As We Descend (v0.17.0.1)

Humanity’s last refuge is a layered city built above a lethal abyss, and every expedition downward risks the future of everyone left behind. As We Descend combines roguelike deckbuilding with squad-based tactical combat, framing its runs around scavenged machinery, political pressure, and an increasingly hostile subterranean world. The mood is bleak but not hopeless: every loss exposes another piece of the City-Vault’s secrets and leaves your faction better prepared for the next attempt. Rather than simply chasing powerful cards, you are trying to build a force capable of surviving both the ruins below and the feudal rivalries above.

Combat revolves around recruiting distinct squad archetypes and shaping their individual card pools through additions, removals, and upgrades. Positioning matters as much as a strong hand, since units move between Guard and Support zones to intercept threats, avoid incoming attacks, and enable defensive or offensive combinations. Reading enemy intentions is crucial, giving battles a deliberate, puzzle-like rhythm where a bad deployment can unravel an otherwise promising run. Expeditions cross three biomes full of resources, dangerous opponents, and unknown encounters, while the City-Vault hub demands that you spend limited time and assets wisely before committing to another descent.

Its two connected layers of deckbuilding give the game a more tactical identity than a standard card battler: you improve cards, but also decide which squads deserve a place in the operation at all. Between runs, diplomacy and faction maneuvering add a strategic-management angle, as alliances can provide support while political missteps create new problems. The descent structure, persistent discoveries, and shifting squad combinations make replaying failures feel productive rather than punishing. Players who enjoy Slay the Spire’s adaptable builds but want positioning closer to Into the Breach should find plenty to chew on, while newcomers should expect a demanding learning curve built around careful planning instead of quick reactions.