Cardborne

Flush, Lazy Flush, Straight and Pair. A hand pays out HP and XP, then clears those cards off the weapon, so the higher enemies are back in reach. That is how a good weapon stays useful. Plan the hand before you swing.JokersEvery level-up offers 3 jokers. Take one. Take one you already own and it levels up, all the way to level 3. There are 14 of them. Smith adds strength to your weapon on every poker hand. Grinder adds a weapon use. Iron Will shields you when you fight barehanded. Scarecrow makes the weakest enemy flee to another room.Rooms growEach room is dealt from the deck. The first ones hold 4 cards. As you level up they grow, up to 10. Empty the room and the next one is dealt. More cards means more choices, and more ways to get the order wrong.Diamonds and heartsYou hold one weapon at a time, so every diamond is a choice. Equip it and start a fresh chain, or discard it to give the weapon you already hold +1 use. Hearts heal you. At full HP, a heart gives +1 XP instead.Enemy abilitiesSome enemies have abilities. You learn them the hard way.ClassesThe Escapist can escape a room 4 times per run. The Gambler can reroll the joker offer when you level up. Win runs to unlock more.Stages and bossesThree stages: Spades, Clubs and Diamonds, each in three acts. When an act's deck runs out, the boss phases in with its minions. Each stage has its own boss, and it comes back stronger in the next act. Win a stage to open the next one.Early AccessThe full core loop is in. More content comes during Early Access.Cardborne is a solo project from Lakeborn Studio, made by me, Peter.But Aces broke the binding law, high and low, a fatal flaw.Yet fate has drawn a hand anew, a chosen one to cut straight through.