Shroom and Gloom Brings Handcrafted Punk Chaos to the Crowded Deckbuilder Genre
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Team Lazerbeam's upcoming first person deckbuilder Shroom and Gloom relies on physical clay models, hand drawn art, and a punk aesthetic to stand out in a genre dominated by Slay the Spire.
Finding ways to stand out in the shadow of Slay the Spire is no small task for independent developers, but Team Lazerbeam is taking a delightfully tactile approach. As highlighted in a recent interview by Polygon, the studio's upcoming first person deckbuilder, Shroom and Gloom, trades sleek digital uniformity for a punk cartoon aesthetic built entirely from hand drawn assets, physical clay models, and real fungal inspiration. Hitting Early Access, the game drops players into a mycelium choked dungeon where every interactive element, from navigation tools to combat actions, is treated as a physical card.
What sets the project apart in a saturated market is the sheer level of physical craft poured into its production. Developer Ben Rausch explained that the team built actual clay sculptures of the game's bizarre creatures to study gravity, proportions, and shading before translating them into the final 2D sprites. Coupled with a strict three color palette relying purely on lighting for mood and variation, the result is a visual identity that feels entirely distinct from standard genre fare, proving that raw artistic vision can still cut through the noise of modern digital distribution platforms.
Beyond the striking art style, the gameplay leans into clever structural twists like a dual deck system, separating exploration mechanics from monster combat. Player feedback during early demos and game jams pushed the team to expand well beyond their initial scope, adding deeper narrative layers and distinct characters to a world originally planned as a minimalist experiment. For players always hunting for the next fresh roguelike addiction to stream or grind on the go, this fungal mashup offers a compelling new playground.
Tags: Deckbuilder, Roguelike, Indie Games, Early Access, PC Gaming
Original article: Polygon