Roguelike card games, or deckbuilders, have gone from strength to strength. Hand of Fate is widely considered to be one of the first games that brought the genre into the mainstream, but it’s the hit Slay the Spire that cemented the genre’s popularity.
Build a deck. Play your cards. Go again. It’s that simple. Some of these games are more complex than others and fuse in some roguelite elements, like collecting resources, and others fuse their card-based combat with some RPG elements. Here are ten of the best deckbuilding roguelikes out there.
Updated November 9, 2024 by Jacob Whaling: The roguelike deckbuilding genre isn’t going anywhere, and neither are we! We’ve added even more great roguelike card games to this list.
16
Roguebook
A joint project between the developers of Faeria and the creator of Magic the Gathering, Richard Garfield, Roguebook is deckbuilding roguelike with loads of unique mechanics that set it apart from its competitors.
Rather than with a single deck, you use two characters with two separate card sets. Moving your character back and forward on the playing field is a huge part of Roguebook, and this lends itself to compelling gameplay and lots of different strategies.
15
Book Of Demons
Developed by Thing Trunk and released in 2018, Book of Demons is a roguelike deckbuilder but also an isometric dungeon crawler. Instead of magical weapons, you wield magical cards. Each dungeon is procedurally generated, and you can set the dungeon length to however short or long you want it to be.
It’s a relatively easy game to learn, but there is also plenty of complexity in the deckbuilding. Different classes have different cards and abilities. Pairing up some cards that synergize is very satisfying like all good deckbuilders should be.
14
Luck Be A Landlord
Luck Be A Landlord is a unique twist on deckbuilding roguelike genre. Rather than battle enemies, you’re at war with capitalism. Collect cards, build decks, and spin the endless slot machine.
The aim is to get as many points as you can by building a deck that synergizes well. There are cards that pair pets up together, you can collect fish to put in fishbowls, and gather as much fruit as possible. You’re in a race against your landlord, who just keeps demanding more and more rent money.
13
Tainted Grail: Conquest
Tainted Grail: Conquest, developed by Awaken Realms Digital, perfectly fuses roguelike deckbuilding with an RPG. There are various characters to play, each with their own unique set of cards. The various difficulty levels, card combos, and varied boss fights make this one of the more complex deckbuilders on the list.
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Tainted Grail is also unique because of its completely 3D overworld. Its roguelike elements fuse together with roguelite progression by developing your town and buying items from vendors. It’s dark, grim, and complicated. The ideal deckbuilder.
12
Banners Of Ruin
Developed by MonteBearo, Banners Of Ruin features turn-based combat with six unique characters on your side, each with its own set of cards that can interact with each other in interesting ways.
The gameplay progresses across various dungeon-like rooms, and each run poses its own challenges and decisions to be made. It follows an “Act” structure like many other games in the genre. There are elites and bosses along your path. Don’t worry if you fail your first runs: the roguelite part of the game rolls in, allowing you to unlock tokens and boons for your next run.
11
Inscryption
- Released
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October 19, 2021
- Developer(s)
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Daniel Mullins Games
- Engine
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Unity
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- How Long To Beat
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13 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
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Extra & Premium
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
Inscryption was one of the massive indie breakout hits of 2021, featuring in many GOTY lists and even finding a few nominations at The Game Awards. Although not strictly just a roguelike card game, the first chunk of the game is dedicated to a card game that could stand completely on its own. Something for Daniel Mullins to think about in the future? We’d play it, for sure.
The first part of Inscryption is a roguelite. You die. And you will die again. And again. The card game is not simple, and it evolves over the course of multiple rooms, as you build extra cards, explore the room you find yourself trapped in, and better understand unit mechanics and boss battles. It’s fantastic, really, and this is just one-third of a game that will delight and surprise you with its chaotic twists and turns.
10
Monster Train
Monster Train is one of the most satisfying deckbuilders on this list. While it can be as strictly challenging as a game like Slay The Spire, most of the joy of Monster Train comes from building completely overpowered decks.
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This is made possible by consistent events throughout each run: you can remove cards reliably, and make huge tweaks to your deck, reducing your excess cards down to the bare minimum. Battle your way through racing trains and multiple levels — it even has a real-time multiplayer mode, something that most games on this list do not have.
9
Hand Of Fate 2
Hand of Fate 2 is one of the founding games of the genre, and it far outdoes its predecessor, although that game was pretty great, too. This is a deckbuilding roguelike that fuses together elements of Dungeons and Dragons in a gameplay loop that feels totally rewarding.
It’s essentially a dungeon crawler meets board game, with complex deckbuilding mechanics that leave most of the card selection down to the player. There are dozens of different challenges to encounter, different classes to play with (all taking inspiration from classic fantasy RPGs, like a stealthy rogue, for example), and a deep atmosphere that draws you right in.
8
Griftlands
Griftlands, developed by Klei Entertainment, is an intoxicating narrative-based deckbuilding roguelike that introduces a whole new world of complicated decision-making to the mix. Different characters will explore the story in different ways, building relationships with unique characters, and refining their selection of cards.
Not all of these cards are just about dealing damage: you can charm, persuade, or trick your opponents. You can build a team, collect some truly bizarre and powerful pets, and discover the story through multiple different parts.
7
Slay The Spire
If you’re talking about deckbuilding roguelikes, Slay the Spire is usually the first game mentioned. Following the success of Hand of Fate, Slay the Spire took the mechanics of deckbuilding roguelikes and stripped it back to its very core. Slay the Spire is completely simple, and at the same time, one of the most complicated games you’ll ever play.
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There are hundreds of hours of gameplay here. Roguelite progression is limited to unlocking some new cards and relics, but these are out of the way quickly, and then you’re left with nothing but the challenge of managing to beat the game. 20 Ascension levels keep the difficulty level fresh right until the very end.
6
Chrono Ark
Chrono Ark is a party-based roguelike deckbuilder with RPG elements and a surprisingly deep story. In general, roguelike deckbuilders aren’t known for their great stories, often relying on lore tidbits and the like to flesh out the world. However, along with a myriad of other unique features, this is where Chrono Ark sets itself apart.
There are 20 different characters in Chrono Ark, each with their own set of cards and unique mechanics. Every character plays differently from the next, and each has their own backstory and lore that fit into the overall story. If you’re looking for a unique take on the Slay the Spire formula, Chrono Ark is an amazing option.
5
Balatro
Balatro is a poker-based deckbuilder where the objective is to break the game. Your deck consists of 52 normal playing cards, and your goal is to use these cards to form poker hands to score points and pass Blinds. However, where things get interesting is with the Joker cards.
Jokers have a variety of effects, like multiplying the value of Face cards, granting you more points when scoring Clubs, and so on. Of course, these can stack together, leading to exponentially higher scores as you attempt to see just how far you can push your combos. Balatro’s crips pixel art and psychedelic music make it endlessly enjoyable.
4
Dungeon Drafters
Dungeon Drafters combines the dungeon-crawling gameplay of the Mystery Dungeon series with deep deckbuilding mechanics, offering a unique take on the genre. Rather than a typical roguelike where every new run is a fresh start, Dungeon Drafters is more of a rogue-lite, where every dive into a dungeon will make you stronger as you build up your deck.
There are tons of different cards in the game, divided into color-coded categories, which dictate the type of deck you can craft. Dungeon Drafters is very difficult at the start, as your deck is rather weak, but slowly gaining power as you unlock new cards and Artifacts is incredibly satisfying.
3
Across The Obelisk
Digital Card Game
Roguelike
- Released
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April 8, 2021
- Developer
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Dreamsite Games
- Publisher
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Dreamsite Games
- Engine
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Unity
- ESRB
-
t
- How Long To Beat
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30 Hours
Across the Obelisk is a rare deckbuilding roguelike that has online co-op, allowing you to build a deck with up to three friends. The gameplay is similar to a lot of other deckbuilders on this list, but the addition of multiplayer keeps things interesting.
Even if you don’t plan on playing with others, there’s still tons of content in Across the Obelisk, with hundreds of cards and items, allowing for nearly endless replayability. But, if you’re looking for a roguelike deckbuilder to play with friends, Across the Obelisk is it.
2
Trials Of Fire
Trials of Fire is a roguelike deckbuilder with a tabletop aesthetic, challenging you to engage in tactical, strategic battles in a post-apocalyptic world. The game is a party-based deckbuilder, where you control up to three characters in battle, each with their own cards and equipment to keep in mind.
Battles take place in a hex grid, and positioning your characters is essential for victory. If you move your characters near one another, they can perform combo attacks to give you the edge that you will need; Trials of Fire isn’t easy, and taking advantage of every mechanic you can will be the key to clearing its more intense challenges.
1
Cobalt Core
Cobalt Core combines the roguelike deckbuilder genre with ship management, similar to FTL: Faster Than Light. Rather than controlling your crew directly, you use randomly drawn cards to give them orders; raise the shields, avoid incoming fire, or prepare to counterattack.
Enemies in Cobalt Core almost always telegraph their next attack, creating a strategic combat loop where you are either avoiding attacks or firing off attacks of your own. This back and forth, combined with the satisfying deckbuilding components, make Cobalt Core a truly unique game in the roguelike deckbuilder space.
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