AWESOME!! Really really well executed!!! [pun intended ;)]
Love the framework you have set up so far. This definitely has soooo much potential! I also think the Heat = Heal was a really interesting flavor to the game.
Given that this type of game needs multiple iterations and extensive playtesting to get the balance just right, I’d like to offer some detailed feedback on the current 'meta'. You’ve done a great job with concepts like mixing and burning cards—those are super cool!! However, I found that the RNG can make progression quite tricky. Like when I have a hand full of double damage cards with no chop/sweep, or a bunch of bonfires when I'm not ready to heal and I'm waiting for a Call of Fire card to show up in my hand, but never get it at the right time :P
Another example to explore is the card design itself, like the Call of Wrath card felt essentially identical to playing two Chops, whereas something like triple damage would be a much more engaging choice that feels different. Also, I wasn’t sure how to choose my target for these attacks; is it based on rune position or another factor?
As I tried to build out my decks, the RNG was often not in my favor and I had a lot of interaction cards without getting damage cards. Sometimes it was genuinely my mistake (a bad choice), sometimes it was due to the cards I was being offered between levels (bad luck). Perhaps there could be some forced limits to make duplicate cards never appear in the 3-card spread, so you have more options to specialize.
Maintaining enough healing to survive past skeletons was another challenge—I only made it to round six at best. The artwork is fantastic and creates an immersive atmosphere, which is definitely a strong point! Everything’s on the right track and with more cards added and some balance tweaks, this could turn out to be incredibly addictive. I love this Slay-the-Spire genre and can see myself getting hooked with further refinements!