What is Shards of Order?
If you're burnt out on the 'die and repeat' cycle of modern deckbuilders, Shards of Order is the palate cleanser you need. It's a grimdark RPG where you reshape the laws of reality to survive a world that refuses to let things stay dead.
Gameplay
First off, forget everything you know about the Slay the Spire formula. This isn't a roguelike; it's a full-blown RPG with a story, XP, and permanent progression. You won't be starting from scratch every time you bite the dust. The combat loop is the real star here. There's no mana pool to manage. Instead, every enemy has a visible countdown timer, and playing cards winds those timers down. It turns every fight into a high-speed puzzle where you're calculating if you can burst the enemy down before their clock hits zero and they wreck your party.
Your deck-building is tied directly to your character levels. You'll spend points to unlock new cards or upgrade your current ones, and your story choices can actually grant you exclusive cards. Then there's the 'Laws' mechanic, which lets you reshape the actual rules of the game. It's not just about stacking damage; it's about manipulating how the fight functions. You'll navigate a map of branching nodes, but unlike most deckbuilders, you can actually backtrack to revisit areas once you've leveled up enough to handle the tougher fights.
At $9.99, it's a steal for the amount of content you get. It's not perfectly polished, though. I hit a few bugs during my run, and the UI takes a minute to click because the systems are so unconventional. If you're used to slow, methodical turn-based combat, the pace here might feel jarring at first. Still, the grimdark, Dark Souls-esque world and creepy monster designs keep the atmosphere heavy and immersive throughout.
Key Features
- Countdown-based combat timers
- Rule-altering Laws mechanic
- Permanent RPG progression
- Backtrackable branching map nodes
What Players Say
Players are loving the 'nightmare inducing' visuals and the heavy sound design. Many are thrilled that death isn't mandatory for progression, calling it a win for those who hate roguelikes. While some say the customization options are just 'there', others claim the art style is gorgeous and the storytelling is top-notch. Most agree it's 'a brutal but balanced RPG deckbuilder' that significantly improved since its demo phase.
Video Review
Screenshots
Verdict
“An Outstanding Deckbuilder, the Grimdark theme, music, and storytelling are top-notch in this one. As you progress the story your choices may provide you cards, and some are exclusive and dependent on…”
“Really fun twist on the deckbuilding genre. Loved the demo, and the 1.0 release is a significant improvement on it. 100% recommend!”
“This is a game that will bring joy to those who hate roguelike games. Yeah, finally your death is not mandatory for progression. Can you imagine? When you die - you won't get more cards, you won't kee…”
“Not only the visuals are nightmare inducing. The combat design is brutal, the sound design and music is heavy and deep, the customization options are... there... it is on first glance a 10/10. Lookin…”
“I was a tester for this game and I knew off the bat this was going to be one hell of a game. The art style is GORGEOUS, like I'm seriously in love with it and the designs are outstanding. I've never b…”
Grab this if you want a dark, story-driven experience that breaks the roguelike mold. If you can't stand a few rough edges or bugs in the UI, you might want to wait for a patch, but for ten bucks, it's a total win. 8.5/10.
View on Steam →* Price at time of publication (checked 29.07.2026). Prices may vary by region and are subject to change. This is an editorial review, not a commercial offer.