Game: Culdcept The First
Genre: Strategy.
System: Steam (Windows) (also on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch)
Developer|Publisher: City Connection
Controller Support: Yes
Steam Deck: Playable
Price: US $29.99 | UK £24.99 | EU € 29,99
Release Date: July 29th, 2026
Review code provided with many thanks to Overload PR.
Culdcept The First – Back to Where the Series Began
Following the recent release of Culdcept Begins, it feels fitting that Culdcept The First has also made its way back onto modern platforms. Originally released on the Sega Saturn, this was a game many players outside Japan never had the opportunity to experience. Even as a long-time Sega fan, this series never came to my attention until a release on 3DS.
Now, thanks to its first official English localisation, anyone can enjoy the origins of the series. Whether you’re curious to see where the series began or simply enjoy thoughtful strategy games, Culdcept The First still has plenty to offer. It may be an older game, but its blend of board game mechanics, deck building and tactical battles remains surprisingly engaging.
Monopoly… With Monsters
Trying to explain Culdcept is always entertaining because it borrows ideas from so many different genres. At its heart, it’s a board game. Players move around the map by rolling dice, aiming to earn enough Magic Power before returning to the castle to claim victory. Along the way, you’ll claim territory, defend it from rivals and gradually build your advantage.
The easiest comparison is Monopoly, but instead of buying streets, you’re summoning monsters onto elemental land. Opponents landing on your territory must either pay a toll or attempt to defeat your creature and steal the space for themselves. That simple concept quickly grows into something much deeper.
Each match uses a custom-built 50-card deck filled with creatures, spells and items. Creature placement matters, as monsters receive bonuses when occupying matching elemental land. Spell cards can manipulate dice rolls, strengthen allies or completely disrupt your opponent’s plans, while item cards can swing battles in your favour at the last second. It’s one of those games where every turn feels like you’re making meaningful decisions rather than simply waiting for another dice roll.
Battles Are More Than Numbers
The creature battles are where much of the strategy comes alive. Every creature has familiar statistics like Strength and Health, but raw numbers rarely tell the whole story. Equipment cards, spell effects, elemental bonuses and special abilities can completely change the outcome of a fight. Even unsuccessful attacks can be worthwhile. Wearing down a powerful defender or inflicting status effects may leave a territory vulnerable later, adding another layer of long-term planning. There’s always a temptation to think a few turns ahead rather than simply reacting to what’s happening in front of you, and that’s what kept drawing into the experience.
A Surprisingly Friendly Introduction
For a strategy game with this much depth, I thought the tutorial did a good job of easing players in. Your mentor (a talking stick) patiently explains the basics before gradually introducing more advanced mechanics. The matches themselves certainly aren’t short affairs, but taking the time to understand the systems early on makes the experience much smoother. It did make me laugh that once the stick has guided you through the game’s mechanics, you still need to win the match. So which your attempting that goal, he will just repeat tutorial messages.
A Welcome Revival
Since this is a modern re-release, a handful of quality-of-life improvements have been added. The biggest addition is undoubtedly the English localisation. What was once locked behind a language barrier is now fully accessible, making this version far more approachable for Western audiences. There are also helpful extras like quick saves, optional hand reveals, bonus card rewards and a rewind feature.
The rewind system isn’t quite as flexible as I expected, as it returns you to previous checkpoints rather than allowing unlimited step-by-step rewinding, but it’s still useful if you want to recover from a costly mistake. It’s clear the goal here wasn’t to reinvent the game, but simply make an already strong strategy title easier to enjoy on modern hardware.
Retro Charm Still Holds Up
Visually, Culdcept The First stays true to its origins. The pixel art has aged well, while the creature cards remain packed with detailed fantasy artwork that still looks fantastic today. Battles feature satisfying little animations as creatures clash, giving each encounter a bit more personality without slowing the pace.
It carries that unmistakable late-90s console RPG aesthetic, and I found it surprisingly nostalgic despite never playing the original release. The soundtrack complements the fantasy atmosphere nicely too, helping longer matches remain enjoyable.
A Couple of Small Grumbles
My biggest criticism isn’t actually the gameplay. It’s the opponents. Much like Culdcept Beginnings, your rivals love to comment on almost everything that happens during a match. At first it’s charming, but after several games I found myself wishing they’d let the cards do the talking and, frankly, shut up.
It’s also worth noting that this is a controller-only experience. Mouse and keyboard support feels like a missed opportunity for a game that’s effectively a digital board game. Neither issue spoils the experience, but they’re worth knowing before jumping in.
Conclusion: Board Game Night in
Culdcept The First is much more than an interesting piece of gaming history. Its combination of board game strategy, collectable cards and tactical battles still feels fresh today, and the new English localisation finally allows many players to experience a series classic that was previously out of reach.
If you’ve recently enjoyed Culdcept Begi, this is a fascinating look at where everything started. Equally, newcomers shouldn’t feel intimidated; while the mechanics are deep, the game introduces them at a comfortable pace and rewards experimentation. It may not completely replace the newer entries for me, but that’s hardly the point. This is about preserving a genuinely unique strategy game and making it available for a new audience. I’m very glad it made the journey.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot
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