deckbuilder Archives

AppWizard

December 3, 2025

For just $10, this PC board game bundle has some phenomenal cozy games – but you’ll have to be quick

Fanatical is offering a 'Build your own Tabletop and Deckbuilder' bundle featuring 14 products, including the board game Roll Player and indie deckbuilder video games like Wingspan, Calico, Raiders of the North Sea, Yellow & Yangtze, Sagrada, and Wings of Glory. The bundle is valued at nearly 0 but is available for .99, with options to select three, five, or more games at varying prices. The bundle is available until December 22, but there is limited stock of Steam codes, particularly for the Dire Wolf pack.

AppWizard

November 24, 2025

This week in PC games: warriors, painters, roguelikes, sailors, shotguns, subs and metroidvanias

The gaming industry is currently experiencing a wave of creativity and innovation, with a potential revival of third-person cover shooters on the horizon. Several new PC games are being highlighted: 1. Nientum - Op.ZERO (early access): A 2D platforming and rhythm-action game featuring amnesiac anime girls restoring a creepy theatre. 2. Constance: A 2D metroidvania where players control a painter navigating worlds influenced by mental health struggles. 3. Primal Fray: A turn-based, creature-collecting strategy roguelike set on floating hexagonal islands. 4. A.I.L.A: A narrative-driven game where players act as a game tester against a malicious AI level designer. 5. Captain Wayne - Vacation Desperation: A cartoon FPS featuring a sailor on a mission to challenge wealth. 6. Red Rogue Sea: A turn-based combat and deck-building game with a pirate theme. 7. Holder Of Place: An autobattling roguelite deckbuilder confronting a dragon that has cast the world into eternal night. 8. Kings Of Hell (early access): A nostalgic beat 'em up set in a chaotic world with upwardly mobile demons. 9. Veterum: A turn-based fantasy strategy game focused on battlefield manipulation. 10. Death In Abyss: A 3D underwater combat game where players battle massive leviathans. 11. Ayasa: Shadows Of Silence: A platforming adventure through six themed worlds. The gaming landscape remains unpredictable, with these titles adding to the excitement and anticipation for the future of the industry.

AppWizard

October 27, 2025

This week in PC games: Outer Worlds 2, Arc Raiders, occult detectives and some chunky strategy games

James has returned from his travels in India, having enjoyed a holiday rather than focusing on the Indian game development scene. Noteworthy PC game releases include: - Terra Firma 2: A sandbox god simulation. - The Séance of Blake Manor: A first-person supernatural detective mystery set in 1897 Ireland. - Master of Command: A historical strategy game set during the Seven Years' War. - Simon the Sorcerer Origins: A prequel to the 1993 point-and-click adventure game. - Death By Scrolling: An RPG promising endless upward mobility. - Wreckreation: A game featuring 400 square kilometers of landscapes for vehicular chaos. - Silly Polly Beast: A third-person survival horror game with a skateboarding orphan. - As Long As You're Here: A semi-autobiographical experience about a woman with Alzheimer's disease. - DSS 2: War Industry: A medieval wargame simulating real-time activities of workers and soldiers. - Dark Moon: A real-time survival strategy game with a mecha-base. - The Outer Worlds 2: A sequel focusing on leveling up companions and corporate satire. - Orbyss: A game navigating a metal labyrinth filled with logic puzzles. - Resonance Solstice: A blend of train simulations, trading mechanics, and deckbuilder combat. - Majogami: A hack-and-slash platformer in a paper-crafted world. - Arc Raiders: An extraction shooter from the creators of The Finals. The Treehouse team is engaged in various projects, with James preparing for another press trip, Mark discussing Hong Kong dollars, Ollie finalizing Silksong guides, Jeremy working on The Outer Worlds 2, and Callum exploring Umamusume: Pretty Derby.

AppWizard

September 29, 2025

PC Gaming Show @ TGS 2025 Coverage

The PC Gaming Show at TGS 2025 showcased over 30 upcoming PC games. Key announcements include: - Nightdive Studios is remaking "Blood," set to launch on December 4th. - "Earth Must Die," a point-and-click adventure, features a voice cast including Ben Starr and Tamsin Greig; release date TBA. - A demo for "Minos," where players build labyrinths, is available now. - "Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth," a sequel to Snufkin, is in development. - "Awaysis," a dungeon brawler, has playtest sign-ups available. - "Billie Bust Up," a 3D platformer, has a new gameplay trailer; release date TBA. - "Yakuza Kiwami 3" will launch on February 11th, 2026, featuring an alternative storyline. - "Gravebound," an online extraction shooter, has a free playtest available now. - "Kaiju Cleanup" has playtest signups available. - "HOTEL BARCELONA" is out now, blending horror and action. - "Mars Tactics" will release in May 2026. - "CLAWPUNK," a roguelite, is set to launch on November 14th. - "Killing Floor 3" will receive a major update on Halloween. - "Farmbotic," a co-op farming game, is launching in 2026. - "Denshattack!" is a train stunt game coming in 2026. - "Doomspire," a roguelike deckbuilder, is out now. - "MotionRec," a puzzle platformer, is coming later this year. - "Mind Diver," a mystery adventure, is out now. - "JOIN US," a cult simulation game, is set for 2026. - "Threads of Time," a visually stunning title, has no release date yet. - "Soulmask" will leave Early Access in Q4 2025. - "Outward 2" is set for a Summer 2026 release. - "House Flipper 2" will introduce a Pets DLC next year. - "OKU," a narrative-driven game, has no release date yet. - "Morbid Metal," a single-player hack and slash roguelite, will open playtests soon. - "Huntsman," a horror game featuring giant spiders, is set to release in November 2025. - "RAEV: Kingdom on the Distant Shores" is coming in 2026. - "Absolum," a beat 'em up roguelite, launches on October 9th. - "Task Time," a competitive party game, has a playtest available now. - "BrokenLore: DON'T LIE," a psychological horror game, is in development.

AppWizard

September 15, 2025

This week in PC games: Dying Light, a Martian themepark sim, a glossy RPG remake and some cuddly LEGO co-op

This week features a variety of new game releases, including: - Mars Attracts: A whimsical theme park management game with Tim Burton's Martians. - LEGO Voyagers: A co-op puzzle game with tiny eye-block characters. - Troublemaker 2: Beyond Dream: An open-world comedy beat 'em up appealing to fans of Saints Row. - Fata Deum - The God Sim: A town-building and army battle game reminiscent of Black & White. - Troleu: A bus conductor simulator with chaotic elements. - Daymare Town: A point-and-click adventure set in a city with Metamorph creatures. Additional titles include: - Henry Halfhead: A puzzler with a protagonist who can transform into objects. - Rana Card: A roguelike deckbuilder managing a corporate farm. - Skate: A non-conformist skateboarding title. - Strange Antiquities: A pawnshop management game for mystical items. - Flick Shot Rogues: A game involving flicking berserkers at targets. - Beacon Patrol: A digital board game about expanding an ocean. Notable mentions: - Easy Delivery Co: A delivery game in a snowy town with catpeople. - Ratatan: A quirky title inspired by Patapon. - Dying Light: The Beast: A new installment in the zombie genre. - Pigface: A grimesploitation shooter with a unique protagonist. - Trails In The Sky 1st Chapter: A 3D remake of a beloved RPG. - Jump Space: A cooperative space adventure game. - Eclipsium: A title promising diverse experiences. - Marisa of Liartop Mountain: An adventure RPG with dice roll conflict resolution. There are also embargoed games being played this week, with anticipation for Silksong and Borderlands 4.

AppWizard

August 9, 2025

Steam has a sale celebrating small developers, and you can get my favorite post-Balatro deckbuilder for just $2

The Tiny Teams sale on Steam runs until August 14th, featuring games from small development teams, including demos for upcoming indie releases. Notable titles include: - Aces & Adventures: A deckbuilder priced at .99, with 13 fully-voiced campaigns inspired by Norse and Middle Eastern mythology, offering procedurally-generated runs and gameplay that combines special abilities with poker hands. - Pager: A 1-bit simulation exploring corporate ambition, reminiscent of the series Severance. - Phasmophobia: A 4-player online co-op horror game available at a 25% discount, where players act as ghost hunters using various equipment and voice interaction with ghosts. - Ale & Tale Tavern: A cozy co-op game priced under , where players manage a tavern and engage in activities like hunting, cooking, and farming. - The RPG: A humorous game that satirizes genre tropes, featuring glitchy dragon bosses and comedic healing methods. - Erenshor: A single-player RPG designed to evoke the feel of classic MMOs. The sale includes additional discounts and a variety of indie games and demos.

AppWizard

August 9, 2025

Every game is a roguelike deckbuilder now, but I’ve finally found a few that have stopped me being a hater

9 Kings is an early access game where players defend their kingdom using cards to strategically place units and buildings against aggressive monarchs. Upgrading units and buildings is done by overlaying cards, and spells can provide new abilities. Players can acquire cards from various themes during battles, allowing for diverse builds. The King is Watching features grid-based gameplay and kingdom defense but lacks the fluidity of 9 Kings, requiring significant time investment for resource grinding. It introduces a mechanic where players must keep their gaze on buildings for them to function, adding tension and strategy. Drop Duchy reimagines Tetris as a kingdom-building roguelike deckbuilder, where players use tetrominos generated from cards to construct their kingdoms. Building prerequisites depend on surrounding tetrominos, and completing lines rewards players with resource bonuses. These three games showcase diversity within the deckbuilding genre, each offering a unique experience while sharing foundational elements.

BetaBeacon

August 2, 2025

The Best Roguelikes on Android and iOS: great rogues and roguelites on mobile and tablet

The text provides a guide to Android and iOS roguelikes and roguelites, highlighting various games that are worth playing on mobile devices.

AppWizard

July 21, 2025

Yogscast Games’ The Royal Writ Launches August 7 for PC

The medieval roguelike deckbuilder, The Royal Writ, developed by Save Sloth Studios and published by Yogscast Games, will launch on PC via Steam on August 7. Players command cards on the battlefield, strategically positioning them to advance toward the enemy while facing the risk of permanent destruction for cards that fail to achieve victory. The game features a diverse army of characters with unique abilities, including an injured flamingo and a short-sighted chicken archer. There are two campaigns: one focused on quelling a rebellion and another introducing gunpowder as a new adversary. Key features include intuitive gameplay, roguelike progression, card permadeath, a charming art style, memorable NPC encounters, special boss mechanics, a gradual difficulty ladder, challenge modes, and collectible relics that alter gameplay dynamics.

AppWizard

June 25, 2025

Shuffle Tactics (PC) Review

Shuffle Tactics is a deckbuilding roguelike game that revitalizes established mechanics within the genre. Players navigate grid-based maps filled with enemies and objectives, using action points to deploy cards for attacking and defending. The game features three distinct characters with unique specialties: the Doberknight, an archer with ricocheting arrows, and a turret specialist, along with a magic user. Players can customize their combat decks by adding or removing cards after encounters and can acquire relics for passive effects and items to enhance specific cards. The game allows players to recruit sidekicks with their own decks. Each playthrough offers a unique experience, although some mechanics lack adequate explanation. The narrative involves a king who has gone mad, but it serves more as a minor distraction than a central focus.