The success of Slay the Spire has led to an increasing number of roguelike deck-building games over the last few years. MegaCrit's title combined some roguelike and dungeon-crawler elements with card games, setting the foundation for what became a new subgenre.

Many other games adopted the same rules and twisted them to add their own game features and mechanics. It is something that you will see in this article. While they share the same core gameplay loop, every developer tried to bring something unique to their deck-building game. And that experimentation brought us amazing titles!

That's why we will look at the best 20 games like Slay the Spire, as there are many great alternatives for those who want something more.

Released in November 2017, Slay the Spire, while presented as a roguelike dungeon crawler, gained quite a reputation among TCG (Trading Card Games) fans.

Digital card games were at their peak in popularity, with Hearthstone leading the charge. Then the popularity of roguelikes such as Dead Cells, Darkest Dungeon, and The Binding of Isaac skyrocketed. So, MegaCrit (Slay the Spire's developers) decided to combine the TCG gameplay mechanics with the randomness and game loop of those dungeon crawlers and brought us the essential roguelike deck-builder game.

You will move upwards to the top of the Spire through randomly-generated rooms, fighting enemies and adding more cards to your pre-set deck. You will also find trinkets and artifacts to boost your stats (or harm you). There are four classes to choose from, each with unique styles and cards to better fit certain archetypes.

• Developer: Daniel Mullins Games

• Release Date: October 19, 2021

• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC

• Metacritic Score: 85

Inscryption took a lot of people by surprise as it was one of the best games of 2021, being nominated in The Game Awards for Best Strategy Game and Best Independent Game.

Calling it only a roguelike deck-building game is an understatement, as it fulfills very well their horror themes. It flawlessly mixed the core mechanics of deck-builder roguelikes with psychological horror, creating a creepy and dark environment that will always put you on edge for what could come.

Make your deck through random events, battles, and puzzles while the sadistic host always tries to get you more nervous.

Visit our store in RoyalCDKeys to get a CD key for Inscryption.

• Developer: Dreamsite Games

• Release Date: April 8, 2021

• Platforms: PC

• Metacritic Score: TBD

Darkest Dungeon meets Slay the Spire. In Across the Obelisk, you will go through a fantasy land with your squad of four playable characters, completing quests, adding cards, and upgrading your deck. But, each character or playable class has its own progression system, where you can customize it to create many different builds for each one.

It is also more forgiving, as you can restart your battle if your squad is defeated. It even has multiplayer, allowing up to four players to play in a cooperative run.

Check out the RoyalCDKeys store for a CD key for Across the Obelisk.

• Developer: Klei Entertainment

• Release Date: June 1, 2021

• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC

• Metacritic Score: 84

Griftlands quite differs from the common roguelike deck-builder game. The game focuses more on its narrative elements while you make your way through as a futuristic bounty hunter.

It is more in tune with RPGs. But its combat system and Negotiation combat mechanic make it unique among strategy games, as you can use your character's charm instead of battling everyone.

It also comes with plenty of content to do besides its Story Mode, as the devs added Endless Mode and Daily Challenges.

• Developer: Mixed Realms Pte Ltd

• Release Date: June 23, 2022

• Platforms: PC

• Metacritic Score: 84

Gordian Quest brings us the deck-building gameplay from Slay the Spire with a similar RPG progression from Across the Obelisk and the position mechanic from Darkest Dungeon.

Each character can upgrade three different skill trees that will grant us access to different playstyles for each one. This opens many possibilities and creativity to each player progressing through the story in their own way.

It is an interesting game where its combat system also focuses on positioning, as we must place our characters in two lanes with three different places. This allows us to trigger certain card effects, like Darkest Dungeon and its different characters' skills.

Visit our RoyalCDKeys store to get a Gordian Quest Steam CD Key at a discounted price.

• Developer: Shiny Shoe

• Release Date: May 21, 2020

• Platforms: Xbox One, PC, Android, iOS

• Metacritic Score: 86

Time to be the villains. In Monster Train, we are a pack of monsters trying to return to their home and get rid of adventurers and heroes along the way.

All our actions come in the form of cards, from casting spells to placing minions and monsters that will fight against the warriors aboard this moving train. But one of the most appealing features is their multiplayer mode, as very few deck-builder roguelikes have room to add multiplayer.

Visit the RoyalCDKeys store to get a Monster Train Steam CD key at a low price.

• Developer: Awaken Realms Digital

• Release Date: May 27. 2021

• Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC

• Metacritic Score: 82

Tainted Grail: Conquest is the only game on this list that uses a 3D world. It shares common themes with Darkest Dungeon, as you will travel to dark forests and fight monsters and horrific creatures. It also has a Torch system, which heavily influences your gameplay.

The big difference with Slay the Spire is how you will traverse the world, as it emphasizes them much more on their environments and its 3D world. In its exploration, it has more in common with the Pokémon games rather than traditional dungeon-crawlers and roguelikes.

• Developer: MonteBearo

• Release Date: July 29, 2021

• Platforms: Nintendo Switch and PC

• Metacritic Score: 71

Banners of Ruin shares a lot of gameplay mechanics with Gordian Quest, as you would also need to set up positioning for your characters.

It is a great alternative to Gordian Quest from their story perspective. It is more rooted in a western medieval setting and makes use of anthropomorphic animals in a good way. Each race is a distinctive class with a unique game style, like the Bears being tankier. At the same time, Weasels are more deceptive, using DoT (Damage over Time) effects.

Get a Banners of Ruin Steam CD key cheaply from the RoyalCDKeys store.

• Developer: Subset Games

• Release Date: February 27, 2018

• Platforms: Switch, PC, Android, iOS

• Metacritic Score: 90

Into the Breach became another classic among roguelike games. Its tactical gameplay revolves around using a squad of three mechs, eliminating alien threats in different locations, and keeping people safe from harm.

There are plenty of pre-set squads to unlock, and you can even combine them to make your unique squad. Each mech has a single attack and can be upgraded to modify or expand its mechanics. It looks very simple, yet it is one of the hardest games to master.

You can get an Into the Breach Steam CD Key in the RoyalCDKeys store.

• Developer: Johnbell

• Release Date: TBA (Currently on Early Access)

• Platforms: PC

• Metacritic Score: TBD

Going back to deck-builders, ORX gives us a unique way to play with our cards. Our mission is to set up a fortress against the incoming waves of Orcs while we send some of our people to explore for gold and treasures, as it is the only way to play our cards.

It is essentially a Tower Defense game mixed with deck-builder roguelikes. It currently has two different playable factions, and you will be able to increase the difficulty once you beat the main game.

• Developer: Abrakam SA

• Release Date: February 24, 2022

• Platforms: PS3, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch, PC

• Metacritic Score: 89

There are numerous mixes, and luckily they are being all great. And that isn’t an exception with Roguebook.

It uses a similar exploration system to Heroes of Might and Magic, although we can't traverse unexplored territories. Instead, we must "paint" (a limited special action) or interact with the world to uncover more territory.

Then, the combat system is quite similar to Slay the Spire: a pre-set deck for each character, and engage enemies to get more cards and upgrade them (or facing random encounters). You will also will collect many trinkets along the way to improve your gameplay. The big difference is that we can play with a duo of characters instead of just one.

Get a Steam CD key for the base game of Roguebook or a Steam CD Key for Roguebook Deluxe Edition from the RoyalCDKeys store.

• Developer: Whatboy Games

• Release Date: April 9, 2021

• Platforms: PC

• Metacritic Score: 81

Another mix? How about the Heroes of Might and Magic combat system instead of its exploration? Trials of Fire have a fantastic combat playstyle, as your three heroes will face their enemies in a turn-based grid battle.

You will advance through a journal, showing you the days that have passed and the different choices you will have to make while prepping your decks, as they will determine your actions in battle.

Get a Steam CD key for Trails of Fire in the RoyalCDKeys store.

• Developer: Twice Different

• Release Date: October 15, 2020

• Platforms: Xbox One, Switch, PC

• Metacritic Score: 74

Ring of Pain shares the same sentiment as Into the Breach, as it looks quite simple and easy (which is true compared with the rest of the list). But this simplicity will catch you in the loop, and you will discover the game has more depth than it seems.

It is similar to Slay the Spire but more relaxing than MegaCrit's title.

You can get a Steam Ring of Pain CD Key for a very low price in the RoyalCDKeys store.

• Developer: Image & Form

• Release Date: April 25, 2019

• Platforms: Switch, PC, Android, iOS, Amazon Luna

• Metacritic Score: 81

SteamWorld Quest has a more driven RPG narrative and mechanics. It goes in-depth with classic turn-based RPGs, sharing with Slay the Spire only its combat system.

Your characters will be able to choose from over a hundred cards to make their decks, as they will be able to use their actions, skills, and combat style.

Get a SteamWorld Quest Steam CD Key at a discounted price from the RoyalCDKeys store.

• Developer: Thomas Moon Kang

• Release Date: March 26, 2020

• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch, PC

• Metacritic Score: 82

If you have ever heard about the Megaman: Battle Network series, you will understand this game's main appeal.

One Step From Eden is a dungeon-crawler where the player and the enemy are in a 4x4 tiles area, casting their attacks to the other side. Your attacks and skills will come from the two cards you currently have from your deck.

There are plenty of characters, each with their own playstyle, passives, and attacks. Each character also has different skins (unlockable by playing the game) that will give you different buffs.

The cards have their own archetype that synergizes with themselves or other types of cards, expanding your creativity to make your ultimate deck.

Visit the RoyalCDKeys store as you can get a One Step From Eden Steam CD key at a very low price.

• Developer: WinterSpring Games

• Release Date: November 7, 2017

• Platforms: PC, Android, iOS

• Metacritic Score: TBD

Released only one week before Slay the Spire, Card Quest feels like an older predecessor. It has a simple art style, its combat is not as complex as Slay the Spire, and there isn’t much depth to combine different cards compared to other deck-building games.

Yet it is still a very entertaining game entry as there will be more enemies to fight in a single battle than in Slay the Spire. Your card choices will matter even more as bigger mobs will pose bigger threats to your health during the whole run.

• Developer: Terry Cavanagh

• Release Date: August 13, 2019

• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch, PC, Android, iOS

• Metacritic Score: 80

Dicey Dungeons applies some board game mechanics with the implementation of dice to their card game.

Despite the name saying something else, DD is mainly a card game roguelike, where you will choose different classes with their own passives and cards. Although to use such cards, you will have to throw dice to get points.

The interesting part is that your CPU stat determines how many dice points you can manage in turn. If you go beyond that threshold, you automatically pass and let your opponent play for free. But if reach the exact limit, you are awarded a special attack (like a critical hit).

Get a Dicey Dungeons Steam CD key at a low price from the RoyalCDKeys store.

• Developer: PINIX

• Release Date: January 19, 2022

• Platforms: PC

• Metacritic Score: TBD

Back to the blender! This time we are mixing the card and roguelike aspect of Slay the Spire with a hex-grid battle system similar to Into the Breach.

Although Alina of the Arena’s runs are longer than ITB, it plays faster regarding movement and decision-making. You will have to move around your enemy and dodge their attacks while prepping your strategy to work around the many bosses the game will present to you.

• Developer: Spider Nest Games

• Release Date: October 4, 2022

• Platforms: PC

• Metacritic Score: TBD

Vault of the Void took heavy inspiration from Slay the Spire. It shares a lot of mechanics with MegaCrit's title, such as dungeon exploration, classes, and deck building, among other things.

Luckily, it also shares the same depth and complexity as Slay the Spire, with the mechanic that enemies will summon reinforcements until you fill the battle progress…by killing more enemies.

• Developer: Four Quarters

• Release Date: March 4, 2021

• Platforms: Switch, PC

• Metacritic Score: 82

Loop Hero was another of the big surprises of 2021. You choose your hero and automatically wanders around a “loop road” with many monsters appearing to kill your character. Your mission? Ensure that he survives from the outside.

You aren't in control of your character, but you can help your hero by using the cards collected on the road and killing monsters. These cards are equipment, items, resources, or road modifiers to increase the number of monsters and, consequently, the amount of loot.

Of course, you will die a lot, as once you have survived enough, the Necromancer will throw you bigger threats that will end up overwhelming you. But, after that, you return to your village where your progress will take place, as upgrading certain buildings will give you specific bonuses and abilities.

Visit the RoyalCDKeys store to get a Loop Hero Steam CD key at a low price.

• Developer: Red Hook Studios

• Release Date: January 16, 2016

• Platforms: PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Switch, PC, iOS

• Metacritic Score: 84

We quoted this game a few times in this article, so we must include it too. Darkest Dungeon, while not being a deck-builder card game, perfected the dungeon aspect of roguelikes while providing a unique environment and narrative.

You will recruit a bunch of misfits and deviants, each with unique abilities. Throughout your runs, they will develop positive and negative quirks that might directly influence battle (stats modifiers) or make them act randomly against specific events.

It introduced two great mechanics: the Torch, which will directly impact you and your enemies depending on how light it is, and the Stress system. Certain attacks, decisions, and random events will increase the stress level of your characters, make them act irrationally once they reach 100 points, and bring them to the brink of death. Oh, and there is "permadeath" here. Once a character is killed, it is gone forever.

You can get a Steam CD Key or an Xbox CD Key for the Ancestral Edition (with all the DLCs) in the RoyalCDKeys store at a low price.

Slay the Spire inspired a lot of developers with its deck-builder roguelike style of gameplay, resulting in many great titles since its release. And while many of them share the same combat or exploration mechanics, they always manage to bring something new to the table.

And if you still didn’t play Slay the Spire by yourself, check out the RoyalCDKeys store to get a Steam CD Key or an Xbox Live CD Key for Slay the Spire at a discounted price.