Stack the Deck: A Dark Twist on Tower Defense and Deckbuilding

 In the vast universe of video games, a gem occasionally emerges that subverts expectations and invites us to see the world from a different perspective. "Stack the Deck," by Bumbler Interactive, is precisely that: a roguelike tower defense game with deckbuilding mechanics that puts us in the shoes of the 'villains' of traditional fantasy.

It's Time for Revenge!

Forget defending human kingdoms from monster hordes; here, the hordes are yours, and the invaders are the 'heroes.' For many years, orcs, goblins, and necromancers have been the victims of invasions. Enough is enough! In "Stack the Deck," your mission is to protect your humble goblin village from the attacks of the self-proclaimed 'forces of good,' who come armed with their strange weapons, magic, and trained animals. It's time to fight back and show them that defenders can also be... different.

Roguelike Gameplay with Deck Strategy

The game innovatively combines tower defense, roguelike, and deckbuilding genres. Each playthrough is a unique campaign where strategy is key:

*   Deckbuilding: You start with a standard deck of basic towers and powers. As you advance through levels and the campaign, you'll be able to power up your deck with new cards and upgrades.

*   Strategic Decisions: Bargain with witches for more power, sacrifice towers for unexpected benefits, and choose where and how to defend. The variety of available strategies is vast, ensuring each run feels fresh and unique.

*   Branching Paths: You decide the route of your campaign. Choosing harder levels might offer greater rewards, while searching for a shop or random events could provide similar boosts but at a higher resource cost.

An Arsenal of Unexpected Defenders

To defend your home, you'll rely on the help of fierce orcs, cunning goblins, vampiric sorcerers, and some "borrowed" gnome engineering. Together, they will form a formidable force to repel the invaders.

Accessibility and Active Development

"Stack the Deck" is developed with Unity and is playable directly in your web browser (HTML5), making it highly accessible. Controls are simple and managed entirely with the mouse; you can pause the game with "Esc" and cancel tower or spell placement with the right-click button.

Currently, the game is in development and was designed as part of the TPD4168 Game Design course at NTNU. The developers are transparent about some known bugs, such as occasional issues with the reward screen, visual layering problems, or enemy spawning errors. They welcome feedback to improve the game.

If you're looking for a strategy game that challenges conventional narratives and offers hours of deck customization and tactical defense, "Stack the Deck" is a refreshing proposal worth exploring.

You can play "Stack the Deck" for free on itch.io here