mrimer
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Hi!

I'm excited to share some gaming news with the community. I'm leading a team developing a solo board game called Time Fenix. It's an evolution of the Twisty Little Passages / DROD RPG formula, and it will be in a board game format. We've been developing the game for about six months so far, and I'd like to share a sneak preview of the project here today.

Kickstarter Campaign Page

Concept

Here's are some summary blurbs describing it:

Time Fenix is a solo-only, fully resettable, puzzle-adventure resource management campaign game with non-linear Metroidvania, legacy, *-and-write, and deck-management elements.

Play as Fenix, a warrior sage from an indigenous tribe, to protect a magitek world from an ancient threat with the help of a sentient AI.

* Take on 47 missions spanning 16 areas of an underground futuristic research facility.

* Manage power levels and resources as you navigate mazelike areas on laminated adventure sheets with a dry-erase pen.

* Seek out resources and power boosts, carefully defeat enemies standing in your way to advance, and plan how to defeat floor bosses to reach the powerful Time Crystals.

* Strategize when to perform mystical meditative actions to draw and play crucial resource cards from your Focus deck.

* Learn as you play: Story sections reveal additional game elements, rules, and mechanics as you progress.

* By growing your stats and gaining new Focus cards and abilities, you can replay areas in new ways to unlock additional powers and objectives.

* Seek out hidden bonuses to unlock greater power-ups. The game rewards more efficient play and clever meta-gaming strategy.

Do you have the wisdom and fortitude to descend to the unstable Reactor Core and prevent imminent disaster?

Status

The design and puzzles are nearly complete.

I'm working with artists to create graphical content, and I think it's already looking pretty good!

I'm collaborating with some alpha play testers to polish gameplay and puzzles, including kieranmillar, who has provided excellent feedback to improve the area puzzles, as well as others outside the Caravel community.

As you'd expect, designing a board game involves a huge consideration of the physical aspects of play, and I'm including component design as a core part of the process from the beginning.

You'll notice that this game has cards called your Focus deck, which you will draw from and play strategically to gain resources. There is randomness here, and this is distinct from RPG deck builders where the cards are primarily used during combat. You'll need to tactically integrate the randomness into your strategy for completing areas.

In addition to the adventure play sheets and cards, I'm planning for the game to have a dual-layer board for tracking your character's condition and inventory, various components for stats and resource tracking, and a campaign score sheet you'll fill in to track your campaign progress and character improvement.

Most areas have multiple mission objectives, involving defeating floor bosses to reach a goal point, and you will replay areas at different times during the campaign in different ways to reach new objectives.

The game is intended to be for all levels of players, with introductory tutorial areas at the beginning, and then a steady ramp up in challenge and complexity that gradually take off the training wheels.

I have the BGG game entry set up here:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/420265/time-fenix

It's currently bare-bones. I'll be sharing more content as things materialize.

Release Date

We're planning to self-publish Time Fenix. I'm in talks with some board game manufacturing companies to select the best option for us. We're crowdfunding so that we can raise funds to pay for a mass-print production run.

The campaign will going live on July 1, 2025, with manufacturing happening in Q3 and shipping and fulfillment in Q4.

So you don't have to remember, sign up here to get notified when our crowdfunding campaign goes live:

Kickstarter Early Preview Page

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[Last edited by mrimer at 07-02-2025 05:01 PM]

mrimer
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A few more things to say about Time Fenix...

How is this similar to DROD RPG / Twisty Little Passages?

* It has the same basic HP/ATK/DEF stats and streamlined deterministic combat resolution.

* The core of the game involves puzzley resource management.

* You navigate mazelike areas.

* You figure out the best order to take actions.

* There are multiple key types.

* There are special items that modify enemy encounters and how you navigate the areas.

* Most areas have GP and a "shop" where you can buy and trade resources, specific to each area.

* A few areas have special play rules.

* There are ~14 recurring enemy types that you'll encounter throughout the campaign. The ubiquitous roach makes a reappearance!

How is this different than DROD RPG / Twisty Little Passages?

Beyond the fact that this will be a board game, Time Fenix was designed with the following game mechanics and design principles in mind:

* Introduces deck draws and randomness

This is a novel mechanic in the "Magic Tower" genre, and I think it holds a lot of promise. In Time Fenix, available card draws from your "Focus deck" start simple, with little variety, so you can get used to the mechanic. As you progress through the campaign, you'll grow the variety and power of what you have in your Focus deck. You'll also evolve some resource cards. These evolutions enable you to tackle previous areas in different ways and tackle new areas with fresh strategies.

You'll gain card and deck manipulation powers that allow you to strategically and tactically bend luck around your Focus resources.

Each area features a series of "Focus Encounters", where you can opt to defeat enemies to draw more cards and reshuffle your deck. You'll want to plan ahead and prepare yourself to tackle these enemies so they don't drain too much HP when you need to draw more resources.

* Smoother difficulty curve

Twisty Little Passages had a rather quick ramp up in challenge. Following TLP's release, we wanted to provide these kinds of bite-sized puzzles with more flexible gameplay. Time Fenix has a much more gradual curve and is more forgiving, with flexibility in what you can take on next and how you play through each area as you get beyond the tutorial sections.

At the beginning of the campaign, there's a lot of structure to keep things simple, and gaining new play actions as you progress enables your play options to branch out more and more.

* Non-linear meta-game play structure

As in classic Metroidvanias, in Time Fenix, you steadily unlock new areas across a non-linear overworld map of the facility, and you can choose which areas you (re)visit during the campaign to gather incremental power-ups.

* Adaptive difficulty

Even with randomness, assuming the player is making an honest effort, it's likely that many of the areas can be completed successfully on the first try. There's a mechanism for making objectives incrementally easier to complete in cases where you have to retry.

* Scoring

You score points based on how many HP you have remaining as you complete each objective.

There are many opportunities to optimize your score. While the tutorial areas have guardrails on what you can do, later areas grant more and more flexibility in how you will tackle them.

This means there's a lot of latitude in the scores you can achieve. I anticipate players will want to share their best scores with the community.

How long is the game?

I anticipate most areas (game sessions) will take 10-30 minutes to play through.

There is a lot of play content to experience and enjoy. Going through the entire campaign will take about 10-20 hours.

Other trivia

Time Fenix draws and blends inspiration from multiple sources, including other solo and flip-and-write board games, like Legacy of Yu (progressive campaign, managing a resource deck) and Hadrian's Wall (using dynamic resource draws and resource chaining to progress along tracks), as well as video games like the Pikmin series (incremental missions with puzzley terrain navigation).

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[Last edited by mrimer at 04-27-2024 08:46 PM]

Bombadil
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This is very exciting! Thanks for sharing the news earlier with us Mike!

I love the idea of evolving the Twisty Little Passages-style puzzles with a card deck. Eager to see how the random factor is introduced setting while keeping the puzzle balance.

This reminds me... at the time of the TLP Kickstarter I was in uncertain times and could only back at the PnP level. Will there be an opportunity in the Time Fenix to get a physical copy of TLP? (Or are there physical copies available to purchase anywhere?)

mrimer
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Bombadil wrote:
This is very exciting! Thanks for sharing the news earlier with us Mike!

I love the idea of evolving the Twisty Little Passages-style puzzles with a card deck. Eager to see how the random factor is introduced setting while keeping the puzzle balance.

Hy, Bombadil. I appreciate the feedback!

This reminds me... at the time of the TLP Kickstarter I was in uncertain times and could only back at the PnP level. Will there be an opportunity in the Time Fenix to get a physical copy of TLP? (Or are there physical copies available to purchase anywhere?)

Unfortunately, there aren't any physical copies sitting around in storefronts that I'm aware of. I'd like to reprint TLP if I can ensure there's enough demand to sell ~1k copies or more. Otherwise, mass printing cost is prohibitive.

There was a great Board Game store/distributor in Europe that I worked with to fulfill Kickstarter orders in the EU, which might still have spare copies in inventory, but I haven't kept in touch recently and I'm not certain. Check out here:

https://boardgameprices.co.uk/item/show/31020/twisty-little-passages

I mention them because I received confirmation that our US, CAN, and AUS partners ran out of copies a good while back, but from the EU might still be a possibility.

Also, check with resellers on the TLP page on BGG.

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[Last edited by mrimer at 05-19-2024 03:13 AM]

Bombadil
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Thanks Mike!

mrimer wrote:
https://boardgameprices.co.uk/item/show/31020/twisty-little-passages

There's some hope here, one store in Greece seems to have some copies, but their site seems to be under maintenance. Will try to chase it up with them

Bombadil
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In case anyone is interested, they redirected me to their new store and I managed to get a copy of TLP here.
It seems they still have ONE copy left if anyone is also looking for one.

Citrus
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Excited for a second book! I sadly lost my TLP copy in a flood along with most of my other books in 2022 so this will be a nice replacement.

____________________________
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mrimer
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Just wanted to make a brief announcement here that the assets for Time Fenix are now complete!

I'm really happy with how everything turned out. Alex and I have been collaborating on art and design, and he has made everything shine. I also think the game mechanics and experience are really solid and it will be a pleasure to play.

I've updated the project preview image with a close up of the final box cover image -- check it out!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/caravelgames/time-fenix

I'll be delivering the finished files to Boda Games, our board game manufacturing partner, this week. They'll review and approve the assets from a technical standpoint, and I'll be ordering a few prototype copies to share with game previewers. Next step will be to start preparing materials and announcements for our crowdfunding campaign.

I'll share more news over the next 2-3 months as (p)reviews start coming back and when the campaign goes live.

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[Last edited by mrimer at 03-20-2025 09:59 PM]

Blondbeard
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This makes me happy!

I have been longing for some kind of game like this!

My son still sits with TLP from time to time, and I know I will replay it some time too.

Thanks!

mrimer
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Blondbeard wrote:
This makes me happy!

I have been longing for some kind of game like this!

My son still sits with TLP from time to time, and I know I will replay it some time too.

Thanks!

Hey, Blondbeard! So glad to hear you're interested in this. I remember the good time you had with TLP, and I'm hoping you'll really enjoy Time Fenix! I think it will have some real replayability, too.

So excited -- I'm reviewing a proof for prototype prints now!

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[Last edited by mrimer at 04-01-2025 06:17 AM]

mrimer
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File: 20250513_184636.jpg (1.3 MB)
Downloaded 27 times.
License: Public Domain

A quick update to show that Progress is Being Made.

Time Fenix prototype design has been completed, prototype copies have been produced, and we just received a shipment of these today.

It's looking pretty good! (see attached)

I'm really excited to play through this physical copy and get it into the hands of reviewers, preparatory to kicking off our crowdfunding campaign.

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[Last edited by mrimer at 05-14-2025 06:10 PM]

mrimer
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File: Time Fenix Box Cover Top No Flaps 50p.jpg (649.6 KB)
Downloaded 24 times.
License: Public Domain

The Time Fenix campaign will launch next Tuesday, July 1! We are super excited and have planned a lot to reveal next month.

Prior to launch, we've added some more material to the preview page, plus a short teaser video from a content creator.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/caravelgames/time-fenix

Meanwhile, I wanted to share the candidate box top image here (attached).

I'm looking for candid feedback on the box cover. It's received a mixed reception, and I'd like to hear personal opinions on what you think could be improved (and what you like) so we can improve the face of the game before we print a bunch of copies. Don't be shy! Feedback is a gift, and I appreciate you taking the time to check out the cover image and share your reaction.

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[Last edited by mrimer at 06-27-2025 08:28 PM]

Nuntar
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Looks great! I love the contrast between the science fiction-style walls, the fantasy-style crystal in the background, and the giant roach. I especially love the shadow knight in the background and how it takes a while to notice him!

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mrimer
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Thanks for taking a look and commenting!

I'd like to hear back from anyone else taking a look, even if it's just a "meh" or "I don't actually care about this". It's very helpful to hear your reaction.

Tuttle
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I like the style, and it sets a vibe, but also there's a lot going on which (as someone who hasn't looked into TLP or TF in detail) makes it feel better at first glance than it does with a long look. For example, the yellow thing in his right hand -- I'm assuming from other games that it's a keycard of some sort, but why is he wielding it when he's otherwise looking defensive / being attacked by a roach? Same with the holographic head -- it might be a game element but it also feels a little out of place in the scene (and her expression doesn't match his). The longer I look at it, the more I'm focusing on that right arm and the less I'm taking in the scene as a whole. Which is a shame, because I agree with Nuntar that the knight in the background is really cool.

More concretely, in this image, the orange circuit board motif in the top left draws the eye away from the title. But the combination looks a lot better in the photo from the previous post, so I think that's more a digital vs. print thing.

Blondbeard
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I like the picture. There seems to be a strong orange backlight, and the roach, the shadow knight and most of the main character have a strong lighting from behind while being more in the dark as seen from the front.

The main characters face seems a bit off from this perspective, too much light. Perhaps the face may be more shadowed, or perhaps the spear could glow a bit stronger, with a bit more white/golden light profile? Or perhaps there could be other clues motivating why the face is lit the way it is?

In essence: Provide a logical reason for the face being illuminated from the front. This would look better to me.

mrimer
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Thank you for taking the time to respond. This is helpful.

Keep 'em coming!

Zaratustra00
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boy uh

there sure is a lot of ai art on that trailer huh

ErikH2000
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Quite excited about Time Fenix. That Kickstarter page looks so solid - all those video reviews!

And I'm also intrigued at what the game promises to do.

-Erik

____________________________
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Blondbeard
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mrimer wrote:
The Time Fenix campaign will launch next Tuesday, July 1! We are super excited and have planned a lot to reveal next month.

Yay! I will see if I can get my brother (Rheb) to buy it as well!

mrimer
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Zaratustra00 wrote:
boy uh

there sure is a lot of ai art on that trailer huh

Thanks for sharing your reaction. I'm genuinely curious what stood out to you. The trailer was primarily designed, illustrated, and produced by Alex Kowalczyk, who also created the art for DROD: The Second Sky. His work on this was detailed and deliberate, and he put a lot of care into modeling and composing each scene. I did provide a few pieces of Firefly-generated concept art early on as inspiration for some elements, but the final visuals you see were largely handcrafted by Alex. I value artistic integrity and would love to hear more of your thoughts.

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[Last edited by mrimer at 07-01-2025 10:03 PM]

mrimer
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ErikH2000 wrote:
Quite excited about Time Fenix. That Kickstarter page looks so solid - all those video reviews!

And I'm also intrigued at what the game promises to do.

Thank you so much for your support, Erik! We're honored and grateful for the thoughtful feedback from so many reviewers. It's both encouraging and humbling.

Zaratustra00
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mrimer wrote:

Zaratustra00 wrote:
boy uh

there sure is a lot of ai art on that trailer huh

Thanks for sharing your reaction. I'm genuinely curious what stood out to you. The trailer was primarily designed, illustrated, and produced by Alex Kowalczyk, who also created the art for DROD: The Second Sky. His work on this was detailed and deliberate, and he put a lot of care into modeling and composing each scene. I did provide a few pieces of Firefly-generated concept art early on as inspiration for some elements, but the final visuals you see were largely handcrafted by Alex. I value artistic integrity and would love to hear more of your thoughts.

You're asking what stood out to me, aside from every background?

Probably the fact the hologram lady's dress and haircut morph into new ones as she turns around.

Blondbeard
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Zaratustra00 wrote:


You're asking what stood out to me, aside from every background?

Probably the fact the hologram lady's dress and haircut morph into new ones as she turns around.

If there are backgrounds available that works, that is a good thing, right?

Zaratustra00
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Blondbeard wrote:

Zaratustra00 wrote:


You're asking what stood out to me, aside from every background?

Probably the fact the hologram lady's dress and haircut morph into new ones as she turns around.

If there are backgrounds available that works, that is a good thing, right?

Sorry, I meant every background in the trailer is AI-generated and I don't understand how your sentence follows from that.

mrimer
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Zaratustra00 wrote:
You're asking what stood out to me, aside from every background?

Probably the fact the hologram lady's dress and haircut morph into new ones as she turns around.

I appreciate your response. I provided generated walkthrough animations for these scenes. How do you feel about their inclusion? Do you prefer static images to an animation generated from an image?

Blondbeard
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Zaratustra00 wrote:

Blondbeard wrote:

Zaratustra00 wrote:


You're asking what stood out to me, aside from every background?

Probably the fact the hologram lady's dress and haircut morph into new ones as she turns around.

If there are backgrounds available that works, that is a good thing, right?

Sorry, I meant every background in the trailer is AI-generated and I don't understand how your sentence follows from that.

If they are AI-generated, and good, that is a good thing, right?

I mean: If Caravel Games is helped to make great games, that is good. AI is a tool (like a hammer). If you say a hammer has been used to produce something, that is neither good nor bad. It depends. Was it a good tool for the job?

mrimer
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Blondbeard wrote:
If they are AI-generated, and good, that is a good thing, right?

I mean: If Caravel Games is helped to make great games, that is good. AI is a tool (like a hammer). If you say a hammer has been used to produce something, that is neither good nor bad. It depends. Was it a good tool for the job?

Yes, this is exactly what I'm wondering. I'm unclear whether Zaratustra00 is simply pointing out the use of a tool or something else. If something is looking bad, we can of course look into changing/fixing it.

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I do feel the AI-usage disclaimer on the Kickstarter page is a bit unclear. In particular this part: "These were revised, redrawn, reimagined, or entirely replaced by our artists for the final project." With the words "revised" and "reimagined" being pretty vague, and so could conceivably encompass pretty much any change made to an image. In other words: It is not clear to me from the description whether AI-images were used purely for inspiration/reference, or were more directly incorporated.

Furthermore, reading the description, I automatically assumed it would be the latter, simply because it is standard practice for artists to use all sorts of images for inspiration/reference (Google Images, etc.), typically without there being a need to disclose this. And so my expectation would be that more extensive usage of AI-art be required to even warrant the disclaimer. But maybe that's just me.

Anyway, just my two cents. Best of luck with the Kickstarter!

Zaratustra00
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Blondbeard wrote:
If they are AI-generated, and good, that is a good thing, right?

I mean: If Caravel Games is helped to make great games, that is good. AI is a tool (like a hammer). If you say a hammer has been used to produce something, that is neither good nor bad. It depends. Was it a good tool for the job?

mrimer wrote:
Yes, this is exactly what I'm wondering.

Thank you for clarifying your stance.