# Slay the Spire-Style Combat Deckbuilder - Strategy Template | Summer Engine ## About this template Each run starts with a basic deck of strikes and defends, three energy per turn, and a branching map stretching three acts to the final boss. Play cards to deal damage or gain block. Enemies telegraph their next move, turning every turn into a tactical puzzle. Win a fight, pick one of three new cards. Find a relic that changes how your entire deck works: suddenly that useless skill card becomes the centerpiece of a broken combo. The energy system forces hard choices: you can see the perfect play but you only have three energy to spend. That tension is the game. Summer Engine helps you build this system through conversation. Describe your character classes, your card pools, your relic effects. The AI sets up the combat loop, the map generator, and the reward pipeline while you focus on what makes your game different: the cards only your game has, the relics that create strategies nobody expects, the enemies that punish lazy play. Slay the Spire defined the modern deckbuilder by proving that a tight combat loop, meaningful deck-thinning decisions, and relic synergies create near-infinite replayability. Every run feels different because every combination of cards and relics opens new strategies. That depth is what you are building toward. ## Who it's for * Solo devs who want the Slay the Spire combat loop without building the card engine from scratch. * Designers with a unique character class concept and a notebook full of card ideas ready to playtest. * Anyone inspired by Slay the Spire, Monster Train, or Griftlands who wants to build their own take on turn-based card combat. * Small teams building a vertical slice for Steam Early Access or a publisher pitch. ## Highlights * ### Character Class Prototyping Get a working combat system fast so you can iterate on what matters: unique card pools, class mechanics, and the synergies that make each character feel distinct. * ### Three-Act Vertical Slice Build a complete run from floor one to the Act 3 boss. Branching maps, elite encounters, shops, rest sites, and enough relics to make each playthrough feel different. * ### Early Access Foundation Create a solid base with one character, 70+ cards, 20+ relics, and three acts. Ship it, get feedback, add characters and content based on what players want. ## Highlights ### Energy-based combat Players spend limited energy each turn to play cards. Draw five, spend three energy, make hard choices about what to play and what to save. ### Card drafting After every battle, pick one of three cards to add to the deck. Deck-building happens through hundreds of small decisions across a run. ### Relic synergies Collect passive relics that modify the entire run. The right relic turns a mediocre deck into an unstoppable engine. Chase the combo. ### Branching map Choose your path through a procedural map. Fight elites for better rewards, visit shops to buy and remove cards, or rest to heal and upgrade. ## Features * ### Turn-based card combat with energy Each turn, draw cards from the draw pile and spend energy to play them. Cards deal damage, apply block, inflict debuffs, or trigger special effects. Unplayed cards go to the discard pile. When the draw pile empties, the discard pile shuffles back in. * ### Multiple character classes Each character starts with a different base deck, a unique energy mechanic or class resource, and access to a distinct card pool. Players unlock new characters by completing runs. * ### Relic collection system Relics provide passive effects for the entire run. Some are straightforward stat boosts. Others fundamentally change strategy: a relic that gives energy but reduces draw, or one that heals when you play a status card. * ### Procedural three-act map Each act generates a branching node map. Paths lead through normal fights, elite encounters with relic rewards, random events with risk-reward choices, shops, rest sites for healing or card upgrades, and an act boss at the end. ## Genre fit * Strategy * Roguelike * Deckbuilder * Card Game * Turn-Based * RPG * Desktop * Web * Mobile * Tablet ## Related Templates [View All](https://www.summerengine.com/templates) [Roguelike Deckbuilder Create a card combat game with procedural maps, deck construction through rewards, and meta-progression between runs. Describe your vision and Summer Engine builds the foundation with you. Strategy](https://www.summerengine.com/templates/strategy/deckbuilder/roguelike-deckbuilder) [Balatro-Style Poker Deckbuilder Create a poker-hand scoring roguelike where joker cards warp the rules, every hand is a gamble, and beating escalating blinds is the only way forward. Describe your twist and Summer Engine builds it with you. Strategy](https://www.summerengine.com/templates/strategy/deckbuilder/balatro-style) [Tactical RPG Build a tactical RPG where players command a squad across grid-based maps, exploit terrain and flanking, and grow characters between battles. Describe your vision and Summer Engine builds it alongside you. RPG](https://www.summerengine.com/templates/rpg/tactical-rpg/tactical-rpg) Source: https://www.summerengine.com/templates/strategy/deckbuilder/slay-the-spire-style --- ## Machine-readable resources - Site index for agents: https://www.summerengine.com/llms.txt - Full inlined content: https://www.summerengine.com/llms-full.txt - Porting catalog: https://www.summerengine.com/llms-porting.txt - Structured catalog: https://www.summerengine.com/agent-catalog.json - Sitemap: https://www.summerengine.com/sitemap.xml - Developer resources: https://www.summerengine.com/docs