Prime Monster

I didn’t expect to enjoy sleeping on the benches of a parliament, but Prime Monster made me care about votes, scandals and the oddly satisfying clink of Political Capital. Cavalier Game Studios has taken the Slay-the-Spire template and wrapped it in a delightfully nasty British satire — vampires, zombies and orcs argue their way through lawmaking. What stands out is how debates are remixed into resource battles over MPs rather than HP pools, and how your cheeky decisions between fights ripple into later rounds. If you like deckbuilders with a brisk sense of humor and occasional moral bankruptcy, this one’s worth a look.

Debating for Every Last Vote

Gameplay centers on fast, crunchy debates where cards represent rhetorical moves, bribes and violent interruptions rather than simple attacks. Instead of health bars you fight over MPs and their votes: every play affects poll ratings, the loyalty of individual MPs, and your available Political Capital. You’ll convert cards into Political Capital to fuel always-available Tactics, or play them for on-the-spot effects — that tension replaces the usual energy/card relationship and leads to interesting trade-offs. Between debates you navigate a resource map: recruit allies, respond to events, fund projects or make ridiculous campaign promises that can boomerang later. Elections punctuate runs and force you to think beyond the next fight: can you survive long enough to keep your seat?

When Parliament Breaks the Rules

What elevates Prime Monster is the way it twists genre expectations with political theater mechanics. Coalitions, party politics and puppet-master choices give flavor: you can bully colleagues, leak scandals, or resign in glorious failure if that suits your strategy. The game’s unique opposition monsters — from vampiric aristocrats to rotting populists — each bring signature gimmicks that demand different counters. The Shrieker of the House and speaker mechanics add unpredictable stakes to debates: sometimes the room’s rules can doom your plan or let a murder slide. Tactics act like permanent tools you can swap between runs, but the limited slots mean choices bite; I liked finding synergies, though some runs felt solved once a groove formed.

A Parliament of Pixels and Sound

Visually the game skews bold and cartoony with excellent animations: MPs leap, bicker and sometimes meet grisly ends in a way that keeps the mood gleefully dark. The UI is clean for a card game, and sound design punctuates moments — the buzzer of a failed motion or the gasp when an assassination attempt lands. Performance on Windows is solid; the Steam Deck players in the community report decent playability too. That said, there are accessibility concerns: multiple reviewers flagged intense white flashes during debates that can trigger discomfort or seizures, and the tutorial is a bit passive — several mechanics hide behind clicks rather than being explained up front. Balance-wise the difficulty curve starts gentle and some players found mid-run options repetitive; more event variety and forced shake-ups would help longevity.

Prime Monster is a clever, funny and well-presented twist on the deckbuilder roguelike. It nails tone and animation, and the MP/vote mechanics make fights feel distinct from typical card duels. If you value strong writing and political satire wrapped in strategic choices, it's a recommend — just be aware of accessibility flags and the potential for mid-run repetition. Pick it up on sale and enjoy a couple of chaotic terms in office.