Summary
- Deck-builders have gained popularity in recent years, with games like Slay the Spire and Marvel Snap leading the way.
- Zoeti, Wildfrost, and Aces & Adventures are three deck-building games that offer unique experiences and immersive worlds.
- Each deck-building game has its own mechanics and twists, providing strategic challenges and engaging gameplay for both beginners and experienced players.
The world of gaming is vast and saturated with creativity and charm. As of late, it has been drawn to one particular style of play: the deck-builder. Inspired by board games such as Dominion and Ascension, a deck-builder is a game where the player develops their deck over the course of the adventure, instead of the traditional method where pre-determined cards available from the beginning of the game are used throughout (as in CCGs like Magic: the Gathering, where decks have already been built prior to play).
The 26 Best Mods For Slay The Spire
This roguelike deck-building game has plenty of content, but fans could always use more. If you want cool Slay the Spire mods, look no further.
This framework has been the foundation for many games within the last few years, especially early access games. Some stick to the formula that inspired them, while others take what came before and put their own twist upon it. What are the best deck-building games?
Updated November 4, 2024, by Huzaifa Haq: New deck-building games come out every day, with each one iterating on the ideas of those that came before. The more variety available to players the better, as different kinds of developers will bring different ideas to the genre, adding more fuel for the fire to grow. 2023 and 2024 have been particularly good years for deck-builders, with blockbuster titles like Balatro, Hellcard, and Cobalt Core breathing new life into the space.
2019 is the cutoff year for games.
20 Diceomancer
Steam User Rating: 97%
Diceomancer
- Released
- October 10, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Ultra Piggy Studio
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Casual, Strategy, Indie
- How Long To Beat
- 5 Hours
Diceomancer is a cute and aesthetic game that doesn't look like a lot on the surface but hides surprisingly complexity once players get through the first few portions of the game. Like many other indie games, Diceomancer has a frustratingly boring tutorial that goes over the combat mechanics of the game in great detail, but it gets a lot better from there on out.
The game has the player fight monsters in first person, with calming era-appropriate music and a few whacky game mechanics to spice things up every now and again. The low FPS animation can be a bit off-putting at times, but there's plenty of charm to be found for those willing to look.
19 Once Upon a Rogue's Tale
Steam User Rating: 94%
- Developer: PolyPirates UG, Lizard Child
- Publisher: PolyPirates UG
- Release Date: 2024-08-20
A charming card game that suffers from an overly intrusive tutorial Once Upon a Rogue's Tale puts a tabletop spin on some beloved fairy tales, such as Red Riding Hood, and Hansel and Gretel. The gameplay is very directional, requiring players to keep a keen eye on their positioning. The dice system seems a bit unnecessary at times, though it does add a unique charm to the gameplay.
The game encourages the player to strategize and think ahead. The inclusion of multiple characters means pre-battle planning, mid-battle maneuvering, and proper resource management. The art style of the game is also quite whimsical and fun, matching the tone of the lore surrounding it.
18 Knock on the Coffin Lid
Steam User Rating: 84%
- Developer: RedBoon
- Publisher: RedBoon
- Release Date: 2024-08-08
Knock on the Coffin Lid is a game that takes heavy inspiration from the classics of the genre, and there's nothing wrong with that. It has the makings of something truly great because that's what it was modeled after.
It has a very vibrant art style, features decent animations, and has a complex story that players can follow as they travel the world to complete their goal. It even has decent voice acting, which is a lot more than many other games in the genre can claim to have.
17 Pyrene
Steam User Rating: 94%
- Developer: Two Tiny Dice
- Publisher: Indie Asylum
- Release Date: 2024-09-13
Deck-building games come in different shapes and sizes. Some of them are combat-heavy, some are city builders in disguise, while others bring such a unique twist to the genre that players are left with no choice but to think that they're playing a different genre of game entirely. The last category is where Pyrene fits in.
The game sees the player moving through a limited arena with enemies and loot scattered within it. Beating enemies requires losing health, and the loot typically heals the player. The twist is that players can't move to the same square twice without resting, which increases the power of the enemies within that arena. The graphics of the game aren't anything to write home about, but the unique gameplay makes the game a must-try for anyone looking for a new experience within the genre.
16 Stacklands
Steam User Rating: 96%
- Developer: Sokpop Collective
- Publisher: Sokpop Collective
- Release Date: 2022-04-08
Deck-building doesn't have to be about fighting bad guys and destroying towers, it can be about making a sustainable economy as well! Although, there can be some monster hunting along the way as well.
Best Endless City Builder Games
These city-builder games will last for as long as the player can handle. Those who never want to run out of content should give them a shot.
Stacklands is essentially the card game version of a survival/city builder, and it works surprisingly well. The progression in the game feels nice, the different mechanics make intuitive sense, and there is plenty of innovation and exploration to be done for those who are bold enough to venture into the grasslands.
15 Showgun Showdown
Steam User Rating: 95%
- Developer: Roboatino
- Publisher: Goblinz Publishing, Gamera Games
- Release Date: 2024-07-05
Shogun Showdown is one of the most distinct deck-building roguelikes out there. It features vibrant pixel art, beautiful color schemes, and a very simple combat system that has a surprisingly high skill ceiling. Simplicity can be the theme of a deck, but in the case of this game, simplicity is the theme of the entire game.
The turn-based movement and combat mechanics give the game a unique feel. Understanding the interaction between the player character and the enemies, how different attacks pair with one another, and how to move like a proper Shogun is the key to getting good at this game.
14 Cobalt Core
Steam User Rating: 96%
- Developer: Rocket Rat Games
- Publisher: Brace Yourself games
- Release Date: 2024-11-08
Cobalt Core is a sci-fi deck-builder roguelike space battler that has the player take control of a spaceship manned by four cute characters, each adding a unique flavor of cards to the deck. The game has a very distinctive look and features an interesting story that unfolds as the player progresses through the various levels.
5 Best Indie Sci-Fi RPGs
These games may lack a AAA budget, but they're not lacking in quality, offering excellent sci-fi RPG experiences.
With multiple different characters, ships, difficulties, and even daily runs, it's unlikely that the player will get bored with the game any time soon. The combat feels well-thought-out and polished, and the enemies aren't too difficult for beginners.
13 Hellcard
Steam User Rating: 85%
- Developer: Thung Trunk
- Publisher: Skystone Games
- Release Date: 2024-02-01
Undoubtedly one of the best deck-building games to come out in recent memory, Hellcard lets the player control a whole party of adventurers as they go through different dungeons. It has incredibly diverse combat, a ton of replayability, and enough hooks to keep a shark in place.
The dreary gloom of the game's dungeons stand in stark opposition to its brightly colored cards, creating a beautiful overall scene. Each action is beautifully animated, and the card balance feels quite good as well. It even has a co-op mode that ties in perfectly with the single-player mode, both gameplay-wise and lore-wise.
12 Balatro
Steam User Rating: 97%
Balatro
- Released
- February 20, 2024
- Developer(s)
- LocalThunk
- Publisher(s)
- Playstack
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Android, iOS
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Digital Card Game, Roguelike
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Balatro might look like a video game version of poker with a few twists, but it is anything but that. The game takes the basics of poker and adds so many twists and turns to the mechanics until the only similarities between it and Poker are the types of hands a player can use.
It is an entirely single-player experience where the player goes up against essentially nothing, with the only goal being to get higher and higher scores with their hand as the ante rises. However, the card combinations, the Joker synergies, and the breadth of possible builds make the game very addicting (in a non-destructive way).
11 Wildfrost
Steam User Rating: 81%
Wildfrost
- Released
- April 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Developer
- Deadpan Games, Gaziter
- Genre(s)
- Digital Card Game, Strategy, Roguelike
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Wildfrost is one of the best deck-building games on Steam with a vibrant design and a fun story. This tactical roguelike deck-builder transports its players into a freezing cold land where they'll have to journey across a tundra while battling against the Wildfrost to banish the eternal winter from their land.
Players can build unique decks that fit their style the best as well as use the help of various elemental items, powerful charms, and card companions. Wildfrost is a great choice for beginners and avid players who are looking for a new deck-builder game that'll improve their strategic skills while immersing them in an entertaining story.