PPG Game Of The Year 2024 - 01 - It's Time To D-D-D-D, D-D-D-Duel!
To kick off our GOTY categories is one of the hottest styles of game - across the indie scene in particular - in the last few years, with plenty of design iteration and experimentation happening in the space. TCGs have existed for yonks, but ever since Slay The Spire blew the possibilities open for deckbuilding games, the space has thrived with devs riffing on the structure, both roguelike and traditional. This varied list is a testament to that, with deckbuilding as a design idea being paired with genres both obvious and unlikely.
Fatermyth
Dice N Deck RPG
An intertwining story RPG with deckbuilding and TTRPG dice mechanics. 7 different character perspectives interweave to create a tapestry of narrative.
Combo Card Clashers
Rougelike Auto Battler
Build huge combos with your attacks, find OP card combinations, plenty of meta and in run progression, recruit enemies to create a party. The way cards are played - using a "combo grid" - is probably the coolest feature, where how you play your cards matters just as much as what cards you play.
Zet Zillions
Freakish Combinations, Explode Planets
Search for a new home for humanity, taking out evil planets as you go. Use a fusion system to build wild card combinations.
Final Stardust: Cosmic Nexus
Anime CCG
Collectible card game with a very anime aesthetic. I like that the focus on this one is more towards casual players - more about skill than mastering a meta, and games a quick couple of minute ordeals.
Infest (EA)
Fully Simulated Pixels
Straight from the description, this is"a roguelike deckbuilder where every pixel on the battlefield can burn, freeze, corrode, shock, and melt." Reminiscent of Noita in the best ways.
Knock on the Coffin Lid
Investigate Your Own Death
Classic roguelike deckbuilder with the clever narrative hook tasking you to uncover the mystery of who killed you and why. Differentiates itself with a focus on exploration during it's runs.
Once Upon a Rogue's Tale (EA)
Fairytale Decks & Dice
Journey through fairy tales using cards and dice, encountering events and making decisions.
Roots of Yggdrasil
Roguelike City Builder
A city builder roguelike using deckbuilding as a form of expansion and exploration. Survive the end of the world.
Pyrene
Fast Paced Roguelike
Some clear love of storytelling and play through cards from this dev. Like the Voice of Cards games, except everything takes place on the main board, including combat, and is also a roguelike structure.
Witching Stone
Tactical Magical Stone Battles
A really neat use of what looks like - but is not - a match 3 board setup in regards to duking out turn based battles by drawing lines on a grid joining up different magical stones for different attacks and such. Neat pixel art + roguelike play round out the package.
Lost in Fantaland
Grid + Terrain Based Combat
A neat deckbuilding roguelike that has battles play out on boards with terrain effects and tiles in line with Into The Breach but with actions based on cards. Iffy on the English translation, but the gameplay is top notch.
Isle of Swaps
Schoolyard Card Game
Pulling on a very specific nostalgia of being a tween into Pokemon, battling against and trading with friends, and cracking packs open while storing your cards in a 3x3 plastic pocket filled binder.
Dicemancer
Hand Drawn Roguelike
A fusion of deckbuilding and dice rolling with a lovely hand crafted art style. 8 frames per second animation adds to the callback to a different time in art and animation.
Card-en-Ciel
Grid Based Battles
Unique twist on the deckbuilding roguelike with plenty of customizable builds and is also extremely anime.
And The Best Deckbuilder of 2024 is…
Chrono Ark
Deckbuilding RPG
Everything in this roguelike deckbuilder is top notch, from the combat to the story to the unique art and animation work. Really in depth strategy and extremely fun to customize and tweak. Absorbing with great hooks from all angles.