Card Shark

Card Shark — is an adventure game with puzzle and arcade elements dedicated to card cheats. The game was developed by Nerial, an independent British studio with credits such as Reigns and Orwell’s Animal Farm. It was published by Devolver Digital, which is also responsible for the Polish Shadow Warrior 3. We relive the glamor of 18th century France, including some of the most important personalities, following a disabled young man in his fraudulent career. As a result of an illness that causes strange seizures and fainting, he cannot speak and communicates with the world through meaningful facial expressions and gestures.

About This Game

The adventure begins when the boy meets the Count of Saint-Germain at the inn where he works and becomes involved in a gambling scam. Their partnership is revealed, and the enraged adversary, in a fit of rage, mistakenly kills the youth’s employer. This forces the young man to flee and join a kind-hearted gang of swindlers, of which the count turns out to be a member. At the head of the gang is the Magician, who, with the money obtained by dishonest means, supports the poorest and most needy. The basis of the game mechanics is the gradually learned tricks of cheating in card games and tricks. They are introduced to us by different people, and we can practice under their guidance until we master all the elements. If necessary, we will also be shown the basics of card rules, such as color names and seniority.

However, mastering the rules of one or another method of cheating which we can peep at any time by going to the menu is only the first difficulty that we face during the game, we often have to constantly remember the location of the cards or the advantage of a particular color, and sometimes very little time is given for this for example, as long as it takes to fill someone glass. You also need to make sure that the moves are made smoothly and without unnecessary delay, sometimes even rhythmically, so as not to arouse the suspicions of the comrades in the game when their patience runs out, they can accuse us of cheating and attack or challenge us to a duel, which is most likely , will end in death for our hero fortunately, death can also be played using cards, although this depends on the selected difficulty level.

Our cheating adventures begin with the most ordinary taverns and close friends of the count, but further success and earned money a select part of which we give to the Magician for charity allows us to get to more respectable places where more money is made. If we make a mistake and our methods do not ensure victory, we will have to look for income among the common people, by methods that do not require a sum for the bet, or borrow money previously paid to the gang. The graphics of the game are based on drawings by Nikolai Troshinsky, a Russian illustrator and filmmaker. The game features orchestral music composed by Andrea Boccadoro.