I lost hours to this roguelike card-based city builder even though I had no idea how all of those words could fit together
PC Gamer explores Toxic Frontier, a card-based roguelike city builder revealed at the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct, blending hexagonal grid strategy with roguelike challenges and toxic wasteland themes.
Toxic Frontier, a card-based roguelike city builder, was unveiled at the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct, drawing attention for its unconventional blend of mechanics. The game unfolds on a hexagonal grid reminiscent of *Settlers of Catan*, but replaces resource trading with card draws and settlement expansion. Players draw cards representing terrain, structures, and resources, aiming to synergize them while navigating a toxic wasteland. The developer has not yet announced a release date, urging players to wishlist the title on Steam for updates.
Gameplay centers on expanding settlements by surrounding villages with additional villages to form towns, then cities, while contending with terrain obstacles. Progress is hindered by the fog of war, which obscures hazards such as mutants and polluted zones that must be cleansed. Expansion into the mist reveals new threats and opportunities, creating a dynamic balance between risk and reward. The hexagonal grid system introduces spatial strategy, requiring careful placement to maximize synergies and points.
The roguelike structure introduces semi-randomized objectives and limited card pools per level, forcing players to adapt their strategies under constraints. Each card placement yields points, which unlock additional cards for future levels, encouraging experimentation with combos. Complex combinations yield higher scores, but not all synergies are intuitive, leading to frequent setbacks during early attempts. The developer has emphasized that players should expect significant trial and error before mastering the system.
Issy van der Velde, deputy editor of the PC Gaming Show and a longtime games journalist, detailed his experience with the title, noting how quickly it consumed his time despite initial confusion. The game’s blend of card mechanics, roguelike progression, and settlement-building has been described as deceptively simple yet deeply engaging. For now, players can only wishlist Toxic Frontier on Steam to receive updates, as no release date has been confirmed. Further details are expected to emerge as development progresses.