Publisher Clear River Games has announced a global release for Culdcept The First Saturn Tribute, their new remaster of the original deckbuilder strategy game.

Culdcept The First Saturn Tribute is launching globally first for Windows PC (via Steam) on July 30th, followed by Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PS5 on September 8th.

A physical release is planned in the west for both Switch and PS5 the same date as the digital launch – in both a $34.99 standard and a $79.99 deluxe edition.

The game will launch in Japan as Culdcept The First for both PC and consoles the same day as the global PC launch, on July 30th.

Here’s a rundown on the game, plus a new trailer:

Coming in both digital and physical versions for Nintendo Switch and PS5 at the same time, Culdcept The First Saturn Tribute has long been envied by digital board game fans in the West, since Culdcept The First was originally released in 1997 for the SEGA Saturn. Upon launch, the game quickly became a fan favourite thanks to its engrossing deck-building gameplay, enchanting fantasy setting and gorgeously detailed artwork.

For the very first time, Clear River Games and City Connection will invite gamers to discover the magic of the Culdcept universe by returning to where it all began, in this enhanced version of the original classic, finally playable with English subtitles and complete with quality of life features for the modern gamer.

In Culdcept The First Saturn Tribute, gamers enter the fictional universe of Culdra Space, created by the omnipotent Goddess Culdra, creator of Culdcept, a book strong enough to wield the power of creation itself. Gamers assume the role of a ‘Cepter’ heading into battle with their Book, a self-constructed 50-card deck.

Traverse across the map, guided by the roll of the dice and summon a diverse range of incredible creatures, strategically using your cards to progress on the spaces where you land. In Culdcept The First Saturn Tribute, any land where you place a creature becomes your territory, and by using Spell Cards, gamers can manipulate dice rolls, support their creatures, or sabotage their rivals. 
 
Making your way through the map will be no easy task however. Land on another player’s territory and it will cost you, as gamers are forced to pay in Magic Power as a toll. Don’t go down without a fight; summon a creature and win the battle, claiming the territory as your own! In Culdcept The First Saturn Tribute, the key to victory lies not only in a creature’s stats and special abilities but also in the various effects of the game’s Item Cards and support bonuses received from the land or from allies.

Seize territories and increase Magic Power to gain the upper hand, and the first Cepter to collect the target amount of Magic Power and return to the Castle is declared the winner. Once the battle is won, gamers receive a random set of cards based on ranking, which can be incorporated into their Book, refining their tactics for the next battle.

In addition to the legendary game itself, Culdcept The First Saturn Tribute will come complete with quality-of-life enhancements, designed for the modern gamer.

Features:

• Rewind the game to any point where a Checkpoint was passed at a Fort or the Castle.
• Quick Save & Load enables gamers to save and load at any time, independent of the main game’s standard save function.
• Bonus Pack increases the number of Reward Cards received at the end of a match. (can be toggled ON/OFF in the options menu).
• Reveal Hands is a brand-new feature allowing gamers to constantly display both their own and their opponent’s hand on-screen—information that was only visible at specific times in the original version. Reveal Hands can be toggled ON/OFF, and the display size adjusts automatically depending on the game’s screen layout.
• Language Switching allows gamers to play the game in either Japanese or English.