We’ve been prototyping a small roguelike called Feed The Fish that mashes up Balatro-style combo scoring with Go Fish mechanics. I’m trying to sanity-check whether the core system actually holds up.
The twist: you pull cards directly from opponents (Go Fish-style), then convert sets into score multipliers.
So the decision space is less about deck construction and more about:
- Information (what do opponents likely have?)
- Probability (is it worth risking a miss?)
- Timing (cash in now vs push for higher sets)
Key tension:
- Cash in safe pairs
- Or hold for 4-of-a-kind and bigger multipliers
- Miss > forced draw > combo reset
- Deck runs out before quota = run ends
There’s also light meta-progression within a run:
- Passive modifiers called Tackle
- Action cards (targeted manipulation / protection)
If you enjoy picking apart systems, I’d really value your thoughts:
https://chaostheorygames.itch.io/feed-the-fish
Appreciate anyone who gives it a go! And any feedback you may have.
