Card Climber

Deck Building Platformer

© 2026 Salmonladder

How to Play

Game Loop

Card Battle → Platform Level → Upgrades → Repeat

Card Battle

You have 3 AP (Action Points). The shadowy AI plays first, then you select cards from your hand. You must play at least 1 card. Your cards grant actions for the platform level. The AI's cards create obstacles.

Your Cards

  • Jump (1 AP) - One jump
  • Duck (1 AP) - One duck
  • Attack (1 AP) - One attack (tap Space)
  • Double Jump (1 AP) - Second jump while airborne
  • Wall Cling (1 AP) - Cling to walls
  • Power Attack (2 AP) - 3x damage attack (hold Space)
  • Extra AP (1 AP) - +2 AP next turn
  • Extra Draw (1 AP) - +2 cards next turn
  • Free Jump/Attack/Duck/Cling (2-3 AP) - Unlimited for 10-15 seconds

AI Cards

  • Platform - Creates a platform
  • Low Wall - Duck to pass (overhead beam, ground wall, or tunnel)
  • Animal - Blocks path, pushes you back. Attack or jump over.
  • Solid Wall - Jump over or wall cling
  • High Ground - Needs double jump to reach
  • Wildling - Instant retry on contact!
  • Boss - Too tall for single jump. 3 attacks or 1 power attack to kill.
  • Swooper - Flying creature. Dodge or attack to kill.
  • Boulder - Falls from above, then rolls across the platform.
  • Ice Platform - Slippery surface. Hard to stop moving.
  • Canopy - Overhead hazard. Walk or duck under it. Jumping into it is lethal!

Multi-Tier Levels

From round 5+, levels may have multiple tiers. Look for blue glowing drop zones to safely descend. Falling anywhere else hits spikes! Lower tiers may go left or right — follow the green arrows.

Controls

  • A/D or ←/→ - Move
  • W or ↑ - Jump
  • S or ↓ - Duck
  • Space (tap) - Attack
  • Space (hold) - Power Attack

Upgrades

After each level, you get 2 choices: Add a card, Remove a card (min deck 5), or Merge 2 unmerged cards into one with combined effects and costs.

Hearts

3 hearts. Lose 1 when you give up a level. Game over at 0. Retries are free!

Game Over

Final Score: 0

Rounds Survived: 0

High Score: 0