Heckmouse’s Dog Witch is a wonderfully surreal deckbuilding roguelite.

*Dog Witch*. Credit: Heckmouse / Mystic Forge

Dog Witch from solo developer Heckmouse, producer Rami Ismail, and publisher Mystic Forge is a small, irreverent, and deeply charming roguelite deckbuilder, or rather dicebuilder. The goal is simple: explore bizarre lands as the Dog Witch and defeat the Mad Master Wizard. Runs are short and snappy, usually lasting 20–30 minutes, and the game packs a surprising amount of variety into that time, thanks to its 150+ items, and that’s not counting the corrupted variants, which add an extra layer of strategic risk.

During runs, you collect artifacts that slot into different equipment categories. Books, wands, curses, spells, summons, and bones appear on the dice you roll during turn-based combat, while rings, bracelets, and necklaces provide passive bonuses. Each slot serves a distinct purpose: bones generate shields, your wand deals direct damage, books determine how you charge magic, spells unleash powerful attacks once fully charged, and curses apply debilitating effects to enemies. Every item meaningfully reshapes your approach, making success all about discovering synergies. My favorite builds leaned heavily into the summon slot—fielding absurd allies like laser ponies, skeletons, beekeepers, and gun rats—then stacking buffs on them to destroy my enemies. For extra spice, you can corrupt items for stronger effects at a cost, adding a tempting risk-reward decision to each run.

Each land on the path to the wizard features a series of encounters capped off by a boss fight. The enemy designs are a constant delight—my favorite part of the game. You’ll face off against a sheriff flanked by bunny deputies, a sentient milk vending machine, Russian nesting dolls packing guns, a snake-frog king, cat ladies, and countless other wonderfully odd creations.

Visually, Dog Witch leans into goofy cartoon charm. The 3D graphics favor flat colors over detailed textures, giving everything a soft, innocent look that only heightens the humor. The game’s childlike surrealism, expressed through both its visuals and its absurd enemy designs, is where it shines brightest. I can’t wait to see Heckmouse’s next project.

Dog Witch is easy to pick up but rewards clever builds and bold experimentation. It smartly streamlines the more complex systems found in other card-based RPGs, distilling them into something approachable without sacrificing depth. The result is a highly replayable adventure that keeps you refining your strategies as you battle through its wonderfully strange world.

Dog Witch is available now on Steam.