Off the AppStore: Gambling has evolved in Blackjack Ascension

• Return to the digital casino for a new kind of blackjack
• Hit or stand with traditional rules, risking it all on luck
• Use your wins (and losses) to gain perks and improve your game

Welcome to Off The AppStore, a weekly feature with a twist. Namely, that while these - as with all the games we cover here - are games that you can play on your phone, they're ones that operate outside of the realms of the big two ways to play: The Google Play Store and the Apple AppStore.

That means that there might be a bit of work required in downloading alternative AppStores or APKs, or that the games can simply be played in your phone browser. We'll make sure to detail that for each game though. Anyway, read on to find a new game or experience to play Off The AppStore.

From the moment you start breathing, life deals you a hand. No matter what cards you get, they're pretty much the only ones that you're ever gonna get, so you'd better play them wisely. If you want to play cards within your cards, well, then just go to a casino or find a deck of cards to play with people or yourself. Among all those card games, Blackjack is one of the most well-known and arguably one of the easiest to win since it's all of the players against the dealer. But what if you could actually get better as you play? That's what Antoine L. thought when dealing out Blackjack Ascension.

You've been invited to a very special Blackjack game that gives you the chance to improve. There are no other players to mess with the dealing of cards; it's just you against the dealer, and you're welcome to play as long as you have money. You'll start with a small pool of cash and can immediately begin to bet it recklessly to take on the dealer. It's the standard Blackjack setup: The person who gets the closest to 21 without going over wins. There's a fair amount of luck involved that will drain your funds, but don't worry, you can always take out a loan… just remember to pay it back.

However, this game of Blackjack bestows a special power on you. As you play and win, you'll earn XP and money, which can be used to ASCEND. You'll have access to a Blackjack-based skill tree that will let you be a more efficient (and possibly more fortunate) player. You can buy skills that allow you to earn money in passing, increase your winnings, earn more XP, and other ways to turn every win into a bigger win and every loss into… not… so bad of a loss.

Blackjack Ascension is a 2D top-down pixel-art version of Blackjack, where it's you against the dealer. Whether you win or lose, loans and XP will allow you to stay in the game while also giving you the option to buy skills. The more skills you buy, the more successful a player you can be. Of course, luck still needs to be on your side to give you the cards you need to win, assuming that the dealer doesn't already have Blackjack, but hey… deal with it.

Blackjack Ascension is available to download and play from its itch.io page!