PhiloDeka

PhiloDeka is a card game about combining numbers into multiples of ten, called Dekas. In each run, you have three hands per level to form one or more Dekas and score enough points to beat the goal. The goal rises with each level, and level 20 is the final test; falling short at any level ends the run.

Form and rewrite Dekas

Select cards to make Dekas, then submit them for points. When the numbers do not fit, use Shapings to change card values: you can tweak, double, negate, split, merge or randomize them. Shaping uses are limited per level, so you choose when to spend them and which cards to change.

After each level, spend earned Acorns on upgrades or browse the shop for Charmstones, passive items with different triggers. Their effects can depend on pairs, straights, big cards, unused cards, negative cards or play order, among other conditions. Build combinations that work together for the next level.

Six Runes

Each Rune offers a different way to approach a run:

• Tree: earn more income; a beginner-friendly starting point.
• Wind: make quick decisions under time pressure.
• Flower: pursue precise patterns, including duplicates and singles.
• Snow: collect negative cards as a long-term investment that grows stronger over time.
• Moon: lose points on the first hand and gain a large amount on the third.
• Chi: aim to make more Dekas while balancing resource build-up against release.

Charmstones

There are 148 Charmstones, each with its own trigger. Some respond to a pair in a Deka, a big card in play or having more selected cards than unused ones. Combining their effects lets you build a scoring engine. Charmstones can be upgraded, and some have two forms at their maximum tier; they can also have dependencies, conflicts and synergies that shape what you choose in the shop.

Modes and challenges

Relaxed Mode has no Challenge Levels, leaving you free to refine your build. Challenge Mode includes Challenge Levels at certain points, with 18 temporary rule rewrites to test your approach. Both modes offer five difficulty tiers, from Realm I to Realm V, with goals and difficulty increasing from tier to tier.

Unlocks and content

Clearing runs earns Pine Cones, which unlock Runes, Shapings and upgraded Charmstones. The Tree Rune and four Shapings are available at first; the other Runes, Shapings and some Charmstone forms unlock gradually through completion rewards. The game includes six Runes, eight Shapings, 148 Charmstones and 20 levels of three hands each. Its visuals are understated and its music is soothing.