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SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is a party-based RPG built around turn-based card combat. Reviews generally praise its approachable battles, party synergies, customization, and presentation; the main reservation is that its strategic depth may not satisfy players looking for a demanding card crawler. Story and combat polish draw more mixed responses.
What is SteamWorld Quest?
Developed by Image & Form Games and published by Thunderful, SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech combines party-based role-playing progression with deck construction and card-driven, turn-based battles. Nintendo describes its setting as a hand-drawn world where aspiring heroes fight using cards, in a humorous blend of traditional fantasy and steampunk robots. Nintendo says players can craft decks from more than 100 unique punch-cards; that figure describes the card pool, not the number of cards used in a single deck. Nintendo’s official product listing provides that description.
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Steamworld Dig 2 - Nintendo Switch | $34.96 | Buy on Amazon |
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Yoshi's Crafted World - Nintendo Switch | $52.90 | Buy on Amazon |
The game did not have one universal launch date across platforms. Metacritic lists an initial release date of April 25, 2019, and names Nintendo Switch, PC, and iOS among its platforms. Steam lists the PC release date as May 31, 2019. Metacritic’s details page and Steam’s listing show those platform-specific records.
How did SteamWorld Quest review?
On the Nintendo Switch critic page, Metacritic displayed an 81 out of 100 from 53 reviews when accessed October 8, 2026: 41 positive, 12 mixed, and none negative. That is a changing aggregate of critic reviews, not a permanent rating. Metacritic’s Switch critic page shows the snapshot.
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- Dig your way underground and explore vivid worlds riddled with treasure, secrets and traps.
- Combat dangerous enemies at every turn of the underworld's twisted paths, including shadowy creatures and the haunted remains of an ancient electrical threat.
- Upgrade your Gear to forge deeper into the Earth and take on bigger challenges.
- Swing across large chasms with your Hook shot and fly through caves with the Jet Engine!
Steam displayed a Very Positive overall user-review label, with 87% positive from 1,949 reviews, when accessed October 8, 2026. These are Steam user-review metrics and can change as reviews accumulate. Steam’s product page displays the store summary.
Metacritic’s user-review page displayed a 7.8 user score, with 64 positive, 22 mixed, and 9 negative ratings when accessed October 8, 2026. Individual users praised the card mechanics and characters, while some raised concerns about combat polish, the weight of items, or a story that did not stand out to them. These are subjective reactions rather than a single shared verdict. Metacritic’s user-review page provides that snapshot.
Rank #2
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
What reviewers liked
Card combat and party synergies
Critics often singled out the combat: building a party and finding useful synergies between characters gives the turn-based battles their appeal. Worth Playing praised build variety, while Game Informer described the combat and synergies as gratifying. That combination supports experimentation without making the game feel inaccessible to players who are newer to card-based RPGs.
Approachability and presentation
Reviewers also praised the game’s accessibility, art, and production values. Its card systems serve a recognizable RPG structure, making it an inviting option for someone who wants to try a deck-based battler without starting with the genre’s most demanding systems. Nintendo’s product description emphasizes the hand-drawn world and fantasy-steampunk tone, while critics’ praise for the presentation reflects how much of the experience is carried by its style as well as its mechanics.
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Rank #3
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- Solve evocative challenges that reward wit and observation.
- Enter an engrossing atmosphere with a memorable soundtrack inspired by 1980s horror films and John Carpenter.
What reviews criticized
Strategic depth depends on what you want
The same accessibility that makes the combat easy to approach can feel limiting if you want a deep, punishing card crawler. Game Informer’s review noted that the game may play too safely for hardcore card-battler fans. The critical trade-off is not that deck construction is absent, but that its systems may not offer the level of challenge or complexity every genre fan expects.
Story and combat fairness are less consistent
Other criticisms are more subjective. Digitally Downloaded praised the combat and presentation but objected to the writing. A Metro GameCentral excerpt found the game enjoyable while describing it as rather unfair. Metacritic user responses also include complaints about polish and a story that failed to make a strong impression for some players. These individual judgments do not outweigh the favorable aggregate, but they help explain why the game may land differently depending on whether you prioritize narrative, combat balance, or card-system depth.
Rank #4
- UK IMPORT VERSION , REGION FREE WORKS IN USA
Is SteamWorld Quest worth playing?
It is a strong fit if you want a colorful, authored RPG with turn-based card battles, party combinations, and room to adjust builds. It is a less certain pick if your main goal is a particularly deep or demanding card-crawler system. Consider whether you value approachability and a complete RPG presentation more than complexity for its own sake; the reviews suggest that distinction is more useful than treating the aggregate score as a universal recommendation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Platforms and edition details
Nintendo’s US store page lists a digital Switch edition and says it is supported on Nintendo Switch 2. The same listing gives the content descriptors “Fantasy Violence” and “Mild Language.” Those are details for that particular US storefront page, not a guarantee of availability or classification in every region; check the relevant storefront for current information. Nintendo’s US listing is the source for those Switch details. The evidence cited here does not establish current physical-edition availability.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
