Best RPGs With Card Based Combat

RPGs have taken many forms over the years. Western RPGs and CRPGs like Fallout have made a name for themselves with deep, complex character customization, while JRPGs like Final Fantasy have leaned into melodrama and over-the-top storylines.

Whatever form an RPG takes, one thing is for certain, which is that you are going to be fighting a lot of enemies. And in order to do that, you're going to need a competent battle system.

One of my favorite styles of RPG combat system is when a developer uses cards as a way to power its combat. I've played many a deck fighting RPGs, and they've become a staple in my library since I was a teenager.

Today, I'll be taking a look at the best RPGs that use this unique method of fighting. This style of RPG certainly isn't for everyone, but if you enjoy a good card-based RPG, take a stroll with me through some of the absolute best in the industry.

8 Steamworld Quest: Hand Of Gilgamech

The Best Entry In The Steamworld Series

The Steamworld series has been quietly producing some of the most underrated games on the market for years now. They've also been exploring multiple genres at the same time, including a card-based RPG known as Steamworld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech.

It features all the trademark bite and humor from every other entry in the series, but replaces conflict with a fun, fast-paced card combat system. Hand of Gilgamech has one of the most enjoyable combat systems of the past decade, as it relies on swift usage of cards to stay one step ahead of enemies.

Each member of the party gets their own deck of cards, and you can add a wide variety of different cards to them as you progress. The cards themselves make up three different types of actions, and maintaining balance between each one to ensure a turn goes well is what makes Hand of Gilgamech so much fun.

7 Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings And The Lost Ocean

Stack The Deck

I was knee-deep in my JRPG obsession back when Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean first came out back in 2004. My assumption that it was a run-of-the-mill JRPG I'd already played was incorrect, but I was never so happy to be wrong in my entire life.

Baten Kaitos is one of those games that sticks with you. The story, absurdly good music and fabulous pre-rendered backgrounds are just the tip of the iceberg, as the real star of the show is its incredible card-based combat.

It's really the pace at which Baten Kaitos unfolds that sells it. Cards and attacks fly out furiously, as each battle relies on you building out a chain of cards that combo together in order to get the most out of it. It really makes you follow each battle intently, as it plays out like a fantasy version of poker.

6 Hand Of Fate 2

The House Always Wins

A lot of card-based RPGs focus on 2D viewpoints, as those tend to help the cards read in a visually appealing manner. With Hand of Fate 2, Defiant Developments continues to push the genre into bold, inventive new perspectives.

Hand of Fate 2 revolves around a mischievous dealer, who doles out cards to you like a sinister jester. If the cards fall your way, the next part of your adventure could pan out well, but if they don't, you'll be at the mercy of the dealer.

Those cards detail how well, or not well, you do in the game's third-person action combat sections. It's a unique, highly entertaining little gem that is in dire need of a new entry.

5 Marvel's Midnight Suns

Marvel Meets XCOM

The unorthodox union between the world of Marvel Comics and XCOM was one that piqued my interest quite a bit when it was announced. A new Marvel game from the developers of Enemy Unknown sounded cool, but one using card-based combat to power the adventure sounded like an absolute blast.

Marvel's Midnight Suns is loosely based on the comic book of the same name, which brings together the darker side of the comic book universe. While the team in the game isn't exactly the street-level adventure I was hoping for, what's on offer is pretty great.

It's a game made by people who clearly have a lot of love and admiration for the Marvel Comics property, as the use of cards was a way to curb the disconnect between being a superhero and the killing machines seen in the XCOM games. The card system allows combat to flow freely, but still remain faithful to the world of Marvel.

4 Slay The Spire

A Standout Entry In The Genre

Slay the Spire has been around for a while now. It's one of the first games that people probably think of when you say deck building RPG.

There's a good reason for that, as Slay the Spire's intricate design and addictive gameplay systems are fundamentally brilliant. Slay the Spire has remained one of the genre's most popular games because it genuinely is an utterly fantastic experience.

This is also a roguelike game, meaning that each run is designed to be a totally different experience. Each run grants you a new deck, but with each successful run, the pool of cards becomes larger.

It's a simple system, but one that has resulted in one of the best deck builder RPGs ever made. It's the kind of game that you will sink an enormous amount of hours into.

3 Inscryption

An Inky Black Card-Based Odyssey

I first heard about Inscryption through a friend, who knew about my love of card-based RPGs. I ended up playing the entire game in one sitting, hearing the birds chirping outside as the sun rose on a new day.

Inscryption is an intoxicating, deeply engrossing card-based RPG that will sink its hooks into you immediately. The dark, ominous atmosphere is incredibly alluring, and the way combat unfolds is remarkable.

Combat, as it were, is done through one-on-one card battles. Over time, you'll find your deck filled with some truly charming picks, including some delightful cards like the dreadfully powerful River Snapper and Lonely Wizbot.

A Collectible Card Game?

Nothing could stop Metal Gear during the early 2000s. It was one of the most popular gaming franchises in the world, and with popularity, there's always going to be room for spin-offs.

Hideo Kojima's stealth-action franchise was no stranger to that, but its most compelling spin-off during this time was consistently the Metal Gear Acid series. Specifically, Metal Gear Acid 2 is a phenomenal experience that is still worth playing today.

I know I certainly had a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of a card-based Metal Gear RPG, but the end result is hard to argue with. Metal Gear Acid 2 perfectly blends the high-tech, sci-fi military action of the mainline series with an addictive card-based RPG.

The way it folds basic Metal Gear actions into cards is brilliant. Not only that, the story also feels like it would be right at home in a Kojima-penned title.

1 Death Howl

Howl At The Moon

Death Howl was a game that came out of nowhere for me, as I was unaware of its existence until right before launch. The dark, foreboding imagery and its description as a Soulslike deckbuilder was all I needed to know.

Combat in Death Howl is outstanding. As you enter each battle arena, you'll be dealt a collection of all the cards you have available.

Continue to win battles, you'll get more eponymous Death Howls to combine with materials to craft new cards. The more battles you win, the more cards you unlock.

It is a deceptively simple gameplay loop that is impossible to put down. Death Howl is one of the most finely crafted card-based RPGs I've ever played.