Cardborne is listed on Steam as released October 29, 2026 at $3.99 in Early Access, developed by Lakeborn studio and tagged Action, Adventure, Casual, Indie and Strategy.
VERIFIED Source: Steam store page (appid 4146480), checked 2026-10-30
News · cardborne · 2026-10-30
Cardborne: What It Is, Price and Release Date (Oct 2026)
Cardborne is a $3.99 roguelite played on a real deck of cards with no deckbuilding, in Steam Early Access from October 29, 2026.
Status is labeled honestly; nothing here is copied from other sites.
Direct answer
Facts below are verified against the sources listed; nothing here is copied from other sites.
Baseline date: 2026-10-30. Always confirm in-game for anything time-sensitive.
Key facts
What we checked
Each fact lists the source that supports it.
The one rule the page builds the game on: your weapon can only kill an enemy of the same or lower value than its last kill, so the order you fight is the puzzle.
VERIFIED Source: Steam store page (appid 4146480), checked 2026-10-30
Clubs and spades are enemies, diamonds are weapons and hearts heal; the kills stacked on a weapon form poker hands.
VERIFIED Source: Steam store page (appid 4146480), checked 2026-10-30
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much is Cardborne?
It is $3.99 on Steam in Early Access. It released on October 29, 2026 and is developed by Lakeborn studio.
Does Cardborne have deckbuilding?
No. The store page states it is a roguelite played on a real deck of playing cards with no deckbuilding.
What happens if I attack in the wrong order in Cardborne?
Your weapon can only hit an enemy of the same or lower value than its last kill, so the bigger cards become locked out for that weapon. You can fight barehanded and take the enemy's full value as damage, or spend one weapon use on a ranged attack to shave one off an enemy's value.
Is Cardborne finished?
It is in Early Access. The page says the full core loop is in and more content comes during Early Access.
Details
The full picture
Written from verified facts; labels mark how strong each statement's evidence is.
The rule that turns every room into a puzzle
Equipping a diamond makes its value your weapon's strength and its number of uses, and every enemy killed with it stacks up on that weapon.
Kill the 9 first and the 6 and the 4 are still in reach; kill the 4 first and the 9 and the 6 are locked out for that weapon. Swapping to a new weapon starts the chain over.
When the order goes wrong you can fight barehanded and take the enemy's full value as damage, or spend one weapon use on a ranged attack to shave one off an enemy's value.
Poker hands, jokers and growing rooms
The kills stacked on a weapon form poker hands - Straight Flush, Super Flush, Lazy Flush, Straight and Pair - and a hand pays out HP and XP, then clears those cards so higher enemies are back in reach.
Every level-up offers three jokers. Taking one you already own levels it up, up to level 3, across 14 jokers: Smith adds strength on every poker hand, Grinder adds a weapon use, Iron Will shields barehanded fights and Scarecrow makes the weakest enemy flee.
Rooms are dealt from the deck, starting at 4 cards and growing to 10 as you level, and some enemies carry abilities you learn the hard way.
Two classes are named: The Escapist can escape a room 4 times per run, and The Gambler can reroll the joker offer on level-up, with more unlocked by winning runs.
Stages, bosses and who it suits
There are three stages - Spades, Clubs and Diamonds - each in three acts; when an act's deck runs out the boss phases in with its minions and returns stronger in the next act.
The page states the game has no deckbuilding and that the full core loop is already in Early Access, with more content to come (BOUNDED: official Steam description, checked 2026-10-30).
It describes itself as a roguelite played on a real deck of playing cards, made as a solo project by Peter of Lakeborn Studio, and names no other game as a comparison (BOUNDED: official Steam description, checked 2026-10-30).
Coverage & items to verify
What you can use right now, and what must be re-checked before publishing or by the next update.
| Field | Ready now | To verify |
|---|---|---|
| Facts & sources | 3 verified fact(s), each with its source. | Re-check with the next data pull. |
| Update cadence | Baseline 2026-10-30. | Codes/news re-checked every 3–7 days, daily around events. |
Evidence boundary
Sources behind this page
store.steampowered.com/app/4146480
Opened and used as the reference for the facts above.
Open source ↗Labels: VERIFIED official source · BOUNDED attributable secondary source · COMMUNITY player report pending verification. Re-check time-sensitive data in-game.
Last checked: 2026-10-30Related
Keep reading
Next step