It's been a while since Slay the Spire and Hearthstone each reminded people that card games are still here and even better than ever in digital form. Since then, digital card games have been coming out in all shapes and sizes. Some of them take the form of roguelikes, some of them are card battlers, some of them are deckbuilding roguelike cardbattlers...
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Whatever you want to call them, tradable or collectible card games — or simply put, any game featuring cards as the main mode of gameplay — have been constantly evolving with each release. Slay the Spire may not be the first of its kind, but the influence of it and games like it are certainly still being felt by not only indie studios but big name publishers wanting to get in on the trend. These are some games, big and small, that are worth checking out — whether or not you've already experienced the best that deckbuilding games have to offer.
10 Nitro Kid
Retro 80s synthwave meets strategy and deckbuilder. Nitro Kid is a charming roguelike that never takes itself too seriously. With its bright colors and bouncy soundtrack, If you want a game to turn on and have a good time with, this is a great choice.
The mix of turn-based tactics with deckbuilding is a good match. Just as you would normally use cards to have your hero attack, you must also use them to move around the grid. This adds positioning and map hazards to the number of things you must consider when playing your next card as your energy is limited. That said, it remains simple enough that it won't ever tire you out, especially with the synthwave vibes keeping you energized.
9 Neoverse
If the lack of waifus was something standing in your way of trying these types of games, then you'll be pleased to know that Neoverse was made with this in mind. That of course, is not to say the rest of the game isn't fun in its own right.
It boasts an interesting sci-fi/fantasy style where your character can shoot mythical beasts with her gun or summon creatures to fight off giant robots. Its gameplay loop is quite simple, and its narrative is near non-existent, but what it lacks in complexity it makes up for in simple fun. Comboing the myriad of perks each character has with its cards and effects never gets old and are all flashy to watch, keeping this game just as repayable as the rest.
8 Loop Hero
A deckbuilder roguelike but not a card battler, Loop Hero is a very creative game that likes to play with the core concepts of both building a deck and progressing through a roguelike run (or "loop" as they call it).
Essentially, your hero will be passively running around a loop, defeating monsters and collecting loot on his own. It is your job to get him stronger by playing cards from your deck to facilitate his growth and collecting of resources to bring back to town. The sheer amount of mechanics that interact with both the map and each other make this game very addicting as you slowly try to understand how everything works.
7 Tainted Grail: Conquest
A dark interpretation of the Arthurian Mythology, Tainted Grail: Conquest is an interesting game in both visuals and design. Its dark and deadly atmosphere keeps you on your toes as you'll never know what horror you'll encounter next in the Wyrd.
Almost everyone you meet will have interacted with this mystical miasma, many changed for the worse by its influence. Your purpose is to take up arms against the creatures that lurk within and survive by bringing companions you can trust into your village in a roguelike deck building fashion.
6 Across The Obelisk
Simply put, if you enjoyed Slay the Spire and especially if you have friends who also enjoy StS, you are sure to be interested in this. It's built to be a similar experience, but designed from the ground up to allow for a more cooperative experience.
Everything you would expect in a deckbuilding roguelike you can do in tandem with your friends. Battles are done together with your heroes each playing their own unique deck with their own effects. Your path is meant to play out much more like an adventure and is determined by the choices all of you decide on.
5 Faeria
If you've ever played Magic: The Gathering, you may have thought something along the lines of, "What if my land cards were actually pieces of land?" Fortunately, the creators of Faeria seemed to have also had that thought.
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This card battler has a strategic edge to it as you play literal plots of land on a grid in order to facilitate the summoning and moving of creatures. Most creatures can be summoned on regular land, but others need a special type of land (and a certain number of it) in order to be summoned. Faeria has a lot of flavor and unique ideas that make it a breath of fresh air as a card battler. If you find yourself wanting to return to the roguelike style of Slay the Spire, you can also check out the sequel, Roguebook, from the same developers.
4 Legends Of Runeterra: Path Of Champions
Runeterra's Path of Champions is something we didn't expect to become such a success. It started out small, nestled among a couple other experimental modes, and has since become a mainstay of the game and (arguably) its best feature alongside the PVP.
It has grown into something worth installing for on its own, even if you are not a fan of digital TCGs themselves. It takes both the champions and the items from Riot's TCG and MOBA and converts them into deck archetypes and modifiers for you to take on a roguelike adventure, accruing cards and items along the way. Over Time, you'll have developed your own ridiculous combo with your favorite champions (Or have fallen prey to an opponent's ridiculous combo).
3 One Step From Eden
Turn based games dominate this market, but if you ever yearned for something faster paced, then look no further than One Step From Eden. OSFE takes a little bit of card battling and a lot of real-time combat.
The gameplay is best described as a hectic mash up between a bullet hell and a strategy game. Your hero will dash across the grid trying to dodge attacks, drawing spell cards from your deck, and retaliating with your own attacks. It's a unique roguelike experience that differs from the usual slower and methodical turn-based gameplay of titles like Slay the Spire.
2 Marvel's Midnight Suns
Marvel's Midnight Suns and Marvel Snap are two big titles that have shown that there is still a big market for deckbuilding games and that big publishers might want to get in on the action. The latter is a traditional collectable card game with its own unique twist, whereas the former is a turn-based strategy in the same vein as others on this list, only without the roguelike elements.
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The player builds their superheroes while progressing through the story, going from battle to battle like any other tactics games. There is not only character creation and free roaming exploration to do, but the combat is done through the cards from the deck you build with cards associated with the heroes you've picked. This is a great big budget quality game for both deckbuilding fans and RPG fans.
1 Library Of Ruina
Library of Ruina is the sequel to Lobotomy Corporation, a crazy simulation game where you manage... horrors. While this game is definitely one to check out if you haven't already, its card battling sequel is the main attraction here. Library of Ruina was built on the success of the previous game, and lovers of Lobotomy Corporation are sure to love the atmosphere of this game as well.
The gameplay, however, is a bit different. It not only uses cards, but it has its own unique variation of card-based strategy gameplay. You play your cards in advance to attack the enemies and then watch the attacks unfold and clash with the enemy. For anyone interested in games similar to Slay the Spire, Library of Ruina could very well be your next favorite game.
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