Ludus Deceptor

Ludus Deceptor is a dark roguelike card game in which each run offers new choices and card combinations. You begin in a prison dungeon, playing against your cellmate, and work your way from a single coin toward the crown. Along the way, you face opponents in filthy cells, among the guards, in lavish castle halls and in the royal audience chamber; each plays by different rules.

Build your hand

You make five-card combinations and strengthen your hand with bonuses, points, multipliers, unique effects and items. Your choices also include whether to take a safer treasure deck with safe bonuses or a cursed deck whose dangerous effects can be powerful. Bonus, cursed and interactive cards can change the course of a run, while stamps and various archives provide further ways to strengthen your hand.

Victory depends on luck as well as reading the situation, building combinations and enhancing cards with items. Items, masks, seals and archives unlock new strategies as you acquire them.

Face each opponent

Opponents have different rules, behaviors and play styles. You can take risks for rare rewards as you progress through the prison, castle and royal court, as well as a secret world of cards.

Stories and setting

The game includes short stories about debts, power, a masquerade and a mysterious golden mask. Its card battles revolve around constant choices between risk and reward.