Maybe this is just my "first love" bias since it's my first real encounter with a roguelike/lite deckbuilder, but holy moly, these developers simply do not miss. I loved Balrum as an RPG, and they’ve successfully brought that same marriage of different genres/tags to this title as well.

The build possibilities are vast. I found myself constantly discovering new combos and strategies to abuse. My favourite builds revolved around card generation mechanic = dopamine generation in the best (and worst) possible way, my brain was frying with full hand constantly.
I genuinely didn't want my runs to end because I didn't want to see my carefully crafted, high-synergy loadouts go to waste.

Meta-progression here is in an ARPG-style character building. You choose from a roster of 6 unique heroes to form your 3-man party, leveling them up individually between runs and equip with items. Both level and loadout provide permanent passive bonuses and linger across runs.

The game is super immersive, like a retro dark fantasy RPG. Outside of the creative intro, the overall graphic aspect perfectly conveys an oppressive, dark atmosphere. I have a massive soft spot for this art style!! it triggers a certain nostalgia for The Witcher: Monster Slayer (that games SUCKED but I loved it). The monster designs are top-tier, even if they are just classic (some might call it basic) imagery for fantasy mobs.

If I had a gripe or two, it’s that the runs are a bit long and there is no easy to access glossary of key words or mechanics, some you just gotta learn by yourself. However, the game diverges from the typical roguelike tendency by actually allowing you to save mid-run! This is a huge win for respect for the player's time.

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Some might call it an imitation of Slay the Spire, but like so what, it's "nice I have two cakes" type of situation. It’s affordable, the developers are fantastic, and the game is a blast. Four hours in and I'm completely hooked.