Indie studio Dead Mage has launched a Kickstarter campaign for Children of Morta, a “story-driven hack ‘n slash roguelike” which has you play as a family of heroes, each with their own attacks and powers.
As well as packing in plenty of roguelike elements and random events, Dead Mage want to create an involving story starring the adventurous Bergsons, guardians of the Mountains of Morda. There’s also some lovely pixel art.
You’ll be able to play as each member of the family, from dad John with his sword and shied, to daughter Lucy and her fire magic. Your blacksmith Uncle Ben will be able to craft new gear for you to take on your adventures, and both his workshop and Grandma Margaret’s alchemy store can be upgraded to stock new items and recipes.
Thus armed, you can head out into the wilds to hack and slash to your heart’s content, either progressing the main story or diverting for side-quests. ”While there exists a specific story arc in the game,” explains the developer, “you see various procedural narrative events and have the option to follow those events and experience your own unique story. This is the narrative-based roguelike part of Children of Morta.”
Which all sounds great, but it’s the gorgeous pixel graphics and animations that really grab your attention. The Kickstarter page has a wealth of in-game models and screens to check out. Dead Mage has clearly put a tonne of effort and love into the game’s visual design.
The Children of Morta Kickstarter has a goal of $65,000. It’s currently raised just over $11,000 of that, with 29 days left to go.