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Shanhai: Yin Yang Record Launches on Steam with Dual-Sided Card Mechanic

A debut indie deckbuilder draws on Chinese spirit mythology and builds its core system around cards that change cost and effect when flipped between Yin and Yang.

Distilled Aug 20, 2026·1 min read·source confidence87%
Shanhai Exorcist: Yin-Yang Chronicles

Shanhai: Yin Yang Record is now available on Steam, published by the studio behind AppID 4986290 under the author handle wqyalx. It is a single-player deckbuilding game rooted in Chinese tales of spirits and monsters.

What changed

  • The game's central mechanic gives every card a Yin side and a Yang side; flipping a card alters both its cost and its effect
  • Combat asks players to read enemy intent before choosing to attack, defend, prepare, or flip
  • A 10% launch discount is live for 7 days from release
  • The studio notes this is their first released indie game and is actively soliciting plain, concrete feedback on card readability, combat pacing, difficulty, and individual "schools" that feel awkward
  • Some artwork was produced with the assistance of generative AI, a detail disclosed on the store page

The developers have stated openly that there is room to improve and that they will read every concrete piece of feedback — an unusually candid posture for a launch announcement, and a reasonable signal that the game's current state should be weighed accordingly by prospective players.

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