Rogue Kingdoms blends tower defense with Vampire Survivors action and will have full Steam Deck support

With an upgrade system that's a little inspired by the popularity of Vampire Survivors and all the games that followed, Rogue Kingdoms combines some interesting looking tower defense gameplay with direct hero control and roguelike elements.

The developer isn't shy on their inspiration either directly noting games like Vampire Survivors, Bloons TD6, Brotato, Kingdom Rush and others. They're just trying their hand at something that combines their favourites into a new game.

Here you control the hero movement to run around and build towers but you also attack directly. Your main weapon is automatic if you're in range, but then you do also get some manual skills and other boosts that you pick when you level up. The point is to play it again and again to try it all sorts of different hero combinations.

The game will have 54 unique towers, procedurally generated maps, hundreds of special relics, skills and other upgrades.

YouTube videos require cookies, you must accept their cookies to view. View cookie preferences.
Accept Cookies & Show   Direct Link

Writing in a Steam announcement the developer said about Steam Deck support:

Great news! Rogue Kingdoms now fully supports controllers and runs perfectly on Steam Deck.

No complicated setups—just install and play. We genuinely think playing with a gamepad or Steam Deck is the best way to enjoy Rogue Kingdoms.

Here's what's included:

• Full Input Compatibility: The Steam Deck’s controls work perfectly right out of the box.
• Optimized and Rebindable Controls: Controls feel smooth and responsive. Move the hero with one stick and your skills with the other—or swap them around. Customize controls to your preference!
• Docked Mode Ready: Want to play on a bigger screen? Easily connect a Bluetooth controller or keyboard to play docked.
• Clear, Easy-to-Read UI: Text and icons are designed specifically for the Steam Deck’s screen—no squinting needed.
• Long Battery Life: Game optimized to help your battery last longer.
• Smooth Performance: Enjoy stable, smooth gameplay at all times.
• Steam Cloud Saves: Switch effortlessly between PC and Steam Deck without losing progress.
• Native Compatibility: Runs perfectly on Steam Deck’s Linux system. Zero adjustments required.
• Quick Resume: Pause anytime and instantly resume gameplay without any issues or crashes.

There's a demo on Steam but that only has a Windows version, which at least worked just fine with the latest Proton 9.0-4 on my Kubuntu Linux desktop. It's not clear if the above "Native Compatibility" meant it will get a Native Linux version or not, or if it just works with Proton.