Scoundrel: The Descent

Pros: The art and gameplay are top notch. Easy to play, very addictive and it’s ad-free. However… Cons: I have to agree with another reviewer who mentioned that, for whatever reasons, being that this is a free app, the decks are literally ALWAYS stacked against you! With each game, and I mean EVERY game, you get tons of health and weapon cards, and very few enemies at the beginning. You go through them fast because you have no choice. Then guess what?? No matter how strategic your gameplay is, no matter how much you try to conserve the potion and weapon cards, it’s always impossible to win! Basically, it’s a rigged game. Why?? Why have the “random” card deals be so rigged when there is no incentive (like ads, etc.) to do so??? It is clearly NOT truly random, and that’s a shame! Please fix the algorithm, make it more random generated… then it’ll be an amazing game! As it stands now, there are other Scoundrel apps that are more random and fair (like Scoundrel Cards), so I’ll be playing those for now. But, I DO I have high hopes for this app, and I’ll continue to keep checking for updates that address the unfair card deals (again, EVERY. SINGLE. GAME). When it’s updated to truly fair and random gameplay, then I’ll gladly play this one again!

Scoundrel: The Descent is a really solid take on solitaire with a dungeon-crawling twist. It’s straightforward—no menus, just jump in and play—but still feels strategic, with real stakes behind each decision. The card design, sound effects, and music all fit the theme really well without being distracting. Each run feels different thanks to the shuffle, and while it can feel stacked against you at times, that comes with the territory of card-based games. It never felt unfair—just challenging. The game does a great job of making you think ahead, especially when deciding whether to take on a room or move past it. The simplicity is part of what makes it work, but it also feels like there’s room to lean a little more into being a video game. Even something subtle like attack animations or enemies reacting when defeated would add a lot to the experience without slowing it down. I also noticed there are optional purchases, like an inventory pouch and different card decks. Those are fairly priced and make sense, especially since they expand your options without taking away from the core game. One small improvement would be how weapon limits are displayed. Right now it shows the last monster the weapon was used on, but it would be more helpful to show what it can currently be used against. It’s a small detail, but it would make decisions quicker and clearer in the moment. Overall, this is easy to recommend for anyone who enjoys dungeon crawlers or is looking for an offline game that’s simple to learn but hard to put down. It’s a new way to play solitaire, wrapped in a great theme and presentation.

Found out about scoundrel while looking into fun solo card games. This digital version makes it easy to learn and the illustrations make it fun and add a nice level of immersion!