Card Shark Reviews
Every aspect of Card Shark is polished to a mirror sheen. It is one of the most original ideas ever realized recent years and it is executed with extreme confidence and panache. Anyone who is a fan of adventure games will find Card Shark to be an enthralling journey.
A game that catches the eye of gamers with a unique material, 'A sharper of medieval France'. It's fine art style visual and beautiful orchestra music, narratives featuring alternative history about 19th century France are impressive. However, they used 'card trick' as a simple tool for progressing the story, unlike my expectation for them to be a key element of the game.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Card Shark is a charming and interesting game, with a mysterious plot and very well narrated, mixing historical facts with fiction. The stylish graphics and well-crafted music help the player get into the mood of 18th century France, and despite some technical issues, the varied mechanics help convey the sense of danger and fascination of professional cheating and intrigue at the gaming table.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Card Shark is such a sharp idea, it’s hard to wonder why it hasn’t happened already — or if it has, why such a fun idea has been forgotten before now.
Aside from some tricks being a bit too hard to remember, Card Shark's mechanics are often tense and lead to some promising circumstances.
A lack of a compelling story hurt the time I spent with the game's cast, even though I adore the game's art and how much every scene leaves me wanting more. More time with the mechanics and a greater emphasis on the place and people of 1700s France could've helped Card Shark a great deal in my eyes, but I still admire it for what it is. I just think that much like the game's countless tricks, the best possible execution of its ideas needed a bit more confidence.
Bless the indie developers who are determined to take ideas that may sound a bit crazy in concept and run with them, revealing potential new avenues of play to enjoy!
Card Shark is certainly one of the most unique and interesting titles of the year, the son of a completely crazy concept that works divinely from the first to the last second of gameplay.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Card Shark is exactly the game I wanted it to be. Its unique concept, setting, and presentation set it apart from every other game on the market right now. The very idea of a game about cheating at cards is brilliant, and the team came up with some pretty ingenious ways to translate what amounts to subtle signals, side glances, and modifying cards into a fun and challenging video game.
With its unique hook, surprisingly in-depth gameplay, and fascinating mystery, Card Shark is an absolute delight.
Card Shark has an impressive orchestral soundtrack throughout. It is an original score created by Andrea Boccadoro, and it is a great addition to the world of Card Shark, really hitting the 18th-century theme perfectly. The controls for Card Shark are easy to pick up and each mini-game will have different inputs to be performed. When you are learning a new cheating skill, you’ll have to successfully complete it several times before it will let you move on, but input prompts will always be displayed during games so no need for a picture-perfect memory.
Card Shark’s story, art design, and soundtrack alone make the game a worthwhile experience. What begins as a classic rags-to-riches story quickly evolves into something far more interesting, full of intrigue and betrayal. Progressing the story by cheating the pants off a bunch of pre-revolutionary French dandies in cards is a truly unique and satisfying premise, and it’s largely pulled off well apart from a few imprecise controls. Otherwise, the gameplay might be a little too one-note to hold your engagement for the entire runtime of the game.
Despite the technical errors, Card Shark manages to fulfill exactly what it set out to do in an exemplary way. It's a seductive cheating game with a unique classic atmosphere. Bearing in mind that this is an experience of performing tricks without worrying about the actual rules of the games themselves, it is definitely worth checking out.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Card Shark is neither a card game nor does it play like any other game that has ever been released, which is a commendable feat in itself. Despite a few gameplay hiccups, Devolver has once again championed a unique and beautifully crafted experience that deserves the attention of both the gaming community, aspiring cheats, and the robust Venn diagram that includes both.
One scam at a time, the (mis)adventures of an XVIII century apprentice cheater are transformed into the chapters of an unmissable tale in which the deceptions at the table are intertwined with political intrigues. Recommended even for those who are not that into card games.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A tale of high stakes con artistry in the early 1700s, Card Shark never lets up as it teaches you card trick after card trick, has you run con after con while immersing you in a conspiracy that'd make a royal blush.
A wonderfully unique historical adventure whose seemingly simple gameplay is made wonderfully tense by artful presentation and a sharp script.
Card shark is more like a visual novel combined with a bunch of mini-games. The exquisite graphics style and witty writing make me very satisfied. Even if there are some compromises in gameplay, Card shark is still an excellent work.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Cheating in Card Shark is fun. It's a pity that the traditional control is too complicated and that does not go beyond being a collection of increasingly difficult mini-games.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Not only does Card Shark explore a topic rarely seen in the medium but it does so with such authenticity that you can’t help but fall in love with the ruse before you. The stunning art direction and clever mechanics successfully put you in the shoes of a swindler. With a dodgy deck in hand, be prepared to get hooked on the hustle.