Malys

A rain-slick city overrun by hidden demons becomes the hunting ground for Noah, a former priest who trades certainty for forbidden tools and hard-won faith. Malys is a dark roguelite deckbuilder built around exorcisms rather than conventional fantasy battles, with every encounter carrying the threat of corruption, failure, and moral compromise. Its tone sits somewhere between supernatural noir and religious horror: desperate people need saving, but the force stalking the streets is clever enough to turn compassion into a liability. At the center of the campaign lies Malys, an exceptionally dangerous demon whose trail only becomes clearer through repeated, punishing runs.

Each attempt sends Noah along branching routes through the city, where he meets potential allies, hostile residents, possessed victims, and encounters that reshape the ongoing story. Combat revolves around assembling and playing cards with distinct abilities, but an exorcism unfolds in stages: first expose the creature hiding inside its host and uncover its True Name, then survive its retaliation while breaking its resolve. Will functions as the run’s crucial survival resource, and successfully casting out a demon does not simply refill it, so route choices and sacrifices matter as much as a powerful deck. Defeat ends the night and forces a fresh attempt, while new card combinations and decisions encourage players to adapt rather than rely on one fixed strategy.

The strongest hook is its focus on the cost of victory; saving someone can leave Noah too depleted to survive what waits ahead. Hand-illustrated cards and a responsive audio design give the city a theatrical, uneasy character, while adaptive narrative events reflect choices across a run instead of treating story as separate from the mechanics. David Gaider’s involvement suggests an emphasis on character-driven supernatural drama, and the premise has clear appeal for players who enjoy Slay the Spire-style deck construction but want a more narrative, grimly intimate setting. Roguelite veterans should appreciate the resource pressure and strategic layering, while newcomers who value story over perfect optimization may find its exorcism structure an accessible reason to keep trying.