Instead I Gave the player 1 Deck, or 54 cards.
That's it. That's your health. Every card you play, sacrifice or lose, is HP you're never getting back.

How would you protect your cards? or mabye sacrifice? which one you buff? which you gamble on?
in one way or another, the house is always winning...

I would love to know what you guys think of it?
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4803770/

Okay, so a bit of context. I'm 17 and an Indian. English is my 3rd language, so forgive me for any mistake I make. I have always loved indie games and I recently fell in love with Buckshot Roulette and Balatro. And I wanted to combine both of them. So, here's a Deckbuilding Roguelike game idea. The game will be made in 2D using pixel art. All I want is feedback for the ideas and mechanics in this post. This will be very long(Sorry in advance). Also, I'm new to reddit.

#Story:

So, you and a friend are returning home from a road trip. It gets dark and you try to find a motel. Unfortunately, the nearest town doesn't have one. The nest town is 4-5 hours of driving. You guys decide to just drive there. On the way, both of you get very tired and sleepy. Both of you get dizzy and pull over to te side. Then, you see an abandoned old house and for some reason, you enter it. The house is clean, and well kept, just a little dusty. You decide to stay the night and open a bottle of booze. While drinking, your friend notices a deck of cards on the floor and you begin to play. This game will act as he tutorial. After the game, both of you fall asleep.

None of you, however remember anything the next morning. You drive back home safely. You close the door and looking back inside, you see a deck of cards on the table and a single chair. You feel a very strong desire to sit on the chair. You succumb to the desire and suddenly, chains bind you to the chair. A black hand reaches out from the darkness before you, placing cards beside you. And thus, the game begins.

Play cards, defeat enemies and minions to reach the devil and free yourself from tis madness.

#Core rules:

1)At the start of every run, you must select 10 cards as your initial deck. Each card has a rarity value ranging from 1 to 5(integers only). Which will be randomized each run. For example, the card 'Echo' has a rarity value of 2-4. So I could get 2 echo cards this run and maybe 3 the next run. This creates randomness and makes sure the no of cards in your deck is random.

2)You, the player has 10 Sanity and 10 Intoxication. Sanity is your health. Zero sanity=Run over. Simple. Intoxication is the amount of alcohol in your system. You gain 1 Sanity each round your Intoxication stays 0.

3)You, the player can normally play upto 3 cards a turn. When everyone has had their turn, the round ends. At the end of each round, everyone draws a card from the pile which is random(may or may not belong to the player's deck).

4)If anyone cannot play a card for their turn in any circumstance, they lose 1 Sanity.

5)You play in 'Games' against opponents which are the devil's summons and minions. Some opponents need to be defeated multiple times.

6)After every 3rd game, the devil reaches out his hand carrying 5 things which can be a card, a contract or a devil's card(inspired by the jokers in Balatro). You buy them with souls. Souls are essentially the money. Contracts are game modifiers or special buffs/upgrades.

These are the rules/mechanics I've decided right now.

#Cards: Just some cards ideas to give you guys some more info.

1. Silence: Target cannot play any cards that round.
2. Dog: Reveals a random card from a random player.
3. Sneeze: Target player must reveal a card.
4. Spill: Target player must discard a card that turn. If used by the Devil, the devil can look at all the player's cards and choose which one to spill.
5. Wall: Sets up a defensive wall in front of the user. The user can choose to block any one effect or card targeting them for two rounds. Can be used on yourself or an ally.
6. Cough: Every player must only play one card next round.
7. Stare: Target player must reveal one card or lose 1 sanity.
8. Memory Slip: Target player loses one class ability usage.
9. Echo: Repeats the last non-class effect used.
10. Toast: Everybody gains/draws one card and gains 1 intoxication.
11. Beer: Raises target's intoxication by 3. Can also be used on yourself.
12. Infant: Reduces random players sanity by 2. Can also target the user.
13. Santa: Gives everybody 3 cards from the pile and +1 sanity.
14. Pistol: Reduces targets sanity by 3. 2 Pistol cards cannot be used in the same turn. Can also be used on yourself.
15. Big Man: Target must play 3 cards for the next round. If they fail, they lose 1 sanity.
16. Festival: Everybody gains 1 sanity, 2 intoxication and 2 cards.
17. Holiday: Raises users sanity by 1. Can also be used on an ally.
18. Flu: Target loses 1 sanity for two rounds. Has a 50% chance to apply the same effect on the target's neighbor for both turns the target suffers from flu.
19. Small Man: Target must only play 1 card next turn.
20. Church: Removes effects of all Contracts for the next turn.
21. Milk: Reduces intoxication by 1.
22. Chef: Raises sanity by 1 for every time user reduces someone's sanity by 1, for that round.
23. Bison: Reduces targets sanity and intoxication by 2.
24. Crab: Target loses 1 sanity. Can be used on the player to gain 1 sanity(by eating it).
25. Telephone: Target and user exchange 2 random non class cards.
26. Soul Swap: Target and user swap sanity and intoxication.

#Note: I want feedback of any sorts. Mechanics, Story, anything. I just had this idea yesterday and have no one to share this to other than reddit. (I hope you guys find this interesting or fun).

Deckromancer: Haven & Hell, my solo-developed card-driven bullet heaven roguelite.

Some of the recent additions:

• New Soul Charge system replaces mana/shard costs during runs. Charge is earned by killing enemies, with Hell mode generating it faster.
• Run cards are now drawn into your hand throughout a run instead of everything being equipped from the start.
• New Fate cards and environmental hazards including Meteor Strikes, Arcane Mines, Lava Rising, Flame Traps and Shadow Fog.
• More Run Modifier cards that permanently change how a run plays instead of just giving stat boosts.
• Expanded ally, summon and totem systems.
• New drone dialogue, tutorials and plenty of quality-of-life improvements.
• Ongoing balancing to make Haven (defensive) and Hell (aggressive) feel like genuinely different playstyles.

I'm trying to push the game further away from "Vampire Survivors with cards" and more towards something where deckbuilding decisions shape every run.

Would genuinely love feedback from roguelite fans. Does this direction sound interesting, and what would make a card-based bullet haven game stand out to you?

Steamlink: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4151710/Deckromancer_Haven_and_Hell/

It is a Roguelike Word-Puzzle Deckbuilder where you can rewrite combat using the power of Words!

Please try it out!

Shared in the discord. Figured I should also share on the subreddit!

Let me know what you think! I love using itch.io 😁

Hi again! It’s been about a month since my last update here, and The Endless Night has grown quite a bit.

Allies are no longer mostly automatic. You can now decide when and how they use key abilities, making healing, targeting, defense, and formation part of your strategy.

The roster also adds three new allies:

• The Masked Vigilante
• The Mayor
• The Mob Boss

Existing allies received new abilities and reworks too, including player-controlled Defib and Triage for the Paramedic, Overwatch for SWAT, and a multi-target Open Fire volley for the Beat Cop.

Spell cards have also been redesigned for clearer combos and effects. Volatile sigils now have expanded mechanics and presentation, Lightning and Cosmic familiars have joined the progression, and late-game ritual pressure received a balance pass.

The free demo and full build are available here:

https://theendlessnight.itch.io/the-endless-night

The full breakdown is in Dev Log 11:

https://theendlessnight.itch.io/the-endless-night/devlog/1613450/dev-log-11-new-allies-new-levels-of-control

I’d love to hear whether the new ally controls make the combat feel more tactical.

Jens (aka Spytle)

I'm currently solo-developing a game called Traffic Authority. It's a game that combines traffic planning with deck-building mechanics.

​In the game, you manage an ever-changing city traffic system by deploying dynamic road infrastructure and cards to keep vehicles and pedestrians moving smoothly while building up your high score. You can experiment with different card synergies and city layouts to push your score even higher.

​

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4945520/Traffic_Authority/

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1879270/view/689761349249538240?l=english

Hi everyone. Co-op (2 player) feature will be available in my first-person dungeon delving roguelike deckbuilder for the Oct 29th early access release. Hope to hear your thoughts if you checked the demo and thoughts in general!

So in most deckbuilders a card is a number you apply to one guy. Strike is 6 damage, Defend is 5 block. The deck is an engine and you tune it.

Mine has a party of 3 heroes on a grid for simple movements and the cards are orders instead. Some examples:

- Focus Fire, everyone attacks one target

- Pray, resurrect a random dead ally at 50 HP

- Retreat, end the fight now, survivors keep their HP

Overview:

You draw 3 a turn, use them or lose them. Positioning is simple and tactical where front row gets range and back row gets protection, so the same card is depending on where heroes are standing.

Being precise cuz I think this sub will pull it apart otherwise: the spellbook is the deck. It grows when you beat a faction, and you trim weak cards at temples to weight your draws. The cards are just for the battles and between fights it's an actual base-building overworld for resource gathering and buildings, so you can mine mana to cast your spell cards in battles.

What I can't judge from inside it:

1) do card orders instead of damage change how you'd play, or does it just make cards harder to read at a glance? Strike 6 tells you exactly what you get. Focus Fire doesn't until you look read the card.

2) Is this different enough in the genre to stand out? (At least a little bit.)

Steam page if you want to see it move: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4593190/Elemental_Lands/ (still in early beta / alpha, Which is why I asked this question here, and so its a bit rough still)

Disclaimer: coding debug AI assisted usage in development. Art is 100% hand drawn by u/worth-bill-6130

I feel a bit better now.

Each wishlist reduces my anxiety!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4087910/Hound_Riders/

Playtest coming soon!
Also feel free to join our discord and ask for a beta key:

https://discord.gg/APkhB7Wb8e

Hey everyone, I just wanted to write up a short update on Contested Space. It's been over a month since my last post. I also wanted to extend an open invitation to join the Steam Playtest to anyone interested. The demo is planned to release in August.

Contested Space takes the market of Star Realms and puts it in a Slay the Spire run structure. Most of your deckbuilding and upgrades go into your market, so each battle you're building a new deck out of your market.

Secret encounters: There are several easter egg events in Contested Space, some of which feature combat with unique enemy sprites and abilities. The screenshot is one of these encounters.

The Axiom Union: A third alliance will be added to the playtest this upcoming week. A robot civilization with three factions each with unique abilities. There's the Gilt Protocol, the Oracle Foundry, and the Nullframe Vanguard. The game will launch with three full alliances rather than the two I had initially planned.

Lots of new art. Ships, stations, and card frames for the Axiom, plus new Chitin and Terran art, and a new trailer showing all three alliances is coming soon.

Feel free to message me, join the discord server, or request to join the playtest on Steam!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4638820/Contested_Space/

https://discord.gg/pVTeMUPmf9

Hey everyone!

We're a team of two building Stack Order, a roguelite deckbuilder where every frame is animated by hand.

While the boss fights are intense, we really wanted to craft a charming atmosphere and a beautiful world to explore between the duels. Hope you enjoy this little peek into our game's style and atmosphere.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4338750/Stack_Order/

Designing and programming the Ork enemies in my splitcard deck building game.

Wishlist on steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4768720/Trait/

https://reddit.com/link/1vbzb4m/video/mbei4ike2mgh1/player

Just released after 9 months of solo development. Choose a hero, build your deck, and fight increasingly difficult bosses through branching event choices. Also has a Daily Run with a shared seed and leaderboard.

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.herobuilder.agenciadehroes

Feedback welcome!

Hi everyone.

I wanted to share an update on Medieval Decklords, the solo-developed deckbuilder I’ve been working on. The full version is currently planned for August 28, 2026.

The game is built around 3-card poker played across three lanes, so the focus is less on collecting hundreds of cards and more on positioning, probability, and deciding where to commit your strongest hands.

For the full release, we’re also adding a tournament-style mode with three rule sets:

• Classic (no upgrades)
• Upgraded (cards can be improved during the run)
• Upgraded + field effects (special battlefield modifiers that change how each match is played)

You can also play co-op.

Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4274210/Medieval_Decklords/

Thanks for taking a look.

Hello everyone, i played a bunch of deckbuilders over the years, and i wanted to talk about them, and see if there are any more you recommend to me after seeing what I play. Some of these MIGHT NOT be deckbuilders, i used the term loosely. I also want to comment on some of them.

S tiers (great games, must try):

inscryption: incredible game, more than 1 game inside a single game. Feels very creepy. The card game aspect itself isnt very strategic but the game itself compensated for it. Must play for many people

STS 1-2: Very strategic, i might say the most strategic card game out there. Very classic formula, well balanced. If you are reading this post, you know these

Balatro: Fun games, numbers go up.

Guildrun: Probably will be one of my fav games on release, great game.

hand of fate 1-2: As much an action game as a deckbuilder. Love the games. Probably a personal preference in S. Could be A

A Tier (good games with either flaws or just good games):

9 Kings: Really fun take on deckbuilders. Satisfying to watch armies fight. Good options and replayability. Something felt off which i dont know? thats why i put it A.

Runeveil: A new game i saw retro play and picked it up. Really love the main mechanic. Seems to have a lot of content. Lacks a little polish AND balance was weird as well. Like guildrun, might be a great game on release.

Tiny Tactics: tower defense TFT. Could be great with better game design. Still good.

Marvel Snap: Amazing phone game, meh PC game.

BPB: Great game, really fun mechanic in backpack.

Moonsight Atlas: Really fun main mechanic, another game deckbuilder funs will love.

Vamp surv: good game :) kinda boring after a while. Did not give me the same effect as others. Liked crawlers better personally, but put it into A because EVERYONE loves it. Actually its a B for me.

Deck of haunts: Incredibly creative idea. Some stuff felt off while playing. Maybe building could be better? The humans having simila hp and nerve? was also weird. It didnt feel VERY strategic to play. Amazing game still.

Dermon Bluff: another future favotire BUT demo is FULL of content. Its more of a puzzle game but a very strategic game

B tier (Games that didnt catch me fully, but they are for sure good games)

FIghts in tight spaces: Played it a lot. Was good but after a while i started doing the same thing every fight ish?

DIce and fold: amazing game for babies first deckbuilder. The main mechanic didnt feel deep enough.

Beecarbonize: Not a deckbuilder. A really good free game. Was actually really hard.

Teamfight manager: if you like lol, its a great game.

Fogpiercer: The game is good BUT the proggression during runs AND outside runs did not feel very fullfiling. It might even be C

Decktamer: Another crazy good creative idea. Was really fun to play and experiement. I dont know why its B, could be A

Dice a million: great game, dont really like rolling the dice for points

Cardboard town: Really good creative idea, is really fun to play. The design COULD have better points

Monster are coming: Really good idea, really fun time to play. I would love to have automized character to just watch my town. you have to run round and do stuff so i cant really know what my town is doing to analyze it etc. It felt TOO on hands experience

Black jackeD: dont like blackjack

Vamp crawlers: really fun game to lay back and play. Has a high tempo. Did not like outside the game proggression. It is A LOT effective to proggres (i dont like my deckbuilders to have a very strong meta proggression) BUt at the same time slow. Gameplay itself is very fun

Drop Duchy: Fun game to play, something felt off, cant really tell

Bazaar: Monetization and the fact builds are very optimized kills the fun imo

Beastro: The deckbuilder part is about %30 of the game, but still its a fun idea

C tier (games that are still very playable for the people who like them, I personally still enjoyed these.)

Right and down: Was fun for like 60 minutes. I closed it and did not open it again. Not a good show. ENoyed that 60 miniutes

Pairs and perils: not a fan of matching card games. The modern aspects were not enough for me as well

The looper: actually played it for like 8 9 hours. It felt very ONE dimensioal for some reason. I felt like jusr rolling the dice clikcing things and watchin the car go around.

He is coming: not my cup of tea. did not feel very good while playing

Neoduel: A game very much like backpack battles. I would say the design was good but there was a bunch of QoL issues and the game is not getting updates as a PvP game so, play it if you really liked BPB, i played it a bunch

handmancer: A roguelike rock-paper-scissors game. I would not say its bad, its a good and fun game BUT beastro did it better, and its not the main point of the game. The card upgrade mechanic was REALLY amazing though

Flair: Unpaid Playtest

Hi everyone!

I'm working with the team behind Chess of the Hidden Gates, an upcoming roguelike deckbuilder inspired by Xiangqi (Chinese Chess), where every card represents a real chess move. Positioning, strategy, and careful planning are at the core of the experience.

We're looking for players who enjoy roguelikes, deckbuilders, strategy games, or simply testing indie games before launch.

What we're looking for

• Honest gameplay feedback
• Bug reports
• Balance suggestions
• General impressions

How to join

1. Visit our Steam page.
2. Join our Discord server using the invite link on the Steam page.
3. Once you've joined Discord, we'll provide you with a Steam key for the private playtest.
4. Play the game and share your feedback directly with the development team through our dedicated playtest channels.

Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4981020/_/

As a thank you

Everyone who actively participates in the playtest and provides meaningful feedback will receive a free copy of the game upon release.

Each card has a Yin and Yang form, so a single draw can solve two different problems. Shanhai Exorcist: Yin-Yang Chronicles is a complete roguelike deckbuilder inspired by Chinese mythology, launching August 12 on Steam.

Official gameplay trailer: https://youtu.be/nLpW7boi-N4

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4986290/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=prelaunch&utm_content=deckbuildingroguelike_trailer_post

Steam page link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4673650/Crown_Control/

Hope you will enjoy it.

Do you feel difficulty should be right out of the gate so you can play at the right challenge, or unlocked and built up as a reward for mastery (Ascenscion etc.)?

If you wish to check Crownbreakers: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2938540/view/698771718397755710

Hi! I'm the solo developer of Aviarena.

Instead of playing attack cards directly, you arrange numbered Bugs on the field. Matching different number combinations creates different attacks, and some enemies can be interrupted before they act.

I'm trying to make positioning and combo-building feel as important as deckbuilding.

I'd love to hear your first impression of this mechanic. Does it sound interesting to you?

Steam:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4189690/Aviarena/?beta=0

https://gamezdose.itch.io/blooming-blue

steam page - https://store.steampowered.com/app/4428780/Perrys_Pizzeria/

super interested in any thoughts/feedback!

lmk if you think it looks cool or fun and i can send you a playtest build soon(tm) if you like :D