Into the Restless Ruins Review – A Puzzling Roguelike Delight with a Folklore Feel

In theory, I’m not much of a roguelike person. But something about Into the Restless Ruins called to me. Maybe it’s the pixel art or the infusion of Scottish Folklore, but I decided to delve into the dungeons and see what this roguelike deckbuilder has to offer.

Into the Restless Ruins is a roguelike deckbuilder meets dungeon-crawling autoshooter. You build out the dungeon you’re about to explore using a deck of cards, full of different rooms with various shapes and effects. Then, you enter the dungeon to explore, gaining new abilities and items as you do. Your goal? Take on the big boss or die (a lot) trying.

Key Details

• Developer: Ant Workshop
• Publisher: Wales Interactive
• Platforms: PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
• Price: $14.299
• Review Code Provided: Yes

A Puzzling Challenge from The Start

As someone with basically zero spatial reasoning, I was nervous about the “build the dungeon you explore” component of Into the Restless Ruins. And indeed, it’s a challenge. You have to build your way towards special rooms shrouded in mystery to unlock progress, and each room is a puzzle piece that can only fit together in certain ways. Even though I’ve definitely built myself into a few corners while carving out my dungeons, I still had fun doing it. The deckbuilding mechanic is fun and intuitive, making it easy even for spatial-reasoning-challenged folks like me to understand how the pieces can fit together.

There’s strategy to which cards you place where, as well. Each room card has a different effect. You’ll need healing from the Faded Grove and to restore your ever-burning torch at the Campfire… but some buffs from The Arsenal and Training Room are a must, as well. So it’s not just the shape that matters as you build out your dungeon – it’s what each card can do. If you enjoy a strategic challenge, Into the Restless Ruins is going to deliver. And even if games like chess make your brain hurt (hello, it’s me), the mechanic is still straightforward enough to make dungeon-building fun.

As you explore each night, you’ll get the opportunity to add more cards to your deck. Your options expand round-by-round, offering endless variety even if you get stuck on a level for several, several rounds like I did. Repeatedly.

An Auto-Shooter Dungeon Delving Adventure

Placing your room cards is just part of the adventure. Once you’ve used all your Build Points for the night, it’s time to jump into the dungeon. During each nightly Harvest, you’ll navigate the maze you’ve created. Your pixel-art character automatically attacks enemies as you explore, and many rooms offer buffs to make your attacks more effective.

The dungeon-crawling gameplay loop is seriously addictive. Like any roguelike, you’re going to find yourself dying a lot. But that just means you can come back and do it better the next time, slowly making your way closer to the goal. Once I start a run in Into the Restless Ruins, I am immediately hooked. Each nightly adventure is different, with your ever-expanding dungeon to explore, all with the goal of unlocking those seals to make your way to the boss.

I died so many times while playing Into the Restless Ruins. The second dungeon was especially challenging for me, and my husband had to endure my frustration as I nearly threw my Switch a few times. Even so, I never wanted to stop. Challenging though the game can be, it never feels too punishing. Instead, it tasks you with improving your strategy, building a path to the boss with enough buffs to give you what it takes to beat them when you get there. And when I finally did finish that second level? The satisfaction truly can’t be topped.

Final Score – 10/10

Honestly, it’s hard to find fault with Into the Restless Ruins. The game runs smooth as butter, even on my aging Nintendo Switch, and the gameplay loop is just good, addictive fun. It’s challenging, which can be frustrating at times, but that’s very much by design, not a balance flaw. The pixel-art and infusion of Scottish folklore are spot-on, and I know I’ll be delving into these self-designed dungeons for weeks to come.

If you’re looking for a new roguelike deckbuilder, Into the Restless Ruins is going to deliver. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got another run to complete.

**Bonus Action was provided with a Nintendo Switch review code of Into the Restless Ruins for the purpose of this review**

About the Author

Amanda Kay Oaks

Editor

Amanda Kay Oaks is a writer, book witch, and video game enthusiast based in Latrobe, PA. She writes about books, games, and more from an office packed with crystals and Pokemon plushies. When not engrossed in work or fictional worlds, Amanda can be found in the kitchen, on her yoga mat, or walking her dog, Azula.

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