Secret of Circadia - A retro pixel RPG deckbuilder
We're Axel & Johnny, two ex-AAA game devs who after years of working our asses off eventually got so tired of corporate politics and generating shareholder value getting in the way of making the games we love that we said enough is enough and left. Now we're doing our own thing on a much smaller scale (it's just the two of us and our families!). This game is our first foray into the indie dev scene, and it's an open love letter to games like Slay the Spire, Moonlighter, Stardew Valley and Hades, along with a throwback to 80s and 90s RPGs (yes, we're that old!).
Secret of Circadia is a retro pixel styled RPG Deckbuilder, combining light City Builder elements and Roguelite mechanics with classic Deckbuilder Combat. Along with a number of unique twists such as a Day & Night cycle, Weather, QTE events and more!
We have a pretty rabid stance against generative AI, and as such no gen AI has been used (nor will it ever be used!) in the development of this game!
The intent with the game was to try and make a game that we both wanted to play but that also fit with how we play games now.
We both love playing roguelikes, but we're both 'mature' gamers, so found that whilst it was fun to push as far as you could, the loss of progress inherent in these games meant that valuable time spent could feel wasted. So we knew we wanted to make a game where you're always progressing towards some sort of goal, so each run has a purpose.
Whether you are pushing to beat the boss of the act, gather more cards or just exploring to gather resources to upgrade your base of power; the Hamlet, each time you go on a run you are progressing in some way, and there is never a wasted run.
The title itself is a reference to the Circadian rhythm, as we knew we wanted the general theme and mechanics to be centred around nature, a time of day system and weather, that would impact cards and enemies in positive and negative ways.
Ultimately we feel the game is a mash up of old school RPGs like Final fantasy meets Slay the Spire, with a bit of Moonlighter and Hades thrown in for good measure.
We have a Kickstarter campaign running currently to generate some funds to help finish the game and also have a Demo up on Steam for people to try.
We're trying to get the word out, so would appreciate any reposts, feedback, carrier pigeons or shouting from the rooftops!
Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stellify/secret-of-circadia?ref=discover_saved_projects&category_id=35