Stack Order takes its name quite literally. In this hand-drawn roguelite deckbuilder from Panflip Studio, cards interact with the ones placed beside and above them, triggering combos and altering abilities. Its turn-based battles pit you against individual bosses, and a free Steam demo is available to try ahead of the full game’s planned 2027 release.
The stacking system lets you connect effects across separate piles. A card with the Relay keyword, for example, triggers the top card of the stack immediately to its right.
Choosing what goes on top of that neighboring pile therefore changes the sequence you can produce. A damage preview also shows how a stack’s damage is calculated before you commit to the turn, helping you check your combinations.
Bosses reveal their upcoming actions, giving you time to prepare a response. Each has its own attack patterns to learn, with opportunities to push for damage before the enemy acts or take a more defensive approach and counterattack. The interesting part is figuring out how to arrange your available cards to handle that particular turn while accounting for their interactions.
Progression introduces new cards, modifiers, and items to experiment with. The full game is planned to feature more than 100 cards, obtained through battles and trading, alongside multiple playable characters with their own cards and archetypes.
Across repeated runs, you unlock additional options and refine your deck as you become more familiar with the encounters.
The chapter-based story follows several protagonists investigating a mysterious corruption, with the adventure taking place in the lands of Pondore. Its hand-drawn characters and animation give the setting a comic-book presentation. There is a fitting detail in the project’s origins, too: developers Axel Nowak and Enzo Seurre met at art school, and Stack Order began as a tabletop game before becoming a digital project.
The current demo returned on September 8, adding two new bosses and Minara, an unlockable character with her own set of cards. It also expands the story and revises NPC interactions, while a September 17 patch improved visual clarity and card wording. Stack Order is scheduled for PC via Steam in 2027, with an exact release date still to be announced. Below is the trailer and more about the game.
About The Game
Stack Order is a narrative roguelite deckbuilder set in a world defined by tense, one-on-one duels against bosses with unique attack patterns, where each battle is a battle of wits.
Learn from your enemies and devise a counter-strategy to survive and win.
Victory is not only determined by your cards, but the order in which you play them: cards placed next to (and above) each other will interact, trigger synergies, and modify abilities.
Overwhelm your opponents before they can attack with risky offensive combinations, or take your time and opt for a defensive counterattack. Unlock new cards, modifiers, and items, and find the right combination to create devastating turns!
Discover a unique psychedelic world, entirely handcrafted and animated, where a mysterious corruption has taken root.
Playing several characters in different chapters, make your way to the source of the corruption and discover the truth before it’s too late.
FEATURES
- A unique stacking mechanic for a strategic approach and satisfying combos!
- Anticipate attacks: enemies announce their intentions, turning each turn into a mini logic puzzle.
- Roguelite progression: refine your deck, boss knowledge, and strategy with each playthrough, unlocking new ways to play.
- A deep story of corruption and manipulation to uncover as you progress through the world and encounter new characters.
- Multiple playable characters: each with their own story, cards, and archetypes.
- Over 100 different cards from trade or battle, changing your playstyle as you go.
- Hand-crafted bosses and NPCs revealing lore and keeping you on your toes with each playthrough.
