As We Descend is a deft mix of XCOM and Slay the Spire, and you can try it now

If there’s one thing I love, it’s game that mix deckbuilders, roguelikes, and strategy. Between Slay the Spire, Dead Cells, and XCOM there are a handful of games that bring me immense delight any time I get to write about them. Thankfully, Valheim and Deep Rock Galactic publisher Coffee Stain just showed off more of As We Descend, an eclectic mix of all these stalwart genres. That’s not all, though, as you can try this incredible-looking mashup right now thanks to a new Steam demo.

Taking on the role of the mysterious ‘Warden of the Wall,’ your job is to defend a descending city, which also happens to be our last hope. Resources are limited, grizzly monsters want to decimate you at every turn, and there’s a fair bit of politicking to be done. If going against the alien-infested odds in XCOM 2 is your ideal videogame experience, As We Descend is definitely for you.

As We Descend is a game of two halves: combat and communication. In the former, you’re constantly engaged in strategy game fights with a plethora of Lovecraftian horrors. Here you need to move units between the guard and support zones, helping you dodge enemies and set up a defensive line.

Randomized runs and ability cards will certainly keep you on your toes, too, as you need to combine your cards, positioning, and unit abilities to get the most out of combat. This part feels very Slay the Spire by way of Marvel’s Midnight Suns, as it’s on a 3D plane with multiple units to think about at once.

Between battles, you need to recruit units and engage with the denizens of the descending city. It’s not as simple as handing out flyers, though, as there are multiple factions vying for control and conflicts raging within the walls themselves – not only are you a general, but you’ll also need to schmooze your way through.

Box Dragon has made the As We Descend demo available now, with the full game’s release date still unannounced. You can wishlist the game and find the demo on Steam here.

If you want to play even more after the demo, there are also plenty of the best roguelike games and card games you can check out on PC.

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