Children of Zodiarcs

About Children of Zodiarcs

Children of Zodiarcs is a tactical RPG that merges board game mechanics with card-based strategy. Developed by Cardboard Utopia and published via Square Enix Collective, it launched July 2017 on PS4, PC, Xbox, Switch, and Mac. The story follows a group of thieves navigating a corrupt empire, blending moral choices with grid-based combat. Think Final Fantasy Tactics meets Magic: The Gathering. You lead four characters through a gritty world of guards, gangs, and subterranean cannibals. The game’s charm lies in its hybrid approach: craft dice to power moves, use cards to dictate actions, and plan each step with precision. A niche pick for fans of deep strategy and creative mechanics.

Gameplay

Combat in Zodiarcs is a mix of dice crafting and card drafting. Each turn, you assign action cards to characters, then roll pre-built dice to resolve attacks, movement, or skills. The grid-based maps require careful positioning, flanking enemies or exploiting terrain boosts damage. Between battles, you collect resources to upgrade dice and unlock new cards. A typical session involves balancing short-term tactics (when to conserve energy) with long-term planning (which dice to prioritize). The story-driven campaign offers branching paths, but the real challenge is mastering the resource system. It’s methodical and rewarding, though the lack of autosave and occasional UI clunkiness can frustrate.

What Players Think

Critic scores are solid: Metacritic 81/100, IGDB 79.4/100. Players average 18 hours, with 63% completing the story. Community moods lean curious (68%) and entertained (23%), but 28% quit mid-game. Achievement stats highlight the 40 total, 16% average unlock rate, and the rarest (1.10%) tied to a dice roll. Reviews note the game’s ambition but criticize its dated presentation and steep learning curve. One user wrote, “Feels like a love letter to 90s RPGs, but needs tighter tutorials.” Others praise the originality: “No other game combines cards and dice like this.” Despite mixed playtime retention, it’s a cult favorite for strategy purists.

PlayPile's Take

Zodiarcs is a risky pick for newcomers but a treat for veterans of tactical RPGs. Its blend of cards, dice, and grid combat is inventive, though the lack of hand-holding may alienate casual players. The 16% average achievement rate and 1.10% rare unlock suggest challenges ahead. Price isn’t listed here, but the depth justifies it for die-hards. Skip if you prefer modern polish or quick sessions. Otherwise, it’s a rewarding, if flawed, homage to classic strategy games. Worth a try if you’ve ever enjoyed Shining Force or Final Fantasy Tactics.

Storyline

At the heart of an evil empire, a group of young outsiders rebel against the corrupt system that holds them down. Professional thieves on the trail of an ancient relic, the group infiltrates the glittering halls of a corrupt noble’s private chambers in pursuit of their target, narrowly escaping the wrath of the city guards at every turn. Desperate to find an escape, they seek refuge in the city’s seamy slums and brave the sunless pits of the underworld. Out to get them are heavily armed city guards, rival gangs and psychotic families of subterranean cannibals. Abandoned by the system and used by selfish criminals, these young companions will be forced to come to terms with their own reality. But be warned - in the world of Children of Zodiarcs, no one escapes unscathed!