"Chaos Zero Nitea" Hands-On Report: A Deckbuilding Rogue-like with a 3-Person Party System and Unique Elements Like "Hirameki" [TGS2025]
Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/793/G079349/20250926065/
Editorial Department: René | 2025/09/26 11:29 (UTC)
At the ongoing game event “Tokyo Game Show 2025” held at Chiba Makuhari Messe, a playable demo of the new game “Chaos Zero Nightmare” (PC / iOS / Android) was featured at Smilegate’s booth. This article presents our hands-on report.
Chaos Zero Nightmare is a dark fantasy RPG that blends card deck-building mechanics with roguelike elements. The official service launch is scheduled for October 22, 2025, and an official announcement trailer has already been released.
In this game, players form a party consisting of three “combatants” and one supporting “partner.” Additionally, there is a unique element called “Destiny,” where players choose one out of three options before starting the game, which grants passive effects.
After starting the game, players can freely select from multiple areas to progress through. Areas vary—some are combat-focused while others trigger random events. This design should feel familiar to those experienced with deck-building roguelike games.
During battles, players select cards from their hand within a set action point limit. Action points function similarly to mana in traditional card games and are easy to understand.
Each card has a cost, and using a card consumes that many action points. After spending all available action points and ending the turn, players draw new cards from their deck—this is standard for this genre.
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Cards come in various types and allow actions such as attacking or deploying shields. Whether an enemy attacks is indicated by icons, while damage taken is shown via HP bars. Responding appropriately with shield or healing cards based on these indicators proves effective.
During combat, a special effect called “Hirameki” may appear above a character’s head. When activated, using the card of the affected combatant allows players to draw an additional card and execute one more attack.
After a battle concludes, players may also acquire equipment such as weapons. Equipment includes weapons, armor, and accessories—each character can equip one of each type in their respective slots.
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Let’s also touch on partners. Depending on the partner selected in your party, passive buffs are granted during combat. Additionally, players can activate “Partner Skills” using a resource called EP.
Outside of combat, areas marked with a “?” trigger various events. These range from earning in-game currency (“Credits”) to dice-roll-based outcomes—player choice determines the path taken.
Thumbnail image No.013 / Hands-on report for “Chaos Zero Nightmare”: A deck-building roguelike where players form parties of three, featuring unique mechanics like “Hirameki” [TGS2025] Thumbnail image No.014 / Hands-on report for “Chaos Zero Nightmare”: A deck-building roguelike where players form parties of three, featuring unique mechanics like “Hirameki” [TGS2025]
In safe zones, players can rest to restore HP and visit a shop. Using Credits earned during gameplay, various cards can be purchased—though each card is tied to a specific combatant, requiring the player to choose which character it will support when buying.
That concludes the game overview. During our hands-on session, we reached the boss of Floor 1 but were defeated just as we nearly reduced the enemy’s HP to zero—the combatant was knocked out before finishing the fight. This boss battle featured a status effect called “Escaping Reality,” which rendered a specific character unable to act unless they used a certain number of cards.
While I feel I might have won with better execution, the status effect caused more HP loss than expected during our struggle. However, other players nearby also mentioned being defeated at this boss, suggesting a somewhat high difficulty level.
As previously noted, official service begins on October 22—just one month away. Since the hands-on demo couldn’t cover all game features, and given how deep the gameplay appears to be, I’m eagerly looking forward to experiencing the full release version.