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Rocket Rat Games · 2023 · Windows, macOS

Steam: 95 % positive of 4,107 reviews, as of Oct 28

A sci-fi roguelike deckbuilder with a deep new single-axis spin on tactics games! Dodge missiles, line up your cannons, and blast 'em out of the sky... Then get to the bottom of these time loops, before it's too late!

24 games that play like Cobalt Core and 24 that look like it. Closest by gameplay: StarVaders, Slay the Spire and Balatro.

Player tags

  • Roguelike Deckbuilder
  • Card Game
  • Strategy
  • Rogue-like
  • Turn-Based Strategy
  • Sci-fi
  • Pixel Graphics
  • Turn-Based Tactics
Map region: Deckbuilders & Card Games
Open on Steam ↗

Steam reviews

What players say

Players overwhelmingly love Cobalt Core's tight deckbuilding, charming characters and music, though many find it short on content and not very challenging.

Many players praise the core loop: a deckbuilder where cards are tied to physical ship actions, positioning and dodging add a tactical layer, and mixing three crew members with a ship changes the starting deck and playstyle. The writing, the cute pixel art and the soundtrack are repeatedly singled out, with the banter between characters and the story's ending drawing particular praise. Criticism centres on thin content: players report seeing the same events, enemies, bosses and cards again and again, and some finish it in a few dozen hours and feel it lacks depth. Several find it too easy, especially on the lower difficulties, and a few raise balance issues such as weak shields. Recent reviews are more mixed on challenge and variety, and some note the game feels more like a finite story experience than an endless one.

Praised

  • Satisfying deckbuilding combat

    Cards map to physical ship actions, and positioning and dodging add tactical depth to a familiar deckbuilding formula.

    Many players
  • Charming characters and writing

    Players find the crew endearing and the banter and dialogue funny, with a story that unfolds gradually and ends emotionally.

    Many players
  • Outstanding soundtrack

    The music is repeatedly called a standout, with adaptive tracks that shift between exploration and combat.

    Many players
  • Crew mix-and-match builds

    Choosing three crew members and a ship alters the starting deck, giving many distinct builds and replay variety.

    Some players

Criticised

  • Thin content and repetition

    Players say events, enemies, bosses and cards repeat across runs, and the total amount of content feels small for the price.

    Many players
  • Easy difficulty

    Players win early or find the game too forgiving, even on harder settings, though others see the difficulty as well tuned.

    Some players
  • Balance and card design issues

    Players note weak shields relative to movement, cards that feel dull, and builds that become too easy to repeat.

    Some players
  • Little meta progression

    Players mention few unlocks beyond new characters, no economy and free upgrades, which makes long-term motivation weaker.

    A few players
Who it suits
Suits deckbuilder fans who want a charming, story-driven roguelike with tactical ship combat, especially those who enjoy Slay the Spire-style runs.
Who should skip it
Players who want a hard, endlessly varied roguelike or deep long-term progression should skip it or expect a short experience.

Short vs. long playtime: Players with under 20 hours are more mixed and often find it easy or short, while those with 20 hours or more mostly recommend it and value the story and replay options.

Summarised by AI from 62 Steam reviews (English, helpful and recent), as of Oct 28, 2026.

Best matches

Plays and looks like Cobalt Core

These games are close to it by gameplay and by look, so they appear in both lists below.

By gameplay

Plays like Cobalt Core

Matched from Steam descriptions and player tags. The tags under each game are the ones both games share.

More matches

  1. Starless Abyss82 % positive of 298Shared: Roguelike Deckbuilder · Card Game · Strategy
  2. Tower Tactics: Liberation88 % positive of 1,235Shared: Roguelike Deckbuilder · Card Game · Strategy
  3. The Spire of Mech Zero90 % positive of 131Shared: Card Game · Strategy · Sci-fi
  4. Fogpiercer82 % positive of 646
  5. Vault of the Void92 % positive of 2,543Shared: Roguelike Deckbuilder · Card Game · Strategy
  6. Moonsigil Atlas81 % positive of 281Shared: Roguelike Deckbuilder · Card Game · Strategy
  7. Cross Blitz73 % positive of 1,572Shared: Card Game · Strategy · Rogue-like
  8. Fights in Tight Spaces90 % positive of 3,582Shared: Roguelike Deckbuilder · Card Game · Strategy
  9. Breach Wanderers86 % positive of 383Shared: Roguelike Deckbuilder · Card Game · Strategy
  10. Across the Obelisk80 % positive of 10,726Shared: Roguelike Deckbuilder · Card Game · Strategy
  11. Trizon92 % positive of 593Shared: Roguelike Deckbuilder · Card Game · Strategy
  12. Monster Train95 % positive of 19,988Shared: Roguelike Deckbuilder · Card Game · Strategy

By look

Looks like Cobalt Core

Matched from screenshots. Each card shows the screenshot closest to the look of this game.

More matches

  1. Rocket Rats92 % positive of 2,468
  2. For The Warp71 % positive of 438
  3. Tower Tactics: Liberation88 % positive of 1,235
  4. Void Scrappers89 % positive of 573
  5. Monster Sanctuary90 % positive of 10,454
  6. The Great Rebellion95 % positive of 547
  7. Invisigun Reloaded86 % positive of 407
  8. Starless Abyss82 % positive of 298
  9. BLUE REVOLVER97 % positive of 841
  10. Space Rock Breaker95 % positive of 4,873
  11. Lazy Galaxy 276 % positive of 168
  12. Nova Lands90 % positive of 2,531

At a glance

What games like Cobalt Core have in common

  • The tags they share most often with Cobalt Core: Strategy (23 of 24), Card Game (22) and Roguelike Deckbuilder (19).
  • They came out between 2018 and 2026, 14 of them after Cobalt Core (2023).
  • Best rated by Steam players: Slay the Spire (96 % positive of 192,995).

How these matches work

Matches come from embeddings of Steam descriptions, player tags and screenshots, computed offline. “Plays like” compares what the games are about and how players tag them; “Looks like” compares their screenshots. The share of positive reviews is based on Steam user reviews.

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