ARSONATE

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A card game in a burning fire tower, against a host in a gas mask.

Platforms: PC, Linux, Browser
Stores: Steam, itch.io
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (85% of 197 reviews); the free browser demo is rated 4.7/5 from 461 ratings on itch.io
Players: 1
Controls: Mouse and keyboard: click to flip cards and use utilities; A and D to turn between the table and the lockers. The browser demo also supports touch.
Made by: Nash
Released: 2026

Get it on Steam ARSONATE (Demo): free in the browser on itch.io

What frightens Locked in a fire tower, you play a deadly card game against a gas-masked [HOST]: every card you flip spreads a forest fire across your side of the board, the flames burn closer behind the wire mesh, and the more turns you take the closer the fire gets. The maker asks only: do you fear death?
Content: fire, death.

ARSONATE is a first-person horror card game by Nash, inspired by Buckshot Roulette. Locked in a fire tower, you flip cards against a masked [HOST] while a forest fire spreads with every turn, using utilities to skew the odds and be the last tower standing. A free demo plays in the browser on itch.io.

About ARSONATE

ARSONATE is a horror game of chance by Nash, published by IndieArk. A free demo came out in the browser on itch.io and on Steam in February 2024, and the full game was released on Steam for Windows and Linux in May 2026. The maker names Buckshot Roulette as its inspiration and states that no generative AI was used.

You are locked in a fire tower facing a [HOST] in a gas mask, who challenges you to a deadly game. Each card you flip spreads a forest fire, but only across your side of the field, and the more turns you take the closer the flames come. Some cards give a random utility or force you to take another turn.

Utilities, kept in lockers behind you, each skew the odds in their own way. Every card type has a fixed number in the deck, so counting what has been played is the key to good choices, and the [HOST] is counting too. Three endings, each with its own title screen, reveal more of the story behind the game.

It is drawn in dark, grainy low-resolution 3D, with fire raging behind the wire mesh of the tower and the masked host watching from across the table. It suits players who liked Buckshot Roulette or Inscryption and want a tense table game where losing means burning.

How to play ARSONATE

Try the free demo in the browser on itch.io, or buy the full game on Steam for Windows or Linux.
Sit at the table across from the [HOST] and flip cards on your turn; each one spreads the fire on your side.
Count the cards already played: every card type has a fixed number in the deck.
Open the lockers behind you to take and use utilities that change the odds.
Outlast the [HOST] to be the last tower standing, and play again for the other endings.

Screenshots

The card table seen from above, with cards marked with fire spread across the board between three hooded players

The masked host stands in the fire tower with flames behind the mesh, the caption reading Pity

Utility cards laid out on a red-marked table, a wrench and a hatchet among them, with Random Utility on offer

A red hatchet held in front of the tower's wire lockers, with the option to store it as a utility

A white box holding a coiled object, with the words Let's make a deal, fire burning behind

Tips

Keep a mental count of each card type; the [HOST] keeps one too.
Save utilities for turns when a forced extra turn could finish you.
There are three endings with different title screens, so play more than once.

Questions

Is ARSONATE like Buckshot Roulette?

Yes. The maker names Buckshot Roulette as its inspiration: a deadly table game against a masked opponent, here with cards and a spreading fire instead of a shotgun.

Is there a free version of ARSONATE?

Yes. ARSONATE (Demo) is free to play in the browser on itch.io and as a download on Steam; the full game is paid on Steam.

How many endings does ARSONATE have?

Three, each with its own title screen, according to the maker.

Was AI used to make ARSONATE?

No. The maker's itch.io page states that no generative AI was used.