Mantis Games has released the second major free content update for its haunted deckbuilding roguelike Deck of Haunts, live now.
Marking the biggest expansion since launch, the update introduces a wave of fresh horrors: summonable creatures, new haunting cards, cursed rooms, and two additional Starter Decks. To celebrate, the game is discounted 25% on Steam from September 15 through 22.
This release follows June’s Nightmares & Scythes Update, which brought Nightmare Mode and the Grim Reaper.
The new content deepens the mansion’s malevolent design, adding 26% more playable material for free. For the first time, players can command creatures like mischievous Imps, who join the haunting through Spawn Cards and bring their own abilities into the deck.
Fresh cards also shift the balance of power. Options like Architect’s Toll and Crushing Architecture scale with room size, while Unstable Foundation can collapse entire setups.
New rooms change how players defend their haunted halls, including the Bathroom, which doubles all drain effects and directly counters strategies tied to the Weapons Room. A new set of human intruders further challenges players with unique traits and unpredictable behavior.
Two Starter Decks expand playstyles: the Creature Deck focuses on summoning allies to terrorize guests, while the Creative Deck offers experimental tactics for those seeking variety. Together, these additions reshape the strategies available in each run.
Alongside the Steam update, Deck of Haunts is extending its reach to Xbox. A demo is now available through the ID@Xbox Indie Selects Demo Fest, letting console players test the game’s sinister mechanics.
Mantis Games hinted that more is coming later this year, with a possible Halloween surprise that may include a scenario builder. Until then, the mansion has never been darker, or more dangerous. Details and new trailer below.
More details about the game
Step into the role of a sinister Haunted House, where the walls whisper secrets and terror lurks around every corner. As the master of this cursed domain, your goal is to ensnare daring humans, play on their fears, and drain their very essence to expand your dark influence.
By day, meticulously design the labyrinthine layout of your mansion, transforming it into a death trap that no human can escape. As night falls, lure unwitting explorers into your home, where you’ll use a deck of terrifying cards to summon spirits, shift hallways, and unleash spine-chilling horrors. Build tension and drive your guests toward madness, all while protecting your Heart room—the core of your malevolent power.
Once their sanity crumbles, harvest their essence to strengthen your mansion, increasing your infamy and attracting even more daring foes, from law enforcement to priests. But beware, the Stone Masons are coming, ready to challenge your reign of terror.
Unlock and collect new cards as you progress. Expand your deck to include tools of terror like bone-chilling screams, phantoms, creaking floors, and shifting walls. Use your cards to scare – or kill – your victims, then extract their essence.
Strategically design your haunted house by placing rooms that serve to protect your Heart room, where your power is concentrated. Construct a maze filled with traps, scares, and unique twists, all tailored to frighten and confuse your visitors. Utilize special rooms with unique powers to aid in your hauntings.
As humans navigate your mansion, increase the tension by playing haunt cards directly on them and within different rooms. Slowly drive them to insanity. Once their fear reaches critical levels, use the right haunts to push them to the brink of madness. Will you let them escape?
Once you’ve driven the explorers mad with fear, extract their essence to grow your mansion. Use it to unlock new rooms, expand your haunting powers, and attract more dangerous—and rewarding—targets. Grow your haunted domain into a nightmare that consumes all who enter.
