Move over, Master Chief. The new hero of the resistance is… an office printer?

Developer Ludokultur has officially kicked off the first public Steam playtest for Topdeck Automat, a wildly inventive roguelike auto-battler that asks the question: What if the only thing standing between Earth and total alien annihilation was a fleet of repurposed office appliances?

If you’ve ever wanted to watch a hacked flyer printer dish out tactical justice against hordes of invaders, your time has come.

The Premise: Revenge of the Vending Machines

In a dark (but let’s be honest, mostly hilarious) future, alien forces have seized Earth and dismantled every human weapon. However, they made one fatal mistake: they ignored the “harmless” worker droids.

You play as a reprogrammed unit—ranging from office assistants to vending machines—marching to take back the planet. It’s a premise that feels like a love letter to Douglas Adams, trading gritty sci-fi tropes for high-octane stationary and snack-based warfare.

How it Plays: Your Deck Prints Itself

Topdeck Automat blends the strategic depth of a deckbuilder with the “sit back and see if your plan works” satisfaction of an auto-battler. Here is the core loop:

The Printing Mechanic: Instead of manually playing cards, your droid “prints” them during combat. The order is randomised, forcing you to build a deck that is efficient regardless of the draw.

Synergy & Upgrades: With over 200 cards and 100+ stackable modules, the game encourages you to find “broken” builds. Think of it as Balatro meets Brotato—you aren’t just looking for a good hand; you’re looking for an infinite loop of destruction.

Tactical Weather: Random weather effects (20+ in total) force you to adapt your strategy on the fly, ensuring no two runs feel identical.

From the Makers of Rack and Slay

The game comes from the duo behind the “billiards roguelike” hit Rack and Slay. Fabian Fischer (Ludokultur) handles the design and programming, while Victor Negreiro brings the quirky world to life with distinct, vibrant animations. If their previous work is any indication, expect tight mechanics and a “just one more run” gameplay loop.

Join the Alpha Playtest

The playtest went live on March 24, 2026. While the developers note that this is an alpha version—meaning some final art is missing, and it only contains a fraction of the final planned content—the core gameplay loop is fully playable.

The full version is expected to feature:

30 unlockable characters with unique twists.

50 enemy types and a dozen bosses.

Extensive stat tracking and daily challenges.

Ready to join the rebellion? Head over to the Topdeck Automat Steam Page and hit “Request Access” to start printing some alien-demolishing blueprints today.

Find out more here on Steam – https://shorturl.at/U2WHn

#Ludokultur #TopdeckAutomat #roguelike #droids #aliens #gameupdate #games #gaming #gamers #platformer #gameplay #demogame #videogames #arcadegames