Games like Slay the Spire: roguelike deckbuilders

The best games like Slay the Spire are Monster Train, Balatro and Inscryption. Each keeps the core idea: start with a weak deck, add cards after fights, and lose it all when you die.

Why Slay the Spire still sets the bar

Slay the Spire is a roguelike deckbuilder by Mega Crit, released in 2019. You climb a spire of fights, pick one card after each win and choose your route on a branching map. Relics bend the rules, so no two runs feel the same.

Slay the Spire 2 entered early access on Steam on March 5, 2026, and added online co-op for up to four players. The first game is still on phones, PC and consoles.

Deckbuilders like Slay the Spire

Monster Train. Shiny Shoe's deckbuilder where you defend three floors of a train heading into hell. It came to iPhone in 2022, and Monster Train 2 followed in 2025.
Balatro. LocalThunk's poker roguelike. You play poker hands for score, and Jokers change the math.
Inscryption. Daniel Mullins' card game wrapped in a horror mystery. The story turns strange in ways best left unspoiled.
Dicey Dungeons. Terry Cavanagh's twist where dice replace cards. Each item is a slot you drop a die into.
Luck be a Landlord. A slot machine instead of a deck. You add symbols after each spin to pay rising rent.
Peglin. A pachinko roguelike: you shoot orbs through pegs to deal damage. It is on phones too.

Playing deckbuilders on a phone

Slay the Spire, Monster Train, Balatro, Luck be a Landlord and Peglin all have mobile versions. Touch controls suit the genre because nothing needs fast reactions, and you can stop mid-fight.

If you want a story, pick Inscryption on PC or console. If you want short runs on the bus, Balatro and Luck be a Landlord are the quickest.

Roam card roguelikes

These are free to play on Roam for iPhone.

Crypt Deck. A roguelike deckbuilder dungeon. Three floors down, with a boss on every one.
Mate the Machine. A chess roguelike card battler. Your pawns and cards against the machine's King.
CARDBOUND. A card-collecting adventure RPG. Collect glowing cards, build a deck and win the Grand Duel Cup.
Dice Quest. A turn-based dice dungeon crawler. Roll, fight goblins and take the gold.

Play it on Roam

Make your own deckbuilder with Roam

Say what the cards do and what you fight. Roam builds it, and you can add a new card or boss with one more sentence.

Try: "deckbuilder in a haunted school, cards are homework, the final boss is the principal, 3 floors"

Create it with Roam See Roam

Questions people ask

Is Slay the Spire on mobile?

Yes. Slay the Spire is on iPhone and Android. Slay the Spire 2 is in early access on PC.

Is Balatro like Slay the Spire?

It shares the roguelike structure and deck building, but you score poker hands instead of fighting monsters.

Does Slay the Spire have co-op?

The first game is single-player. Slay the Spire 2 added online co-op for up to four players in early access.