StarVaders is a compulsive Steam roguelike that reinvents Space Invaders

Polygon's Jan. 31, 2026 review calls StarVaders a shockingly excellent sci‑fi deckbuilding roguelike on Steam from developer Pengonauts, comparing its tactical bite to games like Into the Breach and describing it as a new obsession. StarVaders unfolds on a small grid where aliens try to reach the bottom; you stop them with a deck of cards for movement, attacks and tactics.

Damage doesn’t remove units but instead shuffles junk cards into your deck, and when an invader reaches the grid’s end it begins channeling Doom that can end your run if left unchecked. Rewinds and the option to burn a card for an extra turn add deliberate risk choices. Most rounds take about five minutes and full runs roughly an hour, the review says, and you unlock anime‑style mech pilots with unique playstyles and card pools.

Cards can gain components, artifacts grant overarching powers, and round modifiers change enemy behavior and rewards — sometimes permanently altering future runs. The reviewer calls StarVaders one of the best roguelikes they've played, noting an Overwhelmingly Positive Steam rating and a recent 2.0 update that expands the story, adds cards, trophies and challenges, and gives the game a true ending.

The piece also notes a $24.99 price and a 2.0 trailer that hints at new board types, like a bifurcated board. Pengonauts has also launched a playtest for DiceVaders in the same universe, where players control the aliens.

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