The Doors Update!

Path Selection is Here!

Another core feature of deckbuilders has now made it into the game! This time, we've added path selection. But instead of the classic map with routes that you've come to expect from roguelike deckbuilders, we opt for something a little simpler...

In most deckbuilders you have a route-based map (e.g. in Slay the Spire), where you can see all available routes well in advance. But why is that the common way to do it?

First off, you can balance risk and reward when everything is visible at a glance. From the get-go, you can decide to take a path with a lot of events, shops and rest sites to mitigate your health attrition. Conversely, you can pick a path with a bunch of elite encounters to maximize your rewards.

So why DON'T we use it then? One reason is mental load. Combat in Bibidi Bibidi is quite cerebral. Each card has multiple effects, and there's a tradeoff for picking each one. Then, there are multiple cards you need for a single spell, as well as picking the right monster to target.

It's quite puzzly and at the end of an encounter, your brain can get a bit overloaded. We think jumping into a map with so many macro choices right away won't give you the rest that you need to prepare for the next encounter.

Another reason is immersion. We want to give you the feeling that you're exploring a dungeon in which you can get lost. Having a whole map of the dungeon and seeing where you're at feels antithetical to that dungeon-crawling theme.

So instead, we opt for a handful of options in the form of doors. Each door has an ominous name and a scary design, to try to evoke a sense of mystery about what's behind them.

Full list of changes

🚪 Path selection system with doors; pick between shops, rest sites and standard or elite encounters. 🏕️ Rest Sites, where you can restore your health between encounters. 🃏 New cards with the Upgradeable boon effects. 👨‍🎓 Basic tutorial at the start of the game. 🍹 Quality of life improvements and polish: • Animate cards as they move between piles and from your hand. • Improve card highlighting when in a spell slot, to make it clearer which effect will be used. • Screenshake when you deal or take damage. ⚖️ Notable balance changes: • Restore health after Boss encounters. • Gain gold instead of healing when you skip a reward. 🌲 Evergreen improvements like rebalancing & bug fixes.

For now, the background art on the door selection screen is the same for each area of the game. In future updates, we will make that art distinct for each floor. Also, with this update, the pacing and economy of the game have changed drastically. We'd love to hear how these changes have changed your experience, and any feedback in general is welcome. Please join us on Discord where we can speak directly and understand your critique better!

Happy casting! Jonas & Daan