Narrative deckbuilders have been having a moment lately, but Burn With Me by Nozomu Games is doing something genuinely different. This isn’t just another card game with a story slapped on top – it’s a haunting experience that makes you literally burn your own cards for power.
What Makes This Narrative Deckbuilder Special
The core mechanic is brilliantly twisted. Instead of just playing cards, you’re burning them to fuel your rituals. It’s a risk-reward system that creates genuine tension – every card you sacrifice might be the one you need later, but without burning cards, you can’t progress.
The game follows occult university students who discover ancient rites, and the atmosphere is what developers Ivan and Eva call “cozy dread.” It’s unsettling without being outright horror, like reading a forbidden book by firelight.
From Ludum Dare Success to Steam Showcase
Burn With Me started as a three-day game jam entry for Ludum Dare 55. The results were impressive – it ranked in the top 1% for Fun and top 2% overall among 1,650 entries. That’s the kind of reception that gets developers’ attention.
The husband-and-wife team behind Nozomu Games took that momentum and ran with it. They showcased the expanded version at Gamescom 2024, where it caught the eye of industry veterans. Most notably, Daniel Mullins, the mastermind behind Inscryption, played their prototype and gave it his stamp of approval.
The Mechanics That Hook Players
What makes players spend hours with this game isn’t just the burning mechanic. The deckbuilding has layers of strategy that reveal themselves gradually:
- Creature placement on pentagrams affects summoning power
- Synergy chains between different demon types
- Resource management – knowing when to sacrifice vs. when to hold
- Difficulty scaling that adapts to your deck choices
One player described their experience perfectly: “My wife took the children and left me. I’ve been fired from my job… but they don’t get this game like I do.” Obviously joking, but it captures how the gameplay loop can be genuinely addictive.
What’s Coming in the Full Release
The Steam version promises significant expansions over the jam prototype. Nozomu Games is adding new cards, mechanics, and narrative depth. They’re also working on replayability features, including the ability to carry cards between runs.
The development team is taking their time to ensure the full version delivers on the jam prototype’s promise. They’re currently running playtests and plan to reveal more gameplay details soon.
Why This Matters for Deckbuilder Fans
The deckbuilding genre has exploded in recent years, but many games feel similar. Burn With Me’s card-burning mechanic creates genuine decision anxiety in the best possible way. You’re not just optimizing a deck – you’re managing a finite, destructible resource.
The narrative integration feels organic rather than forced. Instead of interrupting gameplay for story beats, the mechanics themselves tell the story of students diving deeper into dangerous knowledge.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Burn With Me be released on Steam?
Nozomu Games hasn’t announced a specific release date, but they estimate roughly a year from their initial teasers. The team is focused on quality over speed.
Can I play the original game jam version?
Yes! The Ludum Dare 55 version is free to play on itch.io. It’s a shorter experience but gives you a taste of the core mechanics.
What platforms will support the full version?
The game is confirmed for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The developers built it in Godot, which supports cross-platform deployment.
How does the card burning mechanic actually work?
You place creature cards on pentagram positions, then can choose to burn (sacrifice) them to power up other creatures or abilities. Burned cards are permanently removed from your deck for that run.
Is this suitable for newcomers to deckbuilding games?
Absolutely. The jam version takes about 30 minutes to complete and teaches mechanics gradually. It’s approachable while still offering strategic depth.
What inspired the cozy dread aesthetic?
The developers wanted to create something unsettling but not outright scary – think studying forbidden books in a warm library rather than jump scares and gore.
Will there be multiplayer modes?
The current focus is on single-player narrative experience. No multiplayer has been announced for the initial release.
The Bottom Line
Burn With Me represents something special in the crowded deckbuilder space. It’s not trying to be the biggest or most complex game – instead, it’s focused on delivering a unique mechanic wrapped in compelling atmosphere.
The fact that it started as a three-day prototype and caught the attention of Inscryption’s creator speaks to the strength of its core concept. For deckbuilding fans looking for something genuinely different, this is definitely worth watching.
Whether you try the free jam version or wait for the full Steam release, Burn With Me offers a fresh take on familiar mechanics. Sometimes the best games come from small teams willing to take creative risks – and Nozomu Games seems to have struck something special with this narrative deckbuilder.