After the success of the mighty Balatro, roguelike deckbuilders aren’t slowing down in 2025, courtesy of Slay the Spire 2 and Monster Train 2, both of which are on their way. But there’s more. Mixing the visual flair of Metaphor Refantazio, with writing and worldbuilding from original Dragon Age creator David Gaider, Malys is a stunning challenger that puts you in the shoes of Noah, a priest turned exorcist and demon hunter. Built by Summerfall Studios, it’s just landed on Kickstarter, and it’s already making a splash.
The world of Malys is one of tremendous danger – in a city teeming with demons that have the ability to hide within their hosts, you’ll need every trick in your book to survive. As such, your deck in this new roguelike comprises a range of powers both holy and ancient. Upon encountering a possessed host, you’ll have to determine how best to expose the demon’s true name, reveal their real form, and complete the exorcism before your will runs out.
As part of your exorcism, you’ll make use of candles that persist between turns – you’ll have to burn cards to light them, creating another layer of strategy in how you utilize your deck. As you near success, demons will begin drawing from their host’s life force to power their most dangerous abilities, so you’ll have to ensure that you keep the victims protected as you finish the job.
While success will keep you moving forward through the night, it won’t fully restore your will, so you’ll have to choose what you’re prepared to sacrifice in the name of progress. Fail, and you’ll start the night over from the beginning – only Noah and “a few select others” will be aware of what has come before, leaving you to resume the hunt once more. With gorgeous hand illustrations and a universe built by David Gaider, who also led the team for their spectacular Greek pantheon musical adventure Stray Gods, Malys is looking extremely promising.
Summerfall Studios plans to launch Malys in 2025. The developer is currently running a Kickstarter for the game looking for a goal of $166,189 – in just its first day, it’s already raised more than $41,000 of that total. You can find more details and wishlist it on Steam.
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