Order Automatica Preview: More Strategy Than Expected | PAX East 2026

I’m fairly new to auto-battlers, and I wasn’t sure if the genre would really appeal to me. From what I’ve played, a lot of them tend to feel pretty similar. That’s where Order Automatica stands out. While it is an auto-battler, there’s a surprising amount of strategy during the prep phase before each battle begins. I got to go hands on with the game at PAX East.

The game reminds me of a tabletop card game. I choose a few characters, each represented as a card with attack and defense stats, and most have a special ability. For example, one card might deal damage to a random enemy in the same row on my opponent’s board.

The board is set up in a grid, and where I place my cards determines the order in which they attack. Positioning becomes important, especially when placing cards in the same row or column. Using the essence I earn after each battle, I can purchase buffs that increase the damage or defense of all cards in a column. I can also buy new cards, and placing three of the same character in a row levels them up, adding another layer of strategy to each setup.

I made it through a few levels before my run came to an end, and I came away really impressed. Order Automatica has a lot more depth than I expected, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with it.

Be sure to wishlist the game.