A really interesting alternate take on the deckbuilding roguelike genre, though one that I think has too many moving pieces for me to stick with it in a meaningful way. I guess I can't "unlearn" Slay the Spire to say for sure but I certainly don't remember feeling overwhelmed by it in terms of the language and concepts it presented, and there's something a little too... much about Griftlands that is discouraging for repeat plays.

The length doesn't help, though it thankfully allows for mid-run saves, as otherwise that would be just as prohibitive as Returnal in that department if weirdly not moreso. It's a very slow-paced, narrative-focused roguelike with great worldbuilding and aesthetic, taking cues from the likes of TellTale's adventure series and Mass Effect to add interesting complexity to a card game, and it feels amazing when those elements come together. When I ended up killing too many people through the fights I was picking and gained notoriety for being a murderer, I actually felt it in the mechanics.

The conversation "fights" are also a refreshing spin on the formula; I don't know that it's a perfect metaphorical representation of conversations, but the simple act of differentiation from normal combat encounters makes the length and pace of this go over a lot better. Managing two separate decks is also interesting, but again maybe a little overwhelming.

It might be the kind of game where I'll just have to play more runs in order to get comfortable enough with the mechanics and options; and like Slay the Spire, numerous cards unlock for future playthroughs after a run is over, so maybe I would eventually find that perfect groove. I just don't know how often I'll be doing that due to the length of an individual run. Super cool though, and Klei has proven they can work with a multitude of genres and be quite successful at any of them.