Underplayed Gems

Anode Heart: Layer Null (2024)

Anode Heart: Layer Null cover
Developer
Stove Powered Games
Platforms
Windows, macOS
Genres
Indie, RPG, Early Access
Rating
4.6 of 5, 228 player ratings
Typical playtime
about 28 hours
Where to get it
Steam

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The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

Playing feels like climbing ranks in a colorful, retro-styled card battler with a linear story and a hint of mystery.

cutecolorfulretrodeckbuildingcompetitivelinearstory-drivenfuturistic

What players say

Players are split on this card-battling RPG. Some love the nostalgic callbacks to Digimon World and find the deck building fun, while others criticize the balance, bosses reportedly cheat, the main campaign is too forgiving with infinite retries, and the postgame becomes repetitive and unfair. Gamepad controls, especially on Steam Deck, are widely panned.

Screenshots

Anode Heart: Layer Null screenshot 1Anode Heart: Layer Null screenshot 2Anode Heart: Layer Null screenshot 3Anode Heart: Layer Null screenshot 4Anode Heart: Layer Null screenshot 5Anode Heart: Layer Null screenshot 6

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More by Stove Powered Games

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.