Not every game gets its moment in the spotlight at launch, but a later port can offer a second chance to discover something that might otherwise have passed players by. This roundup takes a look at three very different games that have recently made the jump to PlayStation 5, from a blackjack roguelike deckbuilder and a collection of absurd trolley dilemmas to a deliberately old-school fantasy beat ’em up. While none of them are without their rough edges, each brings its own particular twist to a familiar formula, making these ports worth a closer look for players searching for something a little different.
Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers review (PS5)
Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers takes the familiar rules of blackjack and turns them into a surprisingly addictive roguelike deckbuilder. Developed by Purple Moss Collectors and published by Yogscast Games, the game initially launched on PC before making its way to PlayStation 5. Set in a seedy tavern full of eccentric gamblers, the goal is to work through a series of increasingly difficult opponents, eventually taking on the establishment’s bosses. The premise is deliberately silly, with plenty of bizarre characters and humorous references, although the overarching narrative is fairly light and mostly serves as an excuse to keep moving from one table to the next. Fortunately, the game’s unusual take on blackjack provides more than enough incentive to keep playing.
The basic rules remain recognisable, with players trying to get as close to 21 as possible without going over, but instead of wagering money, each winning hand deals damage to the opponent’s health. Different card suits offer their own advantages, ranging from healing and protection to additional damage and currency, while a growing collection of special cards introduces all kinds of unexpected effects. With hundreds of cards available, there is plenty of room for experimentation, and combining the right abilities can lead to some wonderfully overpowered strategies. Between matches, players can purchase cards, visit shops, restore health or participate in random events, while unlockable starting decks introduce further variations. The resulting gameplay is easy to understand at first but gradually reveals considerable strategic depth, particularly as opponents develop increasingly devious tactics. However, blackjack is still a game of chance, and even a well-constructed deck can be undone by an unfortunate series of draws. Some boss encounters can also feel unnecessarily demanding, especially when opponents repeatedly heal themselves or rely on strategies that require very specific counters.
On PlayStation 5, the controls are straightforward, with clear prompts for drawing cards, standing and activating special abilities, making the game relatively accessible even for those unfamiliar with deckbuilding roguelikes. However, navigating menus and browsing the increasingly extensive card collection can feel a little sluggish, while some of the more complicated card descriptions take time to understand. The lack of a comprehensive tutorial also means that players will need to learn many of the game’s mechanics through trial and error. This learning curve can be rewarding once the various synergies start to make sense, but the repeated early stages of a run may become tedious after several unsuccessful attempts. Visually, the game opts for a grimy pixel-art aesthetic that suits its rundown casino setting, with plenty of amusing character designs and unusual card illustrations. Different floors offer some variation, although much of the experience takes place around relatively static card tables, which can make the presentation feel repetitive. The soundtrack and sound effects provide some atmosphere, with subtle musical changes and situational audio cues adding personality to certain encounters, but neither the visuals nor the audio are particularly impressive.
Despite its occasional frustrations and relatively limited presentation, Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers succeeds in making blackjack considerably more engaging than it has any right to be. The combination of familiar rules, unconventional cards and roguelike progression creates plenty of opportunities for surprising combinations, and discovering a particularly effective strategy can be immensely satisfying. There is also a decent amount of replay value in unlocking additional decks, facing different opponents and experimenting with alternative approaches, although the lack of new cards to discover through progression can eventually diminish the sense of novelty. The repeated encounters and occasional dependence on luck can make longer sessions feel somewhat repetitive, but the variety of potential builds and the appeal of trying just one more run go a long way towards keeping things interesting. Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers may not have the polish or presentation of the genre’s biggest names, but it offers a distinctive and entertaining twist on blackjack that should appeal to fans of roguelike deckbuilders, provided they are willing to accept the occasional bad hand.
The Trolley Solution review (PS5)
The Trolley Solution takes one of philosophy’s most familiar thought experiments and turns it into a deliberately silly collection of minigames. The basic idea is simple enough: face a trolley dilemma, decide who should live or die, and then see the scenario transformed into a small interactive challenge. The humor is very much the point, with increasingly bizarre situations ensuring that this is never really an attempt at a serious examination of morality. That works surprisingly well, especially when the game starts throwing in scenarios that have little to do with the original setup beyond the idea of making an impossible choice. It can occasionally feel like an extended joke built around one premise, though, and the actual consequences of the player’s moral decisions are often too vague to make those choices feel genuinely meaningful.
The biggest strength is the variety of the minigames. One moment the player is simply pulling a lever, while the next involves timing, balancing, searching, puzzle-solving or other small challenges that give each scenario its own identity. Not every idea is equally successful, and some feel closer to quick gags than fully developed games, but the willingness to jump between genres keeps the experience from becoming completely repetitive. The controller works well enough for these uncomplicated challenges on PS5, although the simplicity also means there is rarely much depth to the interaction. The result is accessible and easy to pick up, but there is little here for players looking for demanding puzzles or mechanics that develop over time.
Visually, the stark black-and-white presentation is a good fit for the concept. It gives the game a distinctive minimalist identity, keeps the often ridiculous scenarios readable and lets the humor do most of the heavy lifting. The presentation is clean rather than technically impressive, with sharp artwork, readable UI and suitably simple environments. Audio is similarly understated, with the gentle piano soundtrack supporting the stripped-back aesthetic, although its limited variation can become noticeable during repeated play. Neither presentation nor sound is likely to be the main reason to play The Trolley Solution, but both contribute to a coherent style rather than getting in the way.
The larger problem is that The Trolley Solution is over almost as quickly as it gets going. There is enough variation to make the individual scenarios enjoyable, and a few of the more absurd situations are genuinely memorable, but the overall structure offers little incentive to replay everything once the novelty has worn off. The short length arguably suits the bite-sized nature of the concept, yet it also makes the game feel more like a collection of interactive sketches than a fully fleshed-out experience. For players who enjoy offbeat humor, strange minigames and seeing a familiar philosophical problem repeatedly taken in ridiculous directions, there is some fun to be had here. Just don’t expect the trolley to take you very far down the track.
King’s Blade review (PS5)
King’s Blade knows exactly what kind of game it wants to be. This is a fantasy beat ’em up built around the arcade traditions of Golden Axe and Streets of Rage, with a straightforward story about a group of warriors fighting their way through the Barganian Empire to protect their kingdom. The narrative mostly stays out of the way, offering enough fantasy flavor and occasional lore to give the journey some context without slowing down the action. That is probably for the best, because the real appeal lies in the six playable heroes, each of whom brings a noticeably different approach to combat. Hidden stages and unlockable characters add some incentive to replay the campaign, although the basic structure remains deliberately familiar and can become repetitive over time.
The combat initially feels a little rough, but there is more thought behind it than the straightforward presentation suggests. Positioning on the battlefield is important, with attacks capable of missing if the player is not properly aligned with an enemy, while dodges, specials, magic, environmental weapons and character-specific abilities add some welcome variety. Different enemy types also force players to consider which threats to deal with first rather than simply hammering the attack button. The problem is that the game’s deliberate old-school feel occasionally crosses into imprecision. Hit detection can be inconsistent, some attacks feel strangely loose, and the animation timing can make encounters more frustrating than challenging. Sparse checkpoints are another drawback, particularly on longer stages and higher difficulties, where having to repeat a substantial section after a cheap hit can quickly wear out the welcome.
Where King’s Blade works particularly well is in multiplayer. Four-player local co-op captures the chaotic appeal of classic arcade brawlers, while the option to add AI companions makes the experience viable even when nobody else is available. The bots are useful in combat, although they can also become an annoyance when they greedily grab health or other valuable pickups, and they are less dependable during some of the tougher encounters. The game also benefits from a distinctive visual identity. Instead of simply reproducing pixel art, it uses a hand-drawn, paper-like dark-fantasy aesthetic, with bleak landscapes, ruined locations and suitably grotesque enemies. The animation is hardly cutting edge, but the art direction gives the game more personality than its modest presentation might suggest.
The audio fits the atmosphere without being quite as memorable as the visuals, combining sombre fantasy music with heavier combat sounds and suitably forceful weapon effects. Some of those effects can become repetitive, but the overall presentation does a good job of reinforcing the grimy arcade character. King’s Blade is ultimately more interesting than its basic premise might suggest, particularly once its positioning-based combat and character differences start to click. It is not as polished or immediately responsive as the best modern beat ’em ups, and the inconsistent hit detection, checkpointing and AI companions expose its indie limitations. Still, players willing to accept those rough edges will find a solid fantasy brawler with genuine character variety, secrets to discover and plenty of couch-co-op potential.