Deckbuilding games have exploded in popularity over the past few years, largely driven by big names like Balatro and Slay The Spire. There are quite a few different kinds of games within the genre, some focusing more on fast roguelike loops and others more on slow, thought-out progression that demands a lot more of the player over a single run. What ties them all together is the same satisfaction that comes from building a deck or set of cards over time and executing a complex strategy that either lets the player set a new high score or clear a tough enemy that they had previously been struggling with.
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The past few years have brought some pretty exceptional deckbuilding games, many of which have completely changed how players view the genre, and the future looks equally bright, with even more exciting titles just around the corner, ready to shake things up in a whole new way. There are sequels to iconic hits that are looking to bring something new to an established franchise, unique spins on existing gameplay mechanics, and some are bringing interesting innovations to an otherwise pretty simplistic space. For fans of the deckbuilding genre, 2025 may have been a great year, yet 2026 is already shaping up to be even better thanks to these exciting upcoming games.
Net Raiders
Surviving Cyberspace With Nothing But Cards
- Merge cards for powerful combos.
- Each run is filled with random events.
Net Raiders is about as close to a Cyberpunk 2077 card game as there has ever been. The game is equal parts deckbuilder and RPG, taking players on a journey into a crumbling virtual world where disorder reigns supreme and the only way forward is to fight. A lot of the gameplay revolves around the merge mechanic, which lets players combine identical cards to unlock one of three unique effects. The first is Enhance, which upgrades or changes a specific card's ability, letting players tailor their weapons and defenses to whatever enemy they are facing. Supply Merge allows the player to draw a new card from wherever the merged card was positioned, effectively refilling their hand and giving them more options to choose from.
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The final is Transform, arguably the strongest option, as it converts the cards into another one in the player's hand, opening the door for some crazy combos and in-depth strategies down the line. Every card comes with different merge effects, but also strategic modifiers that can bring additional effects if certain conditions are met. For instance, if the player only has attack cards in their hand, they will get a cost reduction from a single card's passive, introducing even more strategy into an already complex gameplay loop. What makes it such an exciting game is how different every run will feel. Players will find themselves encountering random events and unpredictable enemies that each come with their own challenges that are virtually impossible to prepare for, requiring constant adaptation and improvisation from start to finish.
Slay The Spire 2
Crazy Combos Right From The Start
- New and returning characters and cards.
- Requires constant adaptation the further you get into a run.
When people mention deckbuilders or virtual card games, one of the first names that gets brought up is always Slay the Spire. For players who loved the first one, the sequel is looking to be even more insane and chaotic. Players begin their run like any other, entering a labyrinth of rooms full of terrifying enemies and mysteries waiting to be discovered, but as they press on, they will quickly unlock new cards and tools to add to their arsenal, transforming a basic deck into a virtually unstoppable strategic weapon. Tactics often evolve rapidly over the course of a single run, as no matter how many times players have made the ascent, they will always be pushed in new ways and forced to adjust their approach whenever they reach the later stages.
A lot of the draw for the first game came from the ability to create absurd combinations within a run that could completely break the game, while also being incredibly accessible to players who had never really touched the genre before. Thankfully, the sequel is looking to keep that philosophy in mind, letting players step into the fray with a basic deck to learn the ropes with, but offering plenty of ways to progress further with more characters that each have their own built-in strategies, and higher difficulties that require an even greater amount of strategy to overcome. If it can achieve even a fraction of the fun of the first game, then Slay the Spire 2 is bound to be one of the best deckbuilders of 2026.
Hungry Horrors
Folklore Becomes Reality
- A blend of deckbuilding and cooking mechanics.
- Feed monsters to progress further.
Hungry Horrors combines turn-based deckbuilding with masterful cooking to deliver a fantasy experience unlike any other. Rather than fighting monsters and slaying demons, players instead find themselves cooking elaborate recipes that each come with their own effects. Then, they have to feed those meals to the deadly creatures that stand in their way. The gameplay depth comes from the ability to chain together spices and flavors, meticulously crafting iconic dishes from the British Isles to fit the tastes of the horrors that await.
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There is also a roguelite element to the game, which lets players return to their base, upgrade their recipes, and unlock new abilities, bringing them closer to the heart of the kingdom's hunger. Aside from physical progression, players will begin to learn combinations of flavors, blending salty, sweet, sour, and more to create powerful turns that can quickly turn the tide of "battle" in a matter of moments. Because each monster has its own preferences, players need to remember which dishes to prepare well in advance to satiate their enemy's appetite, or risk becoming a meal themselves.
OPERATIVE: Revolve
Making Deckbuilding A Cinematic Experience
- Different card types that can be chained together.
- Interactions between different characters and enemies.
OPERATIVES: revolve is branded as a cinematic roguelike deckbuilder that revolves around using machine cards to fight off various enemies that are threatening to disrupt the order of the world government. Each card comes with specific effects and strengths like any other deckbuilder, but the difference comes from how players can boost their power by fitting components that can significantly improve certain strategies with a single decision. Cards themselves can actually be destroyed in battle, locking them off from use until the next fight, which adds another layer that players need to consider when taking on tougher opponents.
When it comes to the enemies themselves, a lot of the fights feel dynamic and responsive, as their behavior can change drastically between each run, demanding a lot of attention from the moment the attacks start flying. Also, fights can come from several different directions, meaning that card placement is just as important as the card effects themselves, making the encounters feel more oppressive and the enemies feel more dangerous. Because of how big an emphasis the game places on visuals, every enemy and every battle looks as impressive as it feels, turning basic card game combat into an immersive experience that thrusts the player right into the heart of the action.
Insider Trading
Balatro Meets The Stock Market
- Use both peaks and dips to maintain profit.
- Employ calculated gambles that can either be successful or catastrophic failures.
Insider Trading turns the unpredictable stock market into a satisfying roguelike where players can literally bend charts to their will. By manipulating prices and using perk synergies, players can strategically profit by triggering price swings and effectively using dips, while also avoiding falling into bankruptcy as a result of their own greed. From a visual perspective, the inspirations are clear, but just because Balatro redefined how the deckbuilding genre could be seen doesn't mean it gets to have all the fun. Each set of trades has a satisfying visual and audio feedback behind it, making the wins seem even more exciting, and even the losses manage to feel engaging.
In between the actual gameplay, players can access the shop, buying consumables and new cards that can have powerful impacts on the flow of the market in the coming days. As weekly targets climb higher and higher, players need to think more about the long-term swings and falls of each share, using both positive and negative cards to tailor each graph to whatever financial decisions they may have made beforehand. Without any actual monetary risk on the line, Insider Trading looks to be an exciting spin on an already fascinating world that gives players all the power to become millionaires overnight, minus any of the actual gambling.
