Gardoon

Blackjack in the Shahnameh

Gardoon is a PC blackjack roguelite set in the Shahnameh, the Persian Book of Kings. Its first story follows Rostam, the age’s greatest hero, and Sohrab, the son he has never met. You don’t fight them: you play hands toward 21 against the Deev, a spirit of misfortune. Winning a hand doesn’t settle the story. At each chapter’s end, a mother, son, king, or father prays, and you choose whether to grant that prayer. Each choice has two endings and carries into later chapters.

Cards, suits, and chips

A hand uses five slots and has one bust limit: 21. You draw, place, or stand, and can pay to throw away a card. Farr, the divine glory of heroes, serves as your stake, currency, and life. Six suit powers let you burn a card to escape a bust, play a card on the other side, take the Deev’s best card, copy, compel, or nullify.