Wow, this is an incredible game, thanks so much for making it! Playing on android at the moment. This could probably work on Playdate if you want to try a black and white version. A coworker of mine put out a card puzzler if you want to see what something like that could look like
im so obsessed w this, i just finished a run w rogue on the second tower with one hp and no weapons, hitting the banshee unarmed until it attacked me back for zero damage and the secondhand embarrassment killed it and tbh, thats the best thing ever
Thanks a lot for the feedback and sorry for the confusion, the game's still in development! I will eventually make it clear that this version still has limited content.
About the overkill mechanic: I'm not fully sure but I think you're talking about the Force Multiplier Aura together with a high attack value weapon... right? To re-use your weapon. Want to share what weapon(s) you were using? :)
This for example was a winning deck for the Banshee on highest tower level. It was quite easy. Starting deck was the Rust Bucket (or how it is called). It would have been even easier with the shield maiden.
Well no wonder, that's simply a really strong and efficient deck! :)
But I agree that this archetype is a bit too easy to build for the power output it has. I'm not 100% sure to nerf Force Multiplier just yet. The card is pretty hard to balance because it has a hard cut-off between doing nothing and doing something very powerful. And you managed to upgrade your weapons to a point where you meet the threshold very consistently.
I was already planning to nerf the Lance, because it currently scales just too well with upgrades and the diagonal attack option is a crazy powerful effect already. And it seems it was your main damage source in this case.
Yeah, without the Lance, it would have to be a sword that needs to be upgraded. It is a bit more difficult to do with hammers since you will then take damage most of the time.
Nice Game! I can not get the Banshee in tower two though. It feels like it requires too much luck to build a deck to beat it. If you wheren't lucky enough to get some very specific card combination, all the tower climbing was in vain. Also I do not think the "regroup" makes much sense in this situation since the Banshee will get stronger and you will have an even smaller chance to beat it.
I've reworked bosses since your comment, so yeah I agree that the old structure of boss battles wasn't ideal. Hope the new system is more interesting (albeit on the harder side in terms of difficulty) :)
I just haven't gotten around to it yet. The biggest hurdle is that I don't have a regular Mac or Linux machine to properly work/test/build the game on. Need to set this up first, but after that, I fully plan on making Mac and Linux versions! :)
I'm really missing something here. I can't get past the 5th level of the tutorial and I feel like an idiot. There's three skeles and I can kill two of them but by the third I'm down to the Old Knife and no shield so I always get killed. I can't figure this out. Also what's with this thing where it looks like you can upgrade weapons?
Ah, that's a tricky one! :) every monster you defeat should free up another card, either armor or a sword. And with each freed card you can defeat another monster. So it's a case of finding the right order. Hope that helps!
As for the +1/-1 buttons, those just show how the card would change if you'd upgrade it. You can't upgrade the card there, just preview it.
I'm such an idiot... I came back and tried it again playing with what order I killed monsters and picked up items, got it on my second try. Thanks for confirming that I wasn't missing an upgrade or something and that it was indeed the order of my actions!
I have played the first few rooms, I have to say the style (pixel art) is lovely and the thing that I found most amazing is that I didn't need to read any rules to play it, EVERYTHING was super clear from the 'Inscribed Walls' and the general UI/UX. Wishlisted on Steam!
Hmm... I can't deny that the game has puzzle influences and the first tutorial rooms are definitely puzzles. But the majority of the game is only a puzzle in the way any turn based roguelike or card game is a puzzle, imho.
I'm curious what makes you say its more a puzzle game?
I'm not sure if you are talking about the tutorial levels, where there is a specific sequence to reach the exit. Or about the tower levels/rooms which are always procedurally generated. You can get stuck if you spend all of your weapon attacks, that's part of the game :)
Hi, I make a new play because I couldn't answer and I did not recognize what I got in my previous game. I think I played with the rogue but I can't select it. I have just finished the tutorial and it is more clear now. But when I got stuck, it wasn't the same level. I do not understand, is it different game in web version or downloaded version ?
Indeed, I retried the download version and it starts with the rogue. When I choose the knight I can't select the rogur anymore. The tutorial with the knight is easier to understand.
Ahhh, now I understand! When first trying the game, you switched to the rogue, which has a tutorial section, but it's hard to understand if you haven't first played the knight.
That's why I changed it so that the rogue unlocks later on in the game. You must have redownloaded the later version of the game, but your savegame still contained the rogue run, but then it got locked.
Hope the game is now a bit more understandable for you, sorry for the confusion! :)
sometimes it occured at a clic, sometimes, it occures when not doing anything. It makes itch crashes along with the game. I use Ubuntu 22.04, itch-setup 1.26.0.
here after the warning log of the very minut of the crash. It is Itch log because I can't launch the game on its own, I need itch. It is an image because I cant copy past from the log. If you want the compleat log I can send you the log.txt.
Thanks for letting me know! It will be fixed in the next update, which will come out really soon.
As a workaround, you should be able to make it visible by resizing your (browser) window. Try keeping it as tall/high as possible, and reduce its width. Then the button should become visible at some point. This is only for the embark screen, after that the game should work with any resolution.
Sorry for the issue, I hope you'll give it another try!
Is there a video of someone skilled playing this game? I usually die in floor 2-3. Some levels are just not possible to beat with the cards provided. I want to like this game but its not clicking with me.
I am back again, I have played this game for hours now! I just saw that the Hero's Deck has been slightly changed, now featuring broken shields. I can't wait to try!!!
So, as always, I said that I was only gonna play for a couple of minutes, and ended up playing a couple of hours instead.
I really love the update.
Enemies are hitting harder now, but armor has been updated as well, so there is a nice balance. I love the broken shields as default armor. They make the body armour and the helmet much more valueable items, and I had to think much more carefully when considering which cards to add to my deck.
Armor also works a bit differently now. It used to be that armor shattered on first impact, even if the total hit points of the attack were lower than the armor "points". Now, the armor only gets reduced by the amount that it was hit for, which feels a lot more intuitive and I think it's "fairer".
I also like that the image for the unlocked door has changed. It's a little staircase now, and that is much more easy to understand.
Sloth cards are gone now. I loved the concept, but as more enemies get added in who flee on first attack, you used to accumulate a LOT of sloth cards. Plus enemies get upgraded if their card is face-up and you didn't defeat them, so it's not like there isn't a penalty for "running away".
Another feature that I haven't used a lot so far, but I think is quite cool, is that you can check your "Hero Deck" while in the dungeon. That way you can find out which cards of yours aren't currently on the board when entering a dungeon, which can help you strategize better.
The game was already highly addictive, but now it feels more balanced! My current highest floor I reached was the 8th level, before I died to a particularly nasty new enemy ;)
The only thing that I would wish for would be a way to gain more HP? Either in the levels (gain 1 HP from stabbing a barrel, for example), or that the HP scale between the floors? So that you can gain 3 HP after floor 1 and 2, 4 HP after floor 3 and 4, something like that. Nothing too major, just enough to tip the scales a little bit, since enemies DO get pretty tough after level 5.
Anyway, love this game and love all the little changes added!
Really enjoyed meeting you and your girlfriend on Tuesday. I hope you had a good time too! And thank you sooo much for your feedback, I really appreciate it! :) I've already got a few ideas on how to improve on the late game, especially on the armored orcs that feel really constrictive right now.
I am having trouble reading some of the cards' inscriptions. Is there any way to inplement something that lets you zoom in on the cards? Also, what does "ethereal" do?
Thanks for trying it out, sorry you're having trouble! Are you playing on web? Could you send me a screenshot so I can see if it's something the game renders wrong or if it's too small cause of the resolution or something else?
Yes, a way to zoom into a single card is planned, which will also show more explanation of the mechanics and key words. Coming soon™✌️
When a card has "etheral", it means it will be destroyed instead of going (back) into the deck. So for example, if you see a flipped Ruby, you might wanna pick it up or it's gone :)
Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply! The rendering is fine, I think, I just have really bad eyes. I can read stuff, but it's a bit straining. So a zoom in option at some point in the future sounds like a lovely idea, especially if zooming in gives you extra info. But I can still attach a screenshot, if you want!
I love the art work by the way and I found the game to be super addictive! Can't wait to see this game at the next vienna game dev meetup
The idea is fun, but the implementation can be frustrating. Sometimes the auto move makes you take damage when you had a perfectly safe square to attack a monster from, and it seems random which happens.
Hi! You can position your hero by clicking on a free location. This does not count as a turn, so you can shuffle around as much as you want before attacking! :)
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Wow, this is an incredible game, thanks so much for making it! Playing on android at the moment. This could probably work on Playdate if you want to try a black and white version. A coworker of mine put out a card puzzler if you want to see what something like that could look like
im so obsessed w this, i just finished a run w rogue on the second tower with one hp and no weapons, hitting the banshee unarmed until it attacked me back for zero damage and the secondhand embarrassment killed it and tbh, thats the best thing ever
That's an awesome story! :) Thanks so much for sharing!!!
I absolutely love it! I can't wait for the Steam release!
Thanks so much!!! <3
Good game
Sad to see the steam version won't be for mac. Really enjoyed this demo.
Good times with the rogue -- barrel bow + free shot through props + pierce + immune to props was a fun combo.
Enjoyed a streamlined gauntlet and big damage build too.
It would have been nice if the game would have said that the other towers can not be unlocked yet ;)
The overkill that came with the latest update seems to be very inbalanced. With it, you can mostly rush through the levels.
Thanks a lot for the feedback and sorry for the confusion, the game's still in development! I will eventually make it clear that this version still has limited content.
About the overkill mechanic: I'm not fully sure but I think you're talking about the Force Multiplier Aura together with a high attack value weapon... right? To re-use your weapon. Want to share what weapon(s) you were using? :)
This for example was a winning deck for the Banshee on highest tower level. It was quite easy. Starting deck was the Rust Bucket (or how it is called). It would have been even easier with the shield maiden.
Well no wonder, that's simply a really strong and efficient deck! :)
But I agree that this archetype is a bit too easy to build for the power output it has. I'm not 100% sure to nerf Force Multiplier just yet. The card is pretty hard to balance because it has a hard cut-off between doing nothing and doing something very powerful. And you managed to upgrade your weapons to a point where you meet the threshold very consistently.
I was already planning to nerf the Lance, because it currently scales just too well with upgrades and the diagonal attack option is a crazy powerful effect already. And it seems it was your main damage source in this case.
This is amazing feedback, thank you so much!
Yeah, without the Lance, it would have to be a sword that needs to be upgraded. It is a bit more difficult to do with hammers since you will then take damage most of the time.
Nice Game! I can not get the Banshee in tower two though. It feels like it requires too much luck to build a deck to beat it. If you wheren't lucky enough to get some very specific card combination, all the tower climbing was in vain. Also I do not think the "regroup" makes much sense in this situation since the Banshee will get stronger and you will have an even smaller chance to beat it.
Ahh, I didn't see this earlier. Sorry!
I've reworked bosses since your comment, so yeah I agree that the old structure of boss battles wasn't ideal. Hope the new system is more interesting (albeit on the harder side in terms of difficulty) :)
good game.
Thaaanks! ^^
yoooo cool game please make a Mac version : )
Speaking of which, I’d appreciate a linux version. The web version runs just fine tho.
Hey! Just a heads up: Linux version is now available! :)
That’s great, thanks!
Yes to both Mac and Linux versions!
I just haven't gotten around to it yet. The biggest hurdle is that I don't have a regular Mac or Linux machine to properly work/test/build the game on. Need to set this up first, but after that, I fully plan on making Mac and Linux versions! :)
: ))
I'm really missing something here. I can't get past the 5th level of the tutorial and I feel like an idiot. There's three skeles and I can kill two of them but by the third I'm down to the Old Knife and no shield so I always get killed. I can't figure this out. Also what's with this thing where it looks like you can upgrade weapons?
Ah, that's a tricky one! :) every monster you defeat should free up another card, either armor or a sword. And with each freed card you can defeat another monster. So it's a case of finding the right order. Hope that helps!
As for the +1/-1 buttons, those just show how the card would change if you'd upgrade it. You can't upgrade the card there, just preview it.
I'm such an idiot... I came back and tried it again playing with what order I killed monsters and picked up items, got it on my second try. Thanks for confirming that I wasn't missing an upgrade or something and that it was indeed the order of my actions!
Glad you solved it! :)
I have played the first few rooms, I have to say the style (pixel art) is lovely and the thing that I found most amazing is that I didn't need to read any rules to play it, EVERYTHING was super clear from the 'Inscribed Walls' and the general UI/UX. Wishlisted on Steam!
Oh, I missed your comment! Thank you so much! :)
I just stopped at the level 2, it's more a puzzle game than a rogue like.
Hmm... I can't deny that the game has puzzle influences and the first tutorial rooms are definitely puzzles. But the majority of the game is only a puzzle in the way any turn based roguelike or card game is a puzzle, imho.
I'm curious what makes you say its more a puzzle game?
The first level required a specific sequence to succeed, the level 2, i got stuck by a barrel and couldn't finish the level.
I'm not sure if you are talking about the tutorial levels, where there is a specific sequence to reach the exit. Or about the tower levels/rooms which are always procedurally generated. You can get stuck if you spend all of your weapon attacks, that's part of the game :)
Hi, I make a new play because I couldn't answer and I did not recognize what I got in my previous game. I think I played with the rogue but I can't select it. I have just finished the tutorial and it is more clear now. But when I got stuck, it wasn't the same level. I do not understand, is it different game in web version or downloaded version ?
Indeed, I retried the download version and it starts with the rogue. When I choose the knight I can't select the rogur anymore. The tutorial with the knight is easier to understand.
Ahhh, now I understand! When first trying the game, you switched to the rogue, which has a tutorial section, but it's hard to understand if you haven't first played the knight.
That's why I changed it so that the rogue unlocks later on in the game. You must have redownloaded the later version of the game, but your savegame still contained the rogue run, but then it got locked.
Hope the game is now a bit more understandable for you, sorry for the confusion! :)
There is a zip in the package, it doubles the size of the download.
Thanks for spoting that, will be fixed in the next version! :)
Defiance + Arthur's pendant + Thick Skin
Oh yeah! B-)
love the update ! but since then the game crashes now and then. Makes itch crash along with it.
hey! Sorry for this! :( does it happen in specific situations?
sometimes it occured at a clic, sometimes, it occures when not doing anything. It makes itch crashes along with the game. I use Ubuntu 22.04, itch-setup 1.26.0.
here after the warning log of the very minut of the crash. It is Itch log because I can't launch the game on its own, I need itch. It is an image because I cant copy past from the log. If you want the compleat log I can send you the log.txt.
That helps a lot, thanks for the report! I should be able to fix this! :)
Is the download version smoother than the browser? I'm playing on browser and the FPS is incredibly low
Sorry for the trouble! :( Yes, the download version should be 10x smoother!
it's alright, I'm just on a potato pc
:3 nice game
Great to hear, thanks! ^^
Endless mode please!!! also gems are kind of pointless they just seam to gather up uselessly
流弊
that means niubility
Thanks, I think? :D
made me bluescreen lmao
whaaat?!? Literal bluescreen? That's not supposed to happen ofc :(
I cant start a run because i cant see the start run buttun ,even zooming out does not fix it
Thanks for letting me know! It will be fixed in the next update, which will come out really soon.
As a workaround, you should be able to make it visible by resizing your (browser) window. Try keeping it as tall/high as possible, and reduce its width. Then the button should become visible at some point. This is only for the embark screen, after that the game should work with any resolution.
Sorry for the issue, I hope you'll give it another try!
Is there a video of someone skilled playing this game? I usually die in floor 2-3. Some levels are just not possible to beat with the cards provided. I want to like this game but its not clicking with me.
Sure! :)
The game is currently pretty darn hard. I'm working on a new version that turns down the difficulty a bit and gives players more options.
Here's me playing through the first 3 floors:
Hope that gives you some pointers on how to play! I'm also happy to help if things are not clear :)
I am back again, I have played this game for hours now!
I just saw that the Hero's Deck has been slightly changed, now featuring broken shields. I can't wait to try!!!
So, as always, I said that I was only gonna play for a couple of minutes, and ended up playing a couple of hours instead.
I really love the update.
Enemies are hitting harder now, but armor has been updated as well, so there is a nice balance. I love the broken shields as default armor. They make the body armour and the helmet much more valueable items, and I had to think much more carefully when considering which cards to add to my deck.
Armor also works a bit differently now. It used to be that armor shattered on first impact, even if the total hit points of the attack were lower than the armor "points". Now, the armor only gets reduced by the amount that it was hit for, which feels a lot more intuitive and I think it's "fairer".
I also like that the image for the unlocked door has changed. It's a little staircase now, and that is much more easy to understand.
Sloth cards are gone now. I loved the concept, but as more enemies get added in who flee on first attack, you used to accumulate a LOT of sloth cards.
Plus enemies get upgraded if their card is face-up and you didn't defeat them, so it's not like there isn't a penalty for "running away".
Another feature that I haven't used a lot so far, but I think is quite cool, is that you can check your "Hero Deck" while in the dungeon. That way you can find out which cards of yours aren't currently on the board when entering a dungeon, which can help you strategize better.
The game was already highly addictive, but now it feels more balanced!
My current highest floor I reached was the 8th level, before I died to a particularly nasty new enemy ;)
The only thing that I would wish for would be a way to gain more HP?
Either in the levels (gain 1 HP from stabbing a barrel, for example), or that the HP scale between the floors? So that you can gain 3 HP after floor 1 and 2, 4 HP after floor 3 and 4, something like that.
Nothing too major, just enough to tip the scales a little bit, since enemies DO get pretty tough after level 5.
Anyway, love this game and love all the little changes added!
Hey there! :)
Really enjoyed meeting you and your girlfriend on Tuesday. I hope you had a good time too! And thank you sooo much for your feedback, I really appreciate it! :) I've already got a few ideas on how to improve on the late game, especially on the armored orcs that feel really constrictive right now.
Update coming soon! :)
I am having trouble reading some of the cards' inscriptions. Is there any way to inplement something that lets you zoom in on the cards?
Also, what does "ethereal" do?
Thanks for trying it out, sorry you're having trouble! Are you playing on web? Could you send me a screenshot so I can see if it's something the game renders wrong or if it's too small cause of the resolution or something else?
Yes, a way to zoom into a single card is planned, which will also show more explanation of the mechanics and key words. Coming soon™✌️
When a card has "etheral", it means it will be destroyed instead of going (back) into the deck. So for example, if you see a flipped Ruby, you might wanna pick it up or it's gone :)
Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply! The rendering is fine, I think, I just have really bad eyes. I can read stuff, but it's a bit straining.
So a zoom in option at some point in the future sounds like a lovely idea, especially if zooming in gives you extra info.
But I can still attach a screenshot, if you want!
I love the art work by the way and I found the game to be super addictive! Can't wait to see this game at the next vienna game dev meetup
Ah, I understand, no screenshot necessary! :) You're right anyhow, the text is rather small and hard to read. Will definitely work on that!
See you at the meetup then :D
The idea is fun, but the implementation can be frustrating. Sometimes the auto move makes you take damage when you had a perfectly safe square to attack a monster from, and it seems random which happens.
Hi! You can position your hero by clicking on a free location. This does not count as a turn, so you can shuffle around as much as you want before attacking! :)