---
key: mechanic/deck-building--family-cycle
type: mechanic
id: deck-building--family-cycle
lang: en
title: Deck order and cycling
summary: >-
Played cards enter the discard pile. When the draw pile runs out, a new cycle
brings familiar actions back in another order.
updatedAt: '2026-10-21'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/deck-building--family-cycle/'
jsonUrl: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/deck-building--family-cycle.json
markdownUrl: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/deck-building--family-cycle.md
aliases:
- Deck cycling
tags:
- Deck building
- Card operations
sourceIds:
- source-3719d6c00eb94e21
- source-7f09c8a736762f4f
sources:
- id: source-3719d6c00eb94e21
title: Aeon's End · original rules
url: 'https://media.lavkaigr.ru/uploads/9e-aeons-end-rulebook.pdf'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-7f09c8a736762f4f
title: Slay the Spire
url: 'https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/'
verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
- catalogId: deck-building
id: family-cycle
title: Deck building
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/deck-building/#family-cycle'
categoryIds:
- section-2
supersededBy: []
attributes:
preview:
updatedAt: '2026-10-21'
title: Deck cycling
description: >-
Played cards enter the discard pile. When the draw pile runs out, a new
cycle brings familiar actions back in another order.
image:
src: images/mechanics/slay-the-spire-battle.webp
width: 1440
height: 810
game: Slay the Spire
sourceUrl: 'https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/'
originalUrl: 'https://www.megacrit.com/images/ss8.jpg'
credit: Mega Crit
rights: © Mega Crit. All rights reserved.
caption: Two piles in one cycle
alt: >-
Slay the Spire: draw and discard counters at opposite ends of the bottom
panel.
markers:
- x: 4
'y': 93
label: Cards remaining before the next cycle
- x: 96
'y': 94
label: Discarded cards for a future shuffle
tips:
- Distinguish discarding from removing a card from the cycle.
- Make the shuffle visible instead of silently changing piles.
examples:
- title: Slay the Spire
url: 'https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on
2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are
preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire
classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and
editorial review.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/deck-building
---
# Deck order and cycling
id: deck-building--family-cycle
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/deck-building--family-cycle
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/deck-building--family-cycle/
Played cards enter the discard pile. When the draw pile runs out, a new cycle brings familiar actions back in another order.
## At a glance
[Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/) · © Mega Crit. All rights reserved.
1. Cards remaining before the next cycle
2. Discarded cards for a future shuffle
- Distinguish discarding from removing a card from the cycle.
- Make the shuffle visible instead of silently changing piles.
- [Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/)
## How it works
How cards are returned to the draw and how predictable the next cycle is.
## Variants
### Variants and applications
- Reshuffle. Rule: When you need to draw from an empty deck, the discard turns into a new deck after shuffling.
- No-shuffle cycling. Rule: Resets are flipped to maintain a specific order, turning the discard sequence into a planning tool.
- Finite deck. Rule: An expended deck is not restored or its restoration requires a special fee.
- Early shuffle. Rule: The effect shuffles the deck and discards until normal, changing the availability of cards already used.
- Gain destination. Rule: A new card goes to the discard pile, hand, top, bottom, or random position of the deck; the zone determines the delay before the first application.
- Topdeck. Rule: An existing card is placed on top of the deck for a predictable next draw.
- Bottomdeck. Rule: The card is sent to the bottom of the deck, delaying its reappearance.
- Deck stacking. Rule: The player changes the order of the top few cards in preparation for future hands.
- Discard ordering. Rule: The player determines the order in which the cards go into the discard pile; this is significant when maintaining order or selective returns.
- Recycle. Rule: The effect returns selected discard cards to the deck without waiting for the standard cycle to complete.
- Fatigue. Rule: Emptying the deck, attempting to draw, or shuffling again brings damage, threat, or another cost.
- Shuffle triggers. Rule: Moving to the next cycle activates rewards, boosts, generation or other effects.
## Context and limits
Design taxonomy of basic rules and options, including card operations and external systems. The number of entries is not a generally accepted classification of independent mechanics.
## Connected materials
## Sources and provenance
Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review.
- [Aeon's End · original rules](https://media.lavkaigr.ru/uploads/9e-aeons-end-rulebook.pdf) (id: source-3719d6c00eb94e21)
- [Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/) (id: source-7f09c8a736762f4f)
CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors