A project I have been sporadically doing design work on since 2020, where I try to combine the charm of oldschool turn-based JRPGs with more modern design approaches.
Each turn, all fighters have 5 energy points to spend as they wish – anything goes, from a single spellcast to a full-out combo. Using an input scheme reminiscent of fighting games, releasing the attack buttons at exactly the right time will reward you with critical strikes and bonus effects.
There’s a catch though, and it’s quite simple: the more energy you spend, the longer it will take to regenerate at the start of the next turn. Taking longer than your opponents to refill your energy bar means that they will gain turn order priority – if you’re last, you’ll even start the turn without full energy.
So, choose wisely when to go all-out, and when to preserve your breath!
I’ve taken on several design challenges with this project:
- Can a JRPG still feel like a JRPG without menu-based move selection?
- Can we design a system for RPG gear progression that doesn’t feel linear/grindy? How can we make meaningful upgrades, not just better stat sticks?
- How do we give weapons their own distinct “personality”, i.e. with their own playstyle, use cases and tactile feel?
To some of these question I already have some speculative answers, but you’ll have to watch this space to find out ;)
For now, feel free to watch the video below for a simple demonstration of what’s been made concrete so far.
⚠ This prototype is in a very early stage of production ⚠