Encounter: The Lost Cards Launches January 26 — A Spicy, Tarot-Fueled, Turn-Based Roguelike Where Your Inventory Is a Weapon [Press Release]

Toronto, Ontario - January 26, 2026 - Solo indie developer Salvatore Grosso is excited to announce the 1.0 launch of Encounter: The Lost Cards, a turn-based roguelike RPG where Tarot cards become the world map, every choice is an encounter, and your run lives or dies on tight inventory management, deck manipulation, and combo-driven strategy with surprising depth.

After its short run in Early Access, Encounter: The Lost Cards full launch brings with it with a spicier, PG-13 distinctive fantasy that isn't afraid to get a little chaotic, a little shameless, and a little darker than your usual polite indie fare—without losing the humor.

About Encounter: The Lost Cards

In Encounter: The Lost Cards, players take the role of an adventurer pulled into a conflict between angels and demons, hunting the lost Major Arcana through battles, merchants, dice-driven events, and morally questionable decisions. Encounters are represented by Tarot cards—sometimes upright, sometimes reversed—pushing players to adapt as the game flips the odds mid-run.

"My goal with Encounter was to create a roguelike that doesn't feel like a remix—it feels like its own thing," said Salvatore Grosso, solo developer of Encounter: The Lost Cards. "The best part of watching streams is hearing players constantly say 'interesting,' because that means the systems are doing their job. I also wasn't interested in watering down Tarot into something cute and harmless. It's PG-13, not over-the-top, but it respects the darker human side of the cards. This is the game I've been building toward, albeit unknowingly, my whole life."

Key Features

• Tarot-as-map progression: Navigate a world where each card is an encounter—and orientation matters.

• Turn-based tactical combat built around timing, planning, and reacting to enemy actions.

• Inventory management that matters: What you carry—and how you organize it—can be the difference between a clean win and a humiliating death.

• Deep deck manipulation & combo discovery: Strategy that goes further than the "typical" roguelike loop, with room for mastery and experimentation.

• Chaotic, comedic fantasy with PG-13 spice: A world that's equal parts ominous and unserious.

• Endgame escalation: Push your luck as the game gets meaner the longer you survive.

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  Salvatore Grosso is a Canada-based solo indie developer building under Encounter GG. Encounter: The Lost Cards blends Tarot-inspired progression with turn-based combat, inventory mastery, and a sharp comedic fantasy voice designed to surprise players every run.