Effulgence RPG

New wallpapers from in-game screenshots!
★ Full HD: https://retroandrei.com/wallpapers/EffulgenceRPG_Hero_vs_Garpy_1k.png
★ 2K: https://retroandrei.com/wallpapers/EffulgenceRPG_Hero_vs_Garpy_2k.png
★ 4K: https://retroandrei.com/wallpapers/EffulgenceRPG_Hero_vs_Garpy_4k.png

Grab yours, set the vibe, and hit that wishlist! Playtest starts next week: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3302080/Effulgence_RPG/

I made a new background for battle locations: dynamic water reflections built entirely from ASCII symbols. I'm planning to use this visual feature across several areas.

As always, nothing but text symbols (the ones on any keyboard) are used. No scaling, no rotation. Almost like pure text mode.

The wave algorithm is a simplified Gerstner approach with two trochoidal waves - optimized to run faster.

The map has come alive: quests right on the planet!

For the upcoming second playtest, I’ve added a system of mini-quests directly on the map (which, in my game, is a planet). You can trade something useless for something valuable with the girl who has green camera-eyes. You can upload grenade schematics from the Ghost IT Guy in the Data Center. You can play a mini-game to win a tactical cartridge. Or you can (classic style) visit the cyber-well to restore your health.

I hope this will be fun to play!

After the first playtest, one of the main pieces of feedback was: "We need an interactive planet!" So here it is - a big ASCII sphere where you can fight, trade, get quests, heal up, and more. It unlocks gradually as you complete combat zones.

As always, everything is built from standard keyboard symbols. No scaling, no rotation - almost like a text mode. The image is drawn symbol by symbol - I literally write the character, color, and coordinates for every single one.

…And of course, I couldn’t resist adding lighting effects. There are two light sources and real-time shadows - no polygons here, just math and characters. Took some effort!

Added a color palette switch! You can change it from the options menu or just press G during gameplay. Several playtesters requested palette variations, so I added a few:
• Three monochrome modes
• A couple of 16-color styles
• A Game Boy palette
• A low-saturation mode

Also check out the final boss of the first zone near the end of the video!

Glyph Bomb - build it with symbols during combat. Match boss glyphs for a massive blast.

I’ve added a super weapon to the game. During battle, you can observe which symbols the current monsters are made of, open the bomb editor, enter it symbol by symbol - and boom. The more matches with boss symbols, the stronger the damage. You can use it once per location.

I put together a short intro that plays at the start of the game, before the main menu. Does it look interesting? Is it clear what’s going on? I feel like it still needs tweaking, but I’m not sure where exactly. Any suggestions are welcome.

Check out the game’s Steam page to add it to your wishlist and sign up for the second playtest. The first one went well - over 800 people filled out detailed feedback forms. There’s still a lot to improve, and I’ll try to build a new version with updated gameplay in the next month or two.

https://youtu.be/oYOu1D-XNPw?si=G-LQYH-sZN9xgNVm

My first playtest is going strong - over 3,000 people have played it so far, and more than 500 filled out the feedback form. Haven’t received this much criticism in a long time.
The experiment was a success - the result was negative 🙂
Average gameplay rating: 7.5/10.
For comparison, the art got 9.5/10.
Plenty to work on this summer (well, winter here in Argentina).

Effulgence RPG playtest is live! Try the new build from July 9-14 and help test the combat mechanics. Honest feedback is very welcome!

Ever had a fixation idea? I suddenly wanted to make a dodecahedron out of text symbols. Dropped everything, spent a day - and did it. It’s for a mini-game called Game of Zero. Roll a 12-sided die: 11 sides give you resources, 1 wipes your progress. Would you risk it?

Ultra new game banner! New background color and frame!

Which glow level do you prefer?

In Effulgence RPG, you can fine-tune how brightly the ASCII characters glow on screen. It affects the atmosphere, readability, and overall vibe.

This video shows a quick preview of each glow intensity option. Which one looks best to you? Drop your pick in the comments!

Effulgence RPG Combat Mechanics: Turn-based, with timing precision and some enemies showing patience.

BLASTER
1. Higher skill + better weapon = Smaller shot spread angle.
2. Larger/closer targets increase hit chance.
3. Aim when the enemy is closer or naturally larger.
4. Hit probabilities are shown as angles and percentages.
5. Idle enemies may lose patience.

GRENADES
1. Just throw when enemies are closer together.

THUS, despite the turn-based mechanics, you must consider:
1. The precise moment to make a move.
2. Monitoring the patience indicator.

It’s really nice to get comments like this. I’ve already received dozens (if not hundreds) of them. People say they’d buy the game just for the visual style. So maybe I don’t even need to make any gameplay at all? 🤔🙂

I’ve put together the official gameplay trailer for Effulgence RPG (ASCII 3D Sci-Fi). Did it turn out okay?

Taking part in the "Games To Get Excited About" festival. Awesome selection of games!

This is the vibe when I'm sketching ASCII sprites for the game in a text editor.

In Effulgence RPG, the visuals are rendered character by character - so transformations like this are easy to pull off. Looks cool?

I'm making sure my game runs even on low-end hardware.

I've just created a new, clean version of my Steam developer page. What do you think? Follow to stay updated on new game releases and discounts - 165 followers already! Come check it out: https://store.steampowered.com/dev/AndreiFomin