Since we first shared our prototype with our team, friends, and fans,
we’ve been continuously improving the game based on your invaluable feedback.
Today, we’d like to briefly share the progress we’ve made so far—
and introduce the finalized Card Coating system and its new effects, featured in the demo version now available on itch.io.
Elementail began as a single HTML file prototype built with just JavaScript and CSS.
The initial concept was a roguelike deck-building game based on simple luck-pushing mechanics—
something akin to Halli Galli or Dead Man's Draw.
Our first goal was to capture the thrill of risk and reward in each card draw, using a crude, minimal deck of cards.
Then, we aimed to give players meaningful strategic depth by allowing them to actively manipulate their deck and cards.
Building on the prototype, we officially began development in Unity and it became increasingly clear that compactness would be the core design principle of Elementail.
In the early versions, the only available actions were drawing and attacking.
While this simplicity was appealing, it also felt somewhat limiting.
We explored various ideas to expand on the gameplay, but none felt quite as fitting as the feature we now call puffcheek ability.
Player can store the card If there's a card you don’t like or one you want to save for later
you can now press the down arrow key to tuck it into your cheek.
Then, spit it out whenever the moment is right.
It’s a simple and compact mechanic, but one that adds a surprising amount of strategic depth and skill expression to the game.
Plus, it makes everything feel even more squirrel-like!
One of the most exciting features in Elementail is the ability to create cards you truly grow attached to.
Currently, there are seven special card coatings: Glass, Honey, Metal, Sticky, Void, Bread, and Credit.
Today, we’re excited to introduce the three newest coatings added since the prototype: Sticky, Bread, and Void.
Some coatings haven’t made it into the demo build just yet—but we can’t wait to finish them and show you soon!
Sticky Coating
Sticky cards work like a Double Down in Blackjack.
When a Sticky card is the last card in your chain and you attack with it, it automatically pulls one more card from your deck to join the attack.
If that bonus card includes another Sticky card, the total damage is doubled—it's an incredibly satisfying moment.
We're currently experimenting with a system where pulling another Sticky card with a Sticky card will trigger the effect again… and again. Stay tuned!
Bread Coating
An attack that begins and ends with a Bread-coated card will instantly defeat the enemy.
What makes it even trickier is that if you try to store a Bread-coated card in your cheek, the squirrel eats it—making the combo much harder to pull off.
In most situations, Bread coating is useful for thinning out your deck.
But once you've collected the right artifacts or built a specific deck composition, you can start aiming for that glorious sandwich finisher.
Void Coating
Infused with the mysteries of the cosmos, a Void-coated card removes all cards used in the same attack.
It’s a highly risky move—but since it absorbs the numbers of the other cards, it can be used strategically in combination with certain relics and synergies.
Check out the masterpiece from our teammate below—
achieved without a single cheat!
After falling short in the competitive division at Busan Indie Connect, our team is using the summer to our advantage—adding new deck-building elements and fun effects based on player feedback on Steam and itch.io!
We’ll continue improving the game using your valuable play data and survey responses.
First on the roadmap is a feature where gaining experience unlocks new relic pools in the encyclopedia and starting relics for each character.
If you have any thoughts or feedback, we’d love to hear from you—drop by our DISCORD and tag a dev anytime.
As always, thank you for playing!