Summary
Deck-building gameshave seen a rise in popularity due to the fun and engaging mechanic where players draft or create their own deck of cards to complete levels. Combining this with another genre, likeRPGs,is a lofty task, but some developers managed to create amazing titles that perfectly blend these two concepts together into one cohesive and highly enjoyable game.
Keeping players locked in with both clever and fast-paced gameplay and an interesting narrative and memorable characters make these titles a cut above the rest. But which deck-building RPGs are the best of the bunch? Here are the games that stand out.
One of the older titles on this list,Mega Man Battle Network 2is one of theearlyMega Mandeck-building gamesand was released on the Game Boy Advance. Players control Lan Hikari and a computer avatar version of Mega Man as they take on a new threat in the form of the NetMafia Gospel and their plans for destroying the world.
Gameplay-wise, players can customize Mega Man’s attacks by choosing various chips and placing them in a folder. This is the game’s version of cards and make up a deck that Lan will run on Mega Man as he traverses across cyberspace and battles Gospel’s numerous bugs and viruses.
At first glance,Loop Herodoesn’t look like a deck-building game. Once players experience its game mechanics, however, the deck-building aspect comes to light, though with a clever spin. Instead of playing traditional cards in a deck, players use various location pieces that serve as their “cards” on the map.
Players “assist” the titular hero to become strongerby placing different dungeonand location pieces so that they can increase their power level to eventually defeat the Lich as they loop around the game’s randomly-generated path. This includes placing weapon stashes in key areas to improve the hero’s chances of defeating enemies, which players also place on the path.
Considered by many as the spiritual successor to theMega Man Battle Networkgames,One Step From Edensees players embark on a journey across a desolate future world towards the last beacon of hope: the titular last city of Eden. Enemies are plentiful and are programmed to eliminate the remaining survivors, but the nine playable characters each have formidable skills and abilities that allow them to go toe-to-toe against them in battle.
Apart from deck-building, the game also blends tactical real-time strategy, roguelike elements, and bullet hell mechanics to keep players on their toes at all times.
Superhero games typically revolve around players using their favorite spandex-wearing vigilantes to defeat bad guys in traditional beat-em-up fashion.Marvel’s Midnight Sunsbucks this trend by placing Marvel’s iconic heroes in a turn-based, deck-building, tactical role-playing strategy game. Players can command a team of three to four heroes that possess their own deck of powerful attacks and spells. However, attack and spell cards are limited, so players need to strategize accordingly to maximize their impact during encounters.
Apart from the gameplay, players can alsobefriend heroeswith their Hunter avatar as they endeavor to defeat Lilith and her nefarious plans.
Griftlandsmixes deck-building and RPG mechanics by having players choose from a number of characters and having two starting decks, one that they use for combat, and one for conversations, acquiring quests, and negotiation. Players venture into the overworld map and each area they land on will result in an encounter.
Encounters can vary between conventional combat, where players rely on their combat decks to defeat enemies, or conversations with the game’s wide assortment of characters. For conversations, players need to use their conversation decks, and they can steer the conversation towards civility or a fight, depending on how they play their cards.
Astrea: Six-Sided Oraclesis a fun deck-building RPG that utilizes dice instead of traditional cards in its gameplay. Players choose among six playable characters who possess different abilities and innate skills called Virtues that reflect in their respective decks. Each ability is reflected in different dice which players draw along with enemies during combat; each side of the dice have corresponding effects on offense or defense between players and opponents.
Each of the playable characters represent six different races located across various planets. They are tasked with combatting the creeping corruption caused by the Crimson Dawn Cataclysm.
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Talestakes place a number of years before the events ofThe Witchergames. Players control Queen Meve, ruler of Lyria and Rivia, who is massing forces to retake the Northern territories. She must decide which factions she will align with or vanquish en route to her goal. For fans ofThe Witcherfranchise, this game showcases other regions that weren’t explored before, such as Rivia (Geralt’s homeland), Lyria, Angren, Mahakam and Lower Aedirn.
Gameplay-wise,Thronebreaker’s general mechanics play similar toGwent. Players need to get a higher value point total to win a best-of-3 series by playing cards on the board. Cards played in each round are discarded, and players have to draw a new hand to begin the next round. Additional gameplay includes varying levels ofpuzzle-solving sectionsthat reward players with loot.
For players looking for a spooky deck-building RPG,Inscryptionprovides that unnerving experience. Players engage in various matches with an assortment of eccentric and creepy opponents, who are all masks of one mysterious stranger.The game’s deck-building mechanicsrevolve around playing cards that can strike opponents to tip the weighing scale in favor of the winner, with a difference of 5 teeth in the scale required to win matches. Each card has its own abilities and skills that players need to become familiar with in order to outplay their opponents.
Its story is one where the player is tasked to uncover the mystery of why they are in a room with such a strange and frightening character, and ultimately escape their predicament. This game was lauded by many as one of the more intriguing and unique deck-building RPGs when it was released.
Monster Train’sstory premise is a simple one: players command a band of demons, and they are tasked with reigniting the fires of Hell. The flame required to relight the fire is aboard a train that is on its way to Hell, but angels are pulling out all the stops to prevent the train from reaching its destination. It is the player’s duty to protect the pyre from being destroyed, and to secure the train as it chugs its way towards its final destination.
Monster Traincombines roguelike and deck-bulding elementsby having players summon demons to push the invading angels and their cohorts away from the train and the pyre. Each card and deck have unique combos that aid players in dispatching enemies.
Widely considered by many asthe best deck-building RPG title,Slay the Spirecombines the simple premise of a player choosing one of four heroes whose mission is to ascend a spire that has multiple floors filled with enemies who need to be vanquished. Players start with a deck, and upon defeating enemies, they can add more cards to further customize it according to their preferred playstyle.
The higher players climb, the tougher enemies they encounter. Mini bosses and elite enemies become more common on higher floors, and ultimately their quest concludes with a battle against a powerful boss at the top of the spire. Players have to strategize and try to defeat early-level enemies as efficiently as possible to ensure they have the resources needed when facing these stronger opponents.
