Guildrun review: I almost uninstalled it after one run
Verdict: Play it.
The story is a Solo Leveling copy, the game under it is great. Our take on the free Guildrun demo: conditional relics, one-mistake runs, and a Riot-grade look.
Best autobattler games we reviewed
Free Steam demos where all the thinking happens before the fight, judged on whether a loss teaches you anything.
What autobattler games are
In an autobattler you build a team, equip it, set the order, and then watch the fight play out with no input from you. All the skill is in the preparation: which units work together, which relics to take, when to spend and when to save. If the fight goes wrong you learn something and plan again.
The genre grew out of PC mods and mobile hits and is now full of indie demos on Steam, which is what this page covers. Most are free to try and some are free to keep.
Our top 4
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Guildrun
Terrible lore, great autobattler: the free Guildrun demo is worth two hours of anyone's time who likes idle battlers.
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Batomon Showdown
An asynchronous PvP auto-battler where you fight the teams other players left behind, and every build, from poison to stacked shields, eventually runs into one that beats it; only the tight 10-slot roster holds it back.
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Orc Incremental
An incredibly addictive idle-roguelike loop already in the free demo - a must-try for idle fans, with a few rough edges left to fix.
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Deck Beasts
A free deckbuilding auto-battler demo where any beast can wear any skill, but with 60 monsters per deck and a tight shop, your build is whatever the shop happens to roll, and the fights are too noisy to learn from.
How we judge autobattler games
An autobattler is a game where all the thinking happens before the fight. You pick a team, set the order, choose the relics, and then watch whether you were right. When it works, a loss sends you back to the planning screen with a theory. When it does not, you watch the same fight twice and learn nothing.
Everything on this page is a free Steam demo. The genre lives on demos and fest builds right now, and a demo is enough to judge the loop. Guildrun has the best fights of the group, Batomon Showdown has the cleverest idea in asynchronous PvP, Orc Incremental turns the format into an idle game. Deck Beasts is on the list with a Maybe because the deck size fights the player.
What we check
- A loss sends you back with a theory
- The team-building screen has real depth
- The demo is enough to judge the loop
Worth playing
3
Batomon Showdown: Fight What Rivals Left Behind
Verdict: Play it.
Three hours of trying to break it, and every build met its counter. Our review of Batomon Showdown: deep async PvP held back by a cramped 10-slot roster.
Orc Incremental demo review: An addictive roguelike idle battler
Verdict: Play it.
Card-draw randomness, overpowered shaman builds, and an addictive core loop. We played the free Steam demo of Orc Incremental - here's our verdict.
Worth a look
1
Deck Beasts: A Deck You Can't Steer
Verdict: Maybe.
Any beast can carry any skill, but the shop decides what you get. Our Deck Beasts demo review: decks too big to plan around and wipes you can't read.