StarVaders

StarVaders is a roguelike deckbuilder about mech pilots defeating invading aliens. The gameplay resembles a turn-based version of Space Invaders where you win by using Into the Breach-like tactics instead of speed. It was a nominee for Best Strategy Game in the 3rd Annual Thinky Awards.

Combat takes place on a 5x8 vertical map. Your mech starts at the bottom, while enemies appear at or near the top. Most enemies descend one row every turn. If they reach the bottom three rows, it adds to your Doom meter; if your Doom meter reaches 5, you lose. Some enemies also attack at the end of their turn, hitting certain squares. If you get hit, you gain a Junk card that has a negative effect, such as making you draw fewer cards.

Every turn, you draw a hand of cards with various effects, such as firing a bullet upwards or moving your mech a certain distance. Each card has a cost and you have a cost limit per turn, but each mech also has a unique way to surpass the cost limit, such as using a battery or allowing the mech to overheat.

After winning a fight, you earn money and either gain a card, upgrade a current card, or gain a relic, depending on the encounter. Relics have powerful effects like increasing your Heat meter or letting you draw more cards. You then pick which encounter to fight next with limited information about what you’ll be facing. After four encounters you visit a store and then fight a boss.

Like many deckbuilders, Starvaders includes metaprogression features that make future runs different. You can unlock new cards, higher difficulties, and new characters to play. These features make every game feel unique.

This description was written by Gwen C. Katz.