Become the Moon is a single-player deck-building auto-battler with roguelike elements, where you construct decks of minions, spells, and relics to battle enemies in automated turn-based combat. The game’s core loop involves drafting cards after each victory, optimizing board placement, and adapting strategies to overcome a gauntlet of foes. It draws clear inspiration from Hearthstone.

There are over 140 cards to experiment with

Fun fact, there are over 140 cards to collect for your deck, alongside multiple synergies like flying, exhaust, battle-focused spells, and one-time effects. On the other hand, relics provide passive buffs, such as giving flying units a bonus when they attack. The goal is to create powerful combos and reach the final boss. I’ve been experimenting a lot with flying cards; they have a 33% chance to dodge attacks and create interesting combos with quick attack cards, which allow an adjacent card to attack instantly.

However, the biggest problem is the high randomization of cards. You’re forced to take cards for your deck because skipping them costs health (only the first skip is free). This means you sometimes have to take cards or spells you don’t want or need. This system does balance the gameplay, meaning you can’t just pick cards randomly; you definitely need to think through your choices. Once you defeat all the cards on the board, the enemy hero takes damage from your remaining cards. If that doesn’t defeat them, your hero then battles the enemy hero directly, which can also deal significant damage.

As mentioned, combat is automated, with minions attacking from left to right and targeting random enemies on the opponent’s board. I found this sadly too chaotic; you’re never able to pinpoint what will happen. While this unpredictability can be a good thing, the random targeting also somewhat ruins the fun, as it introduces too much luck and prevents a truly prepared strategy.

“The goal is to create powerful combos and reach the final boss.”

Deck-building is solid, drawing inspiration from Hearthstone

Become the Moon offers 10 character classes, each with unique starting cards and bonuses, adding variety to playstyles. You’ll need to unlock these classes by defeating them within the game. There’s definitely a lot of content to explore; it takes several hours to fully grasp the cards, but once you do, you’ll see how fun it is. The cards themselves are well-designed; some are balanced, while others less so, which is common.

Your strategy typically involves placing and swapping minions before battles, and using spells, but the auto-battler format does reduce micromanagement In other words, analyzing the enemy’s board allows for certains adjustments, such as placing a high-health “taunt” minion to absorb attacks. Mechanics like shields (blocking one attack), taunt (forcing enemy focus), and deathrattle (effects upon death) mirror Hearthstone.

I particularly enjoyed consistently buffing minions on the field using multipliers and bonuses for health and damage. You can also pick spectral cards that persist throughout the game and can be used once, such as to gain extra mana or draw more cards. The game provides fun ways to tackle different challenges. While not revolutionary, it’s engaging and keeps you hooked.

“Your strategy typically involves placing and swapping minions before battles.”

Fans of the genre should definitely pick this one up

The roguelike features aren’t very evident in this game. My biggest issue is that enemies are predetermined; you can’t choose who you fight, which is a significant drawback. Every stage presents similar enemies with the same cards, and the “bosses” are no different. While fighting the same bosses might be understandable, having identical regular enemies truly harms the game’s replayability.

The graphics in Become the Moon feature a 2D cartoonish dark fantasy style with various colors and charming character designs. Minions are expressive, with detailed card art that adds to their personality, and smooth, visually appealing battle animations add flair to the auto-battler format. While the visuals prioritize readability over spectacle and aren’t groundbreaking, they’re engaging, though some card designs feel repetitive, slightly limiting variety.

In the end, Become the Moon is a solid deck-building game. It won’t waste your time, especially with its speed-up option, and the best part is undoubtedly the card-drafting phase. If you’re wondering whether it’s good, don’t hesitate; it’s a decent and well-crafted title, clearly made by developers familiar with similar games. While replayability might be a bit questionable, the numerous heroes available do help extend its life. If you’re already a fan of the genre, this one should definitely be in your library.

“You’ll face a variety of enemies: they start weak, but quickly become more deadly.”

Review copy provided by the publisher

4

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Combat in Netherworld Covenant demands precision, not button-mashing. You’ll need to master parries, dodges, and an Ethereal Dash to avoid incoming attacks, aiming for critical hits at just the right moment. This risk-reward system punishes mistakes, making stamina management crucial against varied enemies like beast hunters, archers, and even soul-devouring ones.

The Soul Companion system allows you to summon allies such as Swordsmen, Rangers, Guardians, or Rogues. Each companion has unique abilities, letting you bypass obstacles, ambush enemies, or evade powerful attacks. With over 100 skill combos, 15 main weapons, and five sub-weapons, you have plenty of options to craft diverse builds that match your preferred playstyle.

Exploration in Netherworld Covenant happens within procedurally generated labyrinths. The Early Access version features four distinct chapters: Dungeons, Village, Coastal Fishing Hamlet, and Black Tower. Each chapter boasts unique landscapes, two elite bosses, and a final chapter boss. Defeating bigger enemies, such as giant beasts or fallen heroes, grants temporary boosts and resources, helping you improve your progress.

Between runs, you’ll return to a borderland camp where you can craft demon-blood weapons, gather supplies, and form new spectral allies. Developers at MadGoat Game Studio plan to add new chapters, weapons, relics, and difficulty levels while fixing bugs.

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Galactic Glitch is a fast-paced twin-stick roguelike shooter that has just launched from its Early Access phase. Set in a simulated universe, you control an AI-piloted spaceship tasked by a mysterious entity, Siren, to escape a glitched simulation. What will definitely catch your eye is the physics-based combat, letting you manipulate the environment and enemies as weapons.

The core loop of Galactic Glitch involves navigating interconnected “bubble” arenas, clearing enemies, upgrading your ship, and battling bosses. You wield a gravity gun to grab and hurl objects such as asteroids, missiles, mines, or even enemies, turning them into powerful projectiles that deal more damage than standard weapons and can stun foes. For example, picking up an enemy’s rocket and tossing it back or smashing foes into asteroids creates dynamic encounters.

Plenty of weapons to try and enjoy

Standard weapons like lasers or railguns, more unlocked as you play, complement the gravity gun, featuring a special shot that charges during combat for powerful bursts. Also, the dash mechanic lets you dodge attacks or ram enemies with certain upgrades, making the combat feel smooth and responsive. However, relying on environmental objects can make fights in sparse arenas less exciting, and the screen can definitely get clogged with objects.

Each bubble you enter contains enemies along with rewards like orbs, credits, power-ups, or optional high-reward Rift Battles. Teleportation portals let you backtrack, but the map’s simplicity limits strategic navigation. In other words, there are several lines connecting each bubble; sometimes they can be blocked, forcing you to unlock a special ability that can unlock the path or force you to move to the open nearby area.

Galactic Glitch offers various biomes with a range of enemies, but they grow repetitive as rooms in the same biome feature similar waves, making bosses much more enjoyable than regular enemies. There’s plenty of bosses, each requiring a unique strategy to get defeated and they get stronger as you keep playing. Each run lasts 30–60 minutes, letting you pick your path through shops, upgrade stations, or boss arenas.

“Explore, loot and fight your way through hostile space.” 

Upgrade system is a big let down

The upgrade stations feel oddly designed, making it unclear what you’re actually improving or what might be useful. You pick from three upgrades, but it’s confusing, at least for me, since there’s no color coding to show what’s being enhanced, just vague stats like an 18% weapon damage boost. Plus, you can finish a level in two ways: clearing all bubbles or opting for a quick win by beating the biome within a time limit. Rushing works decently with strong starting stats, but to get more powerful, exploring everything is advised, which makes speedrunning feel costly and frustrating.

My biggest issue is the upgrade system, it feels like you’re not improving since upgrades are rare, which feels strange. Additionally, there is a shop you can find, but every item inside is vaguely explained. I don’t want to spend a good 10 minutes clearing a biome to find an upgrade station, as it gets repetitive and I just want to move on. Plus, you get healed after finishing a biome, making the risk of taking damage seem less significant.

To be honest, taking everything in consideration, the gameplay is quite fun, with each battle lasting about 15 seconds and offering a proper fast-paced action. You can deal more damage by getting behind enemies and shooting them in the back, though it’s inconsistent since it’s not clearly marked what counts as the back. Still, you won’t waste much time playing this game overall.

“The gameplay is quite fun, with each battle lasting about 15 seconds.”

Fast-paced roguelike experience that’s fun to play

When it comes to graphics, Galactic Glitch boasts neon-soaked visuals blending cyberpunk and sci-fi vibes, reminiscent of Tron. Its 2D art shines with glowing pink, purple, and blue colors against a dark space backdrop, while explosions and debris scatter in colorful arcs, creating a psychedelic show. However, the graphics focus more on function than flair, with simple designs that don’t challenge modern style.

Given its price, solid roguelite structure, shooter elements with innovative physics-based combat, and simple controls, Galactic Glitch can definitely get addictive, especially if you’re a fan of the genre or Dead Cells. It offers a strong replayable setup, though the upgrade system feels lackluster to me, while the bosses stand out as the game’s best feature. Plus, you can enjoy it on Steam Deck.

Review copy provided by the publisher

3.8

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Drawing inspiration from “rubber hose” animation of classic cartoons like Mickey Mouse, Tom and Jerry, and early Looney Tunes, Into the Unwell immerses you in a cartoonish dream. The game’s visual elements also craft a psychedelic world filled with anthropomorphic enemies and bizarre environments. Unlike Cuphead, which shares a similar retro influence, Into the Unwell features 3D combat and platforming, offering a fresh take on the genre with dynamic movement and intense battles.

Additionally, expect boss fights and environmental challenges. You can dive into this chaos solo or team up with four friends in co-op as you battle waves of enemies. The gameplay leans into the quirky and wild, with Coffee Stain describing the combat as “as bizarre as it is belligerent.” This mix of cooperative action and unpredictable challenges ensures each playthrough feels unique.

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The reveal trailer, showcased during Summer Game Fest, offered a glimpse into the game’s world, though much of the story remains a mystery. You play as Towa, a young priestess leading a group of eight unique guardians in a battle against Magatsu, an evil force threatening the peaceful village of Shinju. The game features a top-down perspective with dynamic action combat, and what sets Towa apart is its cooperative twist: you can control two guardians simultaneously, each with distinct abilities and weapons.

The game’s aesthetic is stunning, rooted in classical Japanese art with hand-drawn characters and beautiful backgrounds reminiscent of traditional ink paintings. The world combines serene beauty with lurking danger, complemented by a soundtrack from composer Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy Tactics).

Among the colorful cast of guardians are a giant Shiba Inu and a talking koi fish. As you explore dangerous lands and dungeons, you’ll build connections with the village inhabitants, uncovering their stories and customs across different timelines, which further develops the village and deepens the narrative.

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In 9 Kings, you start with a small village and build it into a powerful kingdom by playing cards to summon units like knights, warlocks, or imps. The game shines with its chaotic deck-building, letting you create wild combos, such as explosive wizards or necromantic sheep, to defeat enemy kings. Each of the nine kings has a unique deck, and looting enemies unlocks their cards, offering endless strategies.

Sad Socket was founded by childhood friends Andre Young and Rafael da Silva Melo. Young, a YouTube star with around 800k subscribers and creator of Latin America’s largest Game Jam, brought experience from games like Seraph’s Last Stand. Melo, a creative director with a background in film and advertising, shaped the project’s vision. They also shared on Steam: “We’re just two guys chasing a dream”, crediting the community’s 170,000 wishlists for their success.

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The primary reason for its success is its endless replayability. With over 400 cards, 10 pilots, and interesting Chrono Tokens that let you rewind time, it cleverly blends elements from Space Invaders, Slay the Spire, and Into the Breach for endless fun. We had a chance to chat with the lead designer of StarVaders who revealed more about the game, its unexpected success, challenges they faced and what they think of the gaming industry in general.

You can also read our detailed review here. Additionally, don’t forget to support the devs by checking the game on Steam.

Can you introduce your studio and share how long StarVaders has been in development? 

Our team started out as friends long before we formed Pengonauts. We’ve worked on a slew of projects together in the form of game jams, discarded prototypes, and abandoned ideas before we decided to commit to StarVaders as our first commercial project.

StarVaders was started as a side project for all of us while we worked our regular day jobs. But thanks to the momentum it organically picked up, we were fortunate enough to be able to make the leap to full-time development in 2023.

Have you ever struggled while playtesting StarVaders, and what was the toughest challenge for you personally? 

It takes a lot of time to playtest. Especially in a game as varied with as many combinations as ours – there are more combinations of card pools than we can realistically play. What helped us a lot is having a large and dedicated group of beta testers help us refine the game.

What’s your vision for the ideal roguelite deckbuilder, and how close did StarVaders come to that goal? 

StarVaders completes the goal for us. We set out to create what we wanted to see in the genre, and there is nothing that was left on the cutting floor or that we couldn’t implement.

What inspired StarVaders’ concept, and how did you balance its difficulty levels to keep them challenging yet fair? 

The original concept was inspired by two boardgames, Bullet and Under Falling Skies. Balance – no idea honestly, it is very hard to balance a game and we kinda just went by feeling and intuition most of the time.

Can you share a key moment in StarVaders’ development where the team overcame a major obstacle? 

We had a lot of trouble marketing the game – it was tough to showcase how interesting the gameplay is without getting players hands on it. So we really focused on promoting and creating a very extensive demo for players.

With around 400 cards and artifacts in StarVaders, how did you brainstorm and design their unique effects? 

The sheer power of time, working almost 3 years on the project gives a lot of time to come up with ideas and effects. I always try to think of the wackiest effects we could add in the game, and then try it out to see if it’s possible.

Do you have data on which mech or character is the most popular among players? 

It’s hard to say at the moment because the characters unlock at different times during a playthrough – Roxy will be the most played pilot because she is the first one. I know many players love Stinger because of the melee ninja fantasy. Noel is also a fan favorite because of the characterization.

The Chrono Token mechanic feels unique, when was it added, and what inspired its inclusion? 

Very very early, we wanted a way to mitigate all forms of input randomness, for the player to have extra control over it. One of the worst feelings in a deck builder is when the “RNG” deals you a bad hand or gives you bad options, so we wanted players to have a resource to control that system.

How replayable is StarVaders, and what elements drive players to keep coming back? 

There are thousands and thousands of synergies and combos to discover in the game. Every time I play the game I still discover new synergies I hadn’t thought of before, even though I’m the lead designer and have played thousands of runs already. There’s a creative sandbox that allows players who want to explore the intricacies of the mechanics to really thrive.

What updates or content can players expect from StarVaders after its launch? 

We are working on new content, but nothing confirmed at the moment.

Do you view StarVaders as a success for your studio, and why? 

It has always been a success for us, but it’s really been amazing to see the reception from our playerbase, after release it has been a much bigger success than we could have ever originally imagined.

What’s your take on the gaming industry today, especially the indie game scene? 

It’s really really tough. I see a lot of studios just like us, with their first games, putting their passion and soul into their games and coming out with nothing. Even though our game is doing well, it could easily have been a financial failure if the players didn’t connect with it at the current level. It feels like, to succeed, you must be an exception or an outlier, and you can never really bet on that. Though maybe it always did take a little delusion and risk to make games.

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Elsie takes you to the planet of Ekis, a place filled with natural beauty and incredible scientific wonders, but one that’s now on the brink of disaster. The story kicks off with a scientist named Dr. Grey. He created high-tech androids called Guardians, powered by something called the Arclight Core, to handle the planet’s wild natural disasters. For a while, they were like superheroes, bringing peace by controlling the elements.

But then, without any warning, the Guardians just vanished. That’s where Elsie comes in. She’s a one-of-a-kind android built for one mission: track down the missing Guardians and save Ekis from completely falling apart. The gameplay in Elsie is a mix of intense bullet-hell action and the endless replayability you expect from a roguelike. You’ll be dashing, diving, and shooting your way through neon-drenched levels, needing lightning-fast reflexes to parry enemy attacks.

The team at Meridiem, who are putting out this physical version, are even making it extra special with a unique case, a sticker sheet, and a character book.

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Get ready to jump into a whimsical, yet totally chaotic universe in DOG WITCH. You’ll be battling some truly odd enemies here, like grumpy Cat Ladies, Russian Dolls armed with guns, and even suspicious milk vending machines. The game takes inspiration from favorites like Slay the Spire and Dicey Dungeons, blending deckbuilding with dice rolls.

Every time you roll those dice, it helps you cast spells, kick off cool combos, and activate more than 150 different magical artifacts. The runs are pretty quick, usually lasting about 30 minutes, which keeps the gameplay feeling fresh and encourages you to try out wild new strategies and combos to outsmart your enchanted foes.

Customization is a big deal here, letting you truly make your Dog Witch your own. You can pick its fur, hat, how it barks, and even its “chonk” level. The game’s hand-drawn art style is inspired by the playful absurdity of shows like “Adventure Time”. If you’re curious, there’s a demo planned for Steam Next Fest in June 2025, which will give you about an hour’s taste of the first area.

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You’ll be drawing cards to see what kind of monster hordes you’ll be facing, and as you play, you’ll unlock new heroes, weapons, and encounters. The mysterious Dealer from the original games is back too, making things even more challenging. It’s like they took the deckbuilding from Hand of Fate and mashed it up with a top-down shooter where you’re dodging tons of bullets.

Get ready to build your deck to earn tokens and unlock more cards, so your arsenal keeps growing with each run. There are also text-based events and quests that can have surprising outcomes, and they can even give your weapons powerful buffs. From axes that set things on fire to crossbows that explode, you’ll be collecting and upgrading gear to unleash serious damage on enemy waves as you explore familiar and new places from the Hand of Fate universe.

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