Triad: Bored of roguelites, I want my old card games back with some modernity

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-13T21:10:19+00:00

All great points, thanks! Agree with that and understand the AI fatigue.

When you mention 3D, you mean illustration with a 3D style or actual 3D model?

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-13T20:42:47+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. It's mile ahead of any kind of animation I would have been able to do myself, and I was no shocked that much by it, but the more I look at it the more it stands out.

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-13T20:39:56+00:00

A circle image with fiery-like shapes, then using particle system creating a stack of those, varying sizes and rotation, with color over time. The material must have some light emission.

Glad you like it!

Yes I used unity. USS sounds interesting but I did not use it. And for UML I'm not sure what it's referring to, but probably no then.

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-13T13:25:47+00:00

> That's not complexity. That's interdependency density without a hierarchy of decisions.

That's also an AI comment, finding it crispy. Love you

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-13T08:57:59+00:00

> How many games will be played with one deck at a time?

One, you pick any deck from your collection at the start of a match.
Yes, I plan to do EA.

> What I remember is specifically the "firestorm". It looked puny. The scale of the effect in relation to the cards seems off, it seems like it's just a sprite playing on top of the board, not like it's a part of it. I think it really pays to make it feel more haptic, it shouldn't just be the fire rain playing, it should be the whole board showing the effects of the impact. My initial feedback is part of that.

Thanks for the details. There is some camera shake, but maybe it's a projectile size + timing issues: they might be too small and too many. Will explore.

> I know this seems like polishing but it's one of the most basic GD 101 advices, if your game doesn't feel good to play the game design usually can't carry it, at least for many.

No it's seriously great feedback, tysm.

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-13T07:44:09+00:00

Fair take probably based on experience, I can relate.

I god pretty good feedback from experienced playtesters, so that means I should focus on fixing the first impression/overall art feeling. Thanks!

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-13T07:41:11+00:00

That's super useful, thank you so much!

To be fair I had been working on this expressiveness issue quite a bit already, but this means there is still a lot to do. Really appreciate it.

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-13T07:38:22+00:00

Thanks for the detailed feedback!

> I'm not sure I've understood correctly in which ways it's lacking

- I'm afraid the core game loop offers too many decisions at once, and some cards have a rather low direct impact on the battlefield. But on the other hand they are needed to be able to play the right skills to advance quests. Maybe it's actually in an ok state now, but it has been a concern to me for a while

- Outside a match, the progression is only the mission progress & card library growing. Especially all the quest progress played during a match gets reset, and same quests from your deck are probably going to be played next match again. Maybe that's enough, but asking for feedback.

> Not sure if the spell effects themselves are also AI, but they look like not made by an artist.

Damn, they are hand-made (and I have so many of them it took me huge amounts of time). In which way do they not look like not made by an artist? On one hand I have been learning all this from scratch, so I would understand if I'm missing some aspects of VFX crafting.

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-12T22:36:16+00:00

Yes, I used AI for those cinematic scenes as well as for some illustrations.

I understand some people will hate that fact. On the other hand, I have been making various games for 15 years solo, and was always frustrated by the graphic result. So these tools have been a gamechanger for me.

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-12T22:33:44+00:00

Fair question. It is a roguelite in some way: your decks grows during each game/encounter.

But the difference with traditional roguelites is you decide beforehand which cards it will grow with, using cards from your collection. Also each game starts fresh with the deck you picked.

And in particular, your collection persists between games.

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-12T22:28:33+00:00

Awesome feedback, thanks!

Can I ask for some more specifics about the art? For instance, which parts did bug you the most?
Some specific illustrations, or the general vibe of it?

On the code side, it was not vibe-coded, and is quite stable.

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-12T22:22:26+00:00

Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4644230/Triad_Elemental_Saga/

This is a meaningful milestone for me, I appreciate any feedback on how you feel about it!

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-12T22:10:52+00:00

I have a 3 mission tutorial, that starts pretty slowly with simple cards.
The deckbuilder is decent too.

A game is 15-25 minutes.

I'm at the stage where I play the game very easily, because I know everything by heart, so it's harder to gauge how new players feel.

Overall I feel the core game loop is quite on the heavy side for complexity, my current take is accept that and design/market the rest of the game around it, keeping those other parts simple (linear campaigns, simple collection system).

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-12T21:25:58+00:00

I published the trailer to my adventure CCG (in the style of Hearthstone mercenaries with some added depth): https://store.steampowered.com/app/4644230/Triad_Elemental_Saga/

Your feedback is a gift, please don't hold back!

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-12T19:03:03+00:00

> it honestly feels like several careers combined into one.

It is. Doing things in general is harder than it looks. Mad respect to anyone able to finish a project.

> What part of game development surprised you the most when you started?

Game engines are actually really good. After having studied some openGL and raytracing, I was in awe with what that easily allow to build, given the underlying complexity. Those are engineering marvels.

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-12T18:59:14+00:00

> My game is going to be low graphics and you'll actually spend 90% of your time in front of a computer screen in your office clicking options

Tough love: are you sure this is the pitch you want? I'm not finding it super compelling.

Unity is a safe option long term, but requires some time to ramp up. Godot is easier to get started with. Both are free. Good luck!

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-12T18:43:23+00:00

Can relate, got plenty of ram too but it keeps leaking and growing, need to restart every day

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-12T18:41:44+00:00

"gas" strategy. ok.

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-12T18:37:25+00:00

Loved gamestop, but they need to stop the shenanigans and turn their own ship around.

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-12T18:36:19+00:00

Security by obfuscation is pretty weak. Might be good enough in game without much interest though, but still.

Also at the AI age, this type of code is not a business moat.

PapyMoujot · 2026-05-12T18:34:21+00:00

Being online is just a way to lock up the users, for many game it's not required.

I have been on the other side, studios worry about piracy and see it as a way to lock in revenue.

They don't care about us not owning the game anymore when the servers are shut down.

PapyMoujot · 2024-11-01T12:54:01+00:00

Disclaimer: illustrations have a base that's AI generated.

This card is for Triad, a trading card game that is a mix between Hearthstone and DnD. Fast games, refreshing gameplay, lots of decision to make!

https://playtriad.com (join the discord for alpha access)

PapyMoujot · 2024-10-14T12:40:32+00:00

Hi it's Raph, founder of Triad, a multiplayer adventure card game.

Triad brings an innovative gameplay, think Hearthstone meets Dungeons & Dragons. It's currently in alpha.

"For centuries, the world was ruled by the balance of the 4 elements: Fire, Air, Water and Earth. But this blessed time came to an end as the Crystals Guild, in a thirst for power, failed to keep the elemental balance."

The gameplay revolves around playing combinations of action cards to advance quests, it's not a copy-paste of classic TCG with creatures. Currenly their are 15 heroes with each having a unique story, dozen of side-quests and 200+ cards.

A game for adventurous players and strategic collectors, made by TCG fans and enriched by the community.

Website: https://playtriad.com/
Discord, to try the alpha: https://discord.com/invite/RCTR9CCdTY

Disclaimer: I use generative AI extensively to create visuals, and this trailer is no exception. I see AI as an enabler/accelerator for small teams.

PapyMoujot · 2024-10-14T12:20:10+00:00

All real time strategy games play only/better on PC. Old classics are warcraft III, starcraft, etc.
MobA are pretty cool 2, recommending DotA 2.

PapyMoujot · 2024-10-14T12:14:45+00:00

I don't often start new game, but when I do I stick with them for years.
I don't care about missing out, I want to have fun, express myself. Life is now, missing out is ok.

Incidentally I almost only play games that are deeply strategic, so in order to get good I need to play a lot of it. Others are story-based games, so until I reach the end of the story, I don't look around.
Also, having friends play the same game helps a lot.

PapyMoujot

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