The folklore war. Build a deck, pick a folklore, and settle the fights the legends never had. A roguelike deckbuilder about dying, rebuilding, and one more run.

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Coming Soon To Early Access

The developers of this game intend to release as a work in progress, developing with the feedback of players.

Note: Games in Early Access are not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“This game is already complete, with its core mechanics fully built. During Early Access, I'll use player feedback to rebalance the game so it stays accessible and fun for everyone.
Over the course of Early Access, my plan is also to progressively replace the AI-assisted art with fully hand-crafted pieces ahead of the official release.
I'd rather build this in the open, with the people who actually play it, than disappear for years and hope I got it right. If you believe in a deckbuilder built on world folklore, Early Access is where we shape it together.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“I'm aiming for roughly 18 months in Early Access. That said, I'd rather deliver the game right than rush it to hit a date. If the project grows and the community wants more, I'll take the time it needs, but 18 months is the honest target I'm working toward.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“The full version is where I want this game to reach its full identity. The plan:
Hand-crafted art to progressively replace the AI-assisted pieces, built to match the identity of each folklore.
Deeper cultural research, with each nation's lore written properly and respectfully, honoring the peoples the myths come from, not just their monsters.
A richer world, with more nations, more events, and more of the unique legends that make each run feel like it belongs to a specific place.
Early Access is the skeleton done right. The full version is where I aim to give it its soul.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Early Access launches with a game that's already complete from start to finish. You can lose, learn, and win.
Playable now:
10 folklores, each with its own exclusive mechanic and playstyle.
300+ cards built from real world mythology.
Two modes: the roguelike Expedition (branching runs, events, bosses) and the Tower endurance climb.
Full controller and keyboard support, no mouse required.
Three languages: English, Portuguese, and Simplified Chinese.
Collection, progression, unique per-nation events, and run-altering blessings.
Still growing: balance is tuned constantly, more content is on the way, and the art is AI-assisted for now (see my note on that). You may hit rough edges, so tell me about them. That's exactly what Early Access is for.
This isn't a demo. It's the whole game, and it gets better with you in it.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“Yes. I plan to raise the price gradually as the game grows, as more content, more polish, and hand-crafted art are added over the course of Early Access.
The Early Access price reflects the game as it is today. If you jump in now, you get it at its lowest price. That's my way of saying thank you to the people who believe in this early.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“Balance and feedback: I tune the game constantly. What feels overpowered, what feels weak, which nation you love or can't crack, tell me, and you'll see it change.
Bug reports: Find something broken, report it. Small team means fast fixes.
The folklore is yours. This is the big one. Every country has legends I haven't reached yet, and some of them are yours. Suggest the myths, creatures, and stories from your own culture. The best ideas can become real cards, events, and nations. I want this game to be built by the people whose folklore it celebrates.
Find me on the Steam forums and our community channels. I read everything.”
Read more
This game is not yet available on Steam

Planned Release Date: Q1 2027

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About This Game

What happens when Baba Yaga runs into Bigfoot?

No legend covers it. So we built a game where you settle it yourself.

Folklore War Game is a roguelike deckbuilder where the myths of ten nations go to war. Pick a folklore, build your deck along the way, and see how far the run takes you.

Probably not far. That's fine. The next one will be different.

Fights mythology never got around to

Yuki-onna vs. the Wendigo.

Two winter predators, one forest. Japan freezes whatever it touches. America hunts whatever it marks. Only one of them walks out.

Mothman vs. Kitsune.

One of them sees the disaster coming. The other was never standing there in the first place.

The Dullahan vs. the Headless Horseman.

The Dullahan rode Irish roads for centuries before Washington Irving shipped the story to New York. Both of them are in this game. They are not on the same team.

Ryūjin vs. Zmey Gorynych.

Two Nations, Two Mythic dragon-beasts, one board with room for one.

Ten folklores. Ten ways to play.

Every nation gets a mechanic nobody else has:

  • Russia — The Winter. Freeze enemy attacks, control the board, and survive until your dragons take over.

  • Japan — Nothing Is What It Seems. Hidden cards, illusions, copies, and creatures that return to your hand.

  • USA — The Frontier. Mark your prey and hunt it down, ignoring anything standing in the way.

  • Brazil — The Forest Lives. Your creatures grow stronger every single turn.

  • Mexico — The Dead Walk. Fallen allies fuel powerful Harvest effects.

  • Ireland — The Fair Folk. Elusive creatures and clever tricks that slowly tip every fight in your favor.

  • China — The Celestial Court. Build formations that strengthen your entire army.

  • India — The Cycle. Ramp your mana and return from death stronger than before.

  • Africa Continental— Ancestors. Sacrifice your own creatures to awaken powerful ancestral spirits.

  • Korea — The Metamorphosis. Transform creatures and swap their stats in the middle of battle.

Creatures you know. Creatures you really don't.

Baba Yaga. Koschei the Deathless. The Firebird.

Bigfoot. Mothman. The Jersey Devil. The Wendigo.

Oni. Tengu. Kappa. Gashadokuro.

Sun Wukong. The Morrígan. Kukulkán. Anhangá.

Over 320 cards, each with original hand-painted artwork inspired by real folklore from around the world.

Die. Learn. Rebuild.

Branching maps, strange blessings, and events inspired by real legends. Some bargains are worth the curse. Most aren't. You'll probably take them anyway.

Every run is different. Every deck evolves in unexpected ways.

One more run is a warning, not a promise.

✔ Keyboard and controller support.

✔ 33 Steam achievements.

✔ 10 supported languages.

Made by a very small team that spent far too long reading folklore books.

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

This game was built with the help of AI, for audio, images, text translation, and to some extent the code itself.

System Requirements

Windows
macOS
SteamOS + Linux
    Minimum:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    • OS: Windows 10 64-bit
    • Processor: Dual-core 2.0 GHz
    • Memory: 2 GB RAM
    • Graphics: Intel HD 3000 / GeForce 400 / Radeon HD 5000
    • Storage: 2 GB available space
    Recommended:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    Minimum:
    • OS: macOS 10.15 Catalina
    • Processor: Intel Core i3 / Apple Silicon (M1+)
    • Memory: 2 GB RAM
    • Graphics: Any with OpenGL 3.3 support
    • Storage: 2 GB available space
    Recommended:
      Minimum:
      • OS: Ubuntu 20.04 or similar with 64-bit
      • Processor: Dual-core 2.0 GHz
      • Memory: 2 GB RAM
      • Graphics: Any with OpenGL 3.3 support
      • Storage: 2 GB available space
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