Hellcard lands on consoles with co-op chaos and a smart $24.99 bundle — here’s the gamer’s take

Hellcard’s console launch caught my eye for one reason: real co-op in a deckbuilder that actually needs teamwork

Thing Trunk’s Hellcard just dropped on consoles for $24.99, bundled with the Bruja the Blood Witch DLC, and that’s a savvy way to show up on PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch. Deckbuilders are having a moment (again), but most of them are lonely affairs. Hellcard leans into cooperation and battlefield positioning, which makes it more Monster Train meets Across the Obelisk than another Slay the Spire clone. With controller support baked in, drop-in online co-op for up to three players, and platform-specific optimizations, the pitch is clear: this isn’t a quick port-it’s a proper console build.

Key Takeaways

• $24.99 base price includes the Bruja the Blood Witch DLC at launch-a solid value play.
• Drop-in online co-op (up to three players) is core to the design, not an afterthought.
• Positioning enemies on a ring-style board is the mechanic that sets Hellcard apart.
• Controller support and console optimizations are promising, but UI/targeting speed will make or break it on TV and handheld.

Breaking down the announcement (minus the fluff)

Developed by Thing Trunk (the Book of Demons folks) and published by Skystone Games, Hellcard lands on Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation today with full controller support and drop-in online co-op. The Blood Witch DLC is bundled at no extra cost-good move, because day-one nickel-and-diming would’ve killed momentum fast. The studio says the console versions are optimized per platform; that’s especially important on Switch where handheld readability and input latency can quietly ruin turn-based games that rely on crisp targeting.

If you missed the PC release, here’s the hook: Hellcard isn’t just about building a powerful deck; it’s about where enemies stand on a circular board and how you manipulate that layout. Cards don’t just deal damage—they shove, shuffle, stun, and corral mobs into perfect AoE death funnels. In co-op, that board control becomes a conversation. One player lines up the pins, another bowls them over, and the third keeps everyone alive long enough to cash in the combo.

Why this matters now

Console-friendly co-op deckbuilders are rare. Across the Obelisk nailed party synergy but never felt at home on a controller. Monster Train was great on Switch but was fundamentally single-player. Hellcard’s design is fundamentally co-op, and that makes the console drop-in feature the headline, not a bullet point. Being able to jump into a friend’s run, contribute meaningful control plays, and bail without wrecking their progress is exactly how a weeknight multiplayer deckbuilder should work in 2025.

The $24.99 price with DLC included also hits the sweet spot. It puts Hellcard next to genre staples on sale, but the bundled content sends a message: buy once, get a complete experience. It’s hard not to read that as a confidence play from Thing Trunk—“we believe the co-op loop will keep you here” instead of “we’ll monetize you later.”

The gamer’s perspective: what to watch for on console

• Controller mapping and speed: Selecting targets on a radial board can be a UI nightmare if cursor snapping is sloppy. If Hellcard nails quick-switching enemies, cycling valid targets, and queuing multi-step plays, it’ll sing on a controller. If not, expect frustration when timing matters.
• Readability on handheld and TV: The papercraft pop-up book art style looks great, but numbers and status icons need to be readable at a glance. Low-contrast debuff icons and tiny intent arrows are deckbuilder kryptonite on Switch.
• Matchmaking health: Drop-in co-op lives or dies on lobby population. Quickplay and decent onboarding tutorials will keep new players from bouncing after a rough first run.
• Cross-play and cross-progression: Not mentioned. If your group is split across platforms, this is the first question. No cross-play would be a miss for a three-player co-op title.

As someone who sunk too many hours into Book of Demons’ paper-diorama dungeons, I’m happy Thing Trunk is finally bringing that universe’s charm to more living rooms. The tone and art direction are distinct, and the combat has an almost board-game feel that makes sense for couch sessions—even if the co-op here is strictly online.

How Hellcard changes the deckbuilding conversation

Most deckbuilders optimize around draw order RNG and energy math. Hellcard adds spatial tactics to that equation. That means deck construction shifts: control cards that reposition enemies aren’t “nice to have,” they’re comp pieces. In co-op, roles form naturally—one player piles on bleeds or armor shred, another corrals the horde, a third times the big clears. It’s the kind of system that rewards communication, not just high-APM card dumps.

That also makes Hellcard a better spectator game than most in the genre. Watching a friend set up a chain reaction with stuns and shoves feels closer to a tactical RPG than a pure roguelike. If Thing Trunk keeps patching balance and adds more enemy patterns that stress positioning, there’s real staying power here.

Value check and final thoughts

At $24.99 with a DLC hero included, Hellcard lands in the “worth a serious look” tier—especially if you’ve got two friends hungry for something more tactical than a horde shooter but less time-consuming than a CRPG campaign. The big questions now are technical: smooth online play, snappy controls, and readable UI. If the console optimizations deliver, Hellcard could become the go-to co-op deckbuilder on living room hardware.

TL;DR

Hellcard launches on Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation for $24.99 with the Blood Witch DLC included, bringing smart three-player co-op and a standout positioning system to consoles. If the controller mapping and matchmaking hold up, this is an easy recommend for deckbuilder fans who actually want to play together.