Enjoy the Opening Chapter of Dark Cards of Candlewood
Dark Cards of Candlewood demo arrives on Steam just in time for Next Fest, bringing a fresh twist to the roguelite card genre. Developed by Chicago-based solo developer Luno of Lunoland and published by Joystick Ventures, the game blends the strategic loops of Loop Hero with the classic JRPG spirit of Final Fantasy VI and the collectible card depth of Hearthstone.
The story begins at rock bottom. The world teeters on the edge of eternal night, and you’ve just lost your strongest cards in a shipwreck. From there, you rebuild. Players collect new cards from scratch, recruit a band of unlikely heroes, restore the town of Candlewood, and fight back the spreading darkness before it consumes everything.
At the heart of the experience lies a deceptively simple two-choice combat system. Each turn, you choose between two cards. While the decision sounds straightforward, layered mechanics such as chain attacks, backpack items, momentum, and enchantments turn every choice into a strategic puzzle. Players earn cards entirely through gameplay via packs, drops, drafts, crafting, and singles without microtransactions.
The free demo offers the opening chapter, 150 cards, three recruitable party members, and four increasingly challenging adventures. Conquer the toughest challenge to earn a special role on the game’s Discord server.
Dark Cards of Candlewood’s free demo is available now on Steam. So, ahead and try it out right now.