Where Cards Fall Mini-Review

Developer – The Game Band

Publisher – Snowman

Platform(s) – Apple Arcade, Nintendo Switch, PC

MSRP – $19.99

Release Date – November 4, 2021

Disclaimer: Review Copy was kindly Provided for the Purposes of this Review

I’m not a big player of puzzle games in general so whenever I sit down to play one, it’s always a relatively fresh experience. An opportunity came up to review Where Cards Fall and considering I’m not playing too many other games at the moment, I figured I could take the time to sit down and play a small indie game.

Where Cards Fall is developed by The Game Band and published by Snowman. You may know The Game Band primarily for their work on Blaseball, the viral “baseball simulation horror”. Where Cards Fall originally started as a game for iPhone & iPad but only now is the game coming to Nintendo Switch as well as PC.

Where Cards Fall is a puzzle-based game where you navigate through levels by building houses of cards. Each level you complete will unlock a memory in the life of the protagonist.

As you progress throughout the game, you’ll unlock different varieties of cards. Environment effects such as wind and clouds will come into play the deeper you get into the levels. There are over 50 levels in total and I was pleased in completing each one even if I was frustrated from time to time trying to figure it out.

The gameplay and concept of Where Cards Fall is one that I’m a fan of and enjoyed much more than I thought I would. The Game Band did an excellent job in making sure every other puzzle felt distinct and always changing up the level design in some shape or form.

One aspect I wasn’t necessarily the biggest fan of was the narrative. When you complete a level you enter a mini-sequence taking you through a certain point in the life of the protagonist. I found these sequences had their bright spots here and there the majority of them didn’t pull me in as much as I would’ve liked.

I will say that the environmental design is top-notch and I found myself admiring the look of each location in these sequences. Opinions will vary as is the case with every review, but I wasn’t enthralled with the story of Where Cards Fall as I was with the gameplay.

I’m as big a fan of indie games as most people are and I’m satisfied with my experience in Where Cards Fall. It’ll take the majority no more than 5-8 hours to complete this game. I found myself reviewing Where Cards Fall in handheld mode on my Nintendo Switch at a relaxing time of the day and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

The music is soft and soothing, the puzzles will no doubt give you trouble occasionally but are still satisfying to solve, and the controls are swift and responsive. Narrative-wise there’s a bit to be desired but as I stated earlier it has its compelling elements. Where Cards Fall is a nice indie game to sit down and play for a few hours and I’m delighted I took the time to review it.