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Tamarak Trail

Tamarak Trail

Yarrow Games · released Feb 29, 2024

IndieRPGStrategy

In this deck-building roguelike, you'll use a customizable dice set as you battle through randomly generated trails - full of loot, mysteries, and danger to protect inhabitants from the evil that has corrupted the trail.

71
VGC Score
·No trend datamedium confidence

anchored at patch: “Hotfix - 📫 1.0.5” (2y ago)

70%
At launch
73%
Steam all-time
77%
Press
77%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)7716
All-time Steam reviews73%6958
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)77%7237
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 27, 2024) · 37 reviews sampled · 33 total reviews in window · weighted 16.7 up / 5.1 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (11)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 70
    trust 80May 7, 2024

    Tamarak Trail follows a lot of the familiar beats of a deck-building roguelike, with enough character and unique twists to make a worthy addition to the genre. Its soundtrack and art style shine, with a world that is ripe for deeper exploration.

    read full review ↗
  • 83
    trust 70Mar 1, 2024

    A smart and challenging take on a roguelike deck builder that instead decides to roll the dice for luck

    read full review ↗
  • 42
    trust 68Apr 15, 2024

    That isn’t to say everything is lackluster here, as the artwork is fantastic and the music and sound are also quite solid, but it isn’t enough to carry Tamarak Trail when so much could be improved upon elsewhere.

    read full review ↗
  • 94
    trust 66Feb 29, 2024

    Tamarak Trail is a fun, 2D, deck-building Rogue-like adventure filled with loot, mystery, and danger, perfect for anyone to play and understand. The game is ideal for pros and newcomers joining this genre of games, discovering the mysteries surrounding this world, and facing uniquely beautifully designed enemies; this game is well worth giving a go.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 66Mar 1, 2024

    Tamarak Trail‘s compelling art style and battle system are ultimately weighed down by poor design choices. If you can push past the thicket of mild annoyances, the well-honed dice-rolling mechanics shine through. Despite my hesitations, I kept rolling through tough bosses, mystifying character traits, and other less-polished moments. Hopefully, a little additional work bring Tamarak Trail a devoted audience. While frustrating, the journey through the woods is worth saving.

    read full review ↗
  • 65
    trust 64Mar 1, 2024

    One flipping good idea can't save this repetitive roguelike deckbuilder from only rolling above average.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 60Mar 7, 2024

    Tamarak Trail has a unique take on the deck building roguelite genre; however, with the use of dice, you trade strategic choices for randomness. The campaign doesn't help keep you interested, and ultimately, it feels like a chore, especially when you come across the same enemies. Yarrow Games rolled the dice with Tamarak Trail and they ended up with a promising structure that lacks meat on the bone.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 53Apr 1, 2024

    Tamarak Trail presents an intriguing proposal by incorporating dice as a central piece of its combat mechanics. However, the title is hampered by the superficiality of its roguelike elements, resulting in a monotonous journey lacking a palpable sense of progress. Therefore, despite its potential, it is not recommended for those who have not yet explored all the good options available within the genre.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 51Mar 15, 2024

    Tamarak Trail’s unique idea is to give players dice to roll while also allowing them to choose exactly what action is on each face. This creates opportunities for interesting interactions, enhanced by the random way the dice bump into each other when thrown. Artifacts that can be slotted into die add to their power.

    read full review ↗
  • 84
    trust 51Feb 29, 2024

    An interesting and engaging video game that offers a classic story and a context already seen in other works, while remaining faithful to its foundations. Tamarak Trail can satisfy, it can make you angry, and yes, it could take up entire days. Fantastic, right?

    read full review ↗
  • 88
    trust 47Feb 29, 2024

    A good roguelike leaves you as enchanted as you are frustrated. Tamarak Trail is a good roguelike. If you don’t play this game, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Play Tamarak Trail.

    read full review ↗

Patch history

  1. Hotfix - 📫 1.0.5
    Jun 27, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  2. Moving forward - Tamarak 1.0.4 Willow
    Jun 18, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  3. 'Willow' - First Content Update
    Mar 26, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  4. Patch Notes - 📫 1.0.2 Spruce
    Mar 7, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  5. Patch Notes - 📫 1.0.1 Spruce
    Mar 1, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  6. Patch Notes for 10/13/23
    Oct 13, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  7. Our latest update is now live!
    Oct 6, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  8. Version 0.8.7 Update
    Sep 13, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  9. Latest Demo Update
    Sep 7, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  10. The latest demo update is now available!
    Jun 23, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  11. Steam Next Fest & Demo Update Available!
    Jun 19, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  12. Demo update available now!
    Jun 13, 2023significant · resets scoring window