Topdeck Automat is a roguelike auto-battler where a reprogrammed worker droid fights alien invaders using a deck it prints and plays on its own. You assemble the cards and passive modules, then the machine shuffles the deck and resolves combat automatically while you watch the synergies fire.
Quick answer: Topdeck Automat launches on PC via Steam on November 16, 2026. A demo is available to download on Steam now, and you can add the game to your wishlist to be notified when the full release unlocks.
Release date and platforms
Status: Confirmed. The game releases on November 16, 2026 for PC. It targets Windows 10 and later, and the store listing also notes SteamOS and Linux support. The interface is available in English and German. A demo is available to download on Steam now.
System requirements are light. The listed minimum is an Intel i5 or similar processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 2 GB graphics card, and about 300 MB of storage. Supported features include Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, and Family Sharing.
How the self-printing deck works
The core twist is that you never manually play cards during a fight. Your droid holds a printer that spits out cards from your deck at random, and each printed card triggers its attack, defense, or effect on its own. Because the order is randomized, the challenge is building a deck that performs well no matter what comes out first.
Combat resolves automatically between two sides. Cards deal card-based attacks, apply status effects, and chain triggers off one another. You steer the outcome before the fight by choosing which cards, upgrades, and passive modules go into the machine.
Status effects define most of the build directions. The card categories seen in play include Heat, Shield, Inaction, Haste, Slow, Freeze, Toxic, Tech, and Hustle. You can lean into speed to print faster, freeze enemies before a big hit lands, stack infection damage over time, shield up to stall, or chase large critical hits.
Cards, modules, characters, and enemies
The build pool is large and layered. Cards come in rarity tiers, including Common, Rare, Epic, and Legendary, and a free-form upgrade system lets you customize individual cards for near-endless combinations. Modules add stackable passive effects on top of the deck.
| Element | Count | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Cards | 200+ | Attacks and effects, upgradeable |
| Modules | 100+ | Stackable passive boosts |
| Enemy types | 50 | Elite variants and a dozen bosses |
| Characters | 30 | Unlockable droids that change each run |
| Weather effects | 20 | Random run modifiers |
The 30 playable characters are combat automatons with distinct designs, from a boxy blue bot to an armored red mech and a shark-finned frame. Each one changes how a run plays out. Enemies range from standard aliens to elite variants and roughly a dozen bosses to build around.
Drafting, the Scrap Mart, and testing builds
Between fights you grow your deck through card drafting. A Card Choice screen offers a small selection to pick from, and you can skip a draft to gain a resource instead. The Scrap Mart shop lets you buy and modify cards and modules to reshape your engine as the run continues.
Training dummies let you stress-test a build and check its damage output before committing it to a real fight. The game also emphasizes transparency, so you can inspect your deck, collection, modules, run information, and a boss preview at any time.
You can change the difficulty and turn off permadeath; doing so still leaves all content and achievements available.
Replay variety and daily challenges
Runs stay varied through several rotating systems. Each run picks one of the 30 characters, and the mix of 50 enemy types and bosses keeps encounters from repeating. Randomized weather effects and daily challenges with run modifiers push you to adapt on the fly, and an extensive compendium tracks stats, progression, achievements, and victory badges.
Setting and the team behind it
The premise is deliberately silly science fiction. Alien forces have invaded Earth, taken control, and wiped out humanity’s defenses, but the harmless worker droids, such as office assistants, flyer printers, and vending machines, were left alone. Hacked and reprogrammed for combat, they march out to retake the planet, and you play as one of them.
Topdeck Automat is developed and published by Ludokultur, the studio behind the billiards roguelike Rack and Slay. Fabian Fischer handles design and programming, and Victor Negreiro creates the art and animations. A demo is available to download on the Steam page ahead of the November 16 launch.
