What is Tiles & Vials?
You've got to check out Tiles & Vials. It's a weird, addictive pivot on the deckbuilder formula that swaps traditional cards for a merge-grid system. It's fast, strategic, and feels fresh if you're bored of standard layouts.
Gameplay
Imagine if Slay the Spire had a baby with a 2048-style merge game. Instead of playing cards from a hand, you're sliding tiles around a grid. You push two identical tiles together to merge them into a higher-level version, which triggers the actual effect—think bigger sword swings or beefier shields. It's a spatial puzzle that feels way different from your standard deckbuilder. You aren't just drafting tiles; you're hunting for artifacts that fundamentally change how your merges work. When you hit that synergy between an artifact and your tile set, you stop barely surviving and start absolutely obliterating the board.
Run variety is decent because you're constantly fighting for board space. If you fill your grid with low-level junk you can't merge, you're toast. It's less about the math you find in Balatro and more about not jamming yourself into a corner. At $6.99, it's a cheap entry point, but don't expect a polished AAA experience. The balancing feels a bit 'early access' and the board can feel way too cramped. If you get a bad draw of non-merging tiles, you'll spend more time fighting the grid than the enemies. It's a bit clunky in the tight spots, but the dopamine hit from a massive merge combo makes it worth the frustration. I'd give it a 7/10.
Key Features
- 2048-style tile merging
- Artifact-driven build synergies
- Grid-based spatial combat
- Unique hero effects
What Players Say
People are loving the creative builds, with one player noting it's 'more puzzley' than they expected. Others say it's a great mix of feeling powerful while still facing real challenges, though some mentioned their PC 'goes a little bit BRRRRRrr' during combat. The consensus is that it's tense once the board fills up, but some warn that 'the board might need to be larger' when you're stuck with tiles that simply can't be merged.
Video Review
Screenshots
Verdict
“Very fun and addicting gameplay!!!!!! Lots of room for creative and fun builds and it strikes a great balance of letting you feel powerful but still letting challenges come up to test you!!! Great v…”
“Pretty fun little game, will need to try more builds! Could run a little bit lighter in combat tho, pc goes a little bit BRRRRRrr”
“I've never played a game like this. It was definitely more puzzley than I thought at first, but after a few runs I got the hang of it. Really creative and fun”
“Great roguelike / deckbuilder that plays like 2048 but with much more strategy and planning involved. Instead of just merging tiles, you also have different heroes (which unique effects) as well as ar…”
“The core idea is pretty simple, push two tiles together to swing a sword or raise a shield, but it gets properly tense once the board fills up and you're trying not to jam yourself. The artifacts are…”
Grab this if you love spatial puzzles and roguelike loops, but skip it if you hate cramped layouts or unpolished balancing. At seven bucks, it's a low-risk bet for anyone wanting a twist on the genre.
View on Steam →* Price at time of publication (checked 05.09.2026). Prices may vary by region and are subject to change. This is an editorial review, not a commercial offer.