New roguelike deckbuilder goes one step further by letting you design the cards

Have you ever played Hearthstone or Slay the Spire and thought to yourself, "If I'd made this card, I would have given it that ability instead?" If so, new roguelike deckbuilder Card Coder asks you to put that to the test. Forget simply making your decks; here you're constructing custom cards from scratch, combining effects, triggers, targets, and even selecting the name and artwork, to make something capable of overcoming your opponents. First teased in January, you can try an early demo right now on Steam, and it's already captured my attention.

All those years spent playing Magic the Gathering, Hearthstone, and more of our best card games are about to be put into practice as I sit down with the new demo for Card Coder, which developer Prof. Scherer has just released as part of the ongoing 'Games forged in Germany' showcase on Steam. While it's very obviously still in an early state and lacking the polish of the best roguelikes, I'm quickly compelled by the fundamentals, which go beyond the card creation and extend to the tactical, freeform combat systems.

Building a card is relatively straightforward. You take a trigger that activates its effects - the simplest would be 'when this card is played.' Then, you apply a condition or activation cost; perhaps using it requires spending health. Next, you add a selector, which determines how it chooses targets (maybe the closest enemy card, or the one that's most dangerous). Finally comes your effect, whether that be damage, healing, or some more involved impact.

To stop you from simply making the most overpowered options possible, card energy costs are determined automatically based on the effects you apply. Once you're happy, you can name the card, adjust its color tint, and add an image from either a selection of pre-prepared pixel-art pieces or your own PC. Crucially, however, cards aren't simply placed down in a grid format, but can instead be put anywhere on the board, and smart positioning will allow you to exploit weaknesses in your enemy's lineup.

Overcome an enemy and you'll earn rewards, which you can then take to the shop to unlock more components to build better cards. Merge duplicates to strengthen them for additional bonuses, and discover unique combinations that create extra effects. You'll also have to deal with modifiers such as those created by battlefield locations; splash damage has no effect in a space battle, for example, while fighting in an ancient temple will cause all the current player's cards to heal slightly at the start of their turn.

It's a game that was very much built for my brain. I grew up meticulously making my own abilities from scratch in the classic superhero game Freedom Force. Final Fantasy 12 is my favorite of the series' single-player offerings, and honestly that's largely thanks to its Gambit system, which basically lets you program the actions of your party members. I'm a fiend for the intricate production-line sims created by Zachtronics. While Card Coder is still seemingly in the early days, it's one I'll certainly be watching with interest.

The Card Coder demo is available now on Steam. You can download it here if you're on the hunt for something creative and different, or if you just fancy putting your basic programming skills into practice.

On the hunt for more hidden gems? Here are the best indie games you need to play in 2025, along with our latest verdict on the best gaming PC to suit your budget and needs.

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