Order Automatica Review: Dark Fantasy Balatro-Like

Order Automatica is a new mobile auto-battler that blends Balatro-like mechanics with a dark fantasy world. According to a review by Pocket Gamer, players place characters on a 3x3 grid and aim to wipe out the opponent's board while keeping at least one unit alive.

Battles play out automatically, making pre-fight planning the core of the game. Success hinges on finding synergies between units purchased from a randomized shop each round. The reviewer notes that when a setup is perfectly tweaked, it can trigger cascading combos of items and abilities before combat even begins.

Core Gameplay Loop

Each run, called a Ritual, consists of a nine-battle gauntlet where the player has three lives. Both sides are represented by candles extinguished after each bout. The primary challenge for enthusiasts of the genre is earning Understanding circles.

These are unlocked by achieving certain Overkill scores, calculated by adding up the remaining attack points of surviving units after a round. A player can earn up to three Understanding circles per Ritual by significantly exceeding the required scores.

Strengths and Satisfactions

The game delivers a powerful sense of gratification when combos align. The screen becomes a blur of cascading numbers and arrows as units transform from weak minnows into powerhouses with ludicrous attack points. Players can then watch their team annihilate the opposition with ease.

The dark fantasy aesthetic and creepy cult premise create a distinctive, slightly unsettling atmosphere. The pixel art unit portraits feature occasional animation, injecting personality into the game board.

Criticisms and Limitations

The review points to two notable gameplay issues. The first is a locking Curse mechanic that can freeze units in place. Aside from merging three units or finding a Key, there is no way to free them, which the reviewer found frustrating and tactically limiting.

The second issue is potential shallowness for veteran strategy players. While breaking the game with huge combos is part of the fun, experts may solve the system too quickly, reducing the long-term challenge even when pursuing Understanding circles. For this reason, the reviewer suggests the title may be better suited for newcomers to the auto-battler genre, though advanced players can still enjoy its dark fantasy style.

The game offers a choice of battle speeds, including a x3 speed option for faster play and a slower pace for watching effects unfold. Difficulty can vary based on active Curses, which are the polar opposite of beneficial Indulgences, making later runs trickier.