Wintry deckbuilder Wildfrost gets release date of April 12th

Layer up with your thickest snow coat and a pack of cards because Wildfrost is coming to PC soon, on April 12th. One of the standout games we played at last year’s EGX, this roguelike deckbuilder has a healthy dose of Slay The Spire about it as you venture out to defrost an eternal winter, battle baddies, and expand your card collection with elemental items stronger, cuter companions and elemental items.

Happily, it sticks apart in a few key areas, namely the town of Snowdell which you’ll be going back to rebuild after each run – it’s also the only community that stands between the fate of the world and a very, very long winter. Snowdell’s a cosy town that’s built around a hot ice shard, which is an ideal rest stop after a long and cold run, but I’m more excited about its town-building aspects. You’ll be responsible for reconstructing the town with new buildings such as a pet shop or an inventor’s hub, subsequently unlocking new cards, narrative events, and challenges. Sounds decidedly more happy-go-lucky than some of the other survival-oriented roguelikes I’ve played recently.

But some of Slay The Spire’s roguelike deckbuilding luxuries are in tact here as well. You’ll be picking between a few tribe leaders at the start of every run, each with their own randomised stats and skills, and you’ll be unlocking permanent upgrades along your icy trek, either through rescuing companions or spending your hard-earned gold with yeti-sized merchants. What are they doing out in the cold? New daily challenges are also planned if you want more replayability, or just like rolling around in the snow.

Wildfrost’s glacial world has been on the RPS Treehouse’s radar for a while. It was one of vid bud Liam’s favourite indies from EGX 2022, comparing its tactical card-slinging to Duelyst. That initial impression froze into place and was just as strong in time for RPS’ 101 most anticipated games of the year list.

Wildfrost will be sliding onto PC and Switch on April 12th, and will be available for £17/€20/$20. You can wishlist it on Steam now.