Rant of Valakut: Video Games #In5Cards Ben Iverach-Brereton December 20, 2021 Rants of Valakut It’s that time of year again! Every winter, Rants of Valakut puts out a set of unique puzzles that use the names of Magic cards as clues to describe something, like a TV show or movie. Each year has its own theme to help narrow things down: Previous #In5Cards Themes Christmas Sci-Fi Superhero Movies Animated Shows Star Trek: The Next Generation This year’s theme is Video Games. The way #In5Cards works is pretty simple. Each puzzle consists of five Magic cards – don’t worry if you don’t know what the cards do; all we care about is its name. Together, those five card names paint a picture, highlighting notable features from the video game in question. Using those clues, try to guess the video game! Pay special attention to any regular words you find; weird, made up names like “Atarka” or “Volrath” were carefully selected for how they sound, but aren’t usually as important as something like “Imposter” or “House.” Also, keep a lookout for familiar words or phrases; these puzzles frequently use vocabulary from the games they’re describing. Example Kird Ape Barreling Attack Daring Leap Scale the Heights Rescue GenreArcade Platformer Year1981 AnswerDonkey Kong The Kird Ape is the titular Donkey Kong, with his “Barreling Attack;” a pun on his preferred projectile – a barrel. Daring Leap and Scale the Heights describe Mario jumping and climbing up the map to Rescue Pauline. Below each puzzle are two hints to help you out. You can toggle these to point you in the right direction. They’ll show you the game’s genre and the year it was first released. Be careful with the years, though; not every game will be the first one in its series! Finally, if you’re having any trouble, take a look at the list of titles below. All of the possible answers are listed here, giving you a smaller pool of games to choose from. This should help with some of the more obscure answers. Titles Age of Mythology: The Titans Among Us Angry Birds Animal Crossing: New Horizons Assassin’s Creed Bejeweled Boyfriend Dungeon Castlevania Crypt of the NecroDancer Dance Dance Revolution Descent Diablo Donkey Kong Doom Duck Hunt Earthworm Jim Endorfun Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Fallout Fortnite Frogger FTL: Faster Than Light GoldenEye 007 Grand Theft Auto Grandmaster Chess Guitar Hero Hades Halo: Combat Evolved Hover! I am Bread Jack Nicklaus Golf & Course Design: Signature Edition Katamari Damacy Kerbal Space Program Kirby’s Dream Land 2 League of Legends Left 4 Dead Lego Island Magic: The Gathering Arena Mario Kart 64 Metal Gear Solid Metroid Prime Microsoft Flight Simulator Microsoft Hearts Microsoft Minesweeper Microsoft Solitaire Minecraft Monster Hunter Mortal Kombat Octodad: Dadliest Catch Overwatch Pac-Man PaRappa the Rapper Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Plants vs. Zombies PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Pokémon Red and Blue Version Pong Portal Prince of Persia Rock Band Shovel Knight SimCity Slay the Spire Sonic the Hedgehog Space Invaders Splatoon Star Fox Stardew Valley Super Mario Bros. Super Smash Bros. Tetris The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening The Sims Tomb Raider Untitled Goose Game Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Worms Armageddon Good luck, and happy gaming! Video Games #In5Cards 1. Aerial Engineer Escape Velocity Miscalculation Crash Landing Survey the Wreckage GenreSimulation Year2015 AnswerKerbal Space Program 2. Territorial Dispute Inkling Summoning Skyclave Squid Gush Painted Bluffs GenreShooter Year2015 AnswerSplatoon 3. Underworld Connections Open the Armory Commune with the Gods Defy Death No Escape GenreDungeon Crawler Roguelike Year2020 AnswerHades 4. Quillspike Swift Spinner Maximize Velocity Rings of Brighthearth Dingus Egg GenrePlatformer Year1991 AnswerSonic the Hedgehog 5. Sudden Storm Remote Isle Dream Tides Song of the Worldsoul Long-Finned Skywhale GenreAction-Adventure Year1993 AnswerThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening 6. Dark Offering Queen’s Commission Trickbind Take Heart Overabundance GenreTraditional Cards Year1992 AnswerMicrosoft Hearts 7. Paladin of Atonement Soldevi Digger Defender of the Order Staunch Shieldmate Enchantress’s Presence GenrePlatformer Year2014 AnswerShovel Knight 8. Slayer of the Wicked Razortip Whip Manor Skeleton Bloodtallow Candle Arrogant Vampire GenrePlatformer Year1986 AnswerCastlevania 9. Grand Melee Branded Brawlers Fan Bearer Colossus Hammer Phyrexian Arena GenreFighting Year1999 AnswerSuper Smash Bros. 10. Delif’s Cube Meditation Puzzle Prismatic Strands Brilliant Spectrum Pulse of the Grid GenrePuzzle Year1995 AnswerEndorfun 11. Bounty Hunter Assault Suit Myr Battlesphere Torch Gauntlet Quest for Ancient Secrets GenreAction-Adventure Shooter Year2002 AnswerMetroid Prime 12. District Guide Street Savvy Efficient Construction Demolish Patient Rebuilding GenreBuilding Simulation Year1989 AnswerSimCity 13. Waiting in the Weeds Capture Sphere Lifecrafter’s Bestiary Creature Bond Beastmaster Ascension GenreRPG Year1996 AnswerPokémon Red and Blue Version 14. Setessan Starbreaker Rolling Spoil Amass the Components Incremental Growth Sphere of the Suns GenrePuzzle Year2004 AnswerKatamari Damacy 15. Inheritance Remote Farm Weed Strangle Crop Rotation Bountiful Harvest GenreRPG Simulation Year2016 AnswerStardew Valley 16. Ironclad Slayer Sure Strike Ascent of the Worthy Mardu Heart-Piercer Grim Return GenreRoguelike Cards Year2019 AnswerSlay the Spire 17. Destructive Digger Skyclave Pick-Axe Obsidian Acolyte Riftstone Portal Nether Shadow GenreSandbox Building Year2011 AnswerMinecraft 18. Entrancing Melody Pattern Matcher Followed Footsteps Rhythm of the Wild Pride of the Perfect GenreRhythm Year1998 AnswerDance Dance Revolution 19. Mage-Ring Network Cathedral of War Covenant of Blood Master of Arms Chief of the Edge GenreShooter Year2001 AnswerHalo: Combat Evolved 20. Chart a Course Portable Hole Wood Sage Sundering Stroke Circle of Protection: Green GenreSport Year1992 AnswerJack Nicklaus Golf & Course Design: Signature Edition 21. Vault of Champions Consulate Turret Minion’s Return Parallax Inhibitor Nexus Wardens GenreTeam Strategy Year2009 AnswerLeague of Legends 22. Thundering Chariot Defy Gravity Castle Vantress Coalition Flag Frantic Search GenreCapture the Flag Driving Year1995 AnswerHover! 23. Wall of Vines Seed Guardian Grave Bramble Shambling Remains Relentless Dead GenreTower Defense Strategy Year2009 AnswerPlants vs. Zombies 24. Cathedral Sanctifier Butcher Ghoul Catacomb Sifter Bloodsoaked Altar Demonlord of Ashmouth GenreAction RPG Year1997 AnswerDiablo 25. Siren Song Lyre Discordant Dirge Reviving Melody Soul Shred The Crowd Goes Wild GenreRhythm Year2005 AnswerGuitar Hero 26. Master Thief Opulent Palace Pit Trap Mirror Entity Shadow Rift GenrePlatformer Year1989 AnswerPrince of Persia 27. Urza’s Mine Cogwork Grinder Voltaic Construct Darksteel Reactor Daring Demolition GenreDungeon Crawler Shooter Year1995 AnswerDescent 28. Zombie Apocalypse Resolute Survivors Smokespew Invoker Hunter’s Ambush Ichor Explosion GenreSurvival Horror Shooter Year2008 AnswerLeft 4 Dead 29. Marsh Casualties Aim High Clear Shot Fell the Pheasant Caustic Hound GenreArcade Shooter Year1984 AnswerDuck Hunt 30. Diamond Valley Heart Warden Shambling Suit Hidden Stockpile Ordered Migration GenreTraditional Cards Year1990 AnswerMicrosoft Solitaire 31. Kithkin Rabble Dubious Challenge Precipitous Drop Plummet Culling the Weak GenreBattle Royale Platformer Year2020 AnswerFall Guys: Ultimate Knockout 32. Reconstruct History Invoke the Divine Rally the Troops Atarka Monument Titan Forge GenreStrategy Year2003 AnswerAge of Mythology: The Titans 33. Belligerent Hatchling Flurry of Wings Audacious Thief Nuisance Engine Victory Chimes GenreStealth Puzzle Year2019 AnswerUntitled Goose Game 34. Trueheart Duelist Ninja of the Deep Hours Fight to the Death Fatal Blow Grisly Spectacle GenreFighting Year1992 AnswerMortal Kombat 35. Harmonic Prodigy Volrath’s Dungeon Entrancing Lyre Curse of the Pierced Heart Dance of the Dead GenreRhythm Roguelike Year2015 AnswerCrypt of the NecroDancer 36. Eternal Taskmaster Impostor of the Sixth Pride Murder Council’s Judgment Exile into Darkness GenreSocial Deduction Year2018 AnswerAmong Us 37. Defense Grid Hazardous Conditions Search the Premises Explosive Revelation Near-Death Experience GenrePuzzle Year1990 AnswerMicrosoft Minesweeper 38. Island of Wak-Wak Scavenged Weaponry Circle of Flame Ruthless Sniper Eliminate the Competition GenreBattle Royale Shooter Year2017 AnswerPlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds 39. Relentless Assault Descend upon the Sinful Concerted Defense Aerial Volley Barricade Breaker GenreArcade Year1978 AnswerSpace Invaders 40. White Knight Black Knight Bygone Bishop Pawn of Ulamog Castle GenreTraditional Turn-Based Strategy Year1992 AnswerGrandmaster Chess 41. Ancestral Memories Capashen Templar Dimir Infiltrator Synchronized Strike Eliminate GenreAction-Adventure Year2007 AnswerAssassin’s Creed 42. Labyrinth of Skophos Insatiable Appetite Trail of Crumbs Skulking Ghost Fruit of the First Tree GenreArcade Year1980 AnswerPac-Man 43. Heroes’ Reunion Talon Trooper Ephemeral Shields Get the Point Caravan Escort GenreTeam Shooter Year2016 AnswerOverwatch 44. Amphin Pathmage Dross Hopper Tin Street Dodger River Darter Impeccable Timing GenreArcade Year1981 AnswerFrogger 45. Floating-Dream Zubera Chimeric Sphere Swallow Whole Essence Infusion Absorb Identity GenrePlatformer Year1995 AnswerKirby’s Dream Land 2 46. Veteran Motorist Strongarm Thug Aggravated Assault Commandeer Citywide Bust GenreAction-Adventure Year1997 AnswerGrand Theft Auto 47. Stoic Builder Take Up Arms Battlefield Forge Shifting Wall Last One Standing GenreBattle Royale Shooter Year2017 AnswerFortnite Battle Royale 48. Skyrider Trainee Rally of Wings Into Thin Air Cloudpiercer View from Above GenreSimulation Year1982 AnswerMicrosoft Flight Simulator 49. Teleportal Demonic Rising Worldslayer Into the Maw of Hell Widespread Brutality GenreShooter Year1993 AnswerDoom 50. Lonely Sandbar Sustainer of the Realm Beast Walkers Village Bell-Ringer Debtors’ Knell GenreSocial Simulation Year2020 AnswerAnimal Crossing: New Horizons 51. Avian Oddity Zhur-Taa Swine Fodder Launch Barrage of Expendables Structural Collapse GenrePuzzle Year2009 AnswerAngry Birds 52. Disaster Radius Irradiate Wasteland Salvage Scout Scrapyard Mongrel GenreRPG Year1997 AnswerFallout 53. Chariot of Victory Prismatic Vista Blue Scarab Violent Impact Racecourse Fury GenreDriving Race Year1996 AnswerMario Kart 64 54. Worms of the Earth Rocket Launcher Explosive Apparatus Rising Waters Casualties of War GenreTurn-Based Strategy Year1999 AnswerWorms Armageddon 55. Skyshaper Builder’s Bane Tower of Calamities Aligned Hedron Network Vanish into Memory GenreArcade Puzzle Year1984 AnswerTetris 56. Renegade Map Scrap Mastery Chance Encounter Hull Breach Navigator’s Ruin GenreRoguelike Year2012 AnswerFTL: Faster Than Light 57. Spy Kit Queen’s Agent Audacious Infiltrator Death Match Kill Shot GenreShooter Year1997 AnswerGoldeneye 007 58. Duelist’s Heritage Hover Barrier Deflecting Swat Wild Ricochet Great Defender GenreArcade Sport Year1972 AnswerPong 59. Eager Construct Kinsbaile Courier Prison Barricade Taste for Mayhem Deliver Unto Evil GenreAction-Adventure Year1997 AnswerLego Island 60. Mwonvuli Beast Tracker Fell the Mighty Bone Harvest Renowned Weaponsmith Scavenged Blade GenreAction RPG Year2004 AnswerMonster Hunter 61. Musician Springleaf Drum Mistral Singer Soul Strings Seething Song GenreRhythm Year2007 AnswerRock Band 62. Silverwing Squadron Defiant Falcon Chub Toad Flourishing Fox Aerial Maneuver GenreShooter Year1993 AnswerStar Fox 63. Lifesmith Emerald Charm House Guildmage Builder’s Blessing Toils of Night and Day GenreSimulation Year2000 AnswerThe Sims 64. Purple Worm Power Armor Whipcorder Valiant Rescuer Spare from Evil GenrePlatformer Year1994 AnswerEarthworm Jim 65. Relic Seeker Daring Archaeologist Deserted Temple Ancient Stone Idol Dual Shot GenreAction-Adventure Year1996 AnswerTomb Raider 66. Snake Umbra Lurking Deadeye Jhessian Infiltrator Cunning Evasion Steel Sabotage GenreStealth Year1998 AnswerMetal Gear Solid 67. Ashmouth Hound Songstitcher Expressive Iteration Tragic Poet Rousing Refrain GenreRhythm Year1996 AnswerPaRappa the Rapper 68. Jump Flatten Spore Flower Fungus Elemental Giant Turtle GenrePlatformer Year1983 AnswerSuper Mario Bros. 69. Shadow Slice Late to Dinner Unfulfilled Desires Scorchmark Rite of Consumption GenreAction-Adventure Simulation Year2015 AnswerI Am Bread 70. Bring to Trial Hard Evidence Cabal Interrogator Defender of Law Closing Statement GenreVisual Novel Adventure Year2001 AnswerPhoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 71. Old Man of the Sea Walker of Secret Ways Coordinated Charge Flailing Ogre Crush of Tentacles GenreAdventure Year2010 AnswerOctodad: Dadliest Catch 72. Dancing Sword Weapons Trainer Tempered Steel True Love’s Kiss Armament Master GenreDungeon Crawler Dating Simulation Year2021 AnswerBoyfriend Dungeon 73. Loxodon Warhammer Ignite the Future Orcish Mechanics Chaos Lord Charging Rhino GenreStrategy Year2004 AnswerWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 74. Prismatic Geoscope Gemstone Array Hedron Alignment Chain Reaction Shattering Spree GenreArcade Puzzle Year2001 AnswerBejeweled 75. Perplexing Test Vortex Runner Escape Routes Turn to Slag Buried Alive GenrePuzzle Shooter Year2007 AnswerPortal Bonus Ravnica at War Ixalan’s Binding The Mending of Dominaria Soul of Innistrad Zendikar Resurgent GenreTurn-Based Strategy Cards Year2019 AnswerMagic: The Gathering Arena Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName Email Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ
