Dungeon Solitaire

A deck-building, dungeon-making, rogue-like card game made for the 2019 GMTK jam!

The theme of this jam was "Only one". This game demonstrates that theme by putting players in situations where they are only able to pick one card from a deck that the are continuously building.

How to Play

Building Your Deck

At the title screen, you can push the Z key to start the game. You will then be shown the deck building screen.

At this screen, you will be asked to pick seven cards to make your starting deck of cards. For each set of three cards, use the left and right arrow keys to pick the card, then the Z key to confirm.

Once you have selected all of your cards, the game will begin.

Playing the Game

This screen is the main screen of the game. On each level, your goal is to move the player piece from its starting location to the staircase. You may move the player in any of the directions shown by the arrows by using the arrow keys.

However, most of the time, there will not be a straightforward path to the staircase. In that situation, you will need to play some cards.

Playing Cards

When at the main game screen, pressing the Z key will open the Deck Menu.

At this menu, you can move the cursor up and down with the arrow keys, and select an option with the Z key. Selecting "Cancel" or pressing the X key will close the menu.

If you select "Draw Cards", the game will automatically draw the next 3 cards from the deck.

When the 3 cards are displayed, you may select one of the cards with the left and right arrow keys. Press the Z key to confirm your selection.

The card you select will be moved to the playing field. The other cards will be discarded, and cannot be used until the next level.

At this point, the card you chose can be moved with the arrow keys. When it is in the correct position, press the Z key to place it.

When you place a card onto the table, it will not return to your deck. Think carefully about which cards to use.

If there are fewer than 3 cards remaining in your deck, you will only be able to pick from those ones.

Viewing the Deck

By either selecting "View Deck" from the Deck Menu, or by pressing the X key at most points during the game, you will be able to view the cards in your deck.

The cards on the left are the ones in your deck, and the cards on the right are the ones in your discard pile. You can look at different cards by using the arrow keys, which is helpful when you have a lot of cards in your deck.

Pressing the Z or X key will return you to the previous screen.

Different Kinds of Room Cards

As well as having different entrances and exits, some rooms have special features:

The staircase is the main goal of each level. Aim to move the player piece to this space.

Move to a room containing a heart, and your HP will be replenished by 1 point.

When you move into a room containing a chest, you will be immediately given a choice of three more cards to add to your deck.

When you enter a room containing a monster, you will fight. The monster will be defeated, but you will lose one HP in the process. When you run out of HP, it's Game Over.

Special Cards

Certain cards cannot be played onto the board, and instead perform special functions when played. There are four types of these, and a description is displayed on-screen whenever they can be selected.

Winning the Game

Instead of a staircase, Level 9 contains a Crown. When you pick up this Crown, you will win the game!

Tips and Advice

Once you use a card, it's gone forever. The ones you don't use will be added back into your deck at the start of your next turn.

Sometimes, you can draw a card containing a monster. These cards can still be useful. Check the number of exits on the card!

There are two ways to lose the game. You will lose if you run out of HP from fighting too many monsters, but you will also lose if there are no more cards in your deck and no moves you can make. Be careful!

Good luck!