10 Games Like Slay the Spire 2 You Need to Play
Already hooked on Slay the Spire 2? These 10 games scratch the same itch, from deckbuilders to tactical roguelikes.
Slay the Spire 2 has been out for ten days and it already dominates your free time. The early access launch brought five playable characters, online co-op for up to four players, alternate acts, and a Timeline progression system that keeps you climbing run after run.
But maybe you want a break between runs. Maybe you want something that scratches the same strategic itch with a different twist. Or maybe you burned through early access content and need your next fix.
Here are 10 games that share the DNA of Slay the Spire 2. All of them are roguelike deckbuilders or tactical roguelikes with the same strategic depth. All of them will ruin your sleep schedule.
1. Monster Train 2
Developer: Shiny Shoe | Released: 2025 | Steam Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive (95%)
Monster Train 2 is the other heavyweight deckbuilder sequel. You defend a pyre across multiple vertical floors, placing units and playing spells in a tower defense twist on the Slay the Spire formula. The multi-floor system adds a spatial layer that StS never had.
The sequel expanded co-op support and added new clan combinations that create hundreds of viable strategies. If you want a deckbuilder that feels familiar but plays differently, this is the one. We covered it in our best roguelike deckbuilders roundup.
Why StS2 fans will love it: Deckbuilding plus spatial tactics. Co-op mode for those who love StS2’s multiplayer.
2. Vault of the Void
Developer: Spider Nest Games | Released: 2022 | Steam Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive (96%)
If you want the game closest to Slay the Spire in feel but with deeper deck control, start here. Vault of the Void gives you a fixed 20 card deck and lets you swap cards between fights. That means almost zero randomness in what you draw. Every loss feels like a puzzle you can solve with better choices.
The combat is fast and the strategy is razor sharp. You pick your starting class, build your deck with intention, and face escalating challenges that demand tight play. It is the purest distillation of what makes deckbuilder roguelikes addictive.
Why StS2 fans will love it: The closest StS-like experience with even tighter deck control and zero draw RNG.
Play Vault of the Void on Steam
3. Across the Obelisk
Developer: Dreamsite Games | Released: 2022 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (82%)
If StS2’s co-op mode is what got you excited, Across the Obelisk has been doing cooperative deckbuilding since 2022. You control a party of four heroes (solo or with up to three friends in online co-op), each with their own deck of 500+ cards and over 300 items to find.
Runs are longer than Slay the Spire. Deep runs can take hours, especially in multiplayer where coordination becomes half the fun. It leans heavier into RPG territory with 16 heroes across four classes and branching paths that change each run.
Why StS2 fans will love it: The closest thing to StS2’s co-op experience in another deckbuilder. If you want more co-op options, we have a list for that.
Play Across the Obelisk on Steam
4. Inscryption
Developer: Daniel Mullins Games | Released: 2021 | Steam Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive (95%)
Inscryption starts as a deckbuilder and then becomes something else entirely. To say more would spoil the experience. What you need to know: the card mechanics in Act 1 alone are worth the price of admission. You sacrifice cards, combine them, and play mind games with a mysterious figure across a cabin table.
It won the IGF Grand Prize and multiple BAFTA awards. The less you know going in, the better the experience. If you are the kind of StS player who loves discovering new interactions, Inscryption will consume you.
Why StS2 fans will love it: Deckbuilding that constantly surprises you with new mechanics and rules.
5. Roguebook
Developer: Abrakam Entertainment | Released: 2021 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (89%)
Co-designed by Richard Garfield (the creator of Magic: The Gathering), Roguebook builds on that pedigree. You pick a team of two heroes, each with their own card pool, and the order you place them in your front and back row changes how combat plays out.
The map is a hex grid that you explore by spending ink to reveal tiles. Hidden encounters, treasure, and shops appear as you paint the map. This exploration layer makes every run feel like a small adventure before each fight. It is a clever twist that no other deckbuilder replicates.
Why StS2 fans will love it: Two-character party deckbuilding with positioning, from the mind behind MTG.
6. Wildfrost
Developer: Deadpan Games & Gaziter | Released: 2023 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (91%)
Wildfrost is a tactical deckbuilder with a counter system that changes everything. Every card has a countdown timer. When it hits zero, the card activates. This turns combat into a puzzle about timing and sequencing rather than just hand management.
The art is gorgeous and the difficulty is punishing. Early reviews were mixed because of how hard it was, but patches brought the balance in line and the community has rallied behind it. If you want a deckbuilder that asks you to think differently about when cards matter, not just which cards, Wildfrost delivers.
Why StS2 fans will love it: Fresh spin on deckbuilder combat that rewards planning several turns ahead.
7. Cobalt Core
Developer: Rocket Rat Games | Released: 2023 | Steam Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive (96%)
Cobalt Core is a deckbuilder wrapped in a spaceship shooter. You pick a crew of three characters from a roster of eight, and each crew member determines what cards appear in your deck. Combat plays out on a single horizontal axis where positioning matters just as much as the cards you play.
The time loop story unfolds across runs. Different crew combinations unlock different narrative paths and endings. At 96% positive on Steam, it is one of the best reviewed deckbuilders ever made and somehow still underappreciated.
Why StS2 fans will love it: Crew composition shapes your deck, like choosing your StS2 character but with way more combinations.
8. Griftlands
Developer: Klei Entertainment | Released: 2021 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (93%)
Griftlands gives you two decks: one for fighting and one for talking. Every encounter can be resolved through combat or negotiation, and both systems have their own full deckbuilding mechanics. Kill someone and their friends remember. Convince someone and they owe you a favor.
From the creators of Don’t Starve, Griftlands has three playable campaigns with different protagonists and playstyles. The narrative consequences of your choices ripple through each run in ways that no other deckbuilder attempts.
Why StS2 fans will love it: Two complete deckbuilding systems in one game, with narrative weight behind every choice.
9. Tainted Grail: Conquest
Developer: Awaken Realms Digital | Released: 2021 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (89%)
Tainted Grail: Conquest blends deckbuilding with a dark Arthurian RPG. You explore a cursed island of Avalon, fighting through procedurally generated maps with nine character classes, each with distinct card pools and playstyles. The atmosphere is oppressive in the best way.
What sets it apart is the persistent overworld. Between runs, you unlock new paths, NPCs, and story threads. The deckbuilding is solid and the class variety keeps you experimenting for dozens of hours. If you want your card battles wrapped in dark fantasy lore, this is the pick.
Why StS2 fans will love it: Nine classes with unique decks, plus a persistent world that rewards repeated runs.
Play Tainted Grail: Conquest on Steam
10. Into the Breach
Developer: Subset Games | Released: 2018 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (93%)
The furthest departure from Slay the Spire on this list, but hear me out. Into the Breach is a turn-based tactics game where every enemy telegraphs their next move. There is no hidden information. You see the entire puzzle and must find the solution in three to four moves.
From the creators of FTL, it shares Slay the Spire’s obsession with elegant systems and meaningful decisions. Runs are short (under an hour), the mech squads offer wildly different playstyles, and the Advanced Edition update added new squads, enemies, and missions for free. It is strategic perfection in bite-sized runs.
Why StS2 fans will love it: Perfect information tactics with the same “one more run” loop and build variety.
What to Play First
If you loved StS2’s deckbuilding, start with Vault of the Void or Inscryption. If the co-op hooked you, grab Across the Obelisk or Monster Train 2. If you want class variety with a dark twist, Tainted Grail: Conquest offers nine distinct playstyles.
And if you want even more options, check out our best roguelike deckbuilders list and the top roguelikes of 2026 for the full picture.
Written by
Florian HuetiOS dev by day, indie game dev by night. Trying to give life to GameDō Studio.
Building games and talking about the ones I can't stop playing.
