Indie · November 8, 2023
Cobalt Core (2023)
Cobalt Core is a sci-fi roguelike deckbuilder with a unique single-axis combat system that will throw you for a loop. Many loops! Give orders to your crew by playing cards: Will you raise shields to protect your ship, dodge incoming missiles and cannon fire to avoid damage outright, or strike preemptively to disable your enemy’s weapons? Outmaneuver your foes to stay just ahead of impending calamity, and reach the Cobalt Core! Fresh new spin on tactics – dodge attacks and target weak points in this unique single-axis take on tactics combat. Outwit the enemy in a high stakes game of cat and mouse! Customize your deck – hundreds of cards and split upgrade paths means no two runs will be the same. Find that perfect combo that brings your deck from powerful to overpowered. Get to know your crew – each character comes with a completely unique playstyle and their own personal story. Bring 3 along, mix and match their decks, and see how these little goobers get along with each other. Tons of replayability – hundreds of different character+ship combinations before you even hit “start run”. Crank up the difficulty and really test your skills! Daily Challenges – Keep runs fresh with all sorts of modifiers. Can you win with just 1 character, or with your ship scrambling itself every fight? Play at your own pace, or get competitive on the leaderboards! Get in the groove – featuring 90+ minutes of catchy and electrifying original music by Minecraft composer Aaron Cherof! Forward momentum – untangle a narrative and unlock more playstyles as you go. Is there any escape from this time loop? By the makers of Sunshine Heavy Industries , recipient of IGF's Honorable Mention for Excellence in Design 2022 .
Indie releases from 2023
29 Indie titles launched in 2023 — top 6 by review volume.
Peer Indie titles
Comparable titles in the same genre and review-volume band — ranked by Steam positive percentage.
Community Tag Signals
Tag weights reflect how many Steam users voted each descriptor — larger pills = stronger consensus.
- Roguelike Deckbuilder · 275
- Card Game · 247
- Strategy · 244
- Rogue-like · 239
- Turn-Based Strategy · 232
- Sci-fi · 224
- Pixel Graphics · 213
- Turn-Based Tactics · 211
- Tactical RPG · 206
- Funny · 202
- Space · 181
- Logic · 172
- Tactical · 156
- Deckbuilding · 148
- Grid-Based Movement · 144
Position in Indie
| Metric | This title | Genre position |
|---|---|---|
| Review volume | 3.5k Steam reviews | Top 66% in Indie |
| Positive rating | 97% positive | Genre average: 87% — this title sits in top 9% |
| Metacritic | 94/100 | Genre average 77 — top 1% of Indie titles |
| Engagement hours | 11 h average | Top 57% for session depth among Indie |
Localization Coverage
Interface / Subtitles (10)
- English
- French
- German
- Spanish - Spain
- Japanese
- Korean
- Portuguese - Brazil
- Russian
- Simplified Chinese
- Traditional Chinese
Reception Metrics
Steam community
97%Overwhelmingly Positive · 3.5k reviews
3.4k positive · 105 negative
Metacritic
94/100 critic aggregate
Curator recommendations
3.7k
Press Quotes
“The next great roguelike deckbuilder has arrived.” Rock Paper Shotgun “Might be the year's best deckbuilding game.” PC Gamer “Cobalt Core is a triumph of roguelike engineering.” Eurogamer
Engagement Profile
All-time avg
11h
short (5–15 hours)
Median
9h
Typical completion time
2-week avg
0h
Current engagement
Achievements
15
Steam unlocks available
Release & Availability
| Release date | Nov 8, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Rocket Rat Games |
| Publisher | Brace Yourself Games |
| Base price | $9.99 -50% |
| DLC / Add-ons | 1 released |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS |
| Estimated owners | 100k–1M |
| External links | Official site · Metacritic page · Support · [email protected] |
Features & Capabilities
Community
- Steam Achievements
- Steam Trading Cards
- Steam Cloud
Input & Comfort
- Full controller support
Other
- Single-player
- Family Sharing
Editions & Packages
Buy Cobalt Core











