Hop on your horse and head out for revenge in Card Cowboy, a delightful new indie game you can get for free. Your adventure unfolds by making decisions using cards which represent allies, resources, and events, which often have weird and surprising consequences. Weirdly, the game it most reminds me of is Townscaper: throw pieces together, uncertain what will happen, then be surprised and delighted what the system produces. Like accidentally making your cowboy confess his love for his horse, leading to a fresh new baby horse card in your hand. Oh no.
There you are, a cowboy, seeking revenge on the wrong'un who killed your dad, wooed your mum, and kicked your dog. The destination is less important than the journey. Off you go, crossing the map by hitting nodes which are all events. Maybe you join a pocker game which turns sour. Maybe you stumble across a hanging. Maybe you hit a farm and try to woo his son. Maybe you find buried treasure. Your options in these events are dictated by your cards.
In Card Cowboy, you have hitpoints as a number then everything else is a card. Your horse, items, money, and allies are cards, used by dragging them into the card slots on events. Some cards even represent happenings like a wedding or rodeo. Most cards are consumed when used but you'll get more to replace them, rolling with the punches. This gets weird mighty fast. Any card can be used in any event, see, and they often have bespoke outcomes to weird situations.
What happens if you try to evade accusations of cheating in poker by using a baby? What happens if you offer a wedding card to a farmer seeking help? And what can I use this circus card for? At one point, I tried to fight my nemesis by offering him money for his head.
Along
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