NEW Roguelike: None Shall Intrude - Become the ULTIMATE Raid Boss!
None Shall Intrude is a cool new roguelike, developed by Aeterna Ludi, promises an engaging experience where players embody a powerful dragon bent on destroying heroes who dare to challenge its dominance. As a roguelike card-battling game, it presents an intriguing premise: using a deck of attack and defense cards to strategically eliminate foes. The game boasts a visually striking art style and an atmospheric soundtrack reminiscent of a grand fantasy epic. But does it deliver a compelling experience beyond its aesthetics? Unfortunately, while there are some bright spots, None Shall Intrude stumbles in key areas that ultimately make it more frustrating than fun.
At its core, None Shall Intrude offers a unique card system that combines elemental effects. For instance, setting a tile on fire and then using a wind-based attack can spread the flames, adding an extra layer of strategy. This mechanic is genuinely interesting and distinguishes the game from other deck-building roguelites. However, the execution leaves much to be desired.
One of the most glaring issues is the repetitive nature of battles. After only a few hours, it becomes clear that encounters follow a predictable pattern. Despite unlocking new cards and abilities, fights feel monotonous, with little variation in enemy behavior. The lack of diverse, evolving challenges significantly hinders long-term engagement.
Additionally, the balance feels off. Certain enemies—like a specific Viking hero—possess abilities that completely nullify certain builds. This is especially frustrating when the game itself heavily encourages a fire-based playstyle through its promotional material, only to punish players for following that path. Instead of feeling like an organic challenge, these moments come across as cheap difficulty spikes designed to frustrate rather than engage.
Technical issues plague None Shall Intrude. Several players have reported game-breaking bugs, such as misclicks leading to unintended battles and fights loading without enemies. The user interface is also riddled with problems—one particularly amateurish mistake involves the ‘End Turn’ button shrinking when hovered over, making it unclickable at times. Small details like this indicate a lack of polish and basic usability testing.
Another issue is the game’s poor in-game explanation of mechanics. The tutorial hints at a help menu where players can look up abilities and effects, but in practice, this menu only provides basic information, failing to clarify how to create certain combinations. This lack of transparency makes deck-building unnecessarily frustrating, forcing players into a trial-and-error process that could have been avoided with better documentation.
While the music fits the tone of a grand fantasy game, it lacks distinctiveness, feeling more like a generic battle score than something tailored for a game about playing as a dragon. The sound design itself is uninspired—attacks lack impact, and the dragon’s actions often sound more like heavy breathing than the ferocious roars one might expect.
None Shall Intrude does offer a variety of cards, talents, and abilities to unlock, but the progression feels shallow. Despite earning new upgrades, the gameplay loop doesn’t evolve in a meaningful way. Once you’ve played through the first few areas and fought the first major hero, you’ve essentially seen everything the game has to offer. This lack of variety significantly dampens replayability, which is crucial for a roguelike.
Another frustrating design choice is the inability to report bugs in-game. Given the number of issues players have encountered, an integrated feedback system would have been a valuable addition. The fact that players must resort to external forums or social media to voice concerns only adds to the sense that the game was released prematurely.
Final Verdict!
None Shall Intrude is a game with a promising concept and flashes of brilliance in its elemental card interactions, but it ultimately falls short due to poor balancing, technical issues, and a lack of depth. The frustrating UI, lackluster sound design, and uninspired progression make it difficult to recommend in its current state. While the core mechanics could be refined into something truly engaging, as it stands, the game feels like an early-access title that wasn’t quite ready for a full release.
If you’re a die-hard fan of card-based roguelikes and can tolerate a rough-around-the-edges experience, there is some enjoyment to be had. However, for most players, None Shall Intrude fails to live up to its potential and may not be worth the investment until significant improvements are made.
None Shall Intrude - 1.0 Launched on January 21, 2025!
Platform: PC (Steam) Price: $14.99 USD
Link:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2518630/None_Shall_Intrude/
Venture into None Shall Intrude, a roguelike deck-builder with tile-based combat where you become a powerful Raid Boss. Epic battles.