Comic-style fight playout
Fight playback has been redesigned as a comic-panel sequence with stat bars, energy recovery, and auto-skip — replacing the old step-through with something that actually feels like watching a battle unfold.
Read moreIn development
Song of Larithea
Turn-based tactical RPG
Build your party of heroes, master magical schools, and craft spells to outwit enemies on a tactical grid — all woven into a story-driven adventure about the mysteries of the past and how they shape the future.
In March 2026 I took a sabbatical from work to focus on the project of my dreams — a tactical RPG I've been designing in my head for years.
News
First look at the tutorial
A first look at the Larithea tutorial before this week's playtest. See how the guided intro walks new players through the game.
Read moreUnified map, journal system, and emotion portraits
The story map now includes base locations as nodes alongside scenes. A journal system tracks player progress, heroes have full emotion portrait sets, and the viewport scales beyond 16:9.
Read moreDesign system migration complete
Every legacy UI component has been replaced by the new comic design system. The story map, settings, VS screen, daily rewards, and hero cards all run on shared primitives now.
Read moreBuilding the comic design system
New comic-styled components for spell cards, barks, hero popups, and crafting — plus entry animations and a burst bubble effect. The visual language of the game is getting a proper system behind it.
Read moreArena fights reworked and notification system
Arena fights now use the new spell system end to end. A notification layer has been added so the game can surface events without interrupting flow.
Read moreAspects UI, new spell art, and dialogue timing
The Aspects menu is fully playable, spells have new card art and a reworked look, and dialogues now animate in and out instead of popping.
Read moreLibrary rework and story scene changes
Reworking the Library to show aspects — making it easier to see when sigils unlock and when stats grow. Some of those UI findings are pushing changes to story screens too.
Read moreUI audit: shared buttons and clearer calls to action
Every button and label was reviewed and routed through shared components so primary actions read as CTAs and secondary controls no longer compete for attention—directly addressing confusion we saw in user testing.
Read moreBiome fight fields and a new art pass on story backgrounds
Tactical fights now read biome-specific backdrop art on the fight field. Hub and story exploration use a fully refreshed background style—kept separate from battle flow and from the grid itself.
Read moreBarks and steadier state updates
Short bark lines now appear when you poke at the world and story beats, and the build applies player-state changes more reliably across combat, hub, and tutorial.
Read moreSmoother early combat
A progression-blocking bug in the second fight is fixed — combat would stall completely and leave you stuck. Several other combat edge cases from testing builds are resolved too.
Read moreSpells, constellations, and backgrounds
Your spell list opens in a clearer default state, constellation presentation is updated, and class-themed backgrounds refresh several hub and menu screens.
Read moreTutorial polish, materials, and loading
The guided intro skips steps you don't need; new and updated materials show up in the UI, the menu and inventory art got a pass, and scene images load with less hitching.
Read moreThe Party
MayaRestoration student
The heart of the party. Maya leads with empathy and a steady healing touch — and she has a bad feeling about where Dart went.
TaraAmplification student
Fast, fierce, and direct. Tara acts before others have finished thinking — and rarely apologizes for it.
NellDestruction student
Nell throws himself into every situation with open-eyed enthusiasm, even when the danger is real and closing in fast.
GreyAbjuration student
Outspoken and razor-sharp. Grey joins the party early and quickly becomes the one everyone turns to when things get complicated.
DartIllusion student
He left hours before the others, alone, and told no one why. Finding out might be the most important thing the party ever does.
Latest Diary
Fight playout iteration
The fight playout got rebuilt as comic-panel sequences. Two games shaped how it feels — Enchanted Arms for the tactics, Dragalia Lost for the charm. Also: why animations have to wait.
Read moreBlood, Sweat, and Pixels — and why I make games
Just finished Blood, Sweat, and Pixels by Jason Schreier. Two chapters stood out — The Witcher 3 and Stardew Valley. Also wrapped up the design system migration and moving into playtesting.
Read moreWhat makes it worth playing
Spell crafting
Gather materials and craft the spells your party actually needs. Your loadout is something you build — not a fixed list — so experimentation and specialization both pay off.
Tactical grid combat
Command your party on a tactical grid where positioning and spell placement decide every fight.
School-based magic
Master six schools of magic, exploit elemental weaknesses, and chain combos that turn the tide.
A story worth following
Episodic chapters with a cast of complex characters, real stakes, and choices that land.
Play anywhere
Touch-first controls and pacing built for sessions that fit your day — wherever you are.
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