In particular, I like the part where you build your deck from a set of themed sub-decks before the start, and then it's up to you to find the synergies between those themes. Not sure if there's an existing term for that mechanic. I think it may count as a form of a deckbuilder, but editing the deck's contents isn't part of the main game loop. Maybe a deck drafter?
I also like that it's a compact card game that doesn't take long to learn or play, and plays well with only 2 players. The only other drafting games I've found have a board, lots of pieces, and are aimed at 4+ players.
Trying to search for games like Compile is a bit difficult, because in the other threads I find, people like to focus on the lane battling aspect, which I could take or leave. I'm mostly interested in compact drafting games for 2p. Anyone know any?
Maybe check out Algomancy? It's a drafting game for 2-4 (technically 2-8 if you have 2 box sets) players with a few unique gimmicks. You start by picking 2-4 of the 5 "colors" and shuffling all of their cards together to create the draft pool, then draft cards each turn as the game progresses. If you have Tabletop Simulator, you can try it for free on there before committing to buying anything. (The TTS module was created by / is endorsed by the game's author.)
Ooo, that looks really interesting. It looks like it also supports "constructed" play, where you build a deck tcg style. Wow, bgg has the complexity weight at 4.36, that's pretty intense. Thanks, good recommendation.