StarVaders
Rate itA deckbuilding tactics roguelike where mechs hold back waves of invaders, with a Daily Run.
on store.steampowered.com
StarVaders is a tactical deckbuilding roguelike from Pengonauts. You pilot a mech on a grid while waves of alien invaders descend, using cards to move, shoot and set up combos, and Chrono Tokens to rewind mistakes. A Daily Run gives a fresh run each day that resets every 24 hours.
About StarVaders
StarVaders was developed by Pengonauts and published by Joystick Ventures and Beep Japan, released on Steam in April 2025 for Windows and Mac. Its look nods to classic Space Invaders, but the game is a turn-based tactics deckbuilder: invaders creep down a grid towards you, and you play cards each turn to position your mech, fire, and push enemies into each other.
There are three mechs with distinct mechanics and twelve pilots, each adding their own cards, abilities and backstory, from a pool of more than 400 cards and artifacts. Chrono Tokens let you rewind time to undo a mistake or line up a perfect combo. A multi-part story campaign leads to a secret finale, with ascending difficulty levels after that.
The Daily Run is one of the replay modes. It sets a run with modifiers for the day, a countdown shows when it resets, and an optional true ending was added to it. Before launch the developers even ran daily seeded speedrun competitions, posting a daily seed for everyone to enter. There are also challenge modes with their own rules.
The game later grew with a 2.0 update. It suits fans of Into the Breach-style tactics and deckbuilders like Slay the Spire, and players who like a fixed daily puzzle to plan around.
How to play StarVaders
- Buy and install StarVaders on Steam and unlock the Daily Run.
- Start the Daily Run and check its modifiers.
- Each turn, play cards to move your mech, attack and reposition invaders before they reach you.
- Survive the waves and bosses to finish the run before the daily resets.
Screenshots
Tips
- Push invaders into each other or into hazards: positioning often beats raw damage.
- Keep a Chrono Token for the turn that goes wrong rather than spending it early.
- Learn each mech in the campaign, since the daily may hand you modifiers that suit one better.
Questions
Is there a daily mode?
Yes, a Daily Run that resets every 24 hours, with a countdown to the next.
How is it different from Space Invaders?
It borrows the look, but it is a turn-based deckbuilding tactics game.
Which platforms does the Steam version support?
Windows and Mac.
Who made it?
Pengonauts, published by Joystick Ventures and Beep Japan.
Ratings and reviews
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