This post is written by Mat, our gameplay designer. Hello there! Mat is back to talk design. If you guys ever read our soft roadmap, youll remember that another major content patch that we want to do is the addition of a few new enemies - a chunky new abomination, and some support bandits. It's great to be able to design a whole new enemy set after seeing the game live for a few months. We learned a lot about how players engage with the game, their favorite strategies and skills, etc. We can now create a creature specifically tailored to challenge the meta! So, let me introduce you to the Basilisk, our new abomination!
It serves as a chunky sniper-type. Very high range, likes to take cover, and has some damage-over-time properties, choosing to lay down some poison-type abilities while growing its own power with the Toxin Buildup passive, which increases his damage every turn. Itll be featured on Marca Hispanica onwards, taking the same slot as Thorntoad. (if you didnt like the chunky guy, then rejoice!) However, he is not without limitations. His Toxin Buildup passive can be reduced by melee attacks, giving your Warriors another way to deal with the threat. To accompany that new addition, we are also introducing two Mystic Bandits, the Enchanter and Witch for Albion and Marca Hispanica respectively.
While not particularly resilient, they can heal, empower and even give more AP to the other bandits, requiring your attention at all stages of a match, and offering a bit of a different strategy for your human enemies. But that's not all. As we introduced some power creep when redesigning skills and passives, we gave the players a lot of new toys to play with, but the enemies didnt keep up. Yeah, we made them a bit stronger, but we could do better. Im not going to spoil everything, but we changed how some of the enemy passives work a bit, from the dreaded Wyverns Elusive, to Behemoths Bloodlust, making them more in line with the current direction of the game, and addressing some of the more common feedback we received. Expect the major patch soon, and please let us know what you think in our Discord server. We're excited to give you some new challenges to face! Mat

[ 2021-08-18 11:03:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

The Hand of Merlin is a turn-based rogue-lite RPG in which Arthurian legend clashes with cosmic horror. Recruit a company of up to three mortal heroes and guide them in spirit on a desperate journey from Albion to Jerusalem. Explore a richly-imagined medieval setting on the brink of apocalypse. Trade with merchants, improve your heroes and unearth ancient relics. Search for the lost fragments of your soul, scattered across the multiverse - and save as many worlds as you can.


Enjoy a compelling story inspired by Arthurian legend, the Matter of France, and the history of Al-Andalus - with an unusual twist. Make choices in interactive encounters that change every time you play. Written by Jonas Kyratzes (The Talos Principle, Serious Sam 4) and Verena Kyratzes (The Lands of Dream, Serious Sam 4).


Master the tactics of squad-based and turn-based combat to conquer both human and demonic foes. Your enemies will be tough and ruthless; make use of cover, set up ambushes and coordinated attacks, harness synergies between different Hero classes and skills.




Carve a path across the lands of Albion, Marca Hispanica and Al-Andalus. Will you take a dangerous route, risking life and limb in pursuit of a legendary relic? Or will you choose a safer path? Plan and prepare. Negotiate, barter, fight. Tackle challenges. Suffer losses. Recruit new Heroes. Earn Gold, Supplies and Renown. Be careful: your choices are permanent, as is death. But don't tarry - evil never rests.


Use Renown to level up your Heroes, and choose between a randomized set of new skills or improved attributes. But choose wisely! Select skills with great synergy and balance your party for the road ahead.




As you jump from one parallel dimension to the next, history is reshaped. Different kings rule the land, changing the encounters, characters, and events. No two worlds are ever quite the same, and each journey will be unique. And should your heroes fall, remember: defeat is not the end, only a new beginning.


Seek out towns to improve your arms and armor, or stumble upon hermit artisans in the wild. With every day that passes, the world plunges deeper into darkness, and you will need all the equipment gold can buy.


From a peasant's humble luck charm to the legendary sword wielded by Arthur himself, items imbued with magical power are scattered about the world. Some you will be able to purchase from merchants and collectors, but others will have to be earned through acts of heroism - or displays of wit.



Rain thunder and brimstone upon your foes! Seek out and gather Soulstones to restore your power and unlock new Spells. Even if defeated, your spirit will retain all of your collected arcane knowledge as you jump into the next dimension.


There are as many worlds as there are stars in the sky. In each stands Camelot; in each there is a Grail. But there is only one Merlin, and his eternal burden is to stand against the horror from beyond. Each world that is saved is saved forever; each world that is lost is lost for good.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/600610/The_Hand_of_Merlin/