The Royal Writ

The Royal Writ takes a few familiar ideas and puts a unique spin on them. Exploiting characters, the lanes, movement, keywords, and more to hit high damage numbers is fun, and the game reveals extra layers of complexity as the runs get longer and the challenge level increases. It offers enough characters and relics to make each attempt feel unique. The action is enhanced by the game’s unique world and its beautiful presentation. The character designs are great, and the music enhances immersion. The Royal Writ might be a little hard for newcomers to get into, but it will bring joy to fans of classics like Balatro or Slay the Spire.

The Royal Writ doesn't hold your hand, but its unique brand of Roguelike deck building is well worth sticking with to experience something new.

Fans of Slay the Spire, Monster Train, and other roguelike deckbuilders should find plenty to enjoy here. The Royal Writ may wear a familiar crown, but its lane-based combat and permanent card deaths help it establish a kingdom of its own.

It’s rare to see a game in this genre – or any genre, really – that defies easy classification, so in a world where everyone wants to be the next Slay the Spire or Balatro, it’s fun to see something try (and mostly succeed) at doing its own thing.

The Royal Writ is a good roguelike that emphasises planning ahead, taking calculated risks, and rolling with the punches. However, at times, it can unfairly kill your run before you can even react to it.