Alice has returned to Wonderland, but this time she’s not chasing a White Rabbit or trying to find her way home. She’s looking for somebody willing to play blackjack. The Mad Hatter’s ready to deal, the Cheshire Cat has a few tricks up his sleeve, and the Queen of Hearts is still threatening to remove people’s heads.
Wonderjack is a roguelike card game from Victorian Studio that’s joining October’s Steam Next Fest with a free playable demo. Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, it takes the familiar rules of blackjack and turns them into a series of strategic battles against some of Wonderland’s most recognizable residents, complete with special cards, powerful relics, and opponents who aren’t above bending the rules in their favor.
Twenty-One, or Off With Your Head!
If you’ve ever played blackjack, you’ll already understand the basics. The aim is to get your cards as close to 21 as possible without going over, while trying to beat whatever your opponent has managed to put together. Sounds simple enough. Unfortunately, Alice isn’t playing against ordinary casino dealers. She’s challenging the inhabitants of Wonderland, and each opponent brings their own personality, tactics, and special abilities to the table.
Some characters prefer to play cautiously, taking fewer risks and making it harder to catch them out. Others are much more unpredictable, creating situations where a perfectly sensible strategy might suddenly become a terrible idea. You’ll need to pay attention to how each opponent behaves, deciding when to draw another card and when to stick with what you’ve got.
Getting too greedy could see you sail straight past 21 and throw away a promising hand. Play too cautiously, and your opponent might beat you anyway. Of course, the Queen of Hearts isn’t exactly famous for being a gracious loser, so we’d recommend making sure you understand the rules before challenging her.
Who Needs Fair Play When You’ve Got Power Cards?
Blackjack might provide the foundation, but Wonderjack has a few extra tricks waiting in the deck. Power Cards allow you to perform special actions during your turn, giving you opportunities to change the situation when an ordinary hand isn’t going your way.
Some are relatively straightforward, such as allowing you to draw a specific number of cards. Others can completely change what’s happening on the table, including an ability that discards every visible card. Imagine carefully working your way toward 21, only for somebody to clear the table and leave you reconsidering your entire strategy.
You’ll need to think about more than simply which number you’re trying to reach. Knowing when to use a Power Card, which effects to save, and how your opponent might respond could be the difference between winning a match and watching your carefully planned hand fall apart.
Relics, Risks, and a Very Strange Card Collection
Winning matches brings rewards that help Alice prepare for the next encounter. After each battle, you’ll choose one of three relics to add to your collection. These provide passive or active abilities, allowing you to build combinations that support different strategies.
You could concentrate on improving your chances of getting a strong hand or collect abilities that give you more control when the cards aren’t cooperating. The more relics you gather, the more opportunities you’ll have to experiment with different approaches.
Of course, a powerful collection of relics won’t guarantee victory. You’ll still need to understand the opponent sitting across from you, make sensible decisions, and recognize when taking another card is a terrible idea. As Alice progresses through Wonderland, she’ll also unlock artwork and information about the characters and world, giving players something else to discover between matches.
It’s a nice addition for anyone who enjoys the setting, especially with the game’s hand-drawn interpretation of Wonderland’s familiar faces.
Place Your Bets, Alice!
The full game is currently planned for release later in 2026. Between its blackjack-inspired battles, unpredictable Wonderland opponents, Power Cards, and collectible relics, there’s plenty here for players who enjoy roguelike deckbuilders with an unusual twist.
It’s also an entertaining excuse to revisit Wonderland without having to worry about finding your way through a maze or attending another completely nonsensical tea party. Although we’d still be careful about challenging the Queen of Hearts.
After all, losing a hand of blackjack is one thing. Losing your head over it seems a little excessive, even for Wonderland.