I had not heard of Crown Control before this press release landed in my inbox, but after reading through everything the game is attempting to do, my interest was definitely piqued. Then I watched the gameplay footage, and yeah, this looks pretty interesting for a tactical roguelike deckbuilder.
Developed by the solo developer based in France, Melioarc, Crown Control looks like someone decided to combine the deckbuilding of Slay the Spire with the grid-based tactical combat of Triangle Strategy. Except this time, you can bring up to three friends along for the ride with four-player online co-op.
Check out the new Crown Control gameplay trailer below.
Deckbuilding Meets Tactical RPG Combat
I have not played Crown Control, so I cannot tell you how well all of these ideas come together just yet. Still, the gameplay I was able to watch does make the format look interesting. Battles take place on an isometric grid, where positioning, attack range, chokepoints, and party roles all matter. Instead of simply selecting attacks from a menu, everything revolves around the cards in your hand.
Those cards can be used to attack, defend, heal, summon allies, place traps, and even alter the terrain. Summoned units are not just temporary animations, either. They become playable units with their own cards and passive abilities, which could open up some fun combinations during combat.
The game will include 21 playable heroes, with each character featuring roughly 50 personal cards, unique relics, specialization paths, a Hero Ability, and an Ultimate. That is a lot for any game, but especially one being developed by a single person. Runs are spread across five chapters, with five acts in each chapter. Every act ends with an Epic-rank monster, while each chapter has its own regional boss. There will also be more than 50 enemy types, along with quests, merchants, elites, equipment, potions, and branching paths to discover.
Four-Player Co-op With Plenty of Potential Chaos
Another part that caught my attention is how decisions will work in co-op. Every hero has morality and order alignments that can affect encounters and their outcomes. When the entire party is involved in a decision, everyone gets to vote. I can already imagine how well that is going to go when four friends cannot agree on anything. That is potential friendship-breaking material, or at the very least, a source of plenty of frustration.
Between runs, players will return to the Breach, which acts as the game’s persistent home base. You will return there often to manage equipment, work on class progression, craft items, accept quests, and unlock permanent upgrades.
While four-player co-op is easily one of the more interesting parts of Crown Control, the game is also being balanced for solo players and smaller groups. So, you will not need a full party to play through it. Not being forced to play with friends, especially if none of them are available or you do not have internet access, is always a good thing.
Handheld PC Gaming Support Is Planned
I also reached out to Melioarc regarding handheld support and was told that both the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, among others are planned to be supported. Which is great news since tactical deckbuilder like this seems like a perfect fit for handheld gaming PCs, so I am glad that support for both devices is already being considered.
As for consoles, there are currently no plans for PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo versions. Melioarc is focused on getting the PC release finished first. However, if Crown Control performs well and there is enough interest from console players, those versions could be considered later.
A Surprisingly Ambitious Solo Project
Melioarc also confirmed that Crown Control has been in full-time development since August 2024. That means one person has spent nearly two years building a game with 21 playable heroes, tactical combat, deckbuilding, and four-player online co-op. I do not know how well the final game will turn out, but that is pretty damned impressive.
A co-op demo is planned ahead of the full release, and any progression earned in the demo will carry over into the finished game. That is another nice touch, especially for anyone who plans to put some serious time into the demo.
Again, I have not had the chance to actually play Crown Control, but after seeing what Melioarc is putting together, I am interested in checking it out. The combination of tactical RPG combat, deckbuilding, and four-player co-op is not something we see very often, and the gameplay footage makes it look like the idea might actually work.
Crown Control is scheduled to be released for PC via Steam in late 2026, however, you can wishlist the Crown Control on Steam right now.
