{
  "id": 8731013,
  "title": "I lost hours to this roguelike card-based city builder even though I had no idea how all of those words could fit together",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/i-lost-hours-to-this-roguelike-card-based-city-builder-even-though-i",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-20T16:55:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PC Gamer",
    "slug": "pc-gamer",
    "url": "https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/i-lost-hours-to-this-roguelike-card-based-city-builder-even-though-i-had-no-idea-how-all-of-those-words-could-fit-together/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "I was utterly captivated by Toxic Frontier, a card-based roguelike city builder, despite my initial lack of understanding of how its components could interact. This game, showcased at the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct, unfolds on a hexagonal grid, reminiscent of Settlers of Catan. Players draw cards such as villages, forests, sheep, mountains, lakes, and more, aiming to synergize these elements while venturing into a toxic wasteland. Wishlist the game on Steam for future updates. In Toxic Frontier, card combinations are not merely a matter of stacking; they involve intricate strategic decisions that can result in towns or cities. However, the landscape that players uncover as they progress adds an additional layer of complexity. Toxic Frontier presents a semi-randomized set of objectives in each level, requiring players to strategically manage their limited cards, which, upon placement, yield points needed to unlock additional cards. The bigger and more complex the combinations, the more points are earned. The game's roguelike nature is evident in its semi-randomized objectives and the limited number of cards per level, encouraging players to experiment and learn from their mistakes. The more challenging the combos, the greater the reward. As such, players can anticipate numerous losses when Toxic Frontier is released. For now, all one can do is wishlist this intriguing game on Steam.",
  "summary": "Boldly step into the mist and confront whatever horrors may emerge.",
  "key_points": [
    "Players struggled to grasp game mechanics",
    "Card combinations required strategic decisions",
    "Roguelike elements led to numerous losses"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}