Deck-building roguelikes. Also known as the reason I’m not as wealthy as I could be. These games have the uncanny ability to make players experience time dilation, where they feel as though they have spent little time in the game, yet hours and even days have passed in the outside world. I love these games. They are simultaneously difficult yet rewarding, and once you get an overpowered build, hold on to your dopamine receptors, because your brain is going to experience a rush rivaled only by illicit substances. While a failed run will have you slamming the reset button just to get your next fix. 

Unfortunately, Frank is standing over me forcing me to write a blog, so I can’t play them right now, and things are getting… itchy… He’s like a dealer, but instead of withholding his “product” because I don’t have enough money, he’s withholding roguelikes because I haven’t written enough blogs. Which is so unfair. I already told him I will gladly go strip copper from construction sites to buy back my privileges, but no, Frank’s too good for copper. If you say I’m addicted to card-building roguelikes, well, I say you are addicted to blogs, Frank. So, I’m going to present you with some of my favorite deck-building roguelikes that will hopefully satisfy your cravings.

Balatro 

Ah, yes, heroin the game. The game that causes bathroom breaks to last so long that your legs go numb. Balatro is arguably the most famous deck-building roguelike out there; its accessibility and simplicity helped introduce the masses to this genre. This poker 

themed game is simple: use poker hands to get enough points to beat the steadily increasing  “blind.” The better the poker hand, the more points you can get. But that’s not all, to get past the first few levels, you need to get Joker cards, which can be bought in the shop after each blind. Some give you a point multiplier for certain types of hands; others add points to every hand; and others multiply everything. You only get a few slots per run, so hopefully you can find some jokers that synergize with one another to beat the final ante. I’ll be honest, I avoided this game for a long time. I knew it would be a problem if I had this game on my phone. But my journalistic integrity, and the realization I could write off this game if I wrote about it, got the best of me, and, well, this blog was late because I lost a few days to the game.

Slay The Spire (1 and 2) 

Slay the Spire 1 is the game that got me into roguelike deck-builders. Once again, simplicity is king. You choose one of four characters, each with an individual starting deck, and you must reach the top of the tower. Your deck is used as the character's attacks against different types of mobs. As you move through the game, you can find new cards to add or remove from your deck. The mobs progressively increase in difficulty until you reach the final boss. With different paths to the top offering different risks and rewards, this game is both frustrating and rewarding. The sequel just came out, which I sadly haven’t had a chance to play yet, but I’ve heard it’s fantastic. (And when I say I “haven’t had a chance,” I mean Frank isn’t letting me play it until I’ve written five more blogs.)

Inscryption 

I don’t want to say much about Inscryption as it is the most inventive storytelling I have ever  experienced in a video game. What I will say is what you see in the trailer. You are stuck in a cabin, playing a card game against this semi-shrouded figure. The goal is to knock out the opposing player's teeth to tip the scales and move on to the next level. When you lose, you start all over again. Unlike the other deck-building roguelikes, the player character can get up from the table and explore the cabin. Perhaps you find more powerful cards, or maybe learn more about why you are there to begin with. The game is much deeper, but at the risk of spoiling the many twists and turns, I’m going to stop here. If you do want to play this amazing game, don’t look up anything else regarding it; just download it. 

Luck Be a Landlord 

While not technically a true deck builder, Luck Be a Landlord fits into this genre more than  anywhere else. Instead of building a deck, you buy tiles in a slot machine. If you think about it, the randomness of drawing a hand of cards and playing a slot machine are similar. The game, like most great roguelikes, seems incredibly simple, but it actually gets much deeper as you continue to play. The best part of this game is that it mixes the addictive nature of slots with that of a deck builder, becoming an opioid-like monster I can’t stop playing. 

While these games are some of my favorites, there are many more roguelike deckbuilders that are also incredibly fun. Some other honorable mentions include Star Vaders, Monster Train, and Diceomancer. As this is a relatively new genre, more incredible and inventive games are released every day. Which is great for someone like me who again, isn’t addicted… Okay, it’s time for me to come clean, guys. I’m incredibly addicted, but I found a support group called Card Builder Roguelike Anonymous. They gave me this cool chip, and I had some lukewarm coffee and a stale doughnut, and I’m feeling a lot better. I know these games hold no power over me, oh wait, Frank is letting me play his game early? Screw this chip, I want my games! 

Let me tell you, as someone who knows this genre well, Frank’s game is good. So good, in fact, that I wouldn’t be surprised if Frank built the game solely to ruin any chance of me progressing in my career, forcing me to write blogs for Frank forever. That being said, who needs stuff when I have this game?

Meet the Author

Jared Hoffman graduated from the American Film Institute with a degree in screenwriting. A Los Angeles native, his brand of comedy is satire stemming from the many different personalities and egos he has encountered throughout his life. As a lover of all things comedy, Jared is always working out new material and trying to make those around him laugh. His therapist claims this is a coping mechanism, but what does she know?