While games like Slay the Spire have become benchmarks for deckbuilding roguelikes, The Devil’s Due offers a fresh take with a unique Southern Gothic style. The game’s premise is straightforward: you’ve lost your soul in a poker game to the Devil and must now bluff your way back to freedom. By building on the familiar visual style and structure of Slay the Spire but replacing battles with intense, one-on-one poker matches, The Devil’s Due creates a captivating experience that truly stands apart.
It’s clear what inspired The Devil’s Due – you can see elements of games like Slay the Spire and Balatro – but it still feels fresh and original. The game successfully blends these influences with its own unique style and themes, creating a truly special experience. Plus, you can try it out now! A free demo of The Devil’s Due (scheduled for full release in Q3 2026) is already available on Steam.
What Is The Devil’s Due?
Get ready to battle a wide range of terrifying monsters in incredibly tough poker games—and don’t worry, you’re allowed to bend the rules to win.
In The Devil’s Due, you play poker against demons, where the strength of your hand determines your attack power and card values act as your defense. The game revolves around cleverly cheating – you can hide or switch cards, increase their value, mess with opponents, and even change the order you face them. However, cheat too much and the demons will notice and become enraged. It’s a challenging roguelike experience – when you die, you start completely over, with no lasting improvements or advantages to carry between attempts.
The Devil’s Due’s Best Features at a Glance
- One-on-one poker battles vs. unique monsters with abilities
- Cheating mechanics, with a suspicion/risk system
- Card-based map with manipulable encounter order
- Golf-like “par” system rewarding efficiency (fewest hands to win)
- Fused card system for big build moments
- Themed Hell stages with swinging art design
A Thematically Cohesive Spin on Slay the Spire
At first glance, The Devil’s Due will remind you of Slay the Spire – it shares a similar style, speed, and hand-drawn look. However, it quickly sets itself apart with a focused artistic vision. The game has a sincere, folk-inspired feel – think the story of the Devil and Johnny – combined with unique art and delightfully creepy demons, making it visually stand out from other games in the genre.
From the moment you start playing, the game’s strong central theme is immediately apparent. The opening cutscene, featuring original music, makes a wonderful first impression that only gets better. While the demo still needs some technical improvements, the enemy designs, sound effects, and overall atmosphere are exceptional. Players will likely be surprised – and impressed – by the encounters and enemy designs in The Devil’s Due, which is a refreshing change in a genre often focused more on gameplay mechanics than visual style.
Roguelike Systems That Reward Patience
Similar to Slay the Spire, The Devil’s Due is a deliberately paced game, but this works to its advantage, enhancing its atmospheric, Southern-inspired setting. Each poker hand feels significant and creates real tension – more like Slay the Spire than the fast-paced rewards of Balatro. With high stakes and the risk of getting caught, the slower pace adds to the experience. Successfully cheating – whether it’s blocking all damage or turning a spade into a diamond for a winning hand – feels satisfying, even in a game set in Hell.
A slower pace is noticeable throughout much of The Devil’s Due, and it actually works to the game’s benefit. The limited number of items and simplified character building are a welcome change from more lenient roguelites. While items are powerful, they aren’t all created equal, which adds to the variety of each playthrough. This is especially true when combined with the par/gold system, which encourages skillful, fast-paced runs and offers another way to show off your abilities.
The Devil’s Due’s Run Progression Changes the Game
Loadout Logic
Tap on a weapon to rotate it or press R while dragging.
Results
Even before you start a run, The Devil’s Due’s map system adds a surprisingly smart strategic element, though it can be a little confusing at first. You earn “freecells” that let you rearrange the order of battles, skip some encounters altogether, or even remove boss fights from the map. The game embraces cheating, and this system cleverly reflects that theme in multiple ways.
The Devil’s Due Demo Can Be Rough
Despite a few minor issues – like not being able to skip cutscenes, some blurry textures, and the intro replaying each time – the Devil’s Due demo shows a lot of promise. It only features two of the game’s planned seven layers of Hell, but the ambition is clear, and the developers at Games People Play are consistently updating the game. The sin-themed stages and map system suggest the full game will be much more detailed, making this a title to keep an eye on before its 2026 release.
The Devil’s Due Already Earns Its Place
With so many excellent indie card roguelikes available, The Devil’s Due needs to stand out. While games combining cards and combat aren’t new, this one offers a unique experience thanks to its suspicion system, ability to change the game map, and strong overall atmosphere. If you’re interested in trying it before its full release in the third quarter of 2026, a free demo is currently available on Steam.
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2026-03-26 16:38