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Shroom and Gloom Review: Two Decks Make Every Dungeon Choice Count

Shroom and Gloom’s two-deck system makes exploration and combat separate strategic challenges, wrapped in hand-drawn art. Here’s what to expect from its evolving Early Access release.
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Shroom and Gloom stands out because it asks you to build and use two separate decks: one for navigating a dungeon and one for fighting through it. That split gives its first-person roguelike runs a distinctive rhythm, pairing stamina-limited exploration choices with combo-driven battles. The game entered Steam Early Access on September 10, 2026, so this review describes an evolving release rather than a finished version.

What is Shroom and Gloom?

Shroom and Gloom is a single-player, first-person roguelike deckbuilder from Team Lazerbeam, published by Devolver Digital. Its defining idea is a double-deckbuilding system: an exploration deck helps you navigate and develop your run, while a separate combat deck handles encounters. Steam lists it for Windows and macOS, and provides a playable demo. Steam store page

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Rather than treating the dungeon as a corridor between fights, the game makes exploration another strategic layer. The two decks serve different purposes, but both shape what resources and options you have when a run unfolds.

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How does the double-deckbuilding gameplay work?

Exploration: spend stamina to shape the run

The exploration deck supports choices such as navigating the dungeon, modifying cards, and unlocking weapons or abilities, according to the developers’ description. A June 2026 preview of an earlier demo build also described digging for cards, lighting campfires, and opening doors, with stamina limiting how much the player could do. Because that preview predates the September launch, those specific actions should be understood as details from the demo rather than a guarantee that every interaction works identically in the current build. PC Gamer’s demo preview

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That stamina constraint gives exploration its central tension: an action may offer a useful reward, but taking it uses capacity that could matter elsewhere. The appeal of the two-deck structure depends on this layer being more than a map screen. It asks you to weigh what to investigate or unlock against the limits of the run.

Combat: assemble card combinations

Combat focuses on card synergies and on growing or modifying cards into stronger attacks. Instead of relying only on a single powerful card, the system’s promise is in setting up combinations and finding ways for cards to reinforce one another. Elie Gould’s September 11, 2026 PC Gamer impressions singled out the combo-driven fights as a strength, while also noting that meta-progression felt limited in that launch-period experience. That is one writer’s impression, not a guarantee about every run or a measure of the game’s overall progression. PC Gamer’s launch-period impressions

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The game also turns defeated enemies into potential food: the store description says players can season, skewer, roast, and eat them to restore health. It is a memorable thematic hook, and it ties combat outcomes to survival rather than leaving each fight’s rewards purely abstract. The developers describe approximately 300 exploration and combat cards per pathway; that is an approximate content figure from the official listing, not an independently counted total. Steam Early Access details

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What makes the presentation distinctive?

The visual identity is one of the game’s clearest hooks. Steam describes hand-drawn art and animation set in rich 3D spaces. Gould likewise highlighted layered hand-drawn imagery that creates the impression of a three-dimensional tunnel. The result gives the dungeon a crafted, storybook quality without abandoning the depth and perspective of a first-person view. PC Gamer’s launch-period impressions

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How complete is the Early Access version?

The game is still in Early Access, and its content, balance, and technical state can change. Team Lazerbeam’s Steam disclosure says the team plans to remain in Early Access for 12 to 24 months; that is a developer plan, not a promised release date. The same disclosure describes two pathways, unique characters, quests, synergies, unlocks, and approximately 300 exploration and combat cards per pathway in the current version. Planned additions include another pathway, new character classes, and more quests and challenges. These are stated plans, not guaranteed features or a fixed roadmap. Steam Early Access disclosure

Steam also says the developers do not currently plan to change the price between Early Access and full release. That statement is a current intention, not a binding guarantee. For players, the practical trade-off is straightforward: the unusual two-deck concept and distinctive art are already available, while the amount of content and the shape of progression may evolve during development.

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PC requirements and availability

Steam lists Windows 10 (64-bit) as the minimum operating system. Its minimum Windows specifications are an Intel Core i3-6300 or AMD FX-8350 processor, 8 GB RAM, GeForce GTX 960 or Radeon RX 570 graphics, DirectX 11, and 13 GB of storage. The store’s stated target for that configuration is 1080p at 30 FPS. The recommended Windows configuration lists Windows 10, Intel Core i7-6950X or AMD Ryzen 5 2600, 16 GB RAM, GeForce RTX 1080, Radeon RX Vega 56, or Arc A580 graphics, DirectX 12, and 13 GB of storage; Steam states a 1080p at 60 FPS target for that tier. Check the live listing for macOS requirements and any changes to platform details. Steam store page and system requirements

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Who should play Shroom and Gloom?

  • A good fit: players who enjoy planning card combinations and want exploration decisions to matter alongside combat.
  • Also appealing: players drawn to hand-drawn art, unusual dungeon presentation, and a fungal fantasy setting.
  • Consider waiting: players who prefer a complete, stable release with a settled progression system and a finished content roadmap.

When comparing it with other deckbuilding roguelikes, focus on how much you value the exploration deck as a second strategic system, how satisfying the combat synergies feel, and how comfortable you are with Early Access change. The game’s most distinctive proposition is not simply that it uses cards, but that it makes dungeon navigation and combat separate deck-driven problems.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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