Image credit: 2 Left Thumbs / Meteor Forge / Chris Perry / Steam
It’s impossible to talk about roguelike deckbuilders without mentioning Balatro. A game so popular and iconic that it essentially spawned an entire genre with seemingly constant new entries. No matter where you go, it always seems to pop up one way or another.
I myself even had my start in gaming journalism, writing about Balatro vs Dice A Million. As such, I always try to keep on top of any new additions to the genre. In my humble opinion, the following games are the most interesting deckbuilders, with the best shot at coming close to Balatro’s popularity without including an actual deck.
Dice-A-Million – Dice (obviously)
I won’t spend too much time talking about this, as Kyusai’s Em Stonham wrote a fantastic article on this very project. I’d recommend checking that out for more information. Overall, it’s a colourful, dangerously addictive game that will have you constantly trying to build new ones.
Gambonanza – Chess
I was lucky enough to be given access to the Gambonanza playtest when it was initially announced and got an incredible amount of enjoyment out of it. A demo is now available, and I can recommend it wholeheartedly. While the standard deckbuilding gameplay loop is present here, using chess as the basis offers many more strategic possibilities and item combinations.
Mixing customizations of chess pieces and altering the board allows for some great moments. Keep in mind that all this is coming from a person who is terrible at chess and doesn’t really enjoy playing it. But as I played more Gambonanza, I found myself enjoying chess more, and if that isn’t an indication of the game’s quality, I don’t know what is.
With Gambonanza’s release date of May 1, 2016, quickly approaching, there’s no better time to try this demo.
Oh!Ware – Mancala
I love Mancala. Strange thing to mention, I know, but when I was scrolling through demos on Steam and saw Oh!Ware, I was instantly hooked. In Oh!Ware you must go against opponents and deal enough damage to drain their health bar, a rather unorthodox format for a game in this vein.
To achieve this, you play Mancala with a variety of special marbles and effects, as well as a host of characters, all with their own set of unique spells and animations. The pits themselves can even be altered, allowing for even more strategy.
Developed by solo dev Chris Perry, the level of ingenuity displayed in the demo is truly remarkable. Despite being in its demo stage, the foundation for a particularly entertaining deckbuilder is evident. With appropriate music and a clearly defined graphical style, this article was mostly written so I could show off this very cool game.
Runix – Pinball
Easily the most subversive on the list, Runix is a deckbuilder in which you collect abilities and items, then use them to fight bosses by playing pinball. The demo for this has only just come out; however, I myself have already had an incredible amount of fun in it.
Created by a solo dev, going by Meteor Forge, Runix: Pinball Roguelike harkens back to the early days of PC gaming with its pinball gameplay, except with a more contemporary roguelike twist. While there is clearly some polishing to be done, as the music is limited to a single, short loop, the gameplay is hilariously fun. With all of this, I can heartily recommend the demo out on Steam now.
Overall, those are the “deckbuilders” that I believe have the potential to excel in a genre inundated with entries that don’t use the standard deck of cards as a basis. While some of them clearly need polish, the creativity shown in each project is what really makes them worth talking about.
Hopefully, with time, they can be the David to Balatro‘s Goliath and set an even higher standard than had already been set.
FAQs
A deckbuilder is a game in which, throughout a playthrough, you will add new abilities and items to your available arsenal. Usually paired with roguelike mechanics, examples include Balatro, Dice-A-Million, and Slay the Spire.
Not necessarily, however, the two gameplay styles do complement each other very well. Having to restart and rebuild your deck from zero usually provides an entertaining gameplay loop.
Gambonanza releases on May 1, 2026; a free demo is available now for those who want to try it.
About The Author
