StarVaders, developed by Pengonauts, brings the fun challenge of a turn-based strategy game to card decks. The game lets players pilot powerful mechs across a comic-style battlefield to defend Earth from an alien onslaught, one well-planned card at a time. With a dynamic mix of strategic planning, card synergy, and pilot customization, StarVaders invites fans of Slay the Spire, Into the Breach, and other roguelike hits into its fresh and accessible universe. This StarVaders review will take a deep dive into the game’s numerous gameplay beats, such as its roguelike deckbuilding and the narrative behind its colorful mechs and pilots.
StarVaders is available on Steam for $14.99.
1. Story: Defenders of the Earth
Earth is under siege by mysterious alien forces. You step into the role of a heroic pilot, tasked with pushing back the invasion through sheer wit, mech firepower, and carefully constructed decks. But as the campaign unfolds across three acts, you begin to question: Was this invasion truly unprovoked, or part of a deeper cosmic fate?
The story is light but effective, giving players just enough narrative intrigue to fuel their run after run. As I progress through each run in StarVaders for this review, I never once feel fatigued by the story, as, for what it’s worth, although slightly lacking, it doesn’t distract you from that shortcoming since they brilliantly “cover it up” with the amazing gameplay, which I will explain further below.
A story cutscene in StarVaders.
2. Gameplay: Deckbuilding Meets Tactical Grid Combat
StarVaders emphasizes fighting enemies in a turn-based setting with cards within three acts of a single run. After stumbling around for approximately an hour of playtime, you must start planning your deck carefully while fighting diverse enemy types, or you’ll get overwhelmed and have to start all over again. The roguelike element encourages the player to try different kinds of cards and strategies when engaging invaders. The factors that encourage a return to your cockpit and the ability to control different mechs with other pilots include adapting to the environment after multiple attempts and finishing a run.
2.1 Deckbuilding and Tactical Grid Combat
At its core, StarVaders delivers a hybrid experience that blends
- Turn-based strategy,
- Grid-based positioning with 5×9 battlefields,
- And roguelike deckbuilding mechanics.
Three acts comprise each run, featuring escalating enemy difficulty, random encounters, and boss battles. Your goal is to eliminate alien forces before they reach the end of the battlefield—because once they do, they inflict doom, and if they accumulate enough doom, they will end your run.
Combat in StarVaders.
You start each turn with a hand of five cards, drawing from your personalized deck. You divide these cards into three core types:
- Move cards: Shift your mech or reposition enemies.
- Tactical cards: Set up boosts, shields, or utility plays.
- Attack cards: Deliver the pain.
You’ll need to balance your energy usage, enemy positions, and terrain to win efficiently. Mistakes are costly, but you can use a limited resource called Chrono Tokens to rewind time and try a different approach.
Gunner, Stinger, and Keeper are the three Mech choices in StarVaders.
2.2 Customize Your Playstyle With Different Mechs and Pilots
StarVaders features 10 unlockable pilots, each with a unique starting artifact and card set that shapes your playstyle. Even with the same mech, swapping pilots entirely changes your approach.
Mech types include:
- Gunner: Long-range precision.
- Stinger: Close-quarters melee strikes.
- Seeker: Magic-based combat for AOE and special effects.
You begin your journey with Roxy and the Gunner but must unlock others by meeting specific requirements in-game. Experimenting with different pilot-mech combos adds layers of replayability, which is perfect in a roguelike game such as StarVaders.
Roxy and Gunner.
2.3 Artifacts and Upgrades
Beyond cards, you’ll collect powerful artifacts, which you can obtain in encounters or purchase through Min’s Workshop. Artifacts passively support your strategies by:
- Regenerating Chrono Tokens,
- Reducing Doom Count,
- Adding extra energy per turn,
- And counteracting debuffs like Overheat.
Smart artifact synergy with your deck is essential for surviving later acts and bosses.
StarVaders also features a victory screen.
3. Graphics and Audio: Simplistic yet Meaningful
To conclude this review, I will mention StarVaders’ graphics and audio designs, which, although seemingly simplistic at first glance, feel nuanced and provide a unique touch that doesn’t feel out of place with its gameplay. StarVaders embraces a clean, retro-comic aesthetic, with vibrant sprite animations and stylized effects that escalate with each act.
I enjoy and love the simple designs of small enemies, but the boss designs are also getting more menacing and gigantic throughout the story progression, which is a pleasing contrast to the smaller regular enemies you can find within the game. The developers managed to create an intense atmosphere while fighting against the bosses in a comic-style presentation.
The same goes for the audio; it amplifies the battle element. The sound effects, such as the exploding bombs, gunning down the aliens, and slashing enemies, give us the feedback and ambience needed to enjoy the game. The soundtrack also amps up the pace of the game, especially when battling difficult bosses. Finally, you will experience stunning visuals accompanied by punchy audio as you embark on your journey to defend the Earth.
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- The Gunner’s Codex entry.
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- Encounters selection screen.
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- Three reward choices after a battle in StarVaders.
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- Victory after a hard-fought battle.
This StarVaders review is possible thanks to JF Games Marketing and Communications for providing KeenGamer with a game key.
