10 Games You Should Play If You Love Darkest Dungeon 2

Although Darkest Dungeon 2 is a highly replayable experience even if you beat it, you will one day start looking for a fresh experience in the same genre. Of course, there are tons of roguelike games focusing on deck-building gameplay, but not all of them give you the hellish experience that Darkest Dungeon brings.

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So, the closest game to Darkest Dungeon 2 is its predecessor, but we assume that you have already played it as well, which leads us to this list of roguelike deck builders that might not be as dark as Darkest Dungeon, but they will still hardly challenge you.

Dungeon Drafters

Dungeon Drafters takes the simple core battle mechanics of the Darkest Dungeon series and adds a series of new elements to it, which makes to overall experience a bit more complicated as you really need to think a lot before making a move.

In Dungeon Drafters you have a battlefield with different tiles, and you only have certain Action Points which can be spent on movement, simple melee attack, or casting a card from your deck. This already gives a more strategic approach to the deck-building gameplay of Darkest Dungeon 2, but the game still has its own hub area and a variety of different heroes each with their own unique abilities.

Black Book

As a story-teller deck-building experience, Black Book allows you actually to pick the difficulty level you prefer for the adventure. So, it is safe to say that from newcomers to deck-builder games to veteran players, Black Book could be a satisfying journey for everyone.

Aside from battles, you will explore the village to find more clues about the game’s dark story. As you make progress, you will face more difficult enemies, learn new spells, and add more new cards to your deck.

Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales

In case you are looking for a story-driven adventure where the plot line is as important and engaging as the gameplay, you shouldn’t really miss CD Projekt RED’s hidden gem. Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales was launched between The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077, and probably stayed hidden for most gamers between the popularity of the former and the hype of the latter.

The core gameplay is based on Gwent, but more importantly, the game features an original story set in the same universe as The Witcher series. Aside from its card-based gameplay, the game also features minimal isometric exploration as well as a dialogue system that impacts your journey.

Gloomhaven

Similar to Dungeon Drafters, Gloomhaven is also a mixture of strategic RPG and deck-builder, but with much more depth. Gloomhaven is really not a good starter option for those new to this genre, as it features so many complicated mechanics and tough battles.

The game features many different characters each with their own set of decks that can be played throughout each battle, but you will gain even more cards and get to upgrade their inventory as you continue your journey in a massive world full of encounters and dangers.

Dicey Dungeons

After all the challenging fights you have faced in Darkest Dungeon 2, if you are looking for an easier experience with forgiving gameplay, don’t miss out on Dicey Dungeons. This is a rogue-lite experience that allows you to save your progress whenever you defeat a boss and complete an Episode.

Dicey Dungeons is the most innovative card game on this list, as each character gives you a brand-new experience of the fights and dungeons that you have already completed. The game also has a pretty active modding community that adds more creative ways to play Dicey Dungeons.

Loop Hero

While most of the games on this list focus on the core deck-based gameplay itself, Loop Hero is much similar to Darkest Dungeon 2 when it comes to the activities out of combat. In Loop Hero, you will embark on a new journey whenever you are ready, but the game also allows you to take control of the battlefield based on the cards that you take with you on the expedition.

Defeating each enemy will randomly draw a card from your deck or add a new item to your inventory, and playing each card could either change the risk-reward balance in the game or just help you by providing support. Outside of the battle, you have a camp to expand, allowing you to unlock new items and abilities.

Wildfrost

Don’t be fooled by its cute graphics design, Wildfrost is one of the most difficult roguelike deck-builders you have ever played. Unlike most games we talked about on this list, Wildfrost features a wide variety of protagonists, known as Leaders, and Companion cards.

The game uses a pretty innovative gameplay loop, where you can attack the opponents using the cards drawn from your deck, while your Leader and their companions will also automatically attack the enemies whenever their cooldown reaches zero. This already creates an incredibly challenging time and deck management that you need to overcome to kill the opponents and make progress.

Potionomics

If you are looking for an all-in-one experience with the core deck-builder gameplay, playing Potionomics is a must! This game is just more than a simple screen where you draw cards and win over matches. Potionomics is more of a deck-builder RPG where you get to fully control and manage a potion shop.

Build relationships with other merchants, expand your shops, find creative ways to get ingredients, discover new potion recipes, and eventually start selling your potions through a deeply satisfying card-based gameplay where you need to convince your customers to pay more!

Inscryption

Words fall short in describing Daniel Mullins’ masterpiece. Inscryption is more like Slay The Spire than Darkest Dungeon, but when it comes to difficulty, they are all going shoulder-to-shoulder. However, what makes Inscryption special is the puzzles hidden behind its brutal deck-builder gameplay.

Aside from fighting your way off in an unforgiving path, you are also required to discover the story that lies beneath the mysterious cabin you are trapped in, and that creates a magical tension in the game that you can’t easily find in any other card-based battles.

Slay The Spire

If you want a real hardcore roguelike experience, Slay The Spire will be your new lock-in. Featuring no checkpoints, Slay The Spire punishes you harshly for a minor mistake. You start the game with only one character but as you make progress you can unlock more playable heroes.

Each character has its own set of cards and decks, which evolves as you defeat enemies, earn coins, and spend them on buying new cards. What makes Slay The Spire a deep deck-builder is the fact that it features a build system next to its set of cards, and you get to collect Relics and Potions as you beat bosses or visit vendors to make a build that suits your character and playstyle well.

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