Devlog #5 – Deck-builder with a twist

Nadir is a rogue-like deck builder where you journey through the underworld city of Nadir as a Sinner who serves one of the Deadly Sins, in your quest to rule over the halls of Hell…or simply work as an amusement for the everlasting Sins. These guys are like gods, so, naturally, they’re pretty bored after spending eternity in Hell and a bit of fun is always welcome.

You’ll find yourself playing as some of the legendary figures from our history, like Jeanne d’Arc, Hernán Cortés, or Rasputin, each serving a different Sin.

That is all great, you might say, but what really makes Nadir different from a vastly populated deck-builder genre, besides the visual style and mood? Great question!

In Nadir, we replaced the classic mana with the Deck Binding mechanic: a unique risk-management system we’re really proud of! Once the battle starts, you must plan both your and the enemy's moves, as every action triggers a reaction.

Sounds interesting? You can try the Prologue of Nadir right now on Steam!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1535210/Nadir_A_Grimdark_Deck_Builder__Prologue/

Okay, but how exactly do you play? Each of your cards has one of two colors representing the energies flowing through Nadir: blue Sacrum and red Profanum. You can play them on one of the three stones above you if the colors are matching.

But here’s where things get interesting. EVERY action costs. The stones do bite. They trigger an immediate enemy reaction as written on each stela. Playing a card? Reaction. Redrawing your hand? Reaction.

Everything has a cost, but everything is under your control: YOU DECIDE which stela to activate, you choose what move the enemy will respond with. And the dynamic changes with every card played, as the stones move around, switching colors and reactions when activated.

It’s a riddle that’s both an intense exchange of punches and a careful tactical match, where every move has to be carefully weighed.

As in every decent roguelike, the basics expand every minute, as game progression throws at you new cards, skills, and enemies. There are tons of special statuses and effects that can bend the core game loop to your advantage, but it would bloat an already long post.

This system required a LOT of work, a long line of iterations, and changing our perspective on how to approach the card battler. In the upcoming devlog series, we will get more into our design journey – how we get here, what ideas we tried and gave up, what mistakes were made and how we reforge them into gameplay strength!

If you have questions or want to share your opinion and suggestions about the game and Prologue – join our Discord channel!

Steam post image

We can’t wait for your input!

Stay tuned and see you on Monday for Nadir Devlog: chapter #6!