Golden Swirl

Golden Swirl is a deckbuilding roguelike in which combat takes place in semi-real-time rather than in fixed turns. Players build a deck, equip relics and plan a route through procedurally generated dungeons, but during fights they must also move around the arena, avoid incoming attacks and choose the moment to play each card. Playing a card is tied to repositioning, so the composition of a deck affects how the player moves and attacks during an encounter.

The full release includes four playable characters, each with their own starting relics and card pools. Builds are assembled from over 120 cards, more than 100 relics and a range of card runes, with the developer stating that certain combinations chain together to amplify their effects. A system called the Golden Will tracks the player’s choices during a run; these events shape the path forward and alter both the character’s state and the contents of the deck over time.

Each expedition generates a new arrangement of maps, enemies, NPCs and treasure. Over 20 NPCs, including merchants and swordsmen, can be encountered, and interacting with them affects combat rewards and resource progression. The setting follows a world in which an entity known as the Great Dreamer corrupted the realm and the Black Moon became a vast swirl; the player takes the role of the Nameless One, a figure created by the survivors to enter the Golden Swirl and uncover the cause of the cataclysm. Runs begin from different starting areas with varying boons.