Card games and roguelikes go together like butter on bread. The unpredictability of a deck of cards and the endless replayability of my favorite genre naturally complement each other, and that’s why we see so many excellent examples on Steam. There’s Balatro, Slay the Spire, Monster Train, Wildfrost, and even Inscryption. Every one of these games thrives on doing something unique, and I can easily say the same for Stray Path. Blending roguelikes with FreeCell Solitaire, the game is coming to Steam incredibly soon, and there’s a demo you can try right now.
Like all good card-based roguelike games, success in Stray Path comes from a mixture of luck, skill, and preparation. You have to handle multiple piles of cards, and it’s up to you to decide how to deal with them. Some of the cards are enemies you need to fight, while others might be items or skill cards you can hold onto and use later.
While the most immediate comparison is Slay the Spire, there’s something else at play here. Developer chx games draws inspiration from FreeCell Solitaire, and uses a similar presentation and gameplay style while putting it into a roguelike fantasy game.
This means you’re not fighting one foe at a time, or going after one item. Instead, you will be facing down multiple opponents at once. Defeating these enemies (or picking up the cards in other piles) will also reveal the next card under them, so you can decide if you want to push through for potential rewards or simply just move on.
As you explore each zone in Stray Path you’re faced with plenty of decisions. Perhaps you’ll hold onto an item that restores health, deals immediate damage to enemies, or even gets rid of one of the items you’re holding so you can pick up another. There are over 100 pieces of equipment and items in Stray Path, so you can build around becoming a brick wall, glass cannon, or anything in between.
Stray Path is coming to Steam on Thursday February 6, and you can try a demo for the game right now. Simply head here.
If you want more we’ve also got all the best strategy games and card games ahead of launch, so don’t miss out.
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