Dice in a Video Game?

Super Dungeon Tactics uses a unique dice mechanic that provides a balance for strategy and randomness. The goal was to help make every round feel like a new challenge without interfering with a player's overall strategy. The dice in a way represent the influence on the battle from each hero and major enemy - as well as the players own tendencies.

At the beginning of each round, heroes and enemies take turns assigning the dice results to their forces. An interesting note is that characters do not have to take their own die. On the dice are two types of symbols - boosts and specials.

Boosts can be used by any hero or enemy. There are four boosts at various strengths. Stars increase base attack damage and the flying foot offers a movement increase. Blocks are interesting because they reduce incoming damage from every hit that round - very helpful for allowing your softer characters a chance at the front lines. Heal is a small but sometimes critical boost to the character's current health.

Specials are another type of symbol offering abilities that provide additional actions or passive enhancements. Specials are broken up into three categories; Active, Passive and Skull. Active Specials are added to the Action Wheel and provide an additional option to the standard actions. Passive specials can provide unique interactions and are triggered in different ways such as when the die is assigned or when a character is attacked. Skull abilities typically help the enemy greatly but often cause harm to heroes.

Every character has a base movement and attack power; dice allow for boosting stats or access to special abilities. These dice provide an insight into the overall feel for the round. This can provide an opportunity to push and attack or cause a little more caution.

So where do the dice come from?

The dice are created through high ranking enemies and the equipment of heroes. Each piece of equipment contributes to the sides of the die. For instance, one set of armor may provide additional block and heal while another provides the block and a special passive action. This creates a strategy element before gameplay even begins with players deciding to potentially focus on certain outcomes or have diverse characters with many options. Trinkets can often be used to add additional faces.

While dice in a video game may seem a bit odd - give it a try and see for yourself. We have been showing the demo at events across the country with fantastic results.