Phenixx Gaming

Deck-Building Rogue-likes are one of the ways I wind down when I’m not working. Some of them follow the typical Slay the Spire formula, while others do a few things differently. Knock on the Coffin Lid is one of the more interesting Deck-Builders I have played, and with the new Nightmares of Millenis DLC, there is even more to enjoy.

Knock on the Coffin Lid sets itself apart from other Deck-Building Rogue-likes in a surprising way. It uses the typical Slay the Spire-style map, but instead of events remaining hidden from you each run, your characters learn about the events with each run, allowing you to follow quests and plan your runs as you go.

You see, in Knock on the Coffin Lid, you are dead. Well… you were poisoned. Depending on who you are playing, you awaken after your death to find Mortis, a mysterious being who has raised you from the dead. He tells you to seek out the person behind your death and slay them so that peace can return to the realm. It seems simple, right?

Well, as you play through various runs, you’ll discover that the world is much different from what it was when you left it. On top of that, your central mystery is part of an even greater journey that will have you facing more than just your killer in battle. The fascinating part is how each run allows you to follow along quest lines and explore elements of the story.

It is strangely similar to how Hades rolls out its storytelling, except in some ways I feel that Knock on the Coffin Lid is a little…restrained by its methods. There are certain “Vital” events that you must follow if you want to finish a run. Because of that, you must focus on very specific paths, meaning that if you want to flesh out other quests, you’ll often lose the run afterward.

What makes it really interesting is how each character has a unique perspective on the story. One character is an elf, which makes his take on things unique from the others since he can give lore on the elven faction. Another is a human who has a unique connection to his killer, and so on.

The story is what pulls Knock on the Coffin Lid along, especially since the game is so brutal in places. There were times when I thought Slay the Spire was difficult, but even on its easiest difficulty, I find that sometimes Knock on the Coffin Lid puts it to shame. Granted, discovering the outcomes of events helps, but sometimes good old RNG can still slap you on the rear and call you an idiot sandwich like Gordon Ramsay.

Aside from the difficulty, I also ran into a few issues where the game would freeze and crash before starting a new run, or at the end of a run. Luckily, I never had any problems with save data corruption or anything, but it was still unnerving to have to force the game to close so I could re-open it to start a new run.

Outside of those main issues, and the fact that runs do start to get somewhat predictable when you have to take a certain path for the story, this is a solid Deck Building Rogue-like. The Nightmares of Millenis DLC also serves to add a big chunk of content as well.

The DLC content varies and ranges from two new sub-areas to new cards and gameplay systems. I won’t go into a lot of detail as some of it is connected to spoiler-esque plot elements. However, I can say that if you enjoy the base game, the DLC gives you more of what you want. Does it fix any of the issues I had with the base game? No, not really.

With that said, I can’t understate that I like what Knock on the Coffin Lid does here. The world is lush with detail, the artwork and voice acting (along with the music) are immersive, and there is a lot to love here that most Deck-Building Rogue-likes just don’t touch. It surpasses Slay the Spire for me in terms of replay value and is absolutely worth the price point.

Speaking of that, on a technical level (I don’t normally do this), at the bottom of this review, the price will be marked as $35.98, but that’s the price with the base game and the DLC together. Knock on the Coffin Lid is well worth its asking price, and with the quality of its gameplay and world-building alone, it could easily go for more.

If you like Deck-Building Rogue-likes, this should easily qualify to slip its way into your Steam library. It is listed as “unknown” on Steam Deck compatibility, but I think it would be a great game to take on the go as well.

A PC review copy of Knock on the Coffin Lid and its Nightmares of Millenis DLC was provided by RedBoon for the purposes of this review.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!

14

Knock on the Coffin Lid + Nightmares of Millenis

$35.98

8.5

Score

8.5/10

Pros

• Great Storyline
• Fantastic Deck Building Roguelike Gameplay
• Lots of content Between Base Game and DLC
• Fantastic Voice Acting

Cons

• Crashes Between Runs
• Sharp Difficulty Spike