- All Army Attack how to unlock cards: cards are earned during each run through battles, rewards, and base upgrades.
- Core loop: win fights, pick card rewards between battles, and grow your army past the edges of the screen.
- Demo status: the free demo (live November 16, 2026) exposes a subset of the planned ~70 cards.
- Fastest unlock path: prioritize army scaling cards early — bigger boards multiply every later pick.
- Full release: roughly 70 cards are planned for the 2027 full version.
How Card Unlocks Work in All Army Attack
In All Army Attack, cards are the building blocks of every run. There is no separate "card shop" outside the game — instead, you unlock cards organically as you play: each battle victory feeds you card rewards, unit recruitment options, and base upgrades. The full game is planned to include around 70 cards, and the demo that went live on November 16, 2026 already exposes a meaningful slice of that pool.
Think of unlocking cards as a run-by-run process, not a one-time checklist. Because All Army Attack is a roguelike auto-battler, your card pool access resets with each run — what you "keep" is knowledge of which cards and combos carried you.
Here is how the four main card categories become available:
| Card Category | How It Unlocks | Role | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Unit Cards | Offered as battle rewards and recruitment picks | Add clucks and other creatures to your formation | Demo |
| Plant Unit Cards | Offered as battle rewards and recruitment picks | Ranged damage, area effects, utility | Demo |
| Army Scaling Cards | Reward picks after victories | Raise unit counts, spawn rates, army size limits | Demo |
| Base Upgrade Cards | Chosen between battles | Improve base and run economy long-term | Demo |
| Full Launch Card Pool | Unlocks with the 2027 full release | Additional units, buffs, and combos | To be confirmed |
The demo is a vertical slice. Progress from the demo will not carry over to the full version, so treat demo card unlocks as practice — learn the system now, plan your real builds for launch.
Step-by-Step: Unlocking Cards in Your First Runs
Follow these steps to maximize how many cards you see — and how strong they are — in your early runs.
Download the Demo on Steam
Head to the All Army Attack Steam page (app 4128840) and hit the "Download Demo" button. It is free and gives immediate access to the card reward loop.
Win Battles to Earn Card Rewards
Each run consists of a series of battles. Your army fights automatically; your job is spending resources on units and upgrades before each fight. Every victory opens new card offers.
Prioritize Army Scaling Cards First
Grab cards that increase unit counts, spawn rates, or army size limits early. A bigger board gives you more value from every later card you unlock.
Balance Animals and Plants
Mix animal units like clucks with plant units. Animals give cheap swarm bodies and frontliners; plants provide damage and utility that multiplies your swarm's value.
Invest in Base Upgrade Cards
Between battles, choose base and economy upgrades. Long-term scaling usually pays off more across a full run than a single powerful unit.
By the end of your first demo run, aim to have unlocked at least one card from every category: one animal unit, one plant unit, one army scaling card, and one base upgrade. That gives you a complete picture of the system.
Card Types Comparison: What to Pick First
Not all unlock picks are equal. These four card archetypes serve different purposes, and your early choices shape the entire run.
Animal Unit Cards
- Best early: clucks are cheap and effective when massed
- Set the tone for super-large-scale battles
- Frontline bodies and damage dealers
Plant Unit Cards
- Ranged damage and area effects
- Synergy: buffs and spawn effects multiply existing animals
- Pairs well with durable animal frontliners
Army Scaling Cards
- Highest priority: unit counts, spawn rates, size limits
- Compounds into a bigger army for free
- The core engine of overflow-the-screen battles
Base Upgrade Cards
- Long-term economy and production gains
- Production speed first, attack power second
- Defense upgrades can wait until you survive longer
This priority order works for most new runs:
| Priority | Card Type | Why | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Army Scaling | Compounds all game long; bigger board = more value | ★★★★★ |
| 2 | Base Production Speed | Faster spawns mean a bigger army for free | ★★★★☆ |
| 3 | Animal Swarm (Clucks) | Cheap bodies that scale with numbers | ★★★★☆ |
| 4 | Plant Support | Multiplies value of every animal fielded | ★★★☆☆ |
| 5 | Defense / Health | Matters only once runs go longer | ★★☆☆☆ |
As a roguelike, every run offers different cards. Do not force one build — pick the strongest options actually offered, and note which combos carried your best runs for next time.
High-Risk Gambles and Card Momentum
All Army Attack lets you stake your entire army on a single decisive push — a high-risk mechanic that pairs directly with your card unlocks. Cards that boost attack power turn an all-in push from a coin flip into a genuine strategy.
Good moments to go all-in:
- Right after wiping an enemy wave, while their production is down
- Immediately after unlocking an attack-power or army-size card
- When the enemy base is exposed and reinforcements have stopped
Avoid all-in pushes into well-defended chokepoints or while enemy reinforcements are still streaming in. Because All Army Attack is an Action/Casual/Strategy hybrid, losing an army is not run-ending — rebuilding is fast, and experimenting is half the fun.
Only commit your whole army after a card unlock has actually raised your power. Pushing with an unchanged force into a rebuilt defense usually just donates your army to the enemy.
Unlock Goals Checklist
Use this checklist to track your card-unlock progress across your demo runs:
Card Unlock Milestones:
- Unlock one animal unit card (start with clucks)
- Unlock one plant unit card for ranged support
- Grab an army scaling card in the first three battles
- Pick at least one base production upgrade
- Complete a full demo run using all four card categories
The full card pool of roughly 70 cards arrives with the 2027 release. Wishlist the game on Steam and follow Devolver Digital's official channels to catch new card reveals before launch.
FAQ
Q: How do you unlock cards in All Army Attack?
Cards unlock during gameplay: win battles to earn card rewards, recruit units from offered cards, and choose base upgrade cards between fights. There is no external unlock system — access comes from playing runs, starting with the free Steam demo.
Q: How many cards are in All Army Attack?
The full game is planned to include around 70 cards covering unit recruitment, army scaling, and base progression. The demo exposes a subset of this pool, with the rest confirmed at the 2027 full release.
Q: Do demo card unlocks carry over to the full game?
No. The demo is a vertical slice and progress does not carry over. Use demo runs to learn the card system and which combos work best, then apply that knowledge at launch.
Q: What cards should I unlock first?
Prioritize army scaling cards that increase unit counts and spawn rates, followed by base production speed upgrades. These compound across the whole run, giving every later card more value.