Signs of the Sojourner Reviews
A unique combination of conversation gameplay and deck building, Signs of the Sojourner is a truly special game dripping in charm.
Signs of the Sojourner turns deck-building into a chance at growth.
There’s just something about this game that feels so brilliant and yet there’s also something unassuming about its nature that makes me worry people will skip over it without a thought… and that would be a shame...
Signs of the Sojourner is a refreshing game, succeeding largely in how well it takes eternally relatable ideas like talking to other people and transforming them into a very sensical card game that has a surprising amount of depth despite a straightforward presentation. The way playing cards represents conversations is genius, making this a standout for how unique it feels.
Signs of the Sojourner is an interesting interpretation of the art of communicating and the difficulties of the maturing process. The dialogue made through cards with symbols is simple to understand, but offers depth with the varied effects of the cards and the minimalist construction of decks. The journey through this exotic world is immersive because of the many interesting characters, beautiful locations and unique ambience, in a diversified journey made to be experienced several times. Some details, like the influence of luck and the constant inclusion of useless cards in the deck, bring a little frustration, however, I interpret it as another metaphor of the game - just like in life, we need to do the best with what we have. In the end, Signs of the Sojourner offers a different and unique narrative experience.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Signs of the Sojourner by Echo Night Games has my definite seal of approval to those looking for a fresh deckbuilding game. At the end of my first playthrough, it felt like I only scratched at the surface of the game. With multiple endings and a variety of decks to try out, this is a title I’m looking forward to diving into once again.
Signs of the Sojourner is a very good amalgamation of Deck-buildings, Rogue-likes, Visual Novels and even Tetris and the Whole thing works beautifully. It really forces you to make hard decisions about how you move your story forward and to understand the whole thing, you need maybe a dozen of playthroughs.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Signs of the Sojourner’s creative card-based conversations make for a unique and satisfying mechanic that compliments the very endearing narrative. There’s just something mighty satisfying about seeing a successful conversation play out the way you want it to, whilst the ‘easy to play but difficult to master’ nature of the gameplay ensures it never grows stagnant as you progress. There were a few frustrating moments here and there where I felt at odds with the game and couldn’t succeed in conversations due to the random nature of the deck-building, but it didn’t cause enough issues to deter from what is otherwise a warm-hearted and memorable experience. Signs of the Sojourner really does something different with the genre, but what it does is entertaining throughout.
Navigating a world of wonder, an intrepid trader encounters a succession of strangers in this engaging narrative card game
Signs of the Sojourner delivers a touching narrative experience through unique conversation-based deck-building gameplay
Signs of the Sojourner is clever and charming. While the game mechanics can put a dampener on the laid-back feeling of the game, you’ll probably be too engrossed in the touching story to care. In a time where everyone in the world is being forced apart, a game about making connections and appreciating what you have feels like the perfect antidote.
Signs of the Sojourner is a game about connection and communication. About how easy it is to move and reach your objectives when you understand what the other is saying and how much the barriers of communication can affect even those who understood us most. It's an objetive that, despite some issues, it reaches with considerable success.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
...it’s a lot of fun to craft a deck to meet the challenges and stories of the road. Meeting the characters along the caravan’s route and learning their stories is a joy that drives mechanical experimentation. It’s refreshing to create harmony and boost meaning-laden signal over noise.
Signs of the Sojourner is a narrative card game. The cards in the deck represent the player’s character. Tasked with reestablishing the prominence of the main character’s mother’s shop, the player must travel on a caravan and gather resources. This unique take on a visual novel provides a refreshing spin on digital storytelling.
Travel through a colorful map and deal with the hand you are dealt in Signs of the Sojourner. Follow your mother’s footsteps into a career of discovering cities and personalities, and the perspectives that each brings to your deck of cards – your tool to connect with the world.
Signs of the Sojourner is an intriguing deckbuilder with a great cast of characters and integrated story and gameplay. While there are some glaring flaws with its mechanics, this is a nice relaxing game that teaches the beauty of communication.
There are some parts that don't quite work. A fatigue system discourages you from prolonged excursions and can make things tricky, and the limited number of cards means you're rarely fully prepared to speak with everyone. Overall, though, we'd say it's a successful experiment, and a breath of fresh air among all the usual noise.
Signs of the Sojourner is a good, challenging card game that has more at stake than expected. Replayability is high as you create various decks, befriend new people, and try to get that good ending.
The story is too slow, the card play is not engaging enough, and the gap between the two elements is never actually bridged. Signs of the Sojourner remains a bizarre experiment, that had potential, but where the artists stumbled being tripped by their own feet.
Signs of the Sojourner is one of the most cohesive narrative games I have ever played. The interplay between mechanics and storytelling is absolutely brilliant, which makes it a shame that it misses the mark in terms of actually being enjoyable to play. The inclusion of a frustrating "fatigue" mechanic is at odds with the general laid-back design approach to deckbuilding. There is something truly beautiful here that is worth experiencing, it's just a shame that the game seems to fight itself at every turn.