As far as card games go, the very last real-world system I expected to see digitised would be tarot card reading. Sure, I could imagine such a system appearing as a neat-side mechanic for a character in an RPG – but existing as a front-and-centre, spotlighted gimmick did not even cross my mind.
But of course, here is a group of clever cookies to deliver such a thing and make me look like a real jackass. The folks at Deconstructeam have a pretty impressive track record of taking novel ideas and wrapping them in a tasty pixel coating, so every bite rewards you with a gooey filling that oozes with narrative brilliance. But enough about my failing diet – what the heck is The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood?
Tarot, with a hefty dose of theatrics
Well, premise-wise it’s a snap to explain. You play as an exiled witch, doomed to spend a thousand years alone on a remote asteroid for reading the wrong fortune. In an effort to perhaps solve the solitude, you make the risky decision to utter a forbidden incantation and speak with the ancient beings that exist within the cosmos – and the one that decides to answer your call is more than happy to not only hang out, but share some of their immeasurable other-worldly power with you. And what will you do with this phenomenal cosmic gift? Make a new tarot deck, of course.
Like other titles in the wheelhouse of Deconstructeam, this is a game that revels in characterful storytelling. I won’t go into detail about your ancient immortal friend, but I will say that for a being that is more ancient than the universe, they are positively chipper – and have their own moods and fun secrets that are begging to be explored by way of tarot. This is the core experience of The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, interacting with others and perhaps divining answers by way of your cards.
When the reading is good, it’s very good
And I need to stress the word “your” in that last sentence. The showcase mechanic within the game is the fact that you absolutely craft your own cards – and not in some generic, ‘gather materials and press CRAFT on a menu option’ way; these suckers are your own creation. From the energy you have pooled by reading fortunes, you can dive into a range of backgrounds, focal elements and flourishes to design a card that speaks to your own creative desires. You then grab the arty elements from the gallery of options, and assemble them however you wish – scaling, rotating and creating whatever you can imagine.
With my graphic design background, I found myself plummeting into my past and employing the original tenets of design – mulling over things like negative space and visual interest. The time spent on my creations was bordering on insane, but in the end the cards I had put together looked baller as fuck. This then fostered an attachment to my growing tarot deck that was hard to ignore – it was quintessentially mine in ways that are hard to deny.
While it needs to be mentioned that the act of designing your card is mostly cosmetic, it does not mean that their purpose is unaffected by your actions. When a card is saved, a quick cosmic assessment is employed where the game actually highlights some elements from your design – before giving you the deeper meaning of your card. From your canvas choices and the elements used you end up with a Pokémon Snap-like grading that translates into a blurb that suggests what kind of divination might be found from using this card. Surprising no-one, a card built from elements of performance and flying suggested themes of success and prosperity – where-as my mechanical monster card, stomping across a battlefield of fire and debris was more associated with passion and destruction.
Creating cards is a blast
When you dive into the opportunity to do a reading, your cards are used as an answer to specific questions. The card you employ will work to suggest outcomes to that question – and within those outcomes you can glean the meaning that you feel best works. Now I am no expert on tarot within real life, but I do feel that a hefty amount of it comes down to personal interpretation – so this feels mechanically accurate.
And while this all feels super fun to do, it’s worth pointing out that this isn’t a form of card-based combat or problem solving. There is no element of failure lurking – or at least, there wasn’t one that I managed to uncover in my near two hours of gameplay – unlike, say, a title like Inscryption that parks a brick of concern in your gut for every action you take. It’s fun shuffling and slapping down your cards – but Yu Gi Oh this aint.
This means the card based gameplay serves more as an in-depth method to influence the narrative, and it is seriously cool. Your interpretations of the cards manifest into the game, with characters openly offering a response that concur with your suggested outcome; which will then influence your future interactions and the relationships you are building. There are even moments where the game will highlight a specific goal that you may have earlier defined, and make note that you have successfully met it. You wanted to be well liked? Well that last reading has earned you a fan for life.
An often overlooked tarot ritual
My playthrough ended with a cheeky fourth wall break from my primaeval entity friend, who promised me a story that delves into lots more characters and mysteries to explore. I had barely scratched the surface, but the worldbuilding had drip fed me something that felt overwhelmingly cosmic – yet still warm and human at the same time. Being an immortal witch on a doomed space rock was exciting, even without encountering any terrifying stakes that threatened to unravel my experience – all told through a newfound interest in tarot card reading. Thank god I have a godlike ancient being to be my partner in crime.
Now, if you’ll excuse me I have another 40 minutes to spend making card art.
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is in development from Deconstructeam, and to be published by Devolver. Coming to PC and Nintendo Switch in 2023.
