Previously, I previewed Mipumi Games’ Black Jacket with a preview article. Since October, I’ve been keeping my eyes on the title. There is something so satisfyingly addictive under the surface with this game. It’s a mix of blackjack and Balatro-esque mechanics, and it makes for a great experience.
I stand by my original thought that Black Jacket has the potential to be a breakout success. It is addictive, well-polished, and has obvious care in its development. It is a holy trinity of potential, and that shows. As of the day I am writing this, the game has a Very Positive Steam rating and more than 1,000 reviews. What Mipumi Games has done is create another potential mainstay in the genre.
The Underworld
It appears the realm of the dead is filled with gambling addicts. With a form of blackjack featuring modified rules as the go-to game. From what I was able to pick up on, blackjack quite literally decides a soul’s fate. It’s interesting to play through as well, as the story reveals itself in so many different ways, from dialogue during “battles” to meta unlocks by defeating bosses and even sometimes through restarting. That’s not something I see done very often in these types of games, and it shows a strong passion for a storyline to continue, even in a genre where story has historically usually faltered a bit.
Overall, it was nice. There’s never much to really write home about a story or setting in games like this, other than major points like “dark” or “fantasy,” but Black Jacket kept a unique story, and for the most part, it is an interesting and thought-provoking setup. I found the boss backstories especially compelling due to how novel and interesting the design was.
Something I noticed almost immediately, and that filled me with great joy, was the collection system. I love trying to fill out a collection, and seeing so many collection pieces, ranging from artifacts to each deck type, was one of the more exciting things for me, not to mention the included challenges section, giving players mini goals to shoot for over the course of their runs. Which, in my opinion, is a massive boon for games in this genre. The replay loop is key, and collections and challenges are excellent ways to extend its lifespan, especially with some of them rewarding very specific playstyles.
Playing Blackjack
It’s standard blackjack but with a few twists that keep it interesting. From the fact that players use their life totals as chips, as well as the fact that there are hidden interactions that I don’t want to spoil with some cards.
Each suit of cards has its own strengths as well. I will always find myself in the camp of builds that enjoy disrupting my opponents, though things like deck management, card alteration, and even marking cards exist. And players can build truly unique strategies. In my time of playing, I never ran into any glaring deck balance issues. Though admittedly, I found myself winning more with disruptive builds, I believe that my own comfort was a big reason for that rather than an inherent design issue.
Another interesting twist is the way certain card slots work, with some slots costing an extra bet, which is also your shared life pool. They come with unique modifiers, though, and a well-placed card placed on it can easily win a round. Sleeving is also similar, where you can draw a card and instead of playing it, put it into your sleeve for later. This is arguably one of my favorite mechanics in the game; it allows so much skill expression, whether it be setting up a win later or avoiding a loss entirely. It is a nice twist on “ace up your sleeve” that rewards thoughtful play, while also forgiving mistakes.
Unexpected Cards
I am avoiding spoiling some of the mechanics, but there is a great deal of depth in the game. To a degree, I wish there were a few more explanations, especially with secret interactions. They can very easily cause a loss, just as quickly as they can win a round. And without warning, it can seem daunting.
The awakening of cards is also a nice depth touch; it allows you to change what cards are capable of whether it be giving it abilities such as insight that will allow you to look at and move cards from the top of your deck to the bottom, or even go so far as to add secondary values similar to how aces work in real-world blackjack.
I did not expect large depth, even from my time with the preview. It feels like the development team kept an ace of their own up their sleeve in this fact: the ability for meta progression, the way decks are built and thinned, etc., were all somewhat held close in the original preview build, and I can say with certainty it is a winning formula.
Ace-d Performance
Black Jacket is truly a good game. It doesn’t have the rough-around-the-edges feel that players have unfortunately become accustomed to. It has depth in progression, playtime, and even collections and challenges. It feels built to last rather than to be viral for a moment and then fade back into obscurity.
It is enjoyable, incredibly fun to mess around with its different build ideas and styles, and in my opinion, for a game like this, very good on the eyes for longer play sessions. Black Jacket feels to me like a game that you could easily get stuck in a “Just one more run” cycle.
Mipumi Games has a gem on its hands with Black Jacket, and based on Steam reception so far, I’m overjoyed to see my original thoughts about the game’s promise have come to fruition.
9 — Superb
Review copy provided by developer/publisher/PR group.
Black Jacket is currently available on Steam for $14.99, though at the time of writing, there are a number of bundle deals alongside genre giants such as Balatro and Cloverpit.
