Insider Trading

Roguelike deckbuilders cover a wide range of themes. Many are set in classic fantasy worlds, such as Slay the Spire and Monster Train, albeit with their own unique twists, but others cover completely different topics. Balatro, for example, has a poker twist; Inscryption has a psychological horror theme; StarVaders involves defending against an alien invasion with mechs; CloverPit is a horror slot machine; and 9 Kings sees players build and defend a kingdom. Insider Trading is now about manipulating the stock market. Players can spike or crash the market in order to achieve a specific financial target and avoid being fired.

This is not a trading simulator; it is a deck-building game based on the player's choices. Each run begins with the selection of a character, each of which has unique mechanics and play styles, as well as a starting deck. The market is shaped by cards, perks and events that cause price fluctuations and runaway momentum. Each day begins with a random selection of ten cards from the player's deck. Before the market opens, players must decide whether to trade or skip.

When trading, the player automatically purchases as many shares of a fictitious company as possible at the current price. The ten cards are then triggered from left to right, changing the market price. The order of the cards can be adjusted slightly before playing. Finally, all the shares are sold at the new price. If a player chooses to skip, they forfeit the trade but receive versatile tokens instead. There are different types of card, including 'Bulls' (the stock price rises) and 'Bears' (the stock price falls), as well as 'Investor' cards with more complex effects. If five cards of the same type are placed next to each other, a combo is created which activates the cards twice and awards bonus tokens.

The game also incorporates themes of greed and 'push-your-luck', as well as risk and reward. Players must constantly decide whether to risk everything for higher profits or to take the more secure option. This is especially important to remember, since driving the price too high will mean that it will be unaffordable the following week.

Between market days, players enter the Aftermarket to draft cards from different pools, thereby expanding their decks. This often involves taking on risk in exchange for potential rewards. Some cards strengthen the deck. Others weaken it. There are over 120 cards, spanning 12 different types. Unlocking and combining them enables the development of strategies for market fluctuations and compounding effects. Events also occur, and one-time pills can drastically affect a run mid-game. There are also more than 50 perks (permanent effects), including cursed perks with dangerous trade-offs. Of course, there are also meta-unlocks, which allow new synergies.

However, as getting started in the game is not that easy, the tutorial flow has recently been updated to provide a smoother onboarding experience. A seventh difficulty level has also been added: the new 'Trainee' mode makes the game more approachable for newcomers.

Insider Trading is the first commercial release from Naiive Studio, an independent developer based in New York and Suwon, South Korea. Although it is the studio's first game, it was self-published."This project has been in development for a long time, and for most of that time it existed as something unfinished and constantly changing. The demo, the playtests, and all the iterations that followed ended up shaping the game far more than I expected when I started. A lot of what you are playing now only exists because of that process," writes Naiive, in a post on Steam to mark the launch.

Insider Trading was released on 18 February 2026, for €12.89. It is playable on PC, Mac OS, and Linux.

Conclusion

Insider Trading ist ein innovativer Roguelike-Deckbuilder in einem unverbrauchten Setting.

Features

• Roguelike deckbuilder in a unique setting
• Over 120 cards across 12 card types
• Compatible audiovisual design