Divination, particularly tarot and oracle decks, has fascinated me most of my grownup life. Whereas I don’t put a lot inventory on the magical talents supposedly present in oracle decks, I’ve discovered the exercise of drawing playing cards to talk on sure facets of my life comforting and, sometimes, a helpful information.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a recreation that takes that idea and makes it the core gameplay loop. Nearly all the runtime takes place in protagonist Fortuna’s dwelling as associates come and go, however usually not earlier than getting a studying. Regardless of having immortal witches who alter actuality, a shrimp-like behemoth aiding the protagonist, and gathering power from across the universe for a brand new deck, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is surprisingly grounded through the precise means of card studying.

It’s a shocking flip from developer Deconstructeam’s earlier titles, The Pink Strings Membership and Gods Will probably be Watching. These have been nearer to sci-fi thrillers, and whereas Sisterhood can be set in a world with sci-fi parts, they’re solely mentioned; the main focus stays squarely on the magical parts.

It leads to a title that’s as cozy as it’s fascinating with the way it delves into subjects like determinism, mysticism, and what that means life may have. The universe is as absurd as its endearing story, and it depicts its oracle readings earnestly. Readings would possibly matter extra in-game than in actual life, however that doesn’t cease it from capturing the way it feels hanging out with associates and whipping out a deck for a studying.

Taking what you’ll from the playing cards

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood follows a divination witch named Fortuna who has spent 200 years underneath home arrest for foretelling her coven’s doom. On this setting, witches are immortal girls who journey all through the universe, so naturally, Fortuna’s sentencing leaves her drifting in area caught inside her dwelling.

With one other 800 years left in her isolation and determined for human contact, Fortuna makes a pact with a demon-like creature often known as a behemoth to loosen her sentence. The behemoth, named Abramar, even lets her craft a divination deck that pulls power from across the universe.

Wild premise apart, the gameplay loop for many of The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is surprisingly mundane. A lot of the runtime includes inviting associates over, speaking to them about their points, and giving them a divination studying. Matters vary from checking in and relationship drama to how changing into immortal impacts your perspective on the mortal world.

My roommate and I do the identical each Thursday morning to gauge what the following week has in retailer for us. We frequently draw playing cards, touching upon particular areas in our lives, and use them as an support for the close to future.

It’s a parallel between life and video games that occurs not often sufficient that it’s particular when it does. The impacts our playing cards have may be extra substantial in a recreation all about readings when in comparison with actual life, however the parallel continues to be there.

Even when some developments escalate the story’s plot within the second half, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood sells the thought of hanging out with associates and doing tarot excellently.

The whole lot is a matter of perspective

One thing enjoyable about fortune telling is seeing how the reader interprets playing cards. Totally different decks carry various connotations with every reader including taste to it. Some will ask you to place your power into the deck and draw a set of playing cards, and others would possibly deal with setting a temper with incense. Everybody additionally seemingly shuffles playing cards otherwise, with my most popular model resembling Fortuna’s in The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood.

The ritual stays basically the identical: the reader and listener sit throughout from one another and ask the playing cards a query. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood all the time has these associated to particular subjects, however it may be as common as asking how the following week will go. No matter playing cards get drawn, the reply is supposed to be much less of a definitive destiny, and extra of a tenet for the way future occasions end up for those who keep on with the identical course you’re presently on.

That’s the greatest distinction between readings in actual life and The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, as a result of Fortuna’s readings are what is going to occur sooner or later. Her playing cards are the reality, and never one thing suggesting a reality like I take into account real-life decks to be.

Though Fortuna’s playing cards draw from the universe’s power, it’s not all that completely different from most others. An incredible instance can be my most popular oracle deck, Ariana Osborne’s The Daemon Tarot. Regardless of the identify, it’s not a tarot deck, however every card usually has a selected sufficient studying that satisfying readings may be given with a single card.

Multi-card spreads additionally assist generally, and it’s the one factor I want appeared extra in TCWS. Whereas the purpose of Fortuna’s fortune-telling potential is getting a complete studying from one card, it might have been good to see issues like clarifying playing cards so as to add some further taste to readings. Conversations within the recreation usually cowl a number of subjects, so I loved getting the selection of the place to place a card if a number of choices introduced themselves.

As this recreation revolves round constructing a fortune-telling deck and giving readings, there’s a random ingredient to it. Fortuna shuffles her playing cards, that means any created card may be drawn, leaving some degree of selection as much as the sport.

Letting the playing cards information you

Regardless of how informal the dialog earlier than was, there’s all the time a constructing stress when shuffling playing cards. Nonetheless actually you’re taking playing cards, there’s nonetheless a need for constructive outcomes for your self or if the studying’s for a cherished one.

It’s a contrasting sensation that comes with not understanding playing cards get drawn. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood nails this, as a result of even when Fortuna’s deck is her creation, the percentages are random if a constructive card will get drawn. That’s what bought me on its implementation of tarot within the first place as a result of there’d be one thing misplaced for those who simply selected which card to make use of.

I by no means performed a recreation the place a part of the enchantment comes from surrendering some management to the sport, trusting it to make one of the best choice attainable for its characters. It’s nerve-wracking and tense, however thrilling with the payoff coming from numerous meanings that may be derived from a selected card.

If something, the sport is considerably much less tense than precise attracts since Fortuna’s deck is considerably smaller than many real-life counterparts. The Daemon Deck has 69 playing cards and the normal tarot has 78 playing cards. A smaller deck works in TCWS‘ favor since its brisk runtime makes a big deck overwhelming. It’d additionally detract from its main purpose of being a narrative-driven recreation.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood isn’t one-to-one with how I ship divination readings, nevertheless it nails the emotional ingredient behind them. That coziness contrasts with a slight stress and the casualness it’s all achieved with. Individuals take what they may from the playing cards laid out, resulting in surprisingly intimate moments when readings contact on a selected space in somebody’s life.

Divination has led to many desirable and private conversations, starting from profession choices to romantic relationships as to if sure friendships are value pursuing. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood transferred that non-public degree into an exquisite recreation, and I couldn’t be happier for its existence.