system
Blessfrey is a 2D minideckbuilding action rpg. Your skillbar has limited slots and locks outside safe zones, so build a winning combination. The multiclass system will determine your skillpool. Your AI companions will have skillbars of their own to edit, so think in terms of teams to defeat bosses and solve puzzles. Freely experiment and express your playstyle.
jobs
Blessfrey jobs are equivalent to RPG classes. Your first job is a permanent decision made early in gameplay. The rest will become available as side gigs. You can only have one side gig at a time, but you can always swap it in safe zones.
Each job has its own skill pool. Each skill is assigned to a job trait (similar to an RPG attribute). Each character has a set number of trait points they can use to raise job traits and the effectiveness of their associated skills. You gain more trait points through gameplay, but traits can be raised or lowered at will. Experiment to find your specialization!
Your first job offers an exclusive trait called a job perk. It is not only tied to the effectiveness of related skills but also provides a constant buff. You can use the skills of your side gig's perk-related skills, but you cannot increase their effectiveness nor gain the buff. Perks distinguish teammates' roles from each other.
skills
Skills are individual powers that modify entities in the world of Blessfrey. They can launch fireballs, protect against incoming damage, spawn items or minions, teleport characters, reveal more UI details, and more. Your skillbar only has 8 skill slots and can only be edited in safe zones. The challenge comes from discovering effective strategies and synergies. Many of the same skills will be available to the player and enemy characters alike, so you must learn how to both use and counter each skill.
Skills + keywords are inspired by Magic: The Gathering cards + keywords. There are a limited number of keywords that are quick to learn, but they will combine with interesting conditions to create a wide arsenal of options.
Skills are gained during exploration. As you find new areas, encounter enemies, and interact with your surroundings, you will internalize those experiences as new skills. There are multiple paths to learning, so you are free to focus on your favorite parts of the game.
team
You will meet new friends and allies in the world, and they will join your team as customizable AI companions. Edit their skillbars to complement yours and keep their gear up-to-date. They will remember your responses and actions, so stay attentive to the flow of your relationship. There may be consequences - sweet or treacherous.
story
You play as Helia, a foreign transfer student living with her estranged uncle in a rural town. You'll find an inexplicable amount of amenities given the population, but none of them hold a candle to the haunted dungeon beneath the city. It's off-limits, but a dare's a dare.
There's a whole other world down there with multiple fantastical species. Even one dip puts you at risk of getting tangled in its mysteries.
The town is strange in its own right. Lucrest flourished under its remarkably young mayor and became an economic oasis in an expanse of farmlands and mining communities, drawing tourists to enjoy its attractions. Mayor Dia claims to have a magic wand that controls the economy, and people aren't inclined to disagree.
characters
Helia (?/?) - The player character! Where she comes from, combat training is unheard of, so she'll have to pick a job soon. No one really knows why she had to move from the US so suddenly and all alone.
Angel (Brawler/Hacker) - A natural talent with heavy blades, programming, and networking, despite inconsistent study. She's a friendly and outgoing person who tries to do good and please others but hasn't really established firm personal values.
Tessa (Tamer/Brawler) - Good at commanding animals in combat and using the environment to her advantage. She actually has a foreign background, too. Her mom and late father moved with her from France when she was really little. She loves the outdoors, animals, and fashion and is always sticking her nose in everyone's business. She's all fun all the time, so she doesn't always know where the boundary is between playful teasing and outright bullying.
Chloe (Disciple/Armsman) - Often called upon for prayers of spiritual healing and divine protection. She's an orphan girl who was taken in by the church, and she spends a lot of her time serving there. She's reticent and deeply introverted.
Aries (Armsman/Disciple) - Prefers light or ranged weaponry, light armor, and a disciplined approach. He's Angel's twin brother, though he's her opposite in many ways. He takes things with more gravity, fully committing himself to his studies, but his frankness and disregard for etiquette makes him seem boorish.
Night (Chemist/Brawler) - An expert in poisons and weapon oils. Despite his age, he's always had a crystal clear plan for his future, so he left school early to begin apprenticeships at research hospitals in the capital. Tragically, the deterioration and death of his grandparents forced his return. He runs a local pharmacy in the meantime while trying to decide how to support baby brother by himself.
Rune (?/?) - A startlingly tall and listless horned boy discovered in the local dungeon, surrounded by dinosaurs and other abyssal beasts. He doesn't trust people from the surface at first.
More characters are over on the characters page.
info
Blessfrey is a singleplayer action RPG game that will be playable in at least Windows, Linux, and HTML5. I'll sell it on Steam and wherever else makes sense. It's being developed by me (chimchooree) in Godot Engine with original writing and art, though I'll need help with music and sound design eventually. (Unless I am an audio savant and don't yet know it?) My husband also helps sometimes, especially with writing plug-ins for the engine.♡ The full credits are available on the credits page.
timeline
Legless the Cat is the first official demo. It has nothing to do with the game, but it's an exercise in exporting and embedding an HTML5 game. It also lets my kitty be in his own videogame! So cute.
I worked on a version of Blessfrey for years, made a lot of mistakes, learned a lot of design practices and programming techniques, and ended up with an unmanageable mess. I'm starting over from scratch and ironing out the skill system (the most important element of gameplay) first this time.
I'll try to release playable builds as I complete features, even if they are ugly text-based versions, and document as I go. No particular timeline.