand, it will inevitably be used at the end of your turn.
The fact that it costs 0 and increases DUST by +1 is a big advantage, and including a few copies in your deck will be very useful.
Since it doesn't work well with protective scrolls, which increase shield value as you hold them, avoid combining the two.

・ Window curtains
The ability to carry over shield values is convenient, but the lack of DUST improvement is a minor drawback.

Piercing
Since it deals damage based on the strength of the shield, it's a powerful move that allows you to deal a lot of damage in the later stages of the game.
When combined with Fortress, it can inflict tremendous damage.

*Second clear

A defense-oriented, high-cycle deck that simply relies on timing Innocent Arrow tends to result in long battles, but I was able to clear it with ease.
I'll be relying on Phantom Arrows for firepower.

Odin

BEGINNER

When I tried playing with the same mindset as Mireille, I struggled quite a bit at first.
If I didn't consciously include defensive cards in my deck, I often found myself lacking sufficient shields and taking enemy attacks head-on (though it's possible I simply had bad luck with card draws).
Skill that eliminates fire damage of 10 or less: Flame HaloThe best approach might be to quickly master the technique and then aggressively push forward.
Since increasing the stack of burning effects is beneficial, it's probably best to limit the use of cards that reduce burning effects.

The Gehenna Drop, which permanently increases AP by +1 during battle, is incredibly powerful, so incorporating it made things much easier.
Increasing your maximum AP allows you to use awakening skills more frequently, making it possible to win even if you're not lucky with your cards.
In my case, my HP tended to run out quickly, so buying recovery items from the shop was crucial.

VETERAN

I wanted to build a high-rotation deck that would utilize Link Sword, and as a result, I created an unbeatable deck with abundant AP and the ability to continuously increase ATK.
I think this was the playthrough where I cleared the game with the most ease out of all my attempts.

The goal is to acquire the "Clear Mind" skill without learning any of the upper-level skills, then obtain the "Dragon Soul" skill, and finally acquire supplementary skills such as "Toughness," "Lightning Speed," "Invincible," and "Gifted."
I will not take any cards that would cause me to be embroiled in controversy.
Burning breath → Calm and composed → Flamberge → Perfectly still mindWith that in mind, you should aim to acquire skills like Toughness early on if you're not lucky with potions.
If you don't save up Scorching Breath and Calmness before reaching the boss in Area 1, your shield value will be insufficient and you'll have a tough time.

I kept card acquisition to a minimum, securing Link Sword and Tower Shield, and then acquired Gehenna's Drop and Reset, which are discarded after use.
Initial cards with attack and flame tongue effects are removed, and each time a cool guard is acquired, the guard is also removed.

Below, I will write about my experience using the card.

Link Sword
Because its power increases with each use, it pairs well with high-cycle decks.
By consciously using this technique, destroying shields becomes easier as the battle progresses.

CoolGuard
I want to keep this on hand just in case, to ensure I can completely extinguish any online controversies and activate my state of perfect calm.
I think there's a chance the enemy could set our tank on fire, so we need this as insurance against that.
Also, since it simply performs better than a guard, you can think of it as replacing your guard with it.

Tower Shield
Since the shield you put up in that turn remains on the next turn, it helps you maintain your shields.
If you're using a high-cycle deck, including two copies should allow you to use them without interruption.

・Gehenna's Drop
This is a very important card, like an express ticket to Musou (a legendary Japanese game).
It permanently increases your AP by +1 during the battle, making it much easier if you use it.
Since they are discarded after use, putting multiple cards in won't take up much space.
You'll want to use it early, but since it costs 3, be patient when the enemy's attacks are intense and be careful about when you use it.

Flamberge (Attack)
To be honest, the Link Sword alone would have been fine, but being able to set enemies on fire and deal continuous damage was very helpful.

- Start over
It's useful because you can disable enemy actions when you want to skip them.
Furthermore, it was extremely useful because it could be used risk-free to activate the Dragon Soul skill.

- Secret weapon
Although you won't be able to draw any additional cards, being able to draw three cards for free is a big advantage.
If you use it after you've used up all your hand-adding cards, the downsides can be mitigated to some extent.

Crimson Nova
This is a powerful technique that is useful for activating Dragon Soul.
The cost is high at 3, but since you'll have plenty of AP left after using Gehenna's Drop, there are many opportunities to use it.

Elio

BEGINNER

As the concept of winning by overwhelming the opponent with numerous moves suggests, I felt that the key was how effectively you could overwhelm them by using zero-cost cards.
The skill acquisition goals are Sword Dance (to increase the power of cost-0 sword techniques), Superb Technique (to create synergy with cost-0 cards), and Bloodthirsty (to create synergy with bleeding).
While stacking bleeding damage yourself is high-risk, high-reward, I think it can be effective if you have ample shields available.
As a basic strategy, I think it would be easier to play if you focus on acquiring cards that cost 0 and cards that add cards to your hand.

My main regret is that I didn't prepare enough cards to reduce my own bleeding, which meant that after my bleeding stacks accumulated, cards like Bloodbath, which have bleeding usage restrictions, became useless.

The following cards were useful:

・Scheme
Using it at the start of your turn allows you to draw two cards without any drawbacks, improving your game's flow.

Mirage Coat
The effect diminishes with each use, but since it costs nothing, the downsides are minimal.

Ice coffin
Although it costs 2, it allows you to attack and defend at the same time.
By deliberately delaying the use of the zero-cost ice wall that appears, you can create a more challenging situation, thereby improving the overall defensive strength of your deck.

・Gale Slash
It was useful because it could be used at the beginning of the turn for 0 cost.
However, drawing two cards in the same turn isn't very advantageous, so I think it's important not to include too many of them in your deck.

・Debunk
Since you can put up a shield at zero cost after using a sword technique, it's easy to use and doesn't get in the way.

VETERAN

Basically, if you proceed with the same approach as you did during the BEGINNER stage, you should be able to clear it easily.
This deck successfully cleared the stage by focusing on avoiding personal losses while inflicting heavy losses on the opponent.
Since you can make many moves with zero-cost cards, if you aim to acquire skills that increase the impact of each zero-cost attack, you don't need to worry about AP gain.

in particular,To aim for the Sword Dance, the progression is Genius → Initiative → Longsword → Parry → Sword DanceIt would be good to learn with that image in mind.
The key is to draw lots of cards and play in a way that allows for a high-speed rotation.

The following cards were useful:

Backstab
This is the key card for this game.
Be sure to use it while awakened to stack a large amount of bleeding on your enemies.
Since all attack damage is boosted, a single dagger throw becomes extremely powerful.
The fact that they are discarded after use, thus increasing turnover, is also a plus.

・Gale Slash
It's useful as the starting point for an attack at the beginning of a turn.
The fact that it costs 0 to gain dust is a big advantage, and the +1 card in hand is also helpful.

Rusalka
Being able to neutralize one of the opponent's actions is very useful.
It's versatile because it can be used to weather attacks when you don't have enough defensive cards, and it can also be used to block the enemy's defenses.
The timing of when you draw it into your hand is a matter of luck, but it won't get in the way if you have it in your deck.

·heat haze
It can evade attacks at no cost, so it won't get in the way.
It's not great against enemies that attack frequently, but it's still useful.
Unlike shields, this is treated as a status effect, so it can be carried over to the next turn.

Chainblade
It's convenient because it deals moderate damage in a chain reaction while costing zero.

・Debunk
It's easy to use because you can raise your shield at the end of your sword techniques.

Swordbreaker
It can be used as a substitute when you don't have enough shields.

- A vortex of slaughter
It can be used against enemies who are bleeding profusely from a backstab, causing them to erupt in blood fountains.
When the bleeding reaches nearly 30, even a dagger throw can deal around 40 damage, which is quite devastating.
However, be careful of enemies that have ways to heal status ailments, as they may reverse the bleeding effect you've worked so hard to build up.

Noah

BEGINNER

It's difficult to track all of the surgical procedures, headaches, and branding, so we found that letting one of them go and letting the patient grow in that way yielded better results.
For this playthrough, I focused on the concept of using magic formulas plus branding.

Skills have high firepower.Illusionary Dream → Staff of the Ominous StarI will prioritize acquiring that and aim for destructive impulses.
The Staff of the Ominous Star is extremely powerful against enemies afflicted with the Branded status, dealing considerable damage.
The surgical procedure is,Learn High-Speed Casting → Fountain of Wisdom, and finally Star Rune.Acquiring this allows you to constantly stack spells, making it more stable.
It takes time to acquire all the necessary skills for the techniques, so you can expect to be able to fully utilize them from around Area 3 onwards.

The most useful card was Rock Prison Wall.
It costs 2, but its strength lies in being able to hold onto it when not needed, and always having one in your hand makes combat much more stable.
The fact that you can use it for a cost of 1 if you stack the spells is a big advantage, and the main reason to use the spells is to be able to use this card.
Thunder Spear KeravnosFor similar reasons, the ability to perform this procedure at no cost when there are spare procedures available is a significant advantage.

Additionally, Fairy Dust was also very useful.
It can be used at a cost of 0 when there are no spell stacks, and you can also draw a card.
They are discarded after use, but I think including two or three won't take up much space.

Since it has a tuning effect and doesn't get in the way, I think including one in your deck will allow for a more flexible fighting style.

VETERAN

In BEGINNER, I focused on attacking with spells, but this time I cleared it with a high-cycle deck that uses brands and melee attacks.
After clearing everyone's VETERAN difficulty, I've come to realize that high-cycle decks with carefully selected useful cards are all very powerful.
In the VETERAN difficulty levels, the order from most difficult to least difficult was: [Difficult] Mireille > Noah > Helio ≥ Odin [Easy].

Since I'm constantly aiming for AP4 using physical language, I don't particularly learn any magic-related techniques.
If you interpret it as Illusion → Staff of the Ominous Star → Control → Body Language → Destructive Impulse, it becomes much easier.
Since this build had some weaknesses in terms of defense, I compensated for it with potions and DEF-boosting items.

Below, I will list the cards that I found useful.

・Spirit Guard
It was an important source of headaches.
The shield-generating guard was somewhat lacking, so this card played a subtly important role in this deck.

Blood Ritual
This ability is extremely powerful, as it maximizes dust and grants +1 AP, but it's limited to situations where dust is 0 and the opponent is branded.
If you keep hitting with the Awakened Star Staff, you'll apply the brand without even thinking about it, so the only issue is the timing of dust 0.

- Unjustified violence
It's only useful when you have a headache, but it's an exceptionally good item with a cost of 1 and +2 dust.

- Staff of the Ominous Star
It's not just a simple enhanced version of the initial attack; with skill-based enhancements, it significantly reduces damage taken.

Hyperion Blow
As the number of headache cards discarded increases towards the end of battle, it becomes possible to generate significant firepower, making it particularly useful against tough enemies and bosses.
Since the cost is calculated as AP (Action Points), it was also a flexible attack method that effectively utilized any leftover AP.

Review (contains spoilers)

In this game, the gameplay and the story are almost completely separate.
The author's previous workIris's GameWhile the story portion was already separated in "[Title of previous work]", this approach has been taken to an even greater extent.

During my first playthrough, I didn't pay much attention to the bosses that appeared in the main game, but after reading the scenario, I was able to recognize them and think, "Oh, that's that character."
Once again, the main characters are all intertwined, and each character is explored from a different perspective through the episodes of other protagonists.

The image below isn't very pretty, but it's a diagram I created to summarize the relationships between the characters.

Elio's scenario had a different feel from the other characters, and I really liked it.
There was little interaction with other characters, and the story mainly focused on exploring the protagonist's own inner world.
The ending may not seem like a happy ending at first glance, but I think it was a satisfying conclusion for Elio and Simon.

The story revolves around a guild, and it somehow reminded me of my favorite series, "Goblin Slayer," which made it a very comfortable experience.
Since many adventurers gather at the guild, it's likely that many other adventurers besides the four main characters have also challenged the Möbius Labyrinth.
I harbor a fleeting hope that new playable characters will be added in the future.
Other intriguing elements include the nature of Odin's dragon blood and the future of Mireille and Noah, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the world of this game will expand even further.