Tag: roguelike

  • Gotogra Devlog: Big Changes to Movement, Combat, and More

    Gotogra Devlog: Big Changes to Movement, Combat, and More

    We’ve been really hard at work since our last playtest. There were some key areas we needed to touch and improve. The way movement worked for the player had some unnecessary friction on a core foundation of the game. This needed our full focus for improvements. We also worked on the removal of lane buffs, the effect of the doom counter when it expires, a brand new weapon, and finally the game’s tutorial. Having a tutorial in place is especially important to us as it sets the stage for smoother future playtesting.

    1. Movement: Changed for Good

    During our first playtests, players felt some frustration with how movement worked. We had two systems. Jumping and linear movement. The cost structure didn’t really make sense. Jumping was almost always better, since for just 2 energy you could move up to three platforms at once. That made single tile moves inefficient. Players were forced into a clunky two step process for something that should have been simple and core to Gotogra.

    So we decided to completely rework movement. In the new version, linear movement always costs just 1 energy and can be done with a single click on the target tile. Available tiles are highlighted in green. The only time movement costs 2 energy is when you jump over an enemy. Even then, you just click your destination tile and the game automatically handles whether it’s a simple move or a jump over an obstacle.

    This change removes friction. It makes movement more intuitive and reinforces it as one of the game’s core mechanics.

    2. Farewell to Lane Buffs

    During playtests, lane buffs were mostly ignored. When they did trigger, many felt too mild since they only impacted the lane where they appeared. Others were too strong, and that created frustration. The main problem was that lane buffs were abstract elements of gameplay. Players had no real agency over them.

    For this reason we removed lane buffs and introduced caster enemies. They work like normal enemies with a preparation turn before casting. After that they cast one of the same effects that lane buffs used to create, but now in the form of spells. Spells are selected at random. A crucial difference is that these spells affect everyone on the field, both enemies and the player, no matter what lane they are on.

    This makes the effects feel fairer and more interactive. It also creates new tactical challenges since you can deal with caster enemies directly.

    3. The Doom Counter Reworked

    In the old system, when the doom counter reached zero the player died instantly. This felt really bad. It made the player’s remaining HP useless. Dying suddenly no matter how much health you still had was never pleasant.

    Now the system works differently. When the doom counter reaches zero the player starts taking fatigue damage. This damage ramps up each turn. It allows the player to still finish clearing the room, but they cannot waste too many turns. The longer they stay, the faster their HP will go down. Fatigue damage is pure damage and goes through armor.

    4. A New Weapon: The Bow

    When you meet the vendor for the first time you will now see a new choice. Along with the sword and shield you can also pick the Bow. This is a fresh new experience for Gotogra. The bow is a ranged weapon and it makes the player manage an extra resource. A quiver with three arrows.

    When you use cards called “shot” they consume an arrow on top of their mana or energy cost. At first this might look weaker compared to the simple sword and shield. But arrows are regenerated at the start of the player’s turn, just like mana and energy. On top of that there are many ways to reload the quiver with cards or rings.

    The most important part is that each arrow can be enchanted with different effects. These enchantments combine with shot cards in fun ways. For example there is an enchantment that makes your next shot a guaranteed critical strike. Imagine using this with a shot called Drill Shot. This card pierces through a line of enemies. If there are three enemies in a row and you fire a critical Drill Shot, all three take guaranteed critical damage.

    This is just scratching the surface. The bow has many possible synergies left for the player to discover. We will not spoil more here since a dedicated devlog will be made for the bow in the future.

    5. First Tutorial Implemented

    A first version of the tutorial is now in the game. It introduces players to the basic mechanics of Gotogra. The design is simple on purpose. We do not want to fully hand hold players. We believe our audience enjoys the process of learning new skills. The tutorial gives enough guidance without taking away that joy and magic.

    The biggest benefit for us is practical. From now on it is easier to hand Gotogra to new testers. In most cases we can simply send them a build and rely on the tutorial to do the first teaching. This saves us from having to always set up virtual calls. It is a real step forward.

    The tutorial will need improvements, but now it is there and this is an important milestone.

    Outro

    These updates mark a huge milestone for Gotogra. Movement is now set in stone. Lane buffs have evolved into more engaging enemy abilities. The doom counter has been reworked for fairness. A new weapon joins the arsenal. The first tutorial is in place. Together, these changes make the game more strategic, accessible, and fun to play.

    In the next blog post, planned for the first days of September, we will share an important update. We will be applying to some local financing opportunities. The outcome is uncertain, as there are many talented developers with the same needs, but it is an opportunity worth pursuing. More details about this coming soon.

    As always, thank you for following along. Your feedback shapes Gotogra every step of the way.

  • Designing Cards in Gotogra: Positioning, Costs, and Synergy

    Designing Cards in Gotogra: Positioning, Costs, and Synergy

    When designing cards for Gotogra, we follow a simple but demanding rule: every card must earn its place. In a game that blends tactical movement with deckbuilding, a card isn’t just about its effect—it’s about where, when, and how you play it.

    The three pillars that guide card design in Gotogra:

    1. Positioning as a Core Mechanic

    Unlike traditional deckbuilders, Gotogra is built around platform-based tactical movement. Every card must account for the player’s position—and often the enemy’s as well. Some cards only work in certain directions, others affect adjacent platforms, and some require the player to have moved a certain number of tiles before being usable. Positioning turns every card into a spatial puzzle.

    Positioning well is encouraged not just as a way to avoid damage, but also to deal more of it. For example, backstab attacks deal bonus damage when hitting enemies from behind. These are just two of the many advantages that stem from a strong positioning strategy.

    2. Resource Costs and Tradeoffs

    Cards in Gotogra are not free, and cost management is a core part of every turn. You often need to decide between spending energy to move or spending energy and/or mana to use a card. It’s no secret that the strongest cards often include built-in movement options.

    Movement isn’t only important from the player’s perspective either—forcing enemies to move or predicting their movement can be just as critical. This creates a dynamic flow where every resource spent impacts both offense and defense.

    3. Synergy Over Standalone Power

    We avoid designing cards that “do everything on their own.” Instead, cards are built to shine when combined with others—whether that’s through hero power upgrades, relics, consumables, or clever sequencing. A card might feel underwhelming early in a run, but become the core of a powerful engine later on. The goal is to reward players who learn the mechanics and build toward their strengths.

    Of course, there are also simple utility cards—ones that provide immediate value, like drawing cards, gaining a buff, or restoring health. These cards serve as flexible tools to stabilize a turn or set up a longer-term plan. They may not require intricate synergy to function, but they still play a vital role in the broader strategy.

    A Practical Example: Taunt, Fear, and Whirlwind

    To illustrate how positioning and synergy come together, let’s look at a specific combo that shows the tactical depth of Gotogra‘s card system:

    Imagine you start your turn by playing a Taunt card. This card pulls nearby enemies toward your platform, forcing them to reposition closer to you. Next, you play two Fear cards, each causing an enemy to turn away from you—exposing their back.

    Now, with enemies pulled in and turned around, you unleash a Whirlwind attack. Since you’re positioned between them and both are facing away, each strike of the Whirlwind is considered a backstab, maximizing its damage output.

    What’s important here is that the movement didn’t come from the player, but from manipulating enemy movement through clever card play. This combo rewards planning, timing, and a deep understanding of how individual cards interact within the spatial rules of the game.

    Another Angle: Player Movement with Teleport

    Let’s now look at a combo where player movement plays a central role.

    Imagine a scenario where three enemies are lined up in front of the player: a melee attacker, a mid-range enemy who can strike from behind the melee unit, and a ranged attacker at the very back. All of them are preparing to attack, and the ranged enemy is especially dangerous—he can deal high damage from the backline while staying protected by the others.

    This is where the Teleport card comes in handy. Teleport instantly moves the player to the first available platform in front of them. So instead of engaging the melee enemy head-on, the player steps forward just enough to clear the path—then casts Teleport, instantly blinking past the frontline and landing right beside the vulnerable ranged enemy.

    Because the ranged enemy is stuck in its attack preparation, its back is exposed—setting up the perfect opportunity for a backstab.

    This interaction shows how player-driven movement can create tactical windows that feel both satisfying and skillful. It’s not just about reacting to threats—it’s about rewriting the battlefield to your advantage.

    A Note on Backstabs

    If this all makes backstabs sound a bit too strong—don’t worry. The scenarios shown above are carefully planned examples to demonstrate the underlying systems. In reality, Gotogra features a wide variety of enemy types, many of which are not easy to backstab at all. Some turn frequently, some cover each other, and others actively punish careless flanking. Pulling off high-damage backstabs consistently requires thoughtful planning and deep understanding of enemy behavior.

    That’s all for now! If you enjoyed this look into Gotogra’s card design, consider subscribing to our mailing list—we won’t spam you, promise. And if you’d like to follow along more casually, we’d love to see you on our social channels too!