#basketball deckbuilder

Clutchtime is a high-energy basketball roguelike deckbuilder game where every play counts — coming to Steam Deck and Linux via Windows PC. Thanks to the creative mind of developer Bigosaur, due to bring a fresh and exciting twist to the court. Working to make its way onto Steam soon.

Grab your controllers and lace up your virtual sneakers, because something seriously awesome is about to hit the court. Clutchtime: Basketball Deckbuilder — the latest passion project from solo Serbian dev Bigosaur (yeah, the same legend who gave us Son of a Witch and Watermelon Party) — officially releasing on July 24, 2025. It's already shaping up to be epic for both deckbuilder die-hards and basketball fans.

I'm actually using Debian to develop and Steam Deck to test the game because I don't like booting into Windows unless absolutely necessary. Currently I have no plans to make the native Linux builds available because the build runs flawlessly using Proton....

Bigosaur explains that sticking to a single code base makes testing and support much simpler—so Steam Deck and Linux players can expect to jump in through Windows PC via Proton. Which is something, since development is using their own custom, in-house engine.

And the demo is also live right now on Steam. You can wishlist it and jump into the action early. You will want in on this.

Clutchtime: Basketball Deckbuilder - Release date trailer

So, what’s it all about?

Imagine the chaotic strategy of your favorite deckbuilders (Balatro fans, you’ll feel right at home), now slam-dunked together with the energy of real basketball. That’s Clutchtime: Basketball Deckbuilder in a nutshell. Every move you’d see in a real event — passes, dunks, blocks, steals — they’re all cards in your deck. Want to swap out your point guard or yell at the ref? You can. Seriously.

Created by Milan Babuškov, a self-proclaimed basketball nut and one-man dev team, Clutchtime: Basketball Deckbuilder isn’t just a release — it’s a love letter to the sport. Inspired by Serbian heroes like Nikola Jokić, Boban Marjanović, and Bogdan Bogdanović, this title wears its heart (and jersey) on its sleeve.

“I’m a huge basketball fan,” Milan says. “Making this title felt like mixing my two biggest passions — basketball and gaming — into one epic ride. I can’t wait for people to try it.”

What's inside the playbook?

Two Game Modes: If you’re craving high-stakes drama, go for Elimination Mode — every game in Clutchtime: Basketball Deckbuilder counts, and one loss could knock you out. Or take it slow in Classic Mode, where you grind through a full season and fight your way to the playoffs.

Real Tactics, Real Strategy: Your starting lineup comes with five players and three unique cards each. Build your dream team, create wild combos, and also dominate the court with plays that’d make any coach proud.

Expect the Unexpected: Random in-season events let you trade cards, upgrade your team, clone your MVP, and more. Think fast or get left behind.

Hear the Roar: Milan went to actual basketball games due to record real crowd noise. The soundtrack reacts to your plays in real time — hit a buzzer beater or slam down a dunk, and the crowd explodes. So it’s got all the hype of game night, right in your headphones.

And Linux players, don’t worry — you’re not benched. Clutchtime: Basketball Deckbuilder is fully supported on Steam Deck via Windows. Proton support plays nice. It’s built with you in mind.

So if you’ve ever wanted to run plays like a coach, flex your card skills like a strategist, and hear the crowd roar as you drain the winner — now’s your shot.