Indie developer Sharkbomb Studios and publisher Firesquid are showcasing Crownbreakers, a fast-paced tactical card game set in a magical city ruled by powerful tyrants, during the 2026 Game Devs of Color Expo. The upcoming PC title combines deckbuilding with turn-based battlefield positioning and environmental interactions, with a playable demo now available on Steam.
The game is participating in the Game Devs of Color Expo running September 22-25, giving players an early opportunity to experience its strategy-focused combat ahead of the full release.
Crownbreakers Brings Deckbuilding and Tactical Combat Together
Crownbreakers takes place in Cascade, a fictional magical city controlled by tyrants who exploit the souls of its residents for profit. Players step into the role of resistance fighters tasked with recruiting champions and advancing through districts controlled by the city’s rulers.
Rather than building its turn-based combat entirely around cards, the game places a strong emphasis on positioning. Players can move enemies around the battlefield, setting them up for area-of-effect attacks or interactions with environmental hazards.
Explosive barrels, for example, can be positioned and chained together to create larger reactions against groups of enemies. Champion abilities and cards can also be combined to control enemy placement and generate more effective attacks.
The underlying design encourages players to keep moving forward rather than relying primarily on defensive strategies.
Steam Demo Offers an Early Look at Gameplay
A playable Crownbreakers demo is available on Steam, providing an early sample of the game’s combination of deckbuilding, tactical positioning and environmental combat.
Press and content creators can also request Alpha access for a broader early look at the project.
Game Devs of Color Expo Appearance
Sharkbomb Studios and Firesquid are featuring Crownbreakers as part of the Game Devs of Color Expo, which runs through September 25.
A new teaser trailer is scheduled to premiere during the event’s live show on September 25 at 3 p.m. Pacific Time.
The game is being developed by Sharkbomb Studios, the developer behind Nowhere Prophet, and will be published by Firesquid.
Card Customization Adds Another Layer to Deckbuilding
One of Crownbreakers’ notable systems allows players to modify individual cards using stickers. These upgrades can increase damage, introduce additional abilities or expand a card’s area of effect.
The system is designed to let players create combinations suited to the circumstances of each run rather than relying solely on a fixed collection of cards.
Players can also unlock multiple champions. Each champion comes with a distinct card pool and playstyle, providing different approaches to deck construction and battlefield tactics.
Momentum System Rewards Aggressive Progress
Progression during individual runs is built around a Momentum mechanic. As players fight through Cascade, they can build Momentum and push the battlefield farther into hostile territory.
Advancing deeper introduces new enemies, obstacles, rewards and other encounters, creating a risk-and-reward structure centered on continued forward movement.
Runs are designed to be relatively short and fast-paced, emphasizing repeated attempts and experimentation with different champions, cards and upgrade combinations.
Cascade Provides a Spiritpunk Setting for the Story
Beyond its card-based combat, Crownbreakers uses what its developers describe as a “spiritpunk” setting. Cascade serves as more than a backdrop for battles, with players able to encounter residents and learn their stories through reactive dialogue and character-focused quests.
The narrative centers on resistance against the city’s tyrannical rulers, described within the game’s fictional setting as demonic billionaires who maintain control over Cascade and exploit its population.
That theme is integrated with the gameplay as players fight through individual districts, strengthen their decks and expand the capabilities of their chosen champions.
Crownbreakers Planned for Steam
Crownbreakers is being developed as a single-player, turn-based card brawler for PC, with its Steam page and playable demo currently available.
Its combination of deckbuilding, physical battlefield positioning, environmental chain reactions and customizable cards gives the project a different approach to the increasingly crowded roguelike deckbuilding genre.
With its Game Devs of Color Expo appearance underway, players can now sample the core mechanics through the Steam demo while Sharkbomb Studios continues development on the full game.
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