IMHO.

Games like Cardinal Descent

If Cardinal Descent is your kind of game, the closest matches are Fortunato, Retromine and THORNSPELL — picked from the ranked list below. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.

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About Cardinal Descent: Cardinal Descent is a card building roguelike where you craft elemental synergies and find game breaking sticker combos.

2027IndieWindows · macOSby Liam Flannery
Cardinal Descent — Steam game cover

Players who liked Cardinal Descent also play

Steam players who put hours into Cardinal Descent also tend to own these titles — a signal called collaborative filtering. imho.run cross-references millions of library ownership patterns to surface games whose real audiences overlap, regardless of whether their genre tags match.

  1. Fortunato

    WHY THIS

    Top pick for Cardinal Descent fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries.

    Draw a pair of aces, use them as poker hands or to eliminate your opponents? A poker roguelike battle card game. Build a deck of jokers, defeat bosses, modify cards, and conquer challenges across the ever-changing islands. At the table of four, win by chips or remaining health, your call...

    2026StrategyCasualSteam ↗
  2. Retromine

    WHY THIS

    Second-strongest match for Cardinal Descent fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie with Cardinal Descent.

    Retromine is an ultra-satisfying tough-as-nails deckbuilding roguelike. Delve into the caves, mine resources, and escape before the caverns collapse! Spend your ore to buy new cards, upgrade your deck, and discover powerful combos on your way to the bottom of the world. Dig, die, learn, repeat!

    2026StrategyIndieCasualSteam ↗
  3. THORNSPELL

    WHY THIS

    Third-strongest match for Cardinal Descent fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie with Cardinal Descent.

    Embody a magical florist by placing plants strategically in your garden, and watering them to score points. THORNSPELL is a garden-building roguelike where you will create and unleash chains of magical effects, dispelling the corruption spreading through your home.

    StrategyIndieCasualSteam ↗
  4. Random Dragons

    WHY THIS

    Ranked #4 for Cardinal Descent fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie with Cardinal Descent.

    A chance-based roguelike deckbuilder with silly, chaotic dragons. Spin the roulette wheel to multiply your card effects, manipulate the odds, and unleash ridiculous combo turns. Build a synergistic deck, outsmart RNG, and climb your way to the Boss Dragons.

    2026StrategyIndieSteam ↗
  5. RogueJack21

    WHY THIS

    Ranked #5 for Cardinal Descent fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie with Cardinal Descent.

    RogueJack21 is a Blackjack-inspired deckbuilder where you build and upgrade your deck to battle your opponents. Navigate through procedurally generated casinos and take revenge on The House, the ruthless mafia ruling Noir City that stole everything from you.

    2026StrategyIndieCasual7.79 USDDeck PlayableSteam ↗
  6. Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles

    WHY THIS

    Ranked #6 for Cardinal Descent fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie with Cardinal Descent.

    Astrea is a DICE-deck-building roguelike that flips the script on deckbuilders by using dice instead of cards and a unique dual “damage” system: Purification vs Corruption. Build a dice pool strong enough to purify Astrea's out-of-control corruption and save the Star System.

    2023StrategyIndieCasual24.99 USDDeck PlayableSteam ↗
  7. Black Jacket

    WHY THIS

    Ranked #7 for Cardinal Descent fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie with Cardinal Descent.

    Gamble your way out of hell in this blackjack-inspired rogue-lite deckbuilder. Play powerful card combos or cheat to outwit your opponents and earn your freedom. Win their Soul coins! Bribe the ferryman! And uncover the story of those who stand in your way.

    2026StrategyIndieAdventure14.99 USDSteam ↗
  8. Wildfrost

    WHY THIS

    Ranked #8 for Cardinal Descent fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie with Cardinal Descent.

    Take on the elements in Wildfrost, a tactical roguelike deckbuilder! Journey across a frozen tundra, collecting cards strong enough to banish the eternal winter…

    2023StrategyIndie11.99 USDDeck VerifiedSteam ↗

Free alternatives

Free-to-play games that recommended players of this title also tend to enjoy.

  1. Helltaker

    WHY THIS

    Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Cardinal Descent.

    Helltaker is a short game about sharply dressed demon girls.

    2020IndieAdventureFree To PlayFreeDeck PlayableSteam ↗
  2. Ultimate Custom Night

    WHY THIS

    Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Cardinal Descent.

    Welcome to the ultimate FNAF mashup, featuring 50 selectable characters and custom difficulties!

    2018ActionIndieFree To PlayFreeSteam ↗
  3. Bongo Cat

    WHY THIS

    Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Cardinal Descent.

    Bongo cat needs your help. Bongo cat needz more hatz!!! Every time you press a key, Bongo cat will punch your taskbar. Type, click, play, work to collect more points. Which hats will you find?

    2025IndieSimulationMassively MultiplayerFreeDeck PlayableSteam ↗
  4. Sheepy: A Short Adventure

    WHY THIS

    Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Cardinal Descent.

    A Short Handcrafted Pixel Art Platformer that follows Sheepy, an abandoned plushy brought to life. Sheepy: A Short Adventure is the first short game from MrSuicideSheep.

    2024IndieAdventureFree To PlayFreeDeck PlayableSteam ↗
  5. Our Life: Beginnings & Always

    WHY THIS

    Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Cardinal Descent.

    A twenty-dollar bill, four summers, fifteen years, and a one of a kind life. Create an experience that’s all your own in this near-fully customizable visual novel where you grow from childhood to adulthood with the lonely boy next door.

    2020IndieFree To PlayCasualFreeSteam ↗
  6. Awaria

    WHY THIS

    Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Cardinal Descent.

    Awaria is a short game about working in haunted maintenance tunnels.

    2024ActionIndieFree To PlayFreeDeck PlayableSteam ↗
  7. Grimm's Hollow

    WHY THIS

    Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Cardinal Descent.

    A spooky, freeware RPG where you search the afterlife for your brother. Reap ghosts with your scythe, explore haunted caves, and eat ghostly treats on your journey through death.

    2019IndieAdventureRPGFreeDeck PlayableSteam ↗
  8. Steam Engine Simulator

    WHY THIS

    Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it.

    The Steam Engine Simulator shown on AngeTheGreat's YouTube channel.

    2023SimulationFreeDeck VerifiedSteam ↗

Frequently asked about Cardinal Descent

What games are most similar to Cardinal Descent?
Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside Cardinal Descent are Fortunato, Retromine, THORNSPELL.
Who developed Cardinal Descent?
Cardinal Descent was developed by Liam Flannery.

imho.run ranks Steam game alternatives using a mix of collaborative filtering (ALS / iALS / EASE / LightGCN), content scoring over genres, categories, Steam tags, developers, and publishers, plus AI-extracted vibes mined from review text. The page above is generated in seed mode anchored on Cardinal Descent.

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