Since the release of Slay the Spire in 2019, the genre of Roguelike Deck-builder began to grow. The concept of dynamically building a deck during your multiple attempts to beat the game is simple enough that is accessible for a lot of players, and still manages to bring depth and challenge for the most hardcore gamers. Finding the best one to start with the genre can be a difficult task, luckily for gamers that have an Xbox Game Pass, there are great options available without spending additional money.

Monster Train

If riding a train that goes straight to hell, while defending yourself from the forces of heaven sounds fun, this game is for you. In Monster Train you’ll use tactical decisions to defend your train in vertical battlegrounds, in which you need to protect the pyre that is located on the top floor. While you are building your deck during your attempt, you need to consider aspects like the floor you intend to use that card, and the size of the creature you are going to summon, making this game very unique and challenging.

Tainted Grail: Conquest

Tainted Grail: Conquest is a blend of Deck-Builder Roguelike with RPG, where you not only have to build your deck, but also craft and equip your gear, choose your passives, level up, and more. There are multiple classes available, like the  Summoner, that summons minions to survive, or the Sentinel, which uses a Phantom to fire as many arrows as he can.  The game is based on the board game Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, and tells a story about a dark version of the King Arthur legend, bringing the game a unique story in an immersive universe.

 Nowhere Prophet

Set on a far off planet called Soma, Nowhere Prophet is a journey about the struggle of a broken down civilization. In this world inspired by the Indian culture, you travel through the wastelands in your way to the Crypt, a mystical place that promises untainted technology and safety. The game has two main aspects gameplaywise, the travel system and the combat. During the travel you are challenged with a resource management system, encountering strange places and people. The combat is based on building a deck around your convoy, managing and ordering your convoy.

Neoverse

Unlike most roguelike deck-builders, Neoverse excels in the 3D environment and sci-fi world. The game is set in a time warping multiverse world, where you travel around in thrilling adventures. The deckbuilding aspect of the game isn’t that innovative and different compared to the other options, but still is a great option to put your time into, especially if you are into the Sci-fi world that the game has to offer.