We first reported on Heroes of Magic and Cards, a new deckbuilder roguelite from developer First Day Entertainment, in September 2025. The game is due out on Steam on March 19th, 2026, and we’ve been putting it through its paces, playing the first few hours. Heroes of Magic and Cards is a straightforward roguelike game that uses a mix of grinding, deckbuilding, and character progression that sees you become more powerful the more you play.
The game starts with the choice of two different character classes, with more being unlocked as you level up. The other aspect of leveling up means there are more deck choices to use and more scope for longevity in the game. We found that the start of the game is mostly just clicking through things to get a grasp on the different buffs and debuffs of each card and building enough stats up on our character. It feels a little overwhelming at first, but things click into place once you die a few times.
Each run in Heroes of Magic and Cards starts with choosing a relic, a powerful item that gives a bonus to health, attack, defence, or other advantages. Throughout each run, you will have the chance to pick up more relics, and we found that aiming to get as many as possible gave you a better chance of getting further. The relics are obtained through events and other mechanisms in the game and can have a big impact. The more you play, the more you start to define your own style, and this can influence the type of relics and items you aim for throughout a run.
Also, throughout each run, you’ll have the chance to change cards by adding buffs to them. Although these don’t have the kind of impact holding a relic does, they can become critical in the later stages of a run when the margins are tight, and the skin of your teeth wins battles. In fact, building up the character, cards, and other items is just as much part of the fun as the actual battles against enemies. What suits one character may not be the best for another, so it’s important to think about the impact on your character’s abilities rather than just choosing random upgrades.
The battles in Heroes of Magic and Cards follow a typical turn-based deckbuilder title, with each round dealing a random number of cards. The cards are then selected to match the character skills, for instance, two clubs or a red card, to activate a move or spell. The aim is to try to use all the cards each turn, but you need to be aware that using some cards will have a detrimental effect, such as exploding on the player or causing poison. We found that the combat rounds were satisfying after you have ground through a few times and start to understand the nuances of each decision.
Overall, Heroes of Magic and Cards is a well-made deckbuilder, featuring some great pixel art and fast-paced mechanics. The game isn’t bloated with unnecessary screens, and you find yourself just wanting one more go following each failed run. The mechanics are also interesting, and the nuances around building the decks make Heroes of Mafic and Cards a deceptively deep experience that certainly has a lot of longevity for those wanting to see everything it has to offer. Heroes of Magic and Cards is thoroughly recommended to fans of roguelite and deckbuilder titles.
