Behind the scenes of creating monsters for Deck of Ashes, releasing today on Xbox

Hello everybody! We are AYgames and today we are going to talk about our favorite creation – deck of ash! Although we’ll be focusing on the monsters and other unforgettable spawn of the Ash world, let’s start with a little background.

Our title is a roguelite deck building game and follows the sinister path of the gang of antiheroes. All the protagonists of this story are members of the Outcasts – the extremely dangerous gang whose criminal success played a nasty trick on them. They dared to rob Lady Death themselves. It’s no surprise that she outwitted them (it was her own fault anyway) and the Ashen Curse was unleashed on this world by the very artifact they were trying to steal.

The basic gameplay mechanics of our game are turn-based deck building battles with the Deck of Ashes as the core. The cards you play will burn and you’ll have to expend some resources to bring them back from the ashes (cards aren’t easily restored after each battle).

The outcasts must now face the consequences of their terrible deed. The fire witch Lucia was burned alive, as witches often do. Dark assassin Sly can’t help but hear the voices of the people he’s killed. The fearless warrior Buck nearly lost the only creature he loved. Only the wily fool Magnus seems to benefit from this apocalyptic event and yet he wants much more. Each of the outcasts encounters the Ash Master and he shows them the way out – they simply have no way of finding Lady Death and eradicating the Ash Curse once and for all.

Their adventures after this encounter had something in common: numerous battles with monsters. We’re especially proud of these monsters because we made them really terrifying and different! Players spend a lot of time battling hordes of these creatures, trying to find the right approach to each type and using different card combinations.

Black Knight

Let’s start with the pretty special – meet the Black Knight!

The embodiment of chivalry mercifully punishes the unclean with a noble power bent on ridding the cities of evildoers at any cost. Of all humans (and monsters), the Knights are obsessed with dueling. Now corrupted by the Ashen Curse, the Black Knight challenges his foes to duels under the new rules… but it’s always a fight of equals.

When creating this mini boss (sorry for the spoiler) we kept the idea of ​​the knight duel in mind. Therefore, one of the key mechanisms in this is the so-called “equality”. The knight replaces all your cards with his, so you’ll have to come up with completely new tactics quickly!

hellhound

Speaking of monsters, there’s one thing we just can’t mention: the hellhound.

“If you think your dog is in a bad mood, check out the Hell Hound. The hellhound hunts down sinners desperate to escape death, but also pesky demons. It doesn’t just do it because its masters command it, but because it loves to kill. This giant ex-dog with his demon rider will burn and devour the flesh of his victims!

This is a difficult question. Inexperienced players may think this is just a generic mob, but the Hellhound will quickly teach them a lesson. It has a solid amount of health and its high Speed ​​will turn the fight into a truly horrible mess. This agile creature constantly avoids attacks and can easily cause you to make mistakes and waste most of your cards.

Nosferatu

Meet Nosferatu in person! The real vampire. It will suck all your health out like a juice box unless you find the right tactics against this creature.

The Ash Master’s Warning: “Once upon a time there were many sorcerers who studied the mystery of death. They managed to resurrect legions of fallen warriors and were eager to sacrifice their own lives only to rise again as the undead. Nosferatu is far smarter than any other undead, and he leads them into battle with ease. At first glance, Nosferatu may not seem all that dangerous, but when he dies, he restores health to his small army. That’s why taking on Nosferatu is always a challenge, and it can easily get ugly when all those undead creatures fight to the end!”

This monster calls various undead into battle. Killing these minions won’t help much as Nosferatu can easily bring them back from the depths of Hell! Kill him as soon as possible or you will be swarmed by the endless wave of undead!

cannibal

The local Scrooge is corrupted by the ash curse – cannibals.

In the cities only beggars initially bowed to the cannibalism driven by hunger and desperation. But over time, human flesh began to look much more attractive, especially to the wealthy. Twisted by the Ashen Curse, the cannibal is fueled by his insatiable hunger, which he seeks to satisfy by even eating his own flesh. Starved and angry like the wild beast, he blindly follows his instincts and attacks anyone in his path.

This opponent can cause goosebumps. No doubt the cannibal will use whatever dirty tricks he has up his sleeve. He can eat the weaker monsters to fill up his health. Find a way to stop that regeneration or you could end up being pudding for that fat!

We’ve only talked about some of the monsters you’ll encounter in Deck of Ashes. The rest awaits you in the game. We have something to surprise you. Will you dare to challenge the Ash Course?

deck of ash is full of choices, challenges, unique mechanics, unforgettable battles and unpredictable events. Embark on this adventure and solve the mystery of the ash curse! Follow the stories of Lucia, Sly, Buck, Magnus and Sybil. Each character is created with heart and has their own unique destiny. You’re about to play through it your own way.

Don’t be afraid to explore and experiment. The game favors the brave! Good luck on your journey and may the ash curse fall!