As We Descend is a strategy roguelike deckbuilder in an apocalyptic setting, where humanity’s last city is both a refuge and a political battleground. Its central design links two layers of play: preparing the city for what lies ahead and taking a force into dangerous expeditions. That structure gives each run stakes beyond a single fight, tying survival to resource choices and the fate of the City-Vault.
Combat depends on assembling squads rather than relying on one undifferentiated deck. Scavenged technology helps recruit unit groups, each with a distinct archetype and cards that can be added, removed, or upgraded. Against formidable enemies, players read enemy intents and shift forces between Guard and Support zones to evade attacks or form a defensive line. Expeditions also involve gathering resources, strengthening defenses, and pushing through three biomes toward the core; failure can still reveal secrets and provide knowledge and tools for another attempt.
Between descents, the city brings a different kind of strategy. Players get to know its inhabitants, navigate feudal politics, and use limited time and resources to prepare for the future, with dice rolls used to persuade residents to join their cause. The expedition-and-city loop is the game’s defining distinction: success calls for both battlefield adaptation and careful choices at humanity’s last bastion.
