PLEASE START US OFF BY INTRODUCING YOURSELF:
Hey there, I’m Kim, an Indie Game Developer from Australia, now living in Belgium. Together with my Brother, Isaac, we have been developing Northanda Chronicles for the past 5 years as the studio Hyperfocus Interactive.
TELL US ABOUT NORTHANDA.
Northanda Chronicles blends deck-building mechanics with party-based RPG elements. It centers around a trio of heroes battling through a world threatened by reality-warping Chaos, each with unique abilities but sharing a single, evolving deck. This design creates an interesting dynamic where players must balance the needs and strengths of multiple characters within a unified strategy. The game sets itself apart through its unique blend of party-based combat, unified deckbuilding, and the organic synergies that emerge from distinct heroes working in tandem.
The game also features deeply interconnected upgrade systems and resource management, in which players can enhance their cards with gems and acquire various enchantments and artifacts, allowing for deep customization of their party's capabilities. Another key feature of the game is the ability to mix and match heroes, which allows players to experiment with a large set of possible party combinations, abilities and playstyles. Our vision for Northanda Chronicles was to offer a deeply strategic deckbuilding roguelike experience, while maintaining accessibility, without excessive complexity.
Northanda begins as a classic fantasy realm, rich with elven lands and ancient magic. As players guide their heroes through three distinct chapters towards the corrupted Prince Talis, the world undergoes a dramatic transformation. The landscape progressively warps under the influence of the Shadow of Chaos, morphing from familiar fantasy locations into increasingly surreal and unsettling environments. This gradual distortion of reality is mirrored in the evolving orchestral soundtrack, creating a unique aesthetic experience that blends traditional fantasy with cosmic horror elements.
HOW HAS THE DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY BEEN
Northanda Chronicles didn’t actually start out as a deckbuilding roguelike! Actually, the initial idea was to create a tactical turn-based RPG. During early development I wanted to find a way to add interest and variety to my parties’ ability sets, and quickly found myself designing a system that more or less resembled the card and hand mechanics now common in the deckbuilding genre.
At the same time, I fell in love with deckbuilding roguelikes - like so many people - after playing Slay the Spire, and ended up dedicating many hundreds of hours to it. I started playing a ton of deck builders, and loved so many; Roguebook, Monster Train, Griftlands, and so on. It was after this that the idea for Northanda Chronicles started to properly take shape, and a few months later a prototype of the party-based deckbuilding and battles had been made.
WHICH GAME ENGINE DID YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
For our game engine, we chose Unity. This decision was primarily based on our team's familiarity and comfort with the engine. As a small development team, we've found Unity to be invaluable, especially with its extensive asset ecosystem. We've been able to leverage various assets, particularly shaders, which have massively helped our development process and helped us achieve our desired visual style.
WHAT'S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST DEVELOPMENT HURDLE SO FAR?
Well, budget, of course! We’ve been developing with a truly $0 budget. That’s been especially difficult.
We’ve put a large amount of time into ensuring Northanda Chronicles can be moddable, and heavily extensible too. One of our primary goals was to create something like a "synergy engine." We wanted to create a deckbuilding game where different heroes, elements, abilities, and strategies can interact in so many different ways, in so many different parties, creating exciting and sometimes unexpected outcomes. This focus on combinatorial gameplay and synergies has been a driving force in our development process, and has taken up a significant amount of our development time.
ADVICE FOR FELLOW DEVS?
Reach out to others in the game dev community, and share your work - early, and often. We perhaps went a little too long working in the dark, without feedback or support. Game development, especially indie dev, takes a lot of commitment and perseverance. It’s easier if you don’t have to do it alone!
ANY FINAL THOUGHTS?
Thank you for creating a space for small developers like us!
If you want to help Isaac and I, and you like the sound of our game, you can wishlist Northanda Chronicles here!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2068650/Northanda_Chronicles/
Kim✨
