Malys

Malys is a roguelite deckbuilder in which Noah, a former priest turned exorcist and demon hunter, hunts Malys, a powerful and cunning demon hiding in a city teeming with demons. You choose paths through the city, meet its inhabitants, help the hopeless and exorcise people possessed by demons. Some encounters offer allies, but few are available to help Noah. The game’s hand-illustrated world includes adaptive stories that shift as you progress.

Exorcisms

During an exorcism, you face a possessed host and try to wrest control from the demon within. Demons hide in their hosts, so you first Expose them to reveal their True Name and gain an advantage. Then you must Endure the demon’s wrath, destroying its Will while protecting Noah’s. Once the demon is weakened, you can Expel it. A desperate demon may draw on its host’s life force to power its abilities, so protecting the host is essential.

Your cards represent actions such as prayer and chanting to invoke holy and ancient powers, or using equipment like holy water and purified salt. To play cards, you first burn cards from your hand to light candles; those candles persist between turns. Each hand requires you to choose which cards to sacrifice and which to play, and whether to use your remaining candles now or save them for the next turn.

Faith and Will

Noah’s Will measures his ability to endure evil. Completing an exorcism does not restore it, so you must weigh the sacrifices you make and the paths you take. If Noah runs out of Will, the night ends.

Success in an exorcism earns Faith, which you can spend along your path to add, upgrade or remove cards, heal Noah’s Will, or buy Curios. Curios are passive effects that last for a run, providing power and different ways to play.

A hunt that repeats

Death starts the night over from the beginning. Only Noah and a select few remember the horrors, and Noah must begin his hunt again. You can refine your strategy and try new card combinations as you face a menagerie of demons, each bringing different challenges and encounters.

Cards and sound

The game features a variety of playable cards, each with custom art, abilities and interactions. Its soundscape responds to your choices, shifting as you play.