It's been a few long months since my first dev update but I'm excited to share many of the new features being added to the game. Before I get into all that, I want to get the big one out of the way first:
The demo is LIVE on Steam
The last few months have been the most productive stretch of the entire project, with many cool additions and features that I want to walk you through in this issue.
There's a lot more waiting down there to kill you! I've spent a huge chunk of the past few months working on new enemy types. The roster is so much bigger than originally planned, and far more varied. Enemies in the game are not just hit points with attack numbers slapped on. They actually force you to adapt your card-slinging strategies around them. You have to read the encounter and adjust. You can't just auto-pilot the Crypt! Have a look at some of the new enemies and mechanics that you can look forward to!
Here are two more enemies you can expect to find in the second Depth. These are part of the Elite category of enemies.
Runic Summoner (top left)
Hellmount Carrion (bottom right)
Command two allies (Sheaf & Gob) when you play as the Druid. Each of the Druid's allies have their own passive abilities that will assist you during combat, depending on your interactions with them. This class is all about mutual survival! The Druid's special mechanic is called 'Offering' which grows in count when you play cards. Offering can be spent on card effects or to swap between Sheaf & Gob in combat. You can also swap between allies using Energy.
These are some of the cards you can expect to find during your run as the Druid class. This class thrives on keeping his allies alive and to support them during combat. We expect to have over 100 special and unique cards per class, across a variety of rarities for you to discover and experiment with.
The flow of the game has been improved, with more 'tighter' runs and reduced length to reach the boss of each Depth. You'll find that the space between fights doesn't feel as long, leading to a more enjoyable run experience. The in-hand, window-sized tablet has been reworked to a full-screen map instead. Players can also mark their desired path on the map for better passage visibility.
Unlike every other card type which follows the cycle of 'play once and discard', this card type breaks that rule. Persist cards remain in-combat (and on-screen in the UI) and their actions carry through every turn of combat. It rewards setup, planning, and reading a fight several turns out, and it pairs especially well with the slower, more deliberate classes. I can't wait to see the type of deck archetypes that are going to be built around it.
A great deal of thought and care has gone into the addition of many new (and hopefully interesting) artifacts that will help shape your run through the Crypt. Among these are a set of clickable artifacts which will help you in your quest to defeat the enemies that await you. Here's a few that are offered at the start of your run at the 'Grave Mound':
There will be several more 'biome' additions to the Crypt, including Molten Waste, Slime, and Arcane Caverns. These will look distinctly different visually but also may pose additional challenges throughout your run, such as directly impacting your deck capabilities or causing other adverse reactions in and out of combat. Molten Waste
Arcane Caverns
The Crypt keeps growing, and I hope you enjoyed this read and the game so far.
Drop a Wishlist — for a solo dev, that genuinely moves the needle!
Check out the demo on Steam if you haven't yet and drop by on Discord and let me know what you think of the game!
Until next time — watch your step!