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Deck of Ashes similar games & best alternatives

Deck of Ashes

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2020

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Quick resume

Deck of Ashes is an adventure game with tactical card combat. One character at a time, lead the cast of antiheroes on a quest for redemption. Explore the cursed fantasy world and hunt down powerful cards. Forge a unique Battle Deck, and crush your foes! Can you rid the world of the Ash Curse?

Global score

72/100

Genres

Adventure, Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, Card & Board Game

Similar games

    Pros

    • Unique deckbuilding mechanics
    • Engaging dark fantasy art and atmosphere
    • Deep strategic gameplay
    • Active and responsive developers
    • High replayability and content

    Cons

    • Early access bugs and balance issues
    • Slow pacing and long runs
    • Some grind and resource management tedium
    • Limited social or multiplayer features
    • Ui and animation responsiveness need improvement

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      4

      "Players have freedom to build and modify their decks, choose paths on the map, and make strategic decisions in combat and events."

      Capsule for Nowhere Prophet Nowhere Prophet

      "Players have freedom to explore the map, choose battles and resources, and build decks with many options and strategies."

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      3

      "Game offers skillful deckbuilding and strategic play with increasing difficulty and challenging bosses."

      Capsule for 月圆之夜 (Night of Full Moon) 月圆之夜 (Night of Full Moon)

      "Game offers strategic deckbuilding and resource management challenges with skillful play rewarded, though some players find it grindy or slow."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      -3

      "Focus is on solo play and personal progression without ranked modes or direct player versus player competition."

      Capsule for Sublevel Zero Redux Sublevel Zero Redux

      "Focus is on solo play and personal progression without ranked or direct player versus player competition."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      4

      "Players report long sessions, high replay value, and motivation to keep playing despite difficulty."

      Capsule for Shortest Trip to Earth Shortest Trip to Earth

      "Many players report long play sessions, high replayability, and motivation to keep playing despite difficulty and grind."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      -5

      "Entirely single-player experience with no cooperative multiplayer or teamwork elements."

      Capsule for Wolfenstein: The New Order Wolfenstein: The New Order

      "Entirely single-player experience with no cooperative multiplayer or teamwork elements."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      4

      "Players create and customize decks with many card combinations and unique class mechanics."

      Capsule for 月圆之夜 (Night of Full Moon) 月圆之夜 (Night of Full Moon)

      "Players create and customize decks with many card combinations and build archetypes; crafting and upgrading add creative depth."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -5

      "No evidence of exerting control over others; interactions are individual and balanced."

      Capsule for Dungeon Clawler Dungeon Clawler

      "No evidence of exerting control over others; interactions are individual and balanced."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      4

      "Dark fantasy setting and immersive gameplay provide strong escape from real life stress and routine."

      Capsule for Witchfire Witchfire

      "Dark fantasy setting and immersive gameplay provide strong escape from real life stresses."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and intrinsic motivation; no obligation or external pressure noted."

      Capsule for The Operator The Operator

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and intrinsic motivation; no obligation or external pressure noted."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      4

      "Players try different deck builds, strategies, and approaches to combat and puzzles; game encourages exploration of mechanics."

      Capsule for Black Book Black Book

      "Players try different deck builds, characters, and strategies; game encourages exploration of mechanics and combos."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      3

      "Procedurally generated dungeons and random room layouts promote discovery, though maps are somewhat linear."

      Capsule for Lost Castle / 失落城堡 Lost Castle / 失落城堡

      "Map exploration with random layouts and dungeons offers discovery, though some find map movement slow or repetitive."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      3

      "Customization of characters through builds and abilities allows personal expression, though cosmetic options not emphasized."

      Capsule for Shape of Dreams: Prologue Shape of Dreams: Prologue

      "Customization through deck building and character traits allows personal expression, though cosmetic options are limited."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      5

      "Strong fantasy theme with dark fairy tales, imaginative characters, and nightmare settings."

      Capsule for The Darkest Tales — Into the Nightmare The Darkest Tales — Into the Nightmare

      "Strong dark fantasy theme with imaginative monsters, story, and setting."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      -5

      "No social or community gameplay elements; strictly single-player."

      Capsule for Curse of the Dead Gods Curse of the Dead Gods

      "No social or community gameplay elements; strictly single-player."

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      4

      "Players develop skills in deck building and strategy; progression through card upgrades and unlocking new cards."

      Capsule for War of Omens Card Game War of Omens Card Game

      "Players develop skills in deckbuilding and strategy; unlock new cards and upgrades over time."

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      -4

      "Primarily sedentary gameplay with no physical activity; some players note long sessions and potential unhealthy habits."

      Capsule for Killing Floor 2 Killing Floor 2

      "Primarily sedentary gameplay with no physical activity; some players note long sessions and potential for unhealthy habits."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -3

      "Requires focused attention and strategic thinking; not suitable for casual or background play."

      Capsule for ECHO ECHO

      "Requires focused attention and strategic thinking; not suitable for casual or background play."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      -5

      "No social or emotional relationship building in gameplay."

      Capsule for BIT.TRIP RUNNER BIT.TRIP RUNNER

      "No social or emotional relationship building in gameplay."

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      -5

      "No leadership or group management roles; solo play only."

      Capsule for Soulstone Survivors Soulstone Survivors

      "No leadership or group management roles; solo play only."

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      4

      "Strong progression through unlocking cards, booster packs, and new decks."

      Capsule for Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist

      "Strong progression through unlocking cards, upgrades, traits, and resources; players build stronger decks over time."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      -2

      "Game involves tension and challenge; some players find it stressful rather than purely relaxing."

      Capsule for EMERGENCY 20 EMERGENCY 20

      "Game has tension and challenge; some players find it stressful or slow rather than relaxing."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      2

      "Visuals and animations are charming and pleasant but sensory stimulation is moderate."

      Capsule for Little Big Workshop Little Big Workshop

      "Visuals and sound are praised but some find animations slow; overall sensory stimulation is moderate."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      -5

      "No social recognition or status systems present."

      Capsule for Crying Suns Crying Suns

      "No social recognition or status systems present."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      3

      "Narrative and lore elements are present and engaging, though some players find story underdeveloped or abrupt."

      Capsule for Wretched Depths Wretched Depths

      "Light but engaging narrative with character backstories and plot; some players find it simple or underdeveloped."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      4

      "Requires strategic deckbuilding, resource management, and tactical combat decisions."

      Capsule for Emberhold Emberhold

      "Requires planning, resource management, and tactical deckbuilding; strategic depth appreciated by players."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      3

      "Players experience suspense and tension from challenging bosses and RNG elements."

      Capsule for Epic Auto Towers Epic Auto Towers

      "Some suspense from resource scarcity and boss fights; tension from RNG elements."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      3

      "Good value for price with many hours of content, no microtransactions, and replayability."

      Capsule for System Crash System Crash

      "Good value for price with many hours of content; some complaints about grind and early access bugs."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      2

      "Combat involves defeating monsters with attacks and spells, but violence is stylized and fantasy-based."

      Capsule for Ancient Enemy Ancient Enemy

      "Combat involves defeating monsters with attacks and damage; violence is stylized and fantasy-based."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      3

      "Players must manage health and resources to avoid failure and progress."

      Capsule for Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons

      "Players must manage health and resources to survive battles and progress; permadeath and setbacks present."

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Relaxation, Survival, Violence, Fellowship. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Expression. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Status, Sensation.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 30/04/2026