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Deckbuilding hidden gems on Steam
Every game here is tagged Deckbuilding on Steam, sits between 1,000 and 5,000 reviews, is rated at least 80% positive, and carries a catch drawn from its own negative reviews. All 31 of them. How these pages are made.
This is a digital card game simulating the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Players build decks and duel iconic characters across various series.
What players likedPlayers praise it as a great single-player Yu-Gi-Oh game, better than mobile titles, offering extensive content and a chance to learn modern Yugioh.
The catchSummon animations cannot be skipped and constant confirmation prompts make duels drag.
Games like Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist : Link Evolution →
Duelyst82% positive from 4,719 reviews2016
Duelyst is a collectible tactics game with fast-paced, strategic turn-based battles on a grid. Players build decks and position units for quick, competitive matches.
The catchThe servers are shut down, so the game is no longer playable at all.
Games like Duelyst →
HELLCARD86% positive from 4,627 reviews20246% finish itDeck Verified
Cooperative roguelike deckbuilder with tactical card battles where monster placement matters. Play solo or with friends in paper dungeons, facing hordes with strategic card combat.
What players likedPlayers praise its engaging gameplay, often compared to Slay the Spire, and its campy atmosphere.
The catchRuns start feeling samey fast because there is little card, class and room variety.
Games like HELLCARD →
This is a digital collectible card game with a core loop of deck building and strategic combat. It offers a fantasy adventure feel with a focus on spellcasting and creature battles.
What players likedPlayers praise its free custom deck-building and experimentation, similar to other card games but without the recurring cost.
The catchExpansions and card unlocks are gone from the store, leaving content locked out.
Games like Magic 2014 — Duels of the Planeswalkers →
Roguebook84% positive from 4,498 reviews202143% finish itDeck Playable
This is a roguelike deckbuilder where players strategically combine hero abilities and cards to overcome challenges. It features dynamic deckbuilding and tactical combat with hero positioning.
What players likedPlayers praise Roguebook's unique map exploration and deep deck-building, often comparing it to Slay the Spire and Against the Obelisk.
The catchBalance is punishing, with little healing and enemy damage far above your defense.
Games like Roguebook →
SNKRX95% positive from 4,332 reviews20219% finish itDeck Playable
SNKRX is an arcade roguelite where you steer a snake of heroes that attack automatically. Combine heroes by class for bonuses and upgrade them to survive increasingly difficult arenas.
What players likedSNKRX is a dynamic, fast-paced, and addictive game with high replayability, praised for its satisfying synergies, item system, and lovely soundtrack.
The catchThe snake movement makes dodging near impossible, so runs end on luck rather than skill.
Games like SNKRX →
Dune: Imperium is a digital board game combining deck-building and worker placement. Players vie for control of Arrakis through strategic influence and resource management.
What players likedPlayers praise this "phenomenal" digital adaptation as one of the best board game ports, often comparing it favorably to the physical game.
The catchRanked online play is locked behind owning every expansion, not just the base game.
Games like Dune: Imperium →
Heretic's Fork85% positive from 4,056 reviews20238% finish itDeck Playable
Heretic's Fork is a deck-building tower defense game where you manage Hell's operations. You build monstrous towers to punish sinners and protect the rift.
What players likedPlayers praise this addictive rogue-lite/tower defense deckbuilder for its fun, fast-paced gameplay, diverse builds, and great soundtrack.
The catchLong stretches are spent watching waves die with nothing to do between card picks.
Games like Heretic's Fork →
This is a narrative life simulation RPG where players make choices that shape their character and colony. The core loop involves exploring, studying, and forming relationships, with decisions impacting future playthroughs.
What players likedPlayers praise its emotional, replayable story and inclusive characters, comparing it to narrative RPGs, dating sims, and deckbuilders.
The catchThe card minigame repeats after every action and turns dull within a couple of hours.
Games like I Was a Teenage Exocolonist →
Card-based tactical deck-builder with turn-based combat and environmental interaction. Players manage hand, positioning, and momentum in action-movie settings.
What players likedPlayers praise this stylish roguelike deckbuilder as a deeper, more satisfying "John Wick: The Game" with fluid animations and satisfying combos.
The catchCard draw luck decides runs more than tactics, and a bad deck sinks the run.
Games like Fights in Tight Spaces →
Dice & Fold84% positive from 3,838 reviews202465% finish itDeck Verified
Dice & Fold is a turn-based roguelike deckbuilder where players roll dice to defeat creature cards. It blends dungeon crawling strategy with dice-based combat and card unfolding.
What players likedPlayers praise "Dice & Fold" as a charming roguelite that offers rewarding and interesting gameplay, even after many hours.
The catchOutcomes lean heavily on luck over strategic depth
Games like Dice & Fold →
NEOVERSE84% positive from 3,765 reviews20202% finish itDeck Unsupported
A roguelite deckbuilder with three heroines travelling between timelines, building each run from a pool of 300 cards while a talent tree and swappable gear shape their skills.
What players likedPlayers praise Neoverse as an excellent deck-building game that scratches the itch left by titles like Tainted Grail and Midnight Suns.
The catchRuns turn boring and repetitive quickly, with too little build variety to keep going.
Games like NEOVERSE →
Emberward97% positive from 3,736 reviews2024Deck Playable
Tower defense roguelike where players build mazes and towers with collectible cards. Features strategic maze construction, tower upgrades, and randomized runs.
What players likedPlayers praise this unique roguelite tower defense for its Tetris-like maze building, strategic depth, and replayability.
The catchRuns blur together because variety is minimal and every stage plays much the same.
Games like Emberward →
This is a real-time deck-building roguelike with bullet-hell combat. Players cast spells strategically to survive procedurally generated levels.
What players likedFans praise this Battle Network-inspired roguelike for its fast-paced, challenging gameplay that expands on core mechanics.
The catchToo much happens too fast with too little explanation of what anything does.
Games like One Step From Eden →
This is a deckbuilding roguelike adventure game where players use poker hands to activate abilities. It offers fast-paced, procedurally generated runs with character progression.
What players likedPlayers praise "Aces & Adventures" as a deep, story-rich deckbuilder with excellent voice acting and a unique poker-based combat system.
The catchEnemies keep drawing better poker hands, so losses feel down to luck not play.
Games like Aces & Adventures →
This is a deckbuilding roguelike with a blackjack twist. Players adapt to unique rules, build decks with varied cards, and challenge gamblers in a tavern.
What players likedPlayers say it's like Balatro, Magic: The Gathering, and Hearthstone, praising its strategic depth and satisfying deck-building.
The catchOutcomes hinge on luck rather than deckbuilding, leaving runs feeling low on real choice.
Games like Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers →
Deck-building rogue-lite with Wuxia plot twists and martial arts combos. Explore events, recruit teammates, and grow stronger after death.
What players likedPlayers praise its deep story and varied builds, comparing its extensive content to games like Slay the Spire.
The catchEnglish localisation is poor, ranging from garbled text to untranslated menu labels.
Games like 天外武林 (Traveler of Wuxia) →
This is a single-player roguelike deckbuilder where players strategically build and transform their decks before battles. It emphasizes player control with no random events, allowing for creative strategy and skill-based victory.
What players likedPlayers praise Vault of the Void as a deep, intricate deckbuilder akin to Slay the Spire, with unique mechanics and excellent flow.
The catchPiles on so many keywords and stacking effects that fights become mental bookkeeping.
Games like Vault of the Void →
Ballionaire86% positive from 2,545 reviews202412% finish itDeck Verified
Physics-driven roguelike where players build pachinko boards to trigger combos and earn money. It features rule-bending boons and challenging tribulations for a chaotic, strategic feel.
What players likedPlayers compare it to roguelites, deckbuilders, and incremental games, praising its addictive "number go up" satisfaction and combo synergies.
The catchRuns hinge on luck rather than decisions, so results rarely feel earned.
Games like Ballionaire →
A deck-building roguelike with card-based combat and a grim, story-driven exploration loop. Players collect cards and relics to upgrade heroes and overcome events.
What players likedPlayers praise its unique take on Slay the Spire-like deck-building, with engaging story, atmosphere, and character variety.
The catchRuns hinge on RNG and lopsided balance, with a long grind for meta upgrades.
Games like Menace from the Deep →
Dominion87% positive from 2,236 reviews2024Deck Verified
Dominion is a digital board game featuring deck-building where players acquire cards to gain victory points. It offers strategic card acquisition and combo creation for competitive or solo play.
What players likedPlayers praise this solid deck builder as an easy-to-learn card game, even for novices.
The catchThe expansion DLC is priced absurdly high, running past 200 dollars for the full set.
Games like Dominion →
Star Realms87% positive from 2,218 reviews2016Deck Playable
Star Realms is a space combat deckbuilding game where players build decks to battle opponents. It offers strategic card play and competitive online matches.
The catchThe campaign AI appears to cheat, so single player missions come down to luck.
Games like Star Realms →
StarVaders98% positive from 2,200 reviews20254% finish itDeck Verified
StarVaders is a deckbuilding roguelike where you pilot mechs in grid-based combat. Build card combos to defeat alien invaders and rewrite fate with time rewinds.
What players likedPlayers praise StarVaders as a unique deckbuilder with tactical grid-based combat, often compared to Slay the Spire and Into the Breach, for its deep synergies and high replayability.
The catchCards mostly just move or shoot, so runs start feeling shallow and samey.
Games like StarVaders →
Cat God Ranch94% positive from 2,185 reviews20247% finish itDeck Playable
A simulation and strategy game where players manage a ranch, collect animals, and pay tribute to a Cat God weekly. It features tile-based terrain building and card-based modifiers for a unique ranch experience.
What players likedPlayers praise this deck-builder as a satisfying chain-combo game, like Luck be a Landlord, for its massive animal runs.
The catchRuns hinge on random animal draws, so a bad start often forces a restart.
Games like Cat God Ranch →
Hadean Tactics89% positive from 1,902 reviews20239% finish itDeck Verified
Roguelike deckbuilder with autobattler elements. Influence units' actions with cards in semi-real-time combat.
What players likedPlayers praise this unique roguelite deckbuilder/autobattler mashup, often compared to Slay the Spire and Monster Train, for its engaging combat and fantastic variety.
The catchThe autobattler takes control away, so despite the name it never feels tactical.
Games like Hadean Tactics →
Star Crusade CCG is a cross-platform digital collectible card game. Players build decks and engage in strategic battles with unique faction abilities.
What players likedPlayers describe Star Crusade CCG as "Hearthstone in space" with more strategic depth, diverse decks, and a generous free-to-play model.
The catchThe servers are down and the developers stopped updating, so it often cannot connect.
Games like Star Crusade CCG →
This is a digital deckbuilding card game where players build decks to defeat opponents. It features asynchronous multiplayer and AI opponents with strategic combat.
The catchOnline multiplayer locks the honor pool low, so games end before decks come together.
Games like Ascension: Deckbuilding Game →
This is an action roguelite with deckbuilding mechanics where players control a sentient slime to fight enemies. It combines survivor-like combat with strategic card-based loadout creation for a violent, experimental feel.
What players likedPlayers praise the game's enjoyable core levels and logical progression, despite some repetitive grinding.
The catchLocks you into narrow builds behind grind, repetitive runs
Games like Slime 3K: Rise Against Despot →
Dungeon 10082% positive from 1,629 reviews20239% finish itDeck Playable
This is a roguelite autobattler with ARPG build depth. Players combine cards to create unique skills and fight past characters as dungeon bosses.
What players likedIt's an addictive card game where your character becomes an impossible end-game boss.
The catchBeating a run turns your best build into a boss that later runs cannot get past.
Games like Dungeon 100 →
SpellRogue87% positive from 1,614 reviews2025Deck Verified
SpellRogue is a turn-based deckbuilding roguelike focused on dice manipulation. Players strategically alter dice rolls to cast spells and overcome challenging enemies.
What players likedPlayers praise this Slay the Spire-like for its unique dice mechanics and satisfying combo-building.
The catchRuns are decided by luck, since spells rarely synergise and enemies counter your build.
Games like SpellRogue →
This is a collection of action RPGs featuring grid-based battles and deck-building with BattleChips. Players explore the net as Lan and MegaMan.EXE to fight network crime.
What players likedPlayers praise the unique and still-holding-up combat system, comparing it to the addictive gameplay of the original series.
The catchInvasive DRM was added after launch without notice, breaking play for existing owners.
Games like Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 1 →
