Team Lazerbeam has surprised me with Shroom and Gloom. This weird little card-based dungeon crawler ended up being way more engaging than I expected. I thought I was jumping into a quirky deck-builder with some mushrooms and spooky vibes, but it was a super thoughtful, well-crafted experience with a ton of charm and smart ideas.

The atmosphere pulls you in right away. The art style is dark but stylish, with this slightly gross (in a good way) mushroom aesthetic. The lighting feels moody and deliberate, like everything’s damp and shadowy. But honestly, it’s the sound and music that sets the tone. You hear these little creaks and drips in the background, and the sound shifts as you move forward; sometimes, it’s quiet, and sometimes, it ramps up just enough to make you feel uneasy.

The music doesn’t overdo it either; it hangs in the background until things get tense, and then it sneaks in just enough to mess with your head. It sells the idea that the dungeon isn’t just a place you’re walking through; it feels alive, like it’s watching you.

The soundtrack is small but effective, raising tension in key moments and giving you enough room to pay attention. It’s creepy, sure, but in a weirdly cozy, “I want to keep exploring this strange world” way.

What surprised me was the gameplay. Shroom and Gloom uses a two-deck system, one for exploration and one for combat, and it works incredibly well. Your exploration deck governs how you move through the dungeon, interact with events, and uncover secrets, while your combat deck is where the traditional roguelike battles happen. It adds great pacing and gives you downtime between fights that still feels meaningful. Deck-building doesn’t just affect how you fight; it changes how you navigate the world, and that’s a smart touch I haven’t seen done this way before.

The combat feels solid. You start with a simple deck and gradually shape it into something that works the way you want, managing your resources and making choices that matter. One thing I liked was how some cards doubled as currency.

The enemies are also designed smartly. They show you what they will do before their turn, which means every round is less about luck and more about figuring out the best way to handle the situation. The status effects are another standout; they don’t just wear off after a couple of turns.

Instead, they get worse the longer you ignore them, which changes how you prioritize threats. It’s a small twist but adds tension to every fight.

Even though it’s a demo, the whole thing feels incredibly polished. The UI is clean, the pacing between combat and exploration is spot on, and everything clicks. Nothing felt clunky or half-baked. It already plays better than some full releases I’ve tried.

Many little narrative touches, like the delightful mole merchant, give the world character and humour without breaking immersion.

If you’re a fan of Slay the Spire, Inscryption, or just love seeing fresh ideas in the deck-building roguelike space, you’ll find a lot to love here. Shroom and Gloom respects your time, challenges your decisions, and wraps it all in a weird, wonderful package. Team Lazerbeam is onto something here, and I can’t wait to see how it evolves.

Written by: Bradley Thorsen