Best Roguelike Deck Builder Games in 2026: 20 Ranked for PC, Console and Phone

The best roguelike deck builder to buy in 2026 is Monster Train 2. It is finished, it costs $24.99 on Steam, 95% of its 5,059 English Steam reviews are positive, and it is in the US Game Pass catalog on Xbox and PC. Balatro ($14.99, 98% positive from 104,615 English reviews) is the easiest first game in the genre. Slay the Spire is still the template everyone copies. Slay the Spire 2 is by far the most-played roguelike deck builder on Steam right now, but it is Early Access, PC only, and the price goes up at 1.0.

Jump to: what is a roguelike deck builder · quick picks · the 20 ranked · also recommended elsewhere · games like Slay the Spire · games like Slay the Spire 2 · Switch, PS5, Xbox, Game Pass · Android · iPhone and iPad · free picks · new in 2026 · board games like Slay the Spire · comparison and tier list · how to pick · how we picked · FAQ

This guide is for US players who searched roguelike deck builder games and want to start a run tonight. Every price, platform, and review figure below was checked against the US Steam store, Google Play, the US App Store, and the US Game Pass catalog on 28 September 2026. Where a game is on sale, we print both prices.

What is a roguelike deck builder?

A roguelike deck builder is a card game where you start each run with a small, weak deck, add and remove cards as you fight through a randomized map, and lose that deck when you die. The next run starts from scratch. The skill is in drafting: saying no to most cards so the good ones show up more often.

Dream Quest (2014), a one-person project by Peter Whalen, is usually named as one of the first. It still sells on Steam for $9.99. Slay the Spire turned the idea into a genre. It entered Early Access in November 2017 and hit 1.0 on 23 January 2019. Its layout became the template: pick a hero, climb a branching map, fight enemies that show their next move, collect relics, and try to beat a final boss.

• Roguelike or roguelite? Purists keep “roguelike” for games where nothing carries over between runs. A roguelite keeps unlocks or meta-progress. By that rule most “roguelike deck builders” are really roguelites: Slay the Spire unlocks cards, and Monster Train levels up clans. Stores and players use both words for the same shelf. Our traditional roguelikes guide covers the strict kind.
• What it is not: Hearthstone, Marvel Snap, and MTG Arena are collectible card games. You build a deck over months, buy packs, and play other people. A roguelike deck builder is a game you buy once and play against the computer. Our Android card games guide covers the collectible kind.
• What makes a game roguelike here: runs that end in death, a randomized map or card offers, and a deck you build during the run, not before it.

Quick picks

You want	Play this	US price (28 Sep 2026)
Best finished game to buy now	Monster Train 2	$24.99 Steam; Game Pass
Easiest first game	Balatro	$14.99 Steam; $9.99 Android and iOS
The classic, complete	Slay the Spire	$24.99 Steam; $9.99 phone
4-player co-op Spire	Slay the Spire 2	$24.99 Early Access, PC only
Story and a twist	Inscryption	$19.99 Steam; Game Pass
Highest critic score	Cobalt Core	$19.99 Steam (Metacritic 94)
Cheapest great game today	Griftlands	$5.99 (70% off $19.99)
New in 2026	Vampire Crawlers	$9.99 Steam; Game Pass
Best built for phones	Dungeon Clawler	$6.99 Android and iOS, no ads

The 20 best roguelike deck builder games in 2026, ranked

Ranked for US players who can buy the game this week. Finished beats Early Access, and review health counts: the English Steam score and the last 30 days. The current-player numbers come from Steam’s own player-count API at about 1:45 a.m. ET on 28 September, a quiet hour, so read them as a ratio, not a peak.

1. Monster Train 2 — best roguelike deck builder to buy in 2026

US price: $24.99 Steam (Windows, Mac) · also PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and Game Pass · DLC: Destiny of the Railforged, $9.99 (2 Feb 2026) · English Steam 95% of 5,059 · Metacritic 87 · released 21 May 2025

You defend a train with three floors and a burning pyre on top. Enemies climb floor by floor, and you choose where each unit stands. Each run pairs a main clan, which sets your champion, with an allied clan. The placement layer is what sets it apart from Slay the Spire clones. A good card on the wrong floor is a dead card.

It is finished, still getting content, and on Game Pass, so you can try it before you buy. There is no phone version of the sequel.

Best for: anyone who has finished a few Slay the Spire runs and wants more. Skip if: your only screen is a phone. Play Balatro or Dungeon Clawler.

2. Balatro — best first roguelike deck builder

US price: $14.99 Steam · $9.99 Google Play (no ads, no IAP) · $9.99 App Store, plus Balatro+ on Apple Arcade · PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, Switch 2, Game Pass · English Steam 98% of 104,615 · Metacritic 90

You play poker hands to beat a score target, then buy Jokers that break the scoring rules. You modify the 52-card deck itself: add suits, destroy cards, stamp on multipliers. Everyone knows what a flush is, so the first run makes sense in minutes. That is why it is the best entry point to the whole genre.

Best for: beginners and phone players. Skip if: you want a fantasy climb with bosses.

3. Slay the Spire — the finished template

US price: $24.99 Steam · $9.99 Android (no ads, no IAP) · $9.99 App Store, plus Slay the Spire+ on Apple Arcade · Switch, PS4, Xbox One · English Steam 97% of 77,082 · Metacritic 89

Four characters, a branching map, relics, and enemies that telegraph their next move so every turn is a puzzle. Twenty Ascension levels add difficulty after your first win. It still had more concurrent Steam players than Balatro when we checked.

Best for: your first serious climb. Skip if: you already have hundreds of hours in it. Go to Monster Train 2 or Slay the Spire 2.

4. Slay the Spire 2 — best co-op, buy it knowing it is Early Access

US price: $24.99 Steam Early Access (since 5 Mar 2026) · Windows, Mac, Linux only · up to 4-player online co-op · English Steam 91% of 70,000+ · last 30 days 72% of 4,109 (Mostly Positive) · about 49,000 players online when we checked

Five characters: the Ironclad, Silent, and Defect return, and the Necrobinder and Regent are new. The big new feature is co-op for up to four players. Mega Crit’s Steam page says Early Access will probably last one to two years, a true ending is still to come, and the price will go up after Early Access.

The all-language Steam score shows Mixed because of several off-topic review campaigns in 2026. Steam leaves the flagged periods out of the score it shows by default. The English score and the last 30 days are the better signals. There is no console date and no phone version.

Best for: Spire fans with a co-op group. Skip if: you want a finished, polished solo campaign. Play the first game.

5. Inscryption — best story roguelike deck builder

US price: $19.99 Steam · PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, Game Pass · English Steam 96% of 76,698 · Metacritic 85

A dark cabin, a stranger across the table, and cards that talk. The first act is a sharp roguelike deck builder built around sacrifices. Then the game changes into something else. Go in without reading about it. After the story, the Kaycee’s Mod mode is the endless roguelike version.

There is no official Android or iPhone version. The “Inscryption Multiplayer” app on Google Play is a fan project.

Best for: one unforgettable weekend. Skip if: you only want endless short runs.

6. Cobalt Core — best space deck builder

US price: $19.99 Steam (Windows, Mac) · Switch · English Steam 96% of 3,427 · Metacritic 94

You fly a small ship stuck in a time loop. Cards move your ship left or right to dodge incoming shots and line up your cannons. That single sideways axis makes every turn a quick positioning puzzle. It has the highest Metacritic score on this list.

Best for: players who liked the telegraphed puzzles in Slay the Spire. Skip if: you want a phone game. There is none.

7. Shogun Showdown — best tactics-style deck builder

US price: $7.49 Steam (50% off $14.99 on 28 Sep) · Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox · English Steam 96% of 3,529 · phones only through Crunchyroll’s game app, for Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan members

A samurai on a single line of tiles. Your “cards” are attack tiles you queue, upgrade, and fire. Enemies show exactly what they will do. You win by stepping to the right spot at the right moment. At $7.49 it is one of the best deals here today.

Best for: chess-puzzle brains. Skip if: you want big hands of cards and wild combos. Play Balatro.

8. Monster Train — best on a phone if you want placement

US price: $24.99 Steam (Windows) · Android free trial, then $9.99 to unlock · $7.99 App Store, plus Monster Train+ on Apple Arcade · Switch, Xbox One, PS5 · English Steam 96% of 12,262 · Metacritic 86

Five clans, three floors, and the pyre. The sequel is better on PC, but this is the one you can carry in your pocket, and Android lets you try it first.

Best for: phone players who want more than poker. Skip if: you have a PC or console. Buy Monster Train 2.

9. Wildfrost — best cute-but-brutal deck builder

US price: $19.99 Steam (Windows) · Switch, Xbox · Android and iOS try-before-you-buy (Android unlock $7.99) · English Steam 91% of 5,355 · Metacritic 80

Every unit has a countdown timer, and charms rewrite cards in strange ways. The art is cozy. The difficulty is not. On PC it is excellent. On Android the Play score is 3.7, and the last Play update was 30 October 2025. Play the free demo part on your phone before you pay.

Best for: PC and Switch players who like timing puzzles. Skip if: your phone already runs hot in games. See our overheating fixes.

10. Vault of the Void — best for deck tinkerers

US price: $17.99 Steam (Windows, Mac) · Switch (since April 2025) · $6.99 on Android and iOS · English Steam 93% of 1,412

You see the next fights before you pick your route, and you can swap cards in and out of your deck between fights. Void Stones add new effects to cards. It is also one of the better phone ports at $6.99.

Best for: players who love deck tinkering. Skip if: you want story or a flashy art style.

11. Griftlands — best two-deck story game

US price: $5.99 Steam (70% off $19.99 on 28 Sep) · free Steam demo · Switch, PS4, Xbox One · English Steam 93% of 5,276 · Metacritic 84

Klei gave you two decks: one for fights and one for negotiation. You can talk your way out of a fight, or not. At $5.99 it is the cheapest story pick here.

Best for: RPG fans. Skip if: you want 15-minute runs.

12. Dicey Dungeons — best dice deck builder

US price: $14.99 Steam · $4.99 Android (no ads, no IAP) · $4.99 App Store, plus Dicey Dungeons+ on Apple Arcade · Switch, Xbox, PS4, PS5 · English Steam 89% of 6,301 · Metacritic 80

You are a giant die on a game show. Your equipment works like cards, and dice fill their slots. Short, funny, complete, and a steal at $4.99 on phones.

Best for: a cheap phone game with no ads. Skip if: you want a long, deep climb.

13. Vampire Crawlers — best new roguelike deck builder of 2026

US price: $9.99 Steam (Windows, Mac) · Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass · released 21 Apr 2026 · English Steam 94% of 8,486

The makers of Vampire Survivors, poncle, co-developed this with Nosebleed Interactive. It is a turn-based dungeon crawl with Vampire Survivors enemies and a “Turboturn” that rewards huge combo turns. At $9.99, or included with Game Pass, it is the easiest 2026 release to recommend. We found no Android or iPhone version.

Best for: Vampire Survivors fans and Game Pass members. Skip if: you only play on a phone.

14. StarVaders — best mech tactics deck builder

US price: $24.99 Steam (Windows, Mac) · released 30 Apr 2025 · English Steam 98% of 2,220 · Metacritic 85 · Switch and PS5 versions announced, not out yet

A mech on a grid holds back a Space Invaders-style alien wave. Cards move, shoot, and rewind time. Think Into the Breach meets Slay the Spire.

Best for: tactics fans. Skip if: you are on a console today.

15. Across the Obelisk — finished 4-player co-op (check recent reviews)

US price: $19.99 Steam · Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S with cross-platform co-op · English Steam 81% of 7,866 · last 30 days: 24% of 73

A party of four heroes, played solo or with up to three friends. Its recent Steam reviews have turned sharply negative, so read the latest update notes before you pay full price.

Best for: a co-op group that wants a finished game. Skip if: you can wait for Slay the Spire 2 to mature.

16. Roguebook — best Richard Garfield deck builder

US price: $24.99 Steam · PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch · English Steam 84% of 1,981 · Metacritic 78

The Faeria team made it with Richard Garfield, who created Magic: The Gathering. You control two heroes whose front and back positions matter, and you paint the map to reveal it.

Best for: players who want two heroes to manage. Skip if: you want the cheapest option. Wait for a sale.

17. Fights in Tight Spaces — best action-movie deck builder

US price: $24.99 Steam (Windows) · Xbox, Switch, PS4, PS5 · English Steam 92% of 2,451

A secret agent in a crowded hallway. Cards move you, push enemies into each other, and set up counters. Each fight replays as a stylish action scene.

Best for: tactics players. Skip if: you want fantasy art and relics.

18. Dungeon Clawler — best phone-first pick of 2026

US price: $14.99 Steam · $6.99 Android (no ads, no IAP, 4.85 from 26,245 ratings) · $6.99 App Store, plus an Apple Arcade version · Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S · 1.0 on 30 Apr 2026 · English Steam 91% of 2,352

Your deck is the pile of weapons and items inside a claw machine. Each turn you get a few grabs, and whatever you pull out is what you fight with. It sounds silly and plays like a real roguelike deck builder. It has the highest Play Store rating of any game on this page.

Best for: phone sessions. Skip if: you hate luck in your combat.

19. Dawncaster — best card-heavy RPG on a phone

US price: $4.99 Android (no ads; optional paid expansions $4.99–$15.99) · $4.99 App Store · $19.99 Steam since 6 Feb 2026 · Play 4.41 from 5,470 ratings, updated 17 Sep 2026

Wanderlost built it for phones first. The Steam page counts over 1,100 hand-made cards. The phone version is far cheaper than the Steam release.

Best for: Android and iPhone players who want a Slay the Spire-style climb. Skip if: you are on PC. Slay the Spire is the better $25.

20. Luck be a Landlord — closest thing to more Balatro

US price: $9.99 Steam · $4.99 Android (no ads, no IAP) · $4.99 App Store · Switch, PlayStation, Xbox · English Steam 94% of 5,331

A slot machine instead of a poker hand. Every spin earns coins, rent keeps going up, and you add symbols that combo with each other. It is the $5 follow-up after Balatro.

Best for: Balatro fans. Skip if: gambling themes bother you. No real money is involved.

Commonly recommended elsewhere — checked

These show up on other lists. We checked each one on 28 September:

• Tainted Grail: Conquest — $19.99 Steam, English 89% of 4,299. A good dark-fantasy climb, but it is on PC and Xbox only. The “Tainted Grail” app on Google Play is a companion for the board game, not this game.
• Peglin — $19.99 Steam, English 88% of 10,299. You build a bag of orbs, not a deck of cards, and fire them pachinko-style. Android and iPhone let you play the first third free; the Android unlock is $9.49. Also on Switch.
• Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles — $24.99 Steam, English 94% of 1,054; $9.99 on Android and iOS. You build a bag of dice. Great, but the phone version’s Play score is 3.87.
• Banners of Ruin — $3.99 today (80% off $19.99), but English reviews are only 78% positive (Mostly Positive).
• Loop Hero — $14.99 Steam, English 91% of 16,104. You play cards to build the world around an auto-battling hero. Brilliant, but it plays more like an idle RPG than a deck builder.

Games like Slay the Spire

If you finished Slay the Spire and want the same feeling, buy in this order:

1. Monster Train 2 — the closest in depth, with placement on top. Try it on Game Pass.
2. Cobalt Core — the same readable enemy intents, with dodging.
3. Vault of the Void — the most Spire-like map and card flow, and it is on phones.
4. Inscryption — if you want a story with your deck.
5. Roguebook — if you want two heroes and a slower climb.

Mobile games like Slay the Spire: Slay the Spire itself is $9.99 on Android and iOS. After that, try Vault of the Void ($6.99), Dawncaster ($4.99), and Monster Train (free trial on Android, $7.99 on iOS).

Games like Slay the Spire 2 (while it is in Early Access)

People who want STS2 usually want co-op or a fresh climb without Early Access rough edges.

• For co-op: Across the Obelisk is the finished 4-player option with cross-platform play, but read its recent reviews first.
• For a finished new climb: Monster Train 2 and Cobalt Core.
• For something from 2026: Vampire Crawlers ($9.99) or Shroom and Gloom ($14.99 Early Access since 10 September), a first-person “double-deckbuilder” from Devolver with 92% positive reviews so far.
• On a console or phone: there is no STS2 port. Play the first Slay the Spire, which is on Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Android, and iOS.

Best roguelike deck builders on Switch, PS5, Xbox, and Game Pass

• Game Pass (US catalog, 28 Sep 2026): Monster Train 2, Balatro, Inscryption, and Vampire Crawlers are all in both the console and PC Game Pass catalogs. Games rotate out, so check before you start a long save.
• Nintendo Switch: Monster Train 2, Balatro (also Switch 2), Slay the Spire, Inscryption, Cobalt Core, Shogun Showdown, Wildfrost, Vault of the Void, Dicey Dungeons, Dungeon Clawler, and Vampire Crawlers. More picks: best Switch games.
• PS5: Monster Train 2, Balatro, Inscryption, Shogun Showdown, Vampire Crawlers, Dungeon Clawler, Across the Obelisk, Roguebook, and Fights in Tight Spaces. The first Slay the Spire is a PS4 game that plays on PS5.
• Xbox Series X|S: the same core list as PS5, plus Wildfrost.
• Not on consoles yet: Slay the Spire 2 (PC only in Early Access) and StarVaders (Switch and PS5 announced).

Best roguelike deck builders on Android

US Google Play prices on 28 September 2026. Every game here is a one-time purchase unless we say otherwise.

• Balatro — $9.99, no ads, no IAP. The best game on Android in this genre.
• Slay the Spire — $9.99, no ads, no IAP. The full game. Text is small on phones, so a tablet helps.
• Dungeon Clawler — $6.99, no ads, no IAP, rated 4.85.
• Vault of the Void — $6.99.
• Dawncaster — $4.99, no ads, optional paid expansions.
• Dicey Dungeons and Luck be a Landlord — $4.99 each, no ads, no IAP.
• Monster Train — free trial, then $9.99. Not Monster Train 2.
• Meteorfall: Journeys — $3.99, no ads, no IAP. Swipe-to-play, great for a commute.

There is no official Slay the Spire 2, Inscryption, Cobalt Core, or Monster Train 2 app on Google Play. Ignore look-alikes. More ad-free picks: games with no ads.

Best roguelike deck builders on iPhone and iPad

• Paid on the App Store (US): Balatro $9.99, Slay the Spire $9.99, Astrea $9.99, Monster Train $7.99, Dungeon Clawler $6.99, Vault of the Void $6.99, Dawncaster $4.99, Dicey Dungeons $4.99, Luck be a Landlord $4.99, Meteorfall: Journey $3.99.
• Apple Arcade: Balatro+, Slay the Spire+, Monster Train+, Dicey Dungeons+, and Dungeon Clawler+ are Arcade versions, included with the subscription.
• Try before you buy: Wildfrost and Peglin are free to download with a paid unlock.

Free roguelike deck builders (and free trials worth your time)

Good, fully free roguelike deck builders are rare. Most of the best ones are paid games with a free way to start:

• Monster Train on Android — free trial, then $9.99.
• Peglin on Android and iOS — the first third of the game is free.
• Wildfrost on Android and iOS — free demo, then a one-time unlock.
• Griftlands on Steam — free demo, and the full game is $5.99 on sale right now.
• Night of the Full Moon — truly free on phones, but the Android version has ads and in-app purchases up to $209.99.

New roguelike deck builders in 2026

• Monster Train 2: Destiny of the Railforged (2 Feb) — $9.99 DLC.
• Dawncaster on Steam (6 Feb) — $19.99, after years on phones.
• Slay the Spire 2 (5 Mar, Early Access) — $24.99, price rises at 1.0.
• Vampire Crawlers (21 Apr) — $9.99, on Game Pass.
• Dungeon Clawler 1.0 (30 Apr) — left Early Access on PC, consoles, and phones.
• Moonsigil Atlas (28 May) — $15.99 on Steam today (20% off $19.99). Too new to rank, and it only has a few hundred reviews.
• Shroom and Gloom (10 Sep, Early Access) — $14.99, first-person, published by Devolver.

Board games like Slay the Spire

If you want cards on a table instead of a screen:

• Slay the Spire: The Board Game — Contention Games’ official co-op version for 1–4 players, released in 2024. It is a big box, and the list price is over $100.
• Dominion — the 2008 game that invented deck building. It is competitive, not a roguelike.
• Aeon’s End and Clank! — popular deck builders with a co-op or dungeon-crawl feel.

Comparison and tier list (US prices, 28 September 2026)

Game	Our tier	US Steam price	English Steam reviews	State	Phone	Game Pass
Monster Train 2	S	$24.99	95% of 5,059	1.0 + DLC	No	Yes
Balatro	S	$14.99	98% of 104,615	Finished	$9.99	Yes
Slay the Spire	S	$24.99	97% of 77,082	Finished	$9.99	No
Inscryption	S	$19.99	96% of 76,698	Finished	No	Yes
Slay the Spire 2	A	$24.99	91% of 70,000+	Early Access	No	No
Cobalt Core	A	$19.99	96% of 3,427	Finished	No	No
Shogun Showdown	A	$7.49 sale	96% of 3,529	Finished	Crunchyroll	No
Monster Train	A	$24.99	96% of 12,262	Finished	Trial / $7.99	No
Vault of the Void	A	$17.99	93% of 1,412	Finished	$6.99	No
Griftlands	A	$5.99 sale	93% of 5,276	Finished	No	No
Vampire Crawlers	A	$9.99	94% of 8,486	Finished (2026)	No	Yes
StarVaders	A	$24.99	98% of 2,220	Finished	No	No
Wildfrost	B	$19.99	91% of 5,355	Finished	Demo + unlock	No
Dicey Dungeons	B	$14.99	89% of 6,301	Finished	$4.99	No
Roguebook	B	$24.99	84% of 1,981	Finished	No	No
Fights in Tight Spaces	B	$24.99	92% of 2,451	Finished	No	No
Dungeon Clawler	B	$14.99	91% of 2,352	1.0 (2026)	$6.99	No
Dawncaster	B	$19.99	81% of 281 (all languages)	Finished	$4.99	No
Luck be a Landlord	B	$9.99	94% of 5,331	Finished	$4.99	No
Across the Obelisk	C (for now)	$19.99	81% of 7,866	Finished; recent 24%	No	No

Tiers are our editorial call based on the ranking above. Steam sales change daily, so check the price before you buy.

How to pick a roguelike deck builder in 5 steps

1. Pick the style. Poker (Balatro), climb (Slay the Spire), floors (Monster Train 2), story (Inscryption), positioning (Cobalt Core), or co-op (Slay the Spire 2).
2. If you are new, start with Balatro. One win tells you if the genre is for you.
3. Buy finished before Early Access. Monster Train 2 and Slay the Spire are complete. Slay the Spire 2 is not, and its price rises at 1.0.
4. Check Game Pass first. Monster Train 2, Balatro, Inscryption, and Vampire Crawlers are included right now.
5. On a phone, buy from the official listing. Skip anything claiming to be Slay the Spire 2.

How we picked

• Genre fit: the deck (or tiles, dice, or symbols) has to be built during the run and lost on death. Collectible card games and auto-battlers were left out.
• Store data, checked 28 September 2026: US Steam prices, English review counts and last-30-day scores from each Steam store page, Early Access status, and Metacritic scores shown by Steam. Google Play and App Store prices, ads, and in-app purchase flags came from the US listings the same day.
• Game Pass: checked against Microsoft’s US Game Pass catalog for console and PC on 28 September.
• Popularity: concurrent players from Steam’s own API, used as a sanity check, not a ranking input.
• Cross-check: we compared our list with the games that appear again and again across major US roguelike deck builder guides, then checked each common pick. The ones that did not make the top 20 are in the also-checked section.

Who / how / why: Aditya Singh, AndroidHire. This ranking is based on store data and editorial judgment. It is not paid placement. Found an error? Tell us.

Bottom line

Buy Monster Train 2 ($24.99, or play it on Game Pass) if you want the best finished roguelike deck builder in 2026. Start with Balatro ($14.99, or $9.99 on a phone) if you have never played one. Keep Slay the Spire as the classic. Buy Slay the Spire 2 for co-op only if Early Access does not bother you, because the price goes up later.

Do this next: buy Balatro and win one run. If you want monsters and a map afterward, get Slay the Spire the same day. If you already love Slay the Spire, go straight to Monster Train 2.