Summary
The deck-building genre has become increasingly over-saturated ever since the dramatic popularity ofSlay The Spireand its immediate imitators, with games such asMonster Trainand the morerecent smash-hitBalatrokeeping the genre alive since Mega Crit’s standout release.
While deck-building games such as the aforementionedSlay The SpireandMonster Trainbring their settings to life with fantastical flair, there are plenty of deck-builders for science-fiction fans to enjoy. From the tactical spaceship battles ofCobalt Coreto the tower-defense deck-building ofTower Tactics: Liberation, sci-fi deck-builders have a lot to offer.
1Beneath Oresa
A Sci-Fi Fantasy Dungeon-Crawl With A Focus On Positioning
Beneath Oresais a relatively challenging roguelike deck-builder with a sci-fi fantasy theme, combining traditional fantasy imagery with science-fiction elements such as robotic characters.Beneath Oresa’s greatest strength may be its stylish presentation, including memorable character designs and immersive environments, but its moment-to-moment gameplay is a frequently satisfying experience.
Barring itscomic-book 3D visuals,Beneath Oresamay look somewhat similar to cornerstone deck-builders such asSlay The Spire, featuring turn-based combat played with a hand of cards, each requiring energy to play. However, the game’s focus on tactical positioning with its zone-based system allows it to stand out in the busy crowd of roguelike deck-builders.
Though it appears to be a standard deck-builder on the surface,Zet Zillionsis elevated by its wild themes and imaginative visuals, bolstered by creative character designs anda bold, colorful art stylethat pops off the screen. Its narrative may be a jumble of nonsensical (albeit creative) ideas, but the moment-to-moment gameplay is what makesZet Zillionslive and breathe.
The most unique element ofZet Zillionsmay not be its unhinged presentation, however, as the game also features a distinctive fusion system that allows players to combine cards for powerful results.Zet Zillionsis also a roguelite, so players who don’t enjoy meta-progression may want to steer clear.
3Tower Tactics: Liberation
A Unique Combination Of Tower-Defense And Deck-Building
This science-fiction roguelike features gameplay that combinestraditional tower-defensemechanics with deck-building elements akin to games such asSlay The Spire. The game’s art style may be minimal, but the unique premise and easy-to-learn gameplay loop make for a worthwhile experience.
The structure ofTower Tactics: Liberationis relatively simple, with players taking on encounters that play like most tower-defense games. This time around, however, players are placing turrets using cards. Players can add cards to their deck throughout the run, while also acquiring a variety of relics (passive items) to support their build. Towers aren’t the only type of card, however. The game also features spell cards that players can cast during battle, resulting in combat encounters that can be much more active than traditional tower defense games.
This creative combination of a role-playing game and a roguelike deck-builder makes for a tremendously unique experience that’s replete with strategies and diverse gameplay. From interacting with the many unique NPCs, some of which players can have a genuine impact on, to negotiating with potential threats, to taking on dangerous foes inturn-based combat, there’s a real ebb and flow toGriftlands.
The presentation of the game is superb, which is no surprise given that it was developed by the prolific Klei Entertainment. However, the RPG-influenced gameplay loop is arguably its greatest strength, allowing for a more immersive, narrative-driven experience while ensuring many of the interactions are mechanical.
5Cobalt Core
A Tactical Blend Of Familiarity And Innovation
When it comes to deck-builders,Cobalt Coreis the perfect blend of familiarity and innovation. Playerscontrol a ship and its crewof three, put together from an ensemble of distinctive and wholly charismatic characters, with each member of the crew being represented by their unique cards. These cards are shuffled together to produce a highly thematic deck for the player to command their ship within the game’s tactical combat encounters.
Cobalt Core’s unique selling point, however, is its tactical twist on the deck-building genre. For the most part, cards allow the player to physically move their ship left and right, as well as fire their weaponry. That’s not all, though. The enemy ship can move, too. This results in a tactical back-and-forth that’s unique toCobalt Corealone, and the narrative elements and colorful pixel art presentation result in a neat package.
6Dune: Imperium
Deck-Building And Worker-Placement Packed With Meaningful Decisions
Dune: Imperiumis a digitaladaptation of the popular board gameof the same name, a unique deck-builder that combines traditional deck-building with worker-placement mechanics. In the game, players use cards to send agents to a variety of unique locations, each of which reaps its own rewards. These cards, however, also (but not always) have two unique effects, one of which triggers when played, the other of which triggers in the deck-building phase.
This results in an incredibly strategic experience packed with meaningful decisions, as nearly every single card played can be a momentous choice. The variety of playable leaders provides their unique strengths and weaknesses, and the diversity of cards and potential strategies keep the gameplay fresh for a good while. Furthermore, the game features a recently released DLC that only adds to the game’s strategic depth.
