Press release

"Carcassonne Meets Balatro" in Vena, a Roguelike City-Builder Coming to PC in 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Solo developer loerting is proud to announce Vena, a genre-bending strategy game that blends the structural satisfaction of a city-builder with the "just one more run" loop of a roguelike. Originally the winner of Godot Wild Jam #85, the game is being expanded into a full commercial release for PC (Steam), Linux, and Steam Deck in End of Q1 2026.

Vena challenges players to build a survival engine in a barren, post-apocalyptic void. Unlike traditional builders with infinite time, Vena requires constant adaptation. The core loop is driven by a dice-based economy: players roll dice to determine their purchasing power, then draft factories and arcane conduits from a shifting marketplace.

Described as a mix of the board game Carcassonne and the card game Balatro, Vena features a unique fusion of deckbuilding mechanics and hex-grid city planning. Players must rotate and snap tiles into a grid to create complex production chains to feed a hungry Nexus. If the Nexus's demands aren't met, the network collapses.

Key Features:

  • High-Stakes Drafting: A dice-driven economy forces players to make the best of what they can afford, turning bad RNG into clever makeshift solutions.
  • Deep Customization: The game features over 200 rotatable tiles with distinct inputs and outputs, alongside 50+ perks that shift strategy mid-run.
  • Feed the Nexus: Players must build efficient supply chains (Producers to Converters to Nexus) that scale as the Nexus's consumption increases.
  • Mythic Atmosphere: Vena moves away from standard industrial aesthetics, featuring hand-crafted pixel art with a mythic, arcane atmosphere.

Availability: Vena is targeting a release for End of Q1 2026 on PC (Steam), with full Linux and Steam Deck support.