Devlog: The Card System of Harem vs Zombies

Steam post imageHi! Today, we’re sharing development details and want to take a closer look at one of the game’s key systems: the card mechanics and the types of cards you’ll be dealing with on the battlefield. These cards define tactics, battle tempo, and some room for your experiments.

Card system and card types.

The game features four types of cards, each serving its own role in combat and tactical planning:

• Unit cards

• Support cards

• Ability cards

• Character cards

All of them interact with each other and create gameplay depth — fr om positioning to timing and long-term strategy.

• Units are the foundation of defense.

• Units are the player’s main combat force.

Each unit is equipped with unique weapons and has its own characteristics:

• attack range

• attack speed

• damage

• behavioral traits

For example:

• "Fox" is armed with a shotgun whose pellets spread across three lanes, allowing her to effectively control space.

• "Conehead" throws grenades along a ballistic arc, ignoring obstacles and hitting enemies wh ere other units are powerless.

Each unit is unique and has three upgrade levels. When upgrading:

• Base stats increase (health, damage, etc.);

• New mechanics and abilities are unlocked.

Example:

"Domina", a close-range tank, gains a hammer with an area-of-effect attack at level three, making her even more effective at clearing enemies in front of her.

The "match-three" mechanic.

If you place three identical units in the same lane, they merge into a single upgraded one.

This provides a powerful boost but weakens neighboring defense lanes, forcing the player to:

• plan unit placement in advance;

• choose the right moment to merge;

• balance power and field coverage.

Support — buffs and control.

Support cards strengthen allies or weaken enemies. After being played, they remain on the field but do not have upgrade levels.

Examples:

• 'Portable Shield' is placed on a tile with units, increasing their maximum health.

• 'Alt Girl' is a rock-loving girl who buffs the unit in front of her, increasing its attack speed.

If you assemble a full group of five 'Alt Girls', their effect applies to all allied units on the field.

Abilities for one-time chaos

• Ability cards are single-use effects.

• After activation, they disappear, but can radically change the flow of battle.

Examples:

• "Sex Machine" drives across the entire field, cutting through reed thickets where enemies hide, and explodes at the end, dealing damage.

• "SHIV-a" is a giant ice goddess descending from the heavens to freeze all enemies with her icy beauty.

These are tools for clutch saves, powerful combos, and spectacular moments.

Characters are the special units

Characters are women you rescue during the game. After developing relationships with them, they become available as unique units on the battlefield.

Characters’ features:

• each has unique abilities;

• abilities improve as you progress through the game;

• a heroine card can only be used once, as long as she is alive and remains on the field.

Example:

• "Lian" is armed with two-hand crossbows, allowing her to attack three lanes at once.

Heroines are a valuable resource, so protect them and don’t leave them in trouble.

That’s all for now. In upcoming devlogs, we’ll take a closer look at individual units, characters, and unexpected combinations that can save (or destroy) your defense.

In the meantime, add Harem vs Zombies to your Steam wishlist.

It’s the best way to support development and make sure you don’t miss the demo release and future updates.

Thanks for following the game 💜

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