Deck of Ashes looks like a Darkest Dungeon card game

If we're going to toss games together, Darkest Dungeon and Slay the Spire sounds like a combination I can get behind. Deck of Ashes bears a pretty strong resemblance to the former, but with Slay the Spire's card-based combat. Check out the trailer above.  

The broad strokes might be familiar, but instead of digging around underneath a mansion, the gloomy adventurers will explore a random open world represented by a hand-drawn adventurer's map. New cards—more than 100 per character—can be discovered and then added to a battle deck full of weapons and spells that can be used in the turn-based battles. 

Expect a struggle, as you won't just be able to heal up whenever, and if your characters die, they stay dead. Poor adventurers, so disposable. 

Deck of Ashes launches on Steam Early Access on April 11 with more than 50 types of monster, one playable character, more than 100 cards and four story chapters. It's expected to leave Early Access during the second half of 2019.

Fraser Brown
Online Editor

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.