We went quiet for a while but for a good reason; the closed beta was raging behind the scenes. We had our hands full balancing and adding quality-of-life stuff to the game. At the same time, we were making plans for the launch. Finally, the time is upon us.

Mark your calendars, wishlist, and tell your friends! This train can't be stopped: Hellcard is releasing into Early Access on the 16th. Why Early Access, some of you might ask. Those who participated in the Early Access of our previous game, Book of Demons, know that our EA launches are atypical. We launch in Early Access with the game fully playable and somehow polished. For us, Early Access is an opportunity to gather feedback so that we can polish and balance the game where you feel it will make a difference. We will also be adding extra content to make sure the game stays fresh.

I would have forgotten! Here is our new launch trailer, where you get to know the antagonist of Hellcard a bit better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zssuAFHzGIA

Instead of doing the demo, we are relaunching it as a prologue. This might increase the visibility for the new players since the demo had poor visibility on the store page and people on our Discord were asking where is it.

Until we make sure we can have both demo and the Prologue live at the same time the demo will be unavailable, sorry for the inconvenience. The good news is that:

All your saves and progress from the demo will transfer to the prologue and later on to the full game. You can just install the prologue and continue where you left off in the demo.



See you on the 16th and, as always,
Stay safe in the paper dungeons ːArchduckː
Konstanty

As you might recall from our earlier posts, we know how to make games, but it takes us a lot of time. That's why we are constantly looking for ways to improve our process to be quicker. Part of this effort is to focus on doing actual games and outsourcing the other stuff. Whenever we find the right partner we are delighted to hand over some responsibilities to them so both teams can focus on what they do best. This brings us to...

A perfect example of such a field is publishing. We can do it well, but it takes up a lot of time and slows us down. Now we have found a partner in Skystone Games. They are a small team of super-talented people including David Brevik, the guy who designed the first Diablo! Most importantly though, Skystone's team thinks like we do and moves quickly so we expect the partnership to bring out the best in both teams!

Cooperating with a publishing team opens up new possibilities. Not only do we have more hands on deck to get players to see Hellcard. We also have access to more expertise and publishing know-how. We spent the last two weeks discussing the launch date, looking at all the games releasing in November and December, and decided to move Hellcard's launch to Q1 next year. It's just a few weeks longer but will have a huge impact on Hellcard’s visibility.

Since Skystone will prepare for the launch, we will use that extra time to add more to the game. I will write more in another post, but we are working on custom difficulties where you can make the run a bit more challenging. This was meant to be part of the first post-release update but will now be ready for the launch.

Last but far from least: all this stuff needs to be tested. We are starting the beta sign-ups now. Use this form if you are interested:

Sign-up for the Beta here!

And join our Discord to keep in touch with us and the community (we have cool emotes ːArchduckː, just sayin').

This time around we will be distributing invites in batches - that way we can try things with fresh eyes on each batch sent. It also means that we can't guarantee that everyone who signs up will get a key, it depends on how many sign-ups we have.

There will be an option to ask for 3 keys. During the demo beta test, many players asked me for extra keys and I spent the first few days sending them out in PMs. Lesson learned! The beta will start in three weeks, that's when we will begin sending out the keys.

We had a blast during the demo beta and got a ton of useful feedback from you. As a result, among other things, we changed the upgrade system and tweaked the balance. We also prepared an infographic with some interesting data from the playtest. I should have posted it earlier but there was always something super urgent to do (good thing we now have Skystone and I have time to post ːarchduckː). Without further ado, the Demo Beta Summary (kind of large pic, sorry)!



We now have a publisher who will help us get more eyes on Hellcard so we can focus on the development! We have also moved the launch date to Q1 2023 in order to avoid the big titles that can spend gazillions on marketing and we are starting Closed Beta sign-ups!

As always,
Stay Safe in Paper Dungeons ːarchduckː
Konstanty

It's dangerous to go alone! Now in the single-player mode, you can meet other adventurers during your run and recruit them to your party. They will offer you their cards to play for their mana,

Adventures bold (or crazy) enough to enter the dungeons below the Cathedral are a colorful and diverse bunch, though. And their character will influence how they upgrade their cards and build their decks.

There are six companions available, two from each class.

The Sharpshooter
"Better kill them while they are far"
She is a Rogue that mastered the art of distance kills.

The Cat Burglar
"Can't catch us if they can't move"
Believes that truly roguish Rogue should always be in control.

The Protector
"Here, duck under my shield!"
A Warrior with an overprotective streak excels in providing block and supporting his companions.

Berserker
"Let me through! TASTE MY BLADES!"
When not biting his shield in anticipation he throws himself at the enemies. The best defense is a good offense, after all!

The Conjurer
"You hit them, I take care of the rest."
With age comes wisdom and he knows that alive allies are the most powerful weapon. Focusing on supporting them, then, is the best strategy!

The Runesmith
"Anytime I had a problem I cast Chaos Rune and boom!"
Similarly to the Conjurer, the Runesmith knows that allies are the most powerful weapon. It's just that he considers himself to be the best ally. The candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long, though and that's especially true for mages specializing in runes!

But wait, there is more!
We have reworked a large number of cards and some of the changes concern cards available in the demo. The idea was for the upgrade system to be more intuitive. Now cards of higher rarity resemble their lower rarity counterparts in more than just general mechanics. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the new system in our Discord server!

A total of 28 cards in the Demo were changed and a new one was added:


Allowing the mages to participate in, and even boost, the marking builds.

This update also fixes a slew of issues and adds some quality-of-life stuff. I will post notes for both this and the last week's update below:


Version 0.01.221025 - 25 Oct 2022

• Companions in the single player mode!
  
• 6 Companions added, each with a unique set of cards and artifacts
  
• Card overhaul for all classes!
  
• 9 Warrior cards changed (out of 25 available in the demo)
  
• 9 Rogue cards changed (out of 26 available in the demo)
  
• 10 Mage cards changed (out of 28 available in the demo)
  
• 1 new Mage card (Magic Marker)
  
• Added General Statistics
  
• Added Run History
  
• Added Run Details
  
• Reordered voice line options in the communication menu

Version 0.01.221019 - 19 Oct 2022

• Implemented an improved "player disconnected" window with more information on who and why got disconnected
  
• Fixed a rare crash after loading Main Menu
  
• Improved visuals for the "Next Round" animation
  
• Fixed an error in the suggested resolution selection that manifested on ultrawide displays

As always,
Stay safe in paper dungeons ːarchduckː
Konstanty

All healing potions are now pumpkin-spiced and traditional paper spiders were sorted into all decks. Sadly, they got squished in the process, so the pumpkin-spiced potions will have to do!

Fancy seasonal talk aside, we have added visual theming to the game for the duration of the Halloween event. Fighting zombies, ghosts and skeletons should be even spookier than before! Good thing you can now recruit companions in the single-player mode and not have to go alone! Or, even better, recruit friends and play in co-op ːarchduckː

You can find more details on the Companions Update in this post:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1201540/view/3396302964523209787


As always,
Stay safe in paper dungeons!
Konstanty

It was pointed out in Discord that even though it's only a demo it would be a good idea to post Steam updates with patch notes. And there are patch notes and plenty of them because we are fixing stuff and adding small QoL where we can, so let's dig in.

Our main focus was fine-tuning matchmaking, networking, and fixing crash bugs. We think we have found the cause of the rare, but nonetheless annoying, 212 error issue. It was related to Steam Datagram Relay not connecting and now the game will take steps not to allow this issue to kill lobbies.

Aside from that we added some missing sounds, QoL tooltips (no more trying to remember which location did what!), and fixed a lot of small issues and typos reported by the community. Keep them coming (until none remains ːArchduckː).


Version 0.01.221014- 14 Oct 2022

• Changes to the matchmaking algorithm that should help with disconnects
  
• Added tooltips to locations stating what can be done in each location
  
• After any battle error party returns to the lobby and can retry now
  
• The game now detects connection problems with Steam Datagram Relay

Version 0.01.221012- 12 Oct 2022

• Fixed influences not working when used in specific combinations
  
• Fixed attack indicator for Battering Goat
  
• Fixed disconnects occurring in battle when browsing options
  
• Added missing sounds to selected monsters
  
• Fixed multiple typos

Version 0.01.221007 - 7 Oct 2022

• Reduced the maximum geographical distance between players in matchmaking as advised by Valve in order to prevent matches with poor connection
  
• Fixed stamina burst not being triggered when the player was given more than 10 stamina at once

We are also getting a lot of feedback, which is great and I will write another post with more data on that.

And if you would like to point out stuff in Discord (or participate in betas or just talk shop about Hellcard), join us there!

As always,
Stay safe in paper dungeons ːarchduckː
Konstanty

I will be streaming the current demo build of the game!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1201540/HELLCARD/

Hellcard is a truly multiplayer cooperative roguelike deckbuilder. It's a kind of spin-off sequel to Book of Demons too. We often wondered how BoD would play if it was a multiplayer and a deckbuilder to the core and Hellcard is the answer.

Designed for up to three players it pitches heroes in a series of encounters and battles against progressively more tricky enemies. You not only build your own deck adapting to the dungeons and looking for synergies but also try to synergize with your friends' decks. Or you can try your luck fighting back to back with strangers.

The game will also feature singleplayer with AI companions, each with a unique personality affecting how they upgrade their cards. And which cards they offer you to play!

You can download the demo and check the game out for yourself.

This is only the beginning of this adventure and we will keep testing builds as we go. If you would like to be a part of that process hop on the Sneak Peek channel on our Discord.

Good luck and as always,
Stay safe in paper dungeons ːarchduckː
Konstanty

Hellcard participates in Tacticon, the celebration of all games tactical (duh!). There will be panels, there will be streams (I will be streaming the demo and, occasionally, the dev build with more stuff). But most importantly, there is the

It's not the same demo you remember from the last time. Back then (pre-pandemic, time flies!) we only had a tech prototype held together with string and bubble gum. Now, after one pandemic worth of hard work, the new demo build is ready. It features some of the cards and artifacts that will make it to the game's final build. Network, card renderer - everything has been rewritten from scratch with the insight we got from the previous public test.

The singleplayer mode doesn't have companions yet (still working on them) so it's a bit on the difficult side, but it's playable.

The multiplayer co-op is there and the companions in that one are up to you - try your luck with strangers or recruit friends.

There will be a survey after the demo. It would be great if you could fill it out and give us feedback.

So grab your friends and, as always,
Stay safe in paper dungeons ːarchduckː
Konstanty

A lot happened in the development since the last update. We have added a new communication system, new cards, monster mechanics… All very interesting stuff and Filip would love to tell you about it. Sadly, he is swamped with adding even more stuff so I will fill in for him and write this update.

And I believe it’s better to show than tell so, without further ado, we are planning a closed beta of the Hellcard Demo build to start on the September 9th. See the new features yourself and help us polish and debug the demo to be ready to go public. Because yes, it will be public soon(™).

Sign up using this form: https://forms.gle/LTxdyuk87PtBtHRK9 and, optionally, join our Discord to keep in touch with us and the community.

Oh, this demo beta will, of course, feature co-op multiplayer mode, so make sure to get your friends to sign up for keys as well.

Single-player mode will be available, however, it won’t have AI companions yet. And the demo beta will be only for Windows. Mac and Linux builds are planned for the future.


As always,
Stay safe in the paper dungeons, and see you on the 9th ːarchduckː
Konstanty

They say that the journey is more important than the destination. Still, though, let’s talk about end bosses!

And it’s bosses in the plural, you read that right. You will find out which boss you will be facing only after the run begins and each boss requires a different approach.




His unique feature, aside from way overdeveloped quadriceps, is the Round Robin influence. When he is in the battle no player can play two cards in a row (as long as there are at least two players alive). This calls for great coordination between players. Or just make sure your teammates die quickly so you can solo him without card limits.






His unique feature makes a comeback from the pre-alpha. Sinister Reverence makes sure that the players can play a total limited number of cards per turn. This severely limits high rotation decks’ feasibility and, again, requires good teamwork to beat.



We continue adding content, including new artifacts. Here are two highlights:

Tiny Bamboo - On future Card Reward screens you have 1 additional card to choose from.



Lump of Coal - One of the cards is always legendary when picking a Card Reward.



We added the…

Arcane Shield - a monster with this feature can never get more than 4 damage in a single hit. Which makes cards dealing multiple low dmg attacks a viable option.

• You can now pick Explore when in Ruins. This one gives you a chance to find gemstones.
  
• Plan option in the Hideout now lets you choose a card that will always be in your starting hand until the end of the whole run. Which is very neat.

Work continues on the intro. Here you can see how the cathedral looked like in the good old days before the whole Archdemon ordeal:



The Cave
Here is another look at the Cave location (this one has trains!):



As always, Stay safe in the paper dungeons!
Filip



With all crucial systems implemented we can move our focus to general polish and quality of life features.

Monsters now use visual projectiles when attacking heroes. Sounds obvious, but until now we didn’t need visual attack indicators. With arrows and magic bolts flying, the game is much more readable and, obviously, looks much better!

We improved the card rendering and logic so those card descriptions could include values dynamically sourced from the game’s data. This means that cards’ stats can be changed quickly in the data files and the card descriptions will change automatically. It also means that some values in the card descriptions can now be calculated by the game (for instance the final damage value when it depends on the number of monsters present or other not fixed conditions).

Now when the card description contains certain keywords or names of other cards there will be an automatic tooltip displayed for that card. This is especially convenient when one card refers to another card – you can quickly check its description and icon, and see if it fits your build.

We continue implementing new cards – right on the schedule. Below you can see a few examples. Some might look more familiar than others, especially for those of you who played the prototype:



The same goes for the artifacts. Among those added this month are:



Bloody grail – A random player gets a Healing Blood card at the beginning of the battle.



Flawed ruby – Start each battle with zero mana on the first turn and one extra mana point on later turns.

In order to level the playing field, the monsters have to evolve as well. This month some of them gained the following traits:

Explosive – When killed in the near range deals damage equal to its strength to all characters.

Vampiric – Gains strength equal to unblocked damage dealt.

As you can see some monsters will have to be approached more carefully than others and no single build will be universal.

Work on the game’s intro continues. Our plan for the intro sequence is to feature illustrations done for a few selected cards. That way we can have nice transitions between them and tie icons to real-life (well, game-life) events!

This month we focused on the Heavy Sword card and you can see the results here:





Last, but not least, we finally implemented the Cave location. We had the art ready for some time, but there always was something more important taking priority. You probably can imagine who dwells in this cozy, tribal area.



As always,
Stay safe in the paper dungeons!
Filip