Nowhere Prophet predicts a July 19th arrival
Familiar dust, but fresh faces.
Card-slinging tactical roguelike Nowhere Prophet has a release date locked in, and it's exactly one month away, landing on July 19th. Rather than re-tread tired ground, Sharkbomb Studios are blending genres and wrapping them around a fresh Indian-inspired take on dusty sci-fi worlds, giving it a distinct look and sound. There are complex multi-lane battles between building decks and managing a nomadic caravan on a strategic level, a bit like The Banner Saga by way of FTL with a dash of Slay The Spire. I could see this being the next big thing for deck-builders.
Katharine Castle got her hands on Nowhere Prophet just at PAX East recently, and had seemingly endless nice things to say about it. It looks like a rich melting pot of inspirations, and she specifically invoked Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, The Banner Saga, Hearthstone, FTL and even 80 Days. That's a lot , but all those elements seem to connect cleverly to each other. Those little cards aren't just arbitrary combat pieces, but people in your caravan that appear along the bottom of your screen when you're not fighting. Every card is a little computer person.
Characters have uses outside of combat as well. A roguish sort might be okay in a fight, but they might also open up options to pick locks out in the world to scavenge up more resources to trade when you reach a town to restock. They also react -- positively or negatively -- to your decisions as a leader. As dusty as Nowhere Prophet's desert planet is, Katharine was struck by how hopeful the game felt. It's a rough world of bandits and monsters, but the people are a lively bunch, and the prose accompanying the multiple-choice dialogues seems full of possibility. We won't be waiting much longer to see if it delivers.
Nowhere Prophet launches on July 19th on Steam, Itch and Game Jolt, and while a final price hasn't been announced yet, Sharkbomb have said it will likely be around $20. It's published by No More Robots