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Action RPG Etheria: Restart Season SS4 Begins Today

XD Games is thrilled to announce that the new Etheria: Restart season – SS4 Loong’s Thunder: Shattered Dawn – has begun today, and will run to June 10th.
 

Watch the SS4 Loong’s Thunder: Shattered Dawn trailer here

One of the big new features of the new season is the Tactical Imprint progression system. Players can boost their combat stats by equipping Tactical Imprints (shareable across all different Animus) that have both passive traits and four fixed sockets that can enhance an Animus’ stats even further. By inserting the brand new Components into these sockets, players can upgrade their Animus’ offensive, defensive, and vitality stats.
 

In order to obtain Tactical Imprints and Components, players must take advantage of the new Hyper Kernel system. Hyper Kernel is Etheria: Restart’s latest factory system, providing resources, power buffs, and the aforementioned Tactical Imprints and Components to players. Through the Hyper Kernel, players can also produce Energy Crystals, which can be used to level up terminal nodes, increase maximum stability, and more. On top of that, players can use the Hyper Kernel to dispatch Animus on regional expeditions for rich rewards. Eventually, players will be able to upgrade the Hyper Kernel to operate as a fully automated, smart factory that collects all resources and supplies for players.
 

SS4 Loong’s Thunder: Shattered Dawn welcomes new Etheria: Restart players with a dedicated Sprint Server. This is designed to accelerate growth via a 14-day Double Drop limited-time event, Hyper Camp assessment missions that offer Training Points to unlock various rewards, and the Summit Arena Beginner Protection Mechanism that ensures players are not matched with Level 100 opponents until they reach that level themselves.
 

Additionally, five new Animus will join Etheria: Restart during SS4, starting today with Xuan Chi and Rimeheart Dinah. The defence-orientated Xuan Chi – brother to Xuan Li – can enhance the turn meter of both himself and his allies, creating more opportunities to act; Rimeheart Dinah, meanwhile, is a support-type Animus, taking damage for her teammates on the battlefield, before attacking enemies with her giant blade. 

Additional Animus being added to Etheria: Restart include intelligence officer Luvia, and senior security operative Qano, coming on 30 April. And the final Animus of SS4, Leiboz Life Workshop test subject Sharon, will arrive on 21 May.
 

A number of adjustments have also been made to members of the pre-existing roster. Asal has received a comprehensive buff, Bornova’s damage range has been stabilised, and Heinrich is getting some new Control abilities. For full details on all adjustments, be sure to check out the SS4 Seasonal Balance Adjustment notes.
 

For more on everything mentioned above, as well as information on new skins, outfits, rewards and more, you can watch the Hypertalk Ep. 7: SS4 Season Preview on the official Etheria: Restart YouTube channel, or check out the patch notes for the launch of SS4.
 

Etheria: Restart is available to play for free now on PC, iOS, and Android.
 

About XD Games

Founded in 2003, XD Games. is a global video games developer and publisher with extensive experience across development, publishing and operations. As of 2022, XD has 38 free-to-play and paid games with over 50 million monthly active users worldwide. In addition, TapTap — a mobile games community and app store — was launched by XD in 2016 and is estimated to currently have 44 million monthly active users.

XD’s mission is to assemble like-minded talented games industry craftspeople with a common goal of touching the hearts of players around the world. XD produces games of the finest quality with passion, offering a pure gaming experience, and encouraging players of all ages to embrace the unique joy of video gaming.

Fight Life: Vanguard is Now Available on Steam!

Today, Two Cakes Studio announced that  Fight Life: Vanguard, a tactical turn-based RPG set in a pixel-art dark fantasy world developed by StartImpulse, is now available on Steam.

In honor of this, the game is now discounted by 20% to encourage players to participate!

Watch the Launch Trailer Here

Key Features:

  • Three difficulty levels – from accessible to unforgiving. Even “normal” requires tactical thinking, while “hard” is a true test for seasoned players
  • Engaging story – lead a mercenary squad through a dark fantasy world, battling the Spider Queen, skeletons, wolves, and the Goblin King. A mysterious spirit will guide you toward the truth about Darksoul
  • Turn-based tactical combat – build your squad from a diverse recruit pool, develop your characters and craft the right strategy for every encounter
  • Localized in 13 languages – including full English, Japanese, German, French, Portuguese, Ukrainian, Polish, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Korean and Chinese support. Players can enjoy the narrative and complex tactical explanations in their native language, enhancing the overall experience.
  • Pixel art visuals – atmospheric pixel art set in a dark fantasy world
  • Lightweight and compact – minimal system requirements, minimal storage space

For the latest updates, exclusive news, and community discussions, please join our Discord server

About the Game
Fight Life: Vanguard is a Tactical Turn-Based RPG that challenges players to think strategically while immersing them in a richly detailed world. The game combines classic turn-based combat mechanics with modern design sensibilities, creating an experience that rewards careful planning and tactical mastery. Players must assemble their squad, position units wisely, and make critical decisions both on and off the battlefield

Embark on a journey alongside once mighty and generous, now the forgotten god, whose energy slowly dissipates from the world. Betrayed by his human apprentice who decided to become a new divine by sacrificing his master, the Divine Spirit initially distrusts humanity until witnessing their bravery in defending against darkness. Before going to the void God is ready to make his last call to save humankind.

EMBRACE THE MANTLE OF COMMANDER
Lead a squad of brave adventurers through a war-torn world besieged by darkness. Engage in meticulously crafted turn-based battles spanning four captivating chapters, where green recruits evolve into seasoned warriors.

USE YOUR STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL SKILLS
Challenge your strategic prowess as you navigate through tactical encounters, devising maneuvers, launching assaults, and striving to tip the scales of the conflict in your favor. Witness the transformation of your ragtag group into legendary heroes, forged from humble beginnings into mythical champions.


BUILD YOUR SQUAD OF RECRUITS
Invest in the growth of your team, meticulously nurturing their skills and resilience to endure the harrowing trials ahead. Every decision counts as you strive to carve a path of hope amidst a bleak and seemingly insurmountable crisis.


General Information:
Title: Fight Life: Vanguard

Genre: Strategy, Turn-Based, RPG
Developer: StartImpulse
Publisher: TwoCakesStudio
Release: 10 April, 2026
Platforms: PC (Steam), PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch

Languages: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese,   Japanese, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Korean, Polish, Ukrainian, Turkish

Steam

X
Bluesky

About TwoCakesStudio
Two Cakes Studio is an indie video game development and publishing studio that creates a diverse range of creative and engaging video games across genres, from survival horror and action RPG to medieval colony sims and strategic turn-based titles. Two Cakes Studio is committed to delivering innovative gaming experiences and supporting games at every stage of the development lifecycle.

X
Bluesky
YouTube
Publisher Steam Page
Discord
TikTok
Website

Copyright © 2026 TwoCakesStudio, All rights reserved.

XCOM-Style Roguelite Ex Sanguis Coming to Steam in Early Access May 21st

Lightbulb Crew is thrilled to announce that Ex Sanguis, their blood- and strategy-rich game, will release on Steam in Early Access May 21st!

So what’s Ex Sanguis all about? You’re here to lead elite warriors, called Stillae, to save a dying world from the forces of stasis. And how do you do that? Through many blood-filled turn-based battles, of course!

While engaging in turn-based combat, you’ll be able to strategically trigger a chain of events across the battlefield to turn the tide. Use Timeline Effects that can hasten, delay, or swap time positions to impact the turn order in a way that favors you and disadvantages foes.

As with any XCOM-style game, you can also use your surroundings to your advantage: explode objects, ignite enemies, or block the enemies’ path. Use spatial effects like knock-backs, forced facings, flanking bonuses, and damage-over-time to gain the edge!

The 30-second trailer hits fast with gameplay snippets, ending on a release window, now set for May 21 2026.

Watch the Early Access Release Date Trailer
 

Ex Sanguis adapts a pleasing roguelite loop into the turn-based combat. Defeat the challenging enemies to gain bonus ‘Corrupted Blood’ you can use to get access to epic bosses earlier, or to spend in the Map Events to gain upgrades for customizing your deadly squad. The further away you venture toward the outer rim of the map, the harder the standard Missions become.

As you play, the cycle never repeats. With each return, each playthrough, you carve new strength from failure and victory alike, unlocking forgotten powers and braving ever darker depths, where your greatest enemies await.

Developer Lightbulb crew plans for a six-month stay in Early Access:

“We’ll take the time needed to deliver a polished and complete experience. As such, the timeline may adjust based on player feedback and development progress. We plan to expand the game with additional content, improved balance, new features, and overall polish. We’re also exploring the possibility of new game modes. Our aim is to build on the core mechanics and continue refining the game’s performance and quality.”

Steam Page
​Press Kit: piratepr.notion.site/ex-sanguis
​Press Contact: press@piratepr.com & contact@lightbulbcrew.fr (interviews welcome!)

About The Game

From the creators of Othercide, Ex Sanguis delivers what the studio is known for: dynamic & epic turn-based combat in a visually striking world. Bleed the world to life; fight the agents of perfection and stillness through strategic blood baths in this evolved roguelite tactical RPG game!

Command the Stillae, elite warriors born from the Sanguis of the Mater, and lead them in a battle to save a dying world. Fight in tactical combat against the forces of Stasis and restore the flow of life.

In a world drained by the Purge, blood is defiance. Each drop of it paints the world in reds and blacks, as a reminder that life fights back. This is not just violence, it’s a vivid rebellion in a pale, colorless world. Key Features

For more updates on Ex Sanguis, ​ ​follow Lightbulb Crew on Twitter/X or BlueSky or join their Discord

About the Studio

Created in 2013, Lightbulb Crew is a Franco-Swedish studio, with most of the team based in Paris. They are an indiegame studio with distinctive design and strong art direction. They make games that tell a story, while the mechanics stay front and center. Their previous work includes Othercide and Nova Hearts.

lightbulbcrew.fr

Copyright © 2026 Lightbulb Crew, All rights reserved.

New Update for For The King II now available

London, July 5th, 2024 – Curve Games and IronOak Games have unveiled Dark Carnival, an infinite dungeon mode designed to push fans’ skills to their limits. In this mode players must uncover the secrets of the Ringmaster and face the many challenges the Dark Carnival presents. The deeper you go, the more twisted it becomes. For the King II is available on Steam. Download it today and see how many floors you can conquer before meeting your inevitable demise!

“We are passionately dedicated to making For the King II the best experience it can be for our community. The team has been listening to feedback and working hard to bring new content to players with the Dark Carnival update. We truly hope you enjoy the new mode, and the re-introduction of Bards”, said Sterling Anderson, the Studio Director at IronOak Games.
 

Watch the new For the King II Book of Lore video which delves into the mysteries of the Carnival and gives players a crash course in everything weird and wonderful that the Dark Carnival has to offer.
 

Inspired by tabletop adventures, For The King II builds on the hugely popular blend of strategy, turn-based combat and roguelite replayability and combines an epic new experience that includes the most requested fan feature by far: four-player co-op. For The King II delivers a continuation of the narrative arc for fans of the original and offers brand-new combat mechanics and features, a host of new biomes to explore and much more.
 

To learn more about For the King II please visit the official Steam product page here and follow us on Twitter, Reddit and Discord.

Ancient Board Games: Chaturanga

History:

This game from 6th century India is believed to be the ancestor of chess and other games (worldwide!) like it.

There are a few things that set Chaturanga aside from modern chess. For one thing, unlike modern chess, this game can be played with up to 4 players. In 750 CE, this version of chess reached China, and by the 11th century it had come to Japan and Korea. It went through Persia and into Europe around the same time.

The theory of the game’s spread revolves around the Silk road, an ancient trade route spanning from Italy in Europe to Xian in China. This trade route moves through land and sea, and facilitated trade of all kinds.

It’s due to the silk road that it can be hard to determine the origins of chess, as pieces simular to what we know have been found all over 3 different continents.

Like other ancient games, some of the rules are up to speculation.

What we know about the rules and play:

Of the pieces that we know of today, the rook, knight, pawn and king move the same. However, The kings do not face each other (aren’t in the same column), and the pawns don’t have the option to move 2 spaces on their first move.

The Queen was the Counselor, and could only move 1 square diagonally. The Bishop was the Elephant, and could only move 2 spaces diagonally.

One of the theorized rules is that the pawn, instead of automatically becoming the Queen/Counselor, would actually become the piece that occupied that square in the beginning.

Chaturanga was won by what we know as checkmate, or by eliminating all pieces except the king.

Castling and En-passant weren’t introduced until the 15th century, and the checkerboard pattern we associate with Chess was only introduced as decoration around the year 1000.

What I found to be interesting, was that in the 4 player version of Chaturanga, what piece you played was determined by dice throw, which completely change the flow of the game. The dice is a D4, and the sides are as follows: The Raja (king) and pawn, the knight, the elephant (bishop), and the boat (rook). The four player, as you can see, does not include the Counselor.

Where to play?

You can buy physical boards around the internet, or just use a regular chess set, and modify the rules.

You can play online here, but you have to sign up, and there are a few apps that allow multiplayer versions of the game.

Ancient Board Games: Royal Game of Ur

A game like this, from 2600 BC, is full of intrigue. This delicately carved block of stone, with flowers and markings etched into the rock, sings to played again.

A 4×3 board is connected to a 2×6 board with 2 squares. There are 4 d4’s, with dots on 3 of the points. And there are 7 Tokens per player, with one blank side, and one side with 5 dots

We have the board, the dice the pieces, and the question remains: how do we play it?

Rules have been found for advanced versions of the Royal Game of Ur: the sweet irony of which is that the base rules are speculation. All we know for sure about the base game is some of the markings’ meanings, and that the goal is to get all your pieces across the board. Even the exact route is unknown.

Because of that, there are a few different sets of rules floating around the internet.

One of several points of argument is whether rolling a Zero on the dice counts as a zero, a four-space movement, or as a “roll again”.

Another point of argument is when/how pieces may be moved onto the board. On Some of the boards, the pieces are numbered, and one guess is that you must roll that exact number to play them. Other rules have suggested that you have to roll a certain number (either 4 or 0) to bring out any piece, and some discard that notion entirely; you can bring a piece onto the board at anytime.

I suppose that if you wish to play it, it’s like any game of UNO: the rules are decided by players agreeing (or acquiescing) to them.

How to make a card game with tokens and extended gameplay

Step 1

Brainstorm!

Decide on a theme, idea or concept that you want to explore.

Step 2

Decide on a Game end goal/ how one wins the game.

This is where counters come in. How many does one need to win? Are they part of winning, or do you use them to retrieve other cards?

Counter examples: Health points in  Pokemon, a way to get assets in Netrunner, A way to count round victories (and bets in general) in Mahjong.

For the game I’m creating as an example, A certain number of each kind of token (Division and Romance) is needed to win the game.

Me trying to figure out the end goal + playstyle

Step 3

Balance in these kinds of games can be tricky.

I suggest using existing proportions from other things as a guide. For example, using the way currency is divided as a basis for card-to-token ratios. Nickels to Dimes to Quarters (20:10:4), as token type 1: token type 2: total cards, if you don’t mind having numbered tokens (or just a whole pile of them).  For the Example, to figure out how much of each type of card I wanted, I played off of the  average number of fic tags on any one work, and decided that balancing between 7 and 12 might do me good. Again, there’s no need to worry; play time with the game will help figure out the kinks, or even talking about the design with other potential players.

Handwriting,,, ugh
A look at me trying to figure out what I wanted the proportions to look like, with some name brainstorming at the top

Step 4

Design the cards.

The key to games that require reading is to make sure your font is legible for all your players. Using Dyslexic-friendly fonts, and making sure that the text is at a good size, especially if your players are on the older side.

Color-coding your cards can help distinguish them. Since tokens are involved, it can help to add any symbols on the tokens to the corresponding cards.

I used excel to help me with this step!

Color coding

A sampling of card names + some descriptions-in-progress

BOXES
The ruler on the top of this page was especially helpful in designing these

 

Hacker vs. Corporation: the Card Game a.k.a. , “Android: Netrunner”

While researching Magic the Gathering (I had heard it was a fun play), I came across something else that piqued my interest: an extinct game by the name of Android: Netrunner.

At the Brain-dead hour of 4 am, the fast-paced commentary on the Netrunner U.S. Nationals 2019 The Cut was a pleasant listen. From what I’ve gathered on a brain full of sleep soup (probably better known as melatonin), I’ve gathered that it’s a combination of Magic the Gathering and Poker.

The game runs as follows: You and another player oppose eachother; one plays a corporation, and the other plays a hacker. Each team has to get 7 “agenda points”. Hackers gain them from taking the cards from the corporation, and the corporation from completing agenda card requirements.

Entertaining, or at the very least, compelling!

This game involves Resource management, and much like our own monetary system, there is some complexity. The game involves 6 kinds of tokens, most of which are double-sided to signify different things.

The Artwork is lovely as well!

An Example of the art
“The Personal Touch” Card Art

For those who want a true cyberpunk experience, this is the game for you.

Since it was cancelled in 2017, there’s no chance of getting new cards, but there is an online deckbuilder/play site here.

How to make a Feats-Based RPG

What are Feats?

Feats are, boiled down, unique actions or abilities that one can do/have. A game that relies on feats over anything else generally has less reliance on stats or items, and is more about the imagery that comes from a more verbally-based adventure. Some videogames have them as part of a “talent tree”, in that feats have to be unlocked in  a certain order. In these games, some trees are blocked off if you’ve chosen a certain role or path. Games can use feats to boost base skills, or allow more flexibility in the actions your character can take.

Why Feats?

Feats let players do another level of customization, and lets them use something that isn’t for numbers, necessarily. Feats can allow for more fun and can create unique Interactions between other characters and the environment around them.

How do I make ’em? 

Feats tend to have limits of their usage in a certain time frame. That can help with balance in your game. A much stronger/ impressive feat will be given a longer time between uses than some thing simpler/weaker.  One can also have a limit per game of times each feat (or all feats as a whole) can be used.

You can bring Balance to your game through keeping things consistent, watching the usefulness of the feats, and allowing the feats to have in-game importance. Consistency can refer to the description used; keeping the feats at a similar level of power and/or versatility will help keep the players at a compatible level. Usefulness is also a factor in balance and also, consistency. Are your feats tied directly to the gameplay? Are they more for Aesthetic purposes? How you choose to integrate those will be based on the type of play you and your players are looking for. A more light-hearted game for comedy reasons may choose to have silly, more aesthetic-based feats, that do more for conversation than plot, because that is what players are looking for. 

Themes:

Themed around subject: What is unique to the chosen genre? What can only be done or be seen in the genre you choose? What tropes do you enjoy that can be integrated into your game?

Themed around the character’s species, for example, if the character is a merperson(triton, mermaid, generally aquatic),  a feat can be “Once a day, the player can issue a command to nearby lake or sea creature. The creature must do a wisdom saving throw of at least 15 to resist”. The feat is unique to the specie’s upbringing and environment, and can lend flavor to an encounter.

Themed around the character’s job. Things that only that particular class can do, even split into subgroups of effect types. For example, a wizard. A Wizard feat could be being able to duplicate a spell, or change the effect type from fire to ice. Subgroup examples include: feats that effect weapons, feats that affect the Player, feats that affect other players/NPCs, feats that effect the environment.

Your game can be themed around the players. People enjoy things that are unique to them; it makes them feel empowered and even loved! Including something specific about those that you care about can be a way to make that connection be brimming with joy, adding a sparkle in their day!

What do I actually write down?

At the heart of it, you want a name and a description.

The name should be an accurate summary that piques the interest of the player.

The Description should be clear and concise.

It can be helpful to add in any identifying traits (like if the feat is specific to the species/job) beside the name.

How to make your own card game

How to make a card game from concept to completion

What do you enjoy in the card games that you play? What will entice others to play?

For this example, I tried to create a card game that my friends would play. They enjoy relatively simple games, that one can do while talking or conversing. I chose Uno to be the base game, as all agreed that that was their favorite game.

I like the aesthetic of tarot cards, so I also added in their number system (1-10, then page, knight, queen, and king).

I chose a theme, next. I enjoyed the tiktok trend of “vaguely terrifying beasts as pests that just bother you occasionally” as the theme, and boiled down their appearance to “Oblong form in mask”. Simplifying the appearance of the card’s design increases it’s readability. Making your images overly complex can confuse your players (or yourself when coloring them).

After deciding on those, it’s time to design the cards!

I chose to match the number of the figures to the number on the card, to keep it consistent visually. Other options include making the numbers of objects equal to the value of the card (ordinary 52-card deck), creating symbolism to match the value (most tarot cards), or even just putting the value of the card as the main focus (a-la- UNO).

Consistency is key to make sure the players can distinguish different groups of cards from each other while still recognizing it as part of the group.

Matching color-schemes or patterns is the common route to solve that problem!

For mine, each group (distinguished by color) has its own pattern as well. To make sure that all the cards -regardless of color- are read as from the same game/set, I used the same line-art for the base. Making all the figures the same helps tie the card set together.

The video has the rest of the process!

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