An Introduction to ‘Clank!’
Everyone has at some point thought about what it would be like as a fantasy burglar crawling down into a monster-infested dungeon to make off with heaps of loot, all while not waking up the terrible dragon that dwells within. Don’t you dare tell me you haven’t or my perception of reality will be absolutely ruined. Anyway, tabletop adaptation experts Dire Wolf have dropped a digital version of ‘Clank!’, a deckbuilder about doing just that: sneaking into some caves and stealing cool stuff.
The Mechanics of ‘Clank!’
In ‘Clank!’, your cards let you get loot, fight monsters, and sneak around. You’re aiming for one of a few especially precious artifacts—but it’s inevitable that a player will, eventually, make a loud ‘clank!’ and wake the dragon, accelerating the danger of someone getting caught and eaten. Right now, the digital version of ‘Clank!’ includes the two boards of the original tabletop game, local play against the AI, and online support for four players.
Why ‘Clank!’ Stands Out
The combination of pushing your luck and deckbuilding is catnip to a certain kind of player who cannot help but do things that will come back to bite them in the butt. ‘Clank!’s rules are simple to grasp, and the deckbuilding is built on the approachable principle of adding new cards to your discard pile and reshuffling only when it runs out. There’s none of that constant reshuffling you see in digital-only deckbuilders. ‘Clank!’ is notable as a more approachable deckbuilder for people who don’t always love the ultra-deep combos and metagame strategies.
Future Prospects and Availability
Dire Wolf is a well-known name in digital board game adaptations, most recently for their quite good spin on ‘Dune: Imperium.’ The ‘Clank!’ release is currently in early access, but only aims to be there for “a couple of months” with Dire Wolf expecting a full release in the fall. The full version will include better visuals, more customization, expanded game modes, and cross-platform play. You can find ‘Clank!’ on Steam for $23.
