In Gotogra, your journey begins with a single, determined protagonist — a warrior caught between survival and corruption. Early in your run, you’ll choose a weapon, and that choice doesn’t just define your combat style — it shapes your entire deck for the adventure ahead.
But we wanted to go further than just “cards in hand.” We wanted players to always have a reliable, evolving action at their fingertips — something that feels personal, something that grows with them.
This idea led to the creation of the Scourge Attack: a core ability you can trigger every turn, upgrading it over time as you ascend the cursed castle.
Design Inspirations: Hearthstone’s Hero Powers
Hearthstone introduced hero powers to provide players with a consistent action each turn, ensuring they always had a strategic option, even with a suboptimal hand. Each class possesses a unique hero power, typically costing 2 mana, offering effects like dealing damage, summoning minions, or gaining armor. This mechanic was pivotal in maintaining game flow and reducing the impact of poor card draws. (source)
However, while innovative, this system has its limitations:
- Static Nature: Hero powers remain unchanged throughout a match, potentially becoming less impactful as the game progresses.
- Limited Synergy: They often operate independently of the evolving deck strategies, lacking deeper integration with the player’s choices.
- Balance Challenges: Certain hero powers, like the Demon Hunter’s 1-mana “Demon Claws,” have sparked debates about balance due to their efficiency and synergy potential. (source)
Gotogra’s Evolution: The Scourge Attack
In designing Gotogra, we aimed to retain the accessibility of a consistent action each turn while enhancing its depth and integration with player progression. Enter the Scourge Attack:
- Dynamic Progression: Unlike static hero powers, the Scourge Attack evolves during a run, influenced by player choices and upgrades.
- Strategic Synergy: Its development intertwines with the deck-building process, allowing tailored strategies and combinations.
- Narrative Integration: The Scourge Attack manifests the protagonist’s journey, reflecting their growth and resilience.
How the Scourge Attack Works in Gotogra
At the start of a run, the Scourge Attack is simple: a short, direct attack available every turn. It’s a reliable option when your deck is still forming and your strategy is uncertain.
As you progress deeper into the castle and make key decisions, the Scourge Attack transforms dramatically:
- Extra Effects: Upgrades grant new effects like pushing enemies away, applying bleed effects, or triggering secondary combos.
- Extended Reach: Enhancements can increase its range, allow splash damage across adjacent platforms, or trigger chain reactions.
- Resource Modifications: Upgrades can alter its cost, making it cheaper or modifying its energy consumption for tactical flexibility.
Permanent upgrades to the Scourge Attack stem from the paths you select while ascending the castle. Every major path decision not only shapes the enemies and rewards you’ll encounter but also mutates your Scourge Attack in a meaningful way.
Additionally, supporting cards can temporarily empower your Scourge Attack for a single turn, providing extra reach, power, or secondary effects precisely when needed. This creates a layered dynamic where players can build synergies between their deck and their evolving core ability.
The result: Your Scourge Attack grows alongside your deck, staying relevant and amplifying your strategic options.
By reimagining the concept of a consistent per-turn action, Gotogra’s Scourge Attack offers players a more engaging and personalized experience, addressing some of the limitations observed in Hearthstone’s hero power system.
Stay tuned — in future blog posts, we’ll dive deeper into how different Scourge Attack mutations synergize with your deck choices and reshape the battlefield itself!
If you want to stay updated as we shape and refine Gotogra’s systems, subscribe to our newsletter and join the journey!
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