David Sirlin’s long-awaited, online collectible card game, Kongai, has finally been launched over at Kongregate. After initially finding the game uninteresting I was convinced by our friend Nash to give it another try. I’m glad I did, because it really is a great game.

Unfortunately the great game is hidden under a terrifying interface, making the best way to learn the game an in-person tutorial from someone who already knows how to play (which is actually a lot like real card game). On top of this there’s a lot of lag and a few server glitches right now that might cause you to lose games even when your victory is imminent (this seems to happen less on ranked matches). Also, there’s no ability to play with your friends, which is ironic for a game hosted on a social software site. Finally, the card distribution is draconian, so when someone uses an incredible combo on you it’s basically impossible to throw together a deck and try the move out for yourself.

None of that, of course, is David Sirlin’s fault (except maybe the interface stuff) and he deserves credit for creating a really compelling and rewarding game. Everyone should try it out.