Yes, okay, we all know we’re in the middle of a flood of multi-genre game releases, which definitely means there’s something for everyone, right? We also know that in recent years, card games and deck-building games have seen a “boom” that’s maybe subtle but undeniable, which brings us straight to the title we’re talking about today: The Devil’s Due. It’s the upcoming game from the Norwegian studio Games People Play, whose release is announced for the second quarter of 2026. The theme? Well… play, gamble, and come back from hell without chea… what am I saying!?… If you’re playing in hell, how could you not cheat!?
With this cartoon-style aesthetic inspired by the Wild West, and a super present humorous side, The Devil’s Due aims to entertain, make us laugh and smile, but without letting us forget that we’re playing and betting our life! I don’t know about you, but I’ve gotten pretty attached to mine XD… Here we’ll face various monsters, demons, and indescribable creatures, in risky card games, on our journey back to the world of the living. And yes, you got that right, one of the main mechanics of The Devil’s Due is literally cheating! Don’t believe me? Go on, I invite you, take a look at the Announcement Trailer, courtesy of the developers’ official YouTube channel:
Welcome to Hell… where cheating is part of the rules!
In The Devil’s Due, everything revolves around one thing: gambling. Gambling with cards, with fire, with your fate and with the rules, because here, the rules are meant to be broken. In this deck-building roguelite, each game is literally a bet with your life. The central dynamic is clear: you’re trapped in hell because of a bad move, and the only way back to the world of the living is by winning… or cheating. But watch out, it’s not as easy as it seems. Every cheat you pull, whether it’s switching a card, peeking at your opponent or modifying the value of your hand, will increase a “suspicion” bar, and when the demon on duty realizes it, it might already be too late to do anything about it. The tension is there in every turn, and the adrenaline spikes with each successful trick.
The game’s structure leans heavily on replayability. As a proper roguelite, dying means going back to the start, but not empty-handed. Throughout the battles we’ll be unlocking new cheats, relics and alternate paths that will make the next run a little less deadly. Between each round we’ll encounter infernal routes full of decisions: demonic shops you can scam, shrines with mysterious effects, strange and risky challenges that promise great rewards, and all of this accompanied by a visual art style that mixes the best of classic western with a cartoonish and insane aesthetic, where fire, smoke and horns are never missing.
But beyond the mechanics, what really gives the game its life is its attitude. The Devil’s Due is not a serious roguelite nor does it pretend to be one of those titles that punish you with mathematical coldness. There’s personality here, dark humor, sarcasm, and a tone that makes every defeat not hurt so much, but rather trigger a bitter laugh and a “ok, now it’s my turn”. The game makes fun of itself, of you, of your bad decisions, and even of hell itself, which makes it more than just a card game; it’s an experience that winks at you while lighting your socks on fire.
Games People Play: cheating with style
The studio behind this infernal delirium is called Games People Play, a Norwegian team that, although not massively known, has already shown a clear inclination for games with their own identity and unconventional mechanics. Their philosophy seems simple but effective: to create experiences where breaking the rules is not only allowed, but becomes the core of the fun. The Devil’s Due couldn’t be a better calling card for that idea. From its early previews you could already tell that this project wanted to play with the player’s expectations, literally and metaphorically, and boy does it succeed.
The development has clearly been guided by a very defined artistic and design vision. The combination between the pulp aesthetic of the Wild West, the exaggerated infernal elements and a gameplay system where deception is a key mechanic, is not something that comes out by accident. There’s planning here, creativity, and a lot of desire to make something different. Even though there are still several months left until its release, what has already been shown points to a solid, fun experience with a degree of madness that fits perfectly in these times where every game seems to want to take itself too seriously.
The most interesting thing is that, despite its indie scale, the game has a visual and sound presence that makes it feel big. The animations, sound effects and music with humorous western tones achieve an instant identity. Everything is designed to make you feel like you’re in your own universe, where every creature, card or scenario has a reason to exist. And that, when we talk about games that are based on repeating runs, is key: that it doesn’t feel repetitive, that each attempt rips a different laugh or curse out of you, and that you always want to try again.
In short, Games People Play seems to be preparing something special. They may not have a long list of games behind them or a big budget, but what they do have, and it shows, is a clear idea, a marked style and a lot of desire to make cheating, for once in life, not just fun, but also fair.
So…
The Devil’s Due promises an irreverent vibe and a solution to the stress problem that seems to be swallowing the world right now. Its release is planned for the second quarter of 2026, although if you don’t want to miss any updates about it, we recommend that you head over to its Steam page and add it to your Wishlist right now, the link is down below as usual. Card games, high stakes, demons everywhere and your very own soul on the line, but always with lots of humor. Does the proposal sound appealing to you? Go on, bet on us and drop your thoughts in the comments, what do you say? You know gamer, we’ll be reading you! 🙂
Images Source: Games People Play Official YouTube Channel, The Devil’s Due on Steam
