Games Like Slay the Spire: 8 Roguelike Deckbuilders

The best games like Slay the Spire are Monster Train, Balatro and Inscryption: short runs, a deck that grows with your choices and that irresistible urge to go again after every loss. Griftlands, Across the Obelisk and Dicey Dungeons twist the formula with negotiation, co-op or dice. Here are 8 games to feed the habit.

Why Slay the Spire is so addictive

Slay the Spire, by Mega Crit Games, laid the foundations of the roguelike deckbuilder. You pick a character, climb a randomly generated spire and build your deck fight by fight. Between battles you grab relics, choose your path on the map and decide which cards to add or remove. Every run tells a different story.

The genius is how readable it is. You can see what the enemy plans to do, so every loss is on you and every win comes from a real decision. According to players on IGDB, expect about 12 hours for the main goals, about 49 hours to go deeper and about 295 hours to unlock everything. It's a game that stays with you for years.

How to find your next deckbuilder

The genre has branched out a lot. Some games keep Slay the Spire's combat but change the structure, like Monster Train with its multi-floor defense. Others keep the roguelike spirit but swap the cards for something else: poker hands in Balatro, dice in Dicey Dungeons.

If you want to play with others, Across the Obelisk supports up to four players in co-op. If you want a story, Inscryption and Griftlands have real narratives. More ideas in our roguelike picks and games like Balatro.

1. 

   1. Monster Train

   2020

   You defend a train heading down into hell, with three floors to protect at once. You combine two clans to build your deck, and the synergies get wild fast. Runs are shorter than Slay the Spire and combos are more explosive. The closest in feel, with a strong identity of its own.

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2. 

   2. Balatro

   2024 · Main story 4.5 h

   A roguelike where you play poker hands to hit a target score, with jokers that bend every rule. No combat, but the same logic: build an engine, decide what to keep and feel the run tip in your favor. Easy to learn, impossible to put down. See games like Balatro.

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3. 

   3. Inscryption

   2021 · Main story 10 h

   A sinister card game in a cabin, facing a mysterious opponent who talks to you from the dark. You sacrifice creatures to play others and solve puzzles around the table. The game hides far more than it shows, so go in knowing as little as possible.

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4. 

   4. Griftlands

   2020 · Main story 12 h

   Klei Entertainment adds a second deck to the formula: one for combat, one for negotiation. You can persuade, threaten or bribe instead of fighting. Each character has their own story, with allies and enemies who remember your choices. A very clever narrative deckbuilder.

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5. 

   5. Across the Obelisk

   2021

   A deckbuilder where you run a team of four heroes instead of one. Best of all, it supports co-op for up to four players, each controlling a character. More management, more team synergies and longer runs. The best option if you want to share the Slay the Spire experience with friends.

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6. 

   6. Dicey Dungeons

   2019 · Main story 29.5 h

   Terry Cavanagh swaps cards for dice. You roll, slot your results into your equipment and fight through a dungeon styled like a game show. Several characters with very different rules and constant humor. Lighter and shorter than Slay the Spire, perfect for quick sessions.

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7. 

   7. Wildfrost

   2023

   A deckbuilder set in a frozen world, where every card has a counter that decides when it attacks. You place your units on a board and manage timing instead of energy. Cute style, brutal difficulty. A fresh twist for players who've already mastered the genre's classics.

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8. 

   8. Library of Ruina

   2021

   Project Moon delivers a very deep deckbuilder where you take on visitors in a strange library. Fights play out as simultaneous card clashes with plenty of number crunching. The story is dark and dense. More complex than Slay the Spire, best for anyone after a real tactical challenge.

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FAQ

What game is most similar to Slay the Spire?

Monster Train is the closest: the same idea of a deck you build during a run, relics in a different form and turn-based fights. It adds a three-floor defense layer that shifts your priorities and keeps things fresh.

How long is Slay the Spire?

A single run fits in one evening, but the game keeps going for a very long time. According to players on IGDB, expect about 12 hours for the main goals, about 49 hours with extras and about 295 hours for 100%.

Is there a co-op game like Slay the Spire?

Slay the Spire is single-player only. For something close with friends, Across the Obelisk is the best pick: a roguelike deckbuilder with co-op for up to four players, each controlling one hero on the team.