From Prototype to Game

With the core gameplay systems now firmly established, I’m shifting my focus towards crafting an engaging presentation. In order to release a public demo, I’ve analyzed what’s required and am concentrating on these key elements.

This update is tricky as a lot is happening behind the scenes, what I can already share is mostly about establishing the game’s visual identity and aesthetic direction.

A Recoverable Economy

One small but important gameplay addition was making the base unit producible.

Previously, losing your last base effectively meant losing the ability to gather resources and recover from a bad fight. The base can now be created through the same fusion system as the rest of the units, allowing players to rebuild after suffering heavy losses or adding multiple bases to boost the economy.

First Main Menu Mock-up

I also put together the first mock-up of the main menu.

The layout is intentionally simple:

• the game title at the top
• menu buttons on the right
• and a small animated scene on the left where dice periodically roll and settle

It’s still placeholder artwork, but I really like menu designs with some gameplay elements and this design doesn’t seem too distracting.

Choosing the Visual Direction

One of the biggest decisions during this period was settling on the game’s overall aesthetic.

I’ve decided to lean into the look of a tabletop wargame. Instead of aiming for realism, the battlefield is becoming a miniature diorama filled with stylized trees, rocks and handcrafted-looking terrain.

The map itself still uses its hexagonal structure. Besides fitting the gameplay, it gives the dice the kind of sloped surfaces they need to naturally roll between tiles.

To support this new direction, I’ve started replacing placeholder assets:

• grass textures for the terrain
• rock textures for cliffs
• new tree models
• new boulder models

To support larger battles, I also introduced a new square map with improved UV mapping and cleaner terrain texturing.

Fog of War Fix

I also fixed an issue with the fog of war where units standing near tall terrain could incorrectly see through obstacles.

Attempted to fix it multiple times, but finally decided that I can’t tolerate it any longer.

First Gameplay Trailer

Finally, I put together a short gameplay trailer showcasing the game’s current state.

The video walks through the complete gameplay loop:

• gathering resources
• producing units
• merging dice
• fusing researchers
• researching upgrades
• engaging the enemy in combat

Bringing all of these systems together into a single presentation was a surprisingly satisfying milestone. While the core gameplay loop has technically been complete for some time, this is the first point where it genuinely feels like a playable game rather than a collection of individual mechanics.

Looking back, this update reflects a subtle shift in the project’s development.

For a long time, nearly every week produced a new gameplay mechanic or another piece of the game’s foundation. Those systems are now largely in place, which means development is naturally moving toward presentation, identity, and preparing the game for people other than myself.

Not every milestone in this stage translates into a new gameplay feature or something that makes for an exciting screenshot, but they’re no less important. The additions in this update are part of that transition: polishing the experience, defining the game’s visual direction, and tying the existing systems into something that feels coherent.

There’s still plenty to build, but it finally feels like the project is growing beyond a prototype and becoming a complete game.