What a journey it has been!
In February 2023, I had an idea to create an RPG centered around dragons. I began simply by designing the first few dragons to see if it made sense. To my surprise, it did indeed sound reasonable.
As months passed, the original design slowly faded into oblivion, making way for new ideas and mechanics. To this day, three aspects remain from the initial concept: dragons as the central theme, the act of tapping the egg, and adventures serving as the main gameplay loop.
A fun fact is that the first ideas for dragons were conceived while I was traveling by train to my girlfriend's house on Valentine's Day (to be honest, I was quite bored).
The initial test sessions of The Dragonhood commenced in July 2023, precisely one year before the upcoming premiere. Testers could discover and hatch new dragons, nurture and level them up, outfit them with special amulets, creating an extra deckbuilding vibe. They could enhance their statistics, engage in battles with legendary encounters, and... that was all.
It soon became evident that the game had potential for a very specific player base but lacked additional elements in the gameplay loop. It was noted that repeatedly sending dragons on adventures after a certain period became monotonous, necessitating gameplay elements to disrupt that cycle, if only momentarily. Consequently, quests, dungeons, and reforging were added to the game. Additionally, the game acquired a simple plot with events and a final boss. It also incorporated supplementary features such as inflation, tracking game statistics, and systems for upgrading dragons with special bonus drafting.
Following feedback from testers, the game underwent numerous quality-of-life changes, balancing adjustments, and visual enhancements. However, the list of changes is extensive, so let's skip through it.
Today, the game almost resembles what I envisioned it to be on launch day. I am incredibly proud, though there is always room for improvement.
Recent test sessions have been successful (despite encountering a few notable bugs, all of which have been resolved), and testers are enjoying the game, experimenting with various dragon builds and configurations. The primary aim of the game was flexibility, and I believe we have achieved that!
Therefore, I am delighted to extend an invitation to YOU to download The Dragonhood Demo during the upcoming Steam Next Festival and try out the game. If you enjoy it, kindly add it to your wishlist. It would mean the world to me!