After a year of solo development in Godot 4.4, I’ve finally released the first pre-alpha of Project LOOP.
The game is a tactical roguelike deckbuilder heavily inspired by Slay the Spire, but the battlefield is a tactical grid inspired by Heroes of Might & Magic 3, featuring an initiative-based turn system.
Key Mechanics:
Playable Paladin class (more coming later).
Card-based tactical movement on a 2.5D grid.
Massive passive skill tree unlocked by earning XP during runs (meta-progression).
Strategic combat where positioning is as vital as your deck.
Current State:
This is v0.1.8. I’m focusing on core gameplay logic right now, so there is no SFX yet and the English translation is a work-in-progress.
I would love to get some feedback from the community, especially on the feel of the grid combat and the skill tree progression!
Nice work! There were some show-stopping issues that prevented me from properly testing it out:
Some strings were not available in English. Namely, one of the settings (the checkbox), and the tutorial string.
I couldn’t actually do anything. The only option available to me was ‘Tutorial’, but I was apparently soft-locked (couldn’t do anything, including ending my turn.
I’m sorry for the confusion. The English localization is still a work-in-progress (about 90% done), and I’m currently working on the remaining part, including the tutorial.
Regarding the Checkbox: That is a permission for automated crash reporting. If the game crashes, it sends me a log so I can fix it. You can disable this anytime in the Settings menu.
Regarding the Tutorial “Soft-lock”: The tutorial is very linear and requires specific steps to proceed:
Select your character on the grid (click on the Paladin).
Click on the green highlighted tile to move.
After the enemy moves closer, play the Quick Strike card to kill it.
This triggers the Reward Scene (card selection).
Completing the tutorial unlocks the “Play” button for the full game.
I’m currently working on version 0.1.9, which will focus on full localization and adding SFX. Thanks for your patience and for being one of the first testers!
Thanks for the screenshot! The issue is that the tutorial text explaining the initial positioning phase is still in Czech.
To proceed, you need to click on that blue highlighted tile to spawn your hero. This is the starting position phase before the combat begins.
If clicking it doesn’t do anything, I sincerely apologize for the bug. I am investigating it right now and I will fix it as soon as possible in the next update.
Thank you for your patience and for helping me find these early-stage issues!
Ok, got through the tutorial, and into the primary gameplay. Here are some thoughts:
Issues/annoyances:
The cards moved a lot on hover, and were therefor hard to click. I would try to copy STS a bit closer here.
When clicking a card (e.g., Attack), the card would sometimes block me from actually attacking. I needed to use WASD to move the map around before attacking. It would be better if the card would attach to your mouse, and become small. Or some other way of keeping the cards out of the way during actions.
I wanted to know how far enemies would move on their turn.
Upgrading one of my cards increased the Energy from 3→4, so I couldn’t play it anymore xD
Gameplay thoughts:
I wonder why movement isn’t card based? It feels weird to have movement work seperate. Why not have a “Move” card, and a “Sprint” card?
I’m not sure about the 3D stuff. Are you planning on replacing the 2D char sprites with 3D models later? In the current state, it would be better having it in 2D probably. Think like, Into the Breach.
It looks like a pretty cool start to a game, but it’s pretty difficult to play-test right now. Best of luck!
Thanks a lot for sticking with it despite the flaws! This is exactly what I needed. As a developer, I often look at the game through “rose-colored glasses” and think everything is fine, so your honest perspective is a reality check for me.
To address your points:
Card UX & Hover: I’m aware the cards are too bulky and “flee” from the mouse. I’m already working on smoothing the animations. Your idea to shrink the card during drag is brilliant—I’ll implement that (scale to 0.6) so the grid remains visible.
Tooltips: Just a quick tip—you can right-click any card to toggle a detailed tooltip, and right-click again to hide it.
Enemy Range: The current system only shows a temporary highlight at the start of their turn. It’s a placeholder; a proper hover/indicator system is high on my checklist.
The 4-Energy Card: Well, what can I say… I’d like to say it’s to make the player think twice about their upgrades! XD But yeah, sometimes RNG is a beast. I’ll look into adding a “sanity check” so you don’t accidentally brick your deck.
Regarding your gameplay thoughts:
Movement Strategy: The movement cards are a core part of the future strategy. I’m planning to add grid obstacles, environmental buffs/debuffs, and “hit-and-run” tactics (move in, strike, move away). They will be crucial for the upcoming classes I’m developing.
2.5D Perspective: I understand it can be confusing right now. For me, it offers much more creative freedom than the flat top-down grid I used previously, but I’m committed to polishing the visual clarity so it’s as functional as it is aesthetic (aiming for that Into the Breach transparency).
Thanks again for being so thorough. You’ve given me a perfect To-Do list for version 0.1.9!
