Independent developer Save Sloth Studios and publisher Yogscast Games have unveiled The Royal Writ, a lane-based roguelike deckbuilder with a unique twist on permadeath mechanics. The title, originally conceived as a Ludum Dare 55 game jam entry, has now evolved into a full project and is set to launch on PC later this year. A playable demo is also on the way.
Set in a medieval kingdom where diplomacy sometimes involves siege warfare, The Royal Writ tasks players with enlisting strange and whimsical creatures to battle on procedurally generated maps. Cards are deployed to specific lanes, and as they march forward, they deal damage to the opposing base. However, if a card reaches the enemy stronghold while it still has remaining health, that card is lost permanently.
Each card possesses unique abilities, with modifiers that can multiply effects or grant advantages on specific terrain types. Aquatic units thrive in flooded areas, while flying units bypass such hazards altogether. Players can also upgrade and enhance their cards between battles through a series of mini-games, allowing for emergent strategy development and deck refinement over time.
The game aims to emphasise both careful planning and the acceptance of loss, with card sacrifice playing a key role in building memorable, often humorous, narratives. Every failed or successful run contributes to a larger story, shaped by the decisions and missteps of the player.
According to Simon Byron, Managing Director at Yogscast Games:
We only sign games we love, so it’s no exaggeration to say the entire team and right across the Yogscast network – fell fast and hard for The Royal Writ when we first saw it. It’s such a brilliant, fun, clever take on the genre, full of surprise and jeopardy. We want to marry it.
Kornél Pittmann, co-director at Save Sloth Studios, also shared insight into the project’s origins:
ur original idea for the game was extremely simple, but the fun instantly kicked in as soon as we put down the first rabbit soldier on the battlefield, so it was a no-brainer for us to start making a full-fledged game out of this idea. Now, it has grown into something filled with tons of unique mechanics, characters and visuals, and we loved working on every aspect of it.
