Shroom and Gloom Early Access guide: start with the right deck

Make a plan from your starting hand

For example, a payoff that requires a killing blow needs enough setup damage to leave the target within reach. Work backward from the current enemy health and current card text before spending the rest of your hand. An energy refund also comes after its trigger: budget the upfront cost before relying on the refund.

1. Inspect both starting decks and your character’s base Foresight. Pick out the condition that changes your decisions: what has to happen before a reward or bonus activates?
2. Give the combat deck a clear job. Identify dependable damage first, then decide how the deck will recover or improve. When comparing rewards, check whether the payoff works with cards you already hold.
3. Inspect exploration separately. Keep track of the interactions your cards provide and the resources they require. A combat upgrade does not replace a missing exploration action.
4. Read each reward’s cost, target and trigger before taking it. Choose a card that fills a missing role; when two choices do the same job, compare their conditions rather than only their largest number.
5. After changing characters or paths, repeat these checks. A familiar-looking card name is not enough to establish that an old deck plan still fits.

Why are characters and The Facility locked?

Early Access launched on September 10, 2026. Its roster is Paperboy, Janitor, Lunchlady, Activist and Concerned Parent. Each has its own starting combat deck, exploration deck and base Foresight.

Advanced characters and access to The Facility are earned through quests. The Facility is a second route to The Gloom with a different card pool, enemies and rewards. Buying Early Access gives you the game; it does not make every progression reward immediately available.

Choose a goal before a run: learn your current deck, pursue an unlock, or test a combination. For an unlock run, write down the objective you are pursuing and record what changed after completing it. For a deck experiment, note the cards you actually obtained and the condition that made them work. Keeping those goals distinct makes the next attempt easier to plan.

Moving from the Demo to Early Access

The free Steam Demo and the paid Early Access game are separate Steam apps. Open Shroom and Gloom rather than Shroom and Gloom Demo when you want the EA release.

Use the Demo card library for Demo build 23718635. In an EA run, compare the cost, effects and trigger on the actual card before carrying over a Demo combination. If one piece has changed, rework the sequence before investing in its payoff.

When does Early Access save your run?

The game autosaves after a won fight or an escaped dungeon. When planning a break, aim to finish one of those checkpoints first. Do not assume every card play or room interaction creates a new checkpoint.

If progress fails to resume, record the last successful fight or dungeon exit, your character and path, and the error message. Keep that information with a screenshot when reporting the problem. Avoid deleting your save as a first troubleshooting step.

Controller, language and platform choices

Early Access supports Windows and macOS, controllers, English and Simplified Chinese. Controller support is available, with further improvements in development.

Use the card inspector to read a card before committing to a target. The targeting display distinguishes attacks on one enemy, multiple enemies and buffs to yourself. On a smaller screen, make the target and trigger part of your turn check instead of guessing from the artwork.

Before a run on patch 0.6.24

Patch 0.6.24 corrects permanent food and data copies so they carry Endless. Inspect the copied card before depending on repeated use. Locked-card availability and Acid Vial interactions also receive fixes.

The Forgotten Path can offer torches in more locations, and three-door room layouts have changed. Check the room you are in before spending exploration actions. Keep your current card text and game version with any build notes.

Make the next attempt more useful

Write down one failure point rather than changing the whole plan at once: an unaffordable opener, a payoff with no trigger, or an exploration action you could not use. On the next attempt, choose rewards that address that specific gap.

Keep the character, path, version and current card values with any deck notes. Two lists with the same names can play differently when their growth values or starting Foresights differ.