Game: Anthem#9
Genre: Indie, Strategy
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer|Publisher: koeda | SHUEISHA GAMES
Controller Support: Yes
Steam Deck: Playable
Price: US $14.99 | UK £12.79 | EU € 14.99
Release Date: February 5th, 2026
Review code provided with many thanks to Plan of Attack.
Anthem#9 – Another Roguelike Original
Anthem#9 is one of those games that sneaks up on you. You boot it up expecting something familiar, maybe even a quick test run, and suddenly an hour has disappeared while you mutter “just one more go” under your breath. It wears the clothing of a roguelike, but underneath that surface is a clever mix of deck-building strategy and gem-based decision making that feels genuinely fresh.
A lot is going on here, but Anthem#9 does an impressive job of easing you into its systems without drowning you in tutorials or lore dumps. It trusts the player to learn by doing, and once things click, it becomes hard to put down.
A Stylish Setup Without the Overload
You play as an agent of Anthem#9, a secret organisation tasked with keeping the world’s balance intact by eliminating dangerous threats. The story is intentionally light. Most of the flavour comes from short character descriptions and mission context rather than long cutscenes or heavy exposition.
That restraint works in the game’s favour. Anthem#9 is clearly more interested in momentum and mechanical flow than in stopping you every few minutes to explain its universe. There’s a noticeable anime-inspired energy to the presentation, but it never gets in the way of what matters most: the battles.
Gem Matching With Bite
This is where Anthem#9 truly separates itself. Combat takes place in one-on-one encounters, but instead of traditional turns or simple card plays, everything revolves around gem combinations.
At the top of the screen sit your core attack cards. Each attack requires a specific sequence of coloured gems to activate. At the bottom, you’re given a random pool of gems and a limited time window to decide how to use them. The challenge is figuring out the best order to trigger attacks, chain combos, and disrupt enemy actions before time runs out.
What makes this system work is the flexibility. You don’t need to spend every gem each turn. Banking gems for the next round is often the smarter move, especially if you’re setting up something bigger. When attacks fire off, they chain together in a highly satisfying sequence, visually represented by arrows slamming into enemies in rapid succession.
If you’ve planned well, you can even cancel certain enemy attacks entirely. Not every enemy can be interrupted, though, which keeps you on your toes and prevents battles from becoming predictable.
Deck Building That Encourages Experimentation
Alongside gem management, deck construction plays a huge role. At the start of each turn, you select a card that offers passive benefits such as extra gems, boosted damage, or defensive bonuses. Over time, you’ll add new cards to your deck, upgrade existing ones, or replace weaker options entirely.
Between battles, you’re presented with branching paths leading to shops, events, or further combat encounters. This allows you to shape each run strategically, whether you’re chasing upgrades, hunting new cards, or preparing for a looming boss fight.
Bosses themselves are intense affairs. They hit hard, have substantial health pools, and demand careful planning. Normally, that sort of endurance fight can feel draining, but Anthem#9’s combo-focused system keeps things engaging. Every successful chain feels earned, even when the odds aren’t in your favour.
Three Characters, Three Distinct Playstyles
You begin with Rubit, a dagger-wielding agent who specialises in adaptability. Her ability to change gem colours mid-combat makes her forgiving for newcomers while still offering depth for experienced players.
Completing your first run unlocks additional characters, including Phannie, a gun-focused risk-taker who thrives on big gem counts, and Beni, a martial artist who converts gems into shields, healing, and power boosts. Each character feels meaningfully different, not just cosmetically but mechanically.
Their unique abilities encourage experimentation, and each comes with its own set of missions and escalating difficulty levels. This layered progression adds a lot of replay value, especially for players who enjoy mastering systems rather than just clearing content once.
Difficulty
Anthem#9 offers multiple difficulty settings right from the start. Whether you want a more relaxed introduction or a tougher strategic challenge, the game allows you to tailor the experience to your preference.
Once you’ve cleared the main missions, higher-difficulty modes unlock with stricter rules and tougher enemies. These aren’t just stat boosts either; they introduce new constraints that force you to rethink strategies and deck composition. It’s a smart way to extend longevity without feeling repetitive.
Anime as Heck
Visually, Anthem#9 leans into a bold comic-panel presentation with heavy anime influences, much like the Persona series. Battles unfold in animated frames that give the game a strong sense of identity. Enemy designs range from humanoid threats to far stranger creations, keeping encounters visually interesting throughout a run.
The soundtrack complements the action well, blending energetic tracks that keep the pace moving. It reinforces the idea that this is a strategic experience meant to feel dynamic rather than slow and methodical.
It’s also worth noting that Anthem#9 plays exceptionally well on Steam Deck. Controls feel natural, performance is solid, and it’s an ideal fit for sessions on a handheld.
Conclusion – Gem-Tastic
Anthem#9 is a confident debut that takes familiar ideas and reshapes them into something distinctive. Its blend of deck-building, gem matching, and roguelike progression feels thoughtful rather than gimmicky, and the moment-to-moment gameplay is consistently engaging.
There’s a short learning curve, but once the systems fall into place, the game reveals a depth that rewards repeated runs and experimentation. Whether you’re drawn in by strategy, style, or the sheer satisfaction of well-timed combos, Anthem#9 offers something worth your time.
If you enjoy roguelikes and want something that feels new and original to the genre, this is well worth checking out.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot
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