Beneath a Dead City

Run your own Adventurer's Guild in this fantasy colony sim with a focus on dynamic storytelling. Recruit heroes to explore a ruined city, but keep an eye on those murder hobos. An unhappy hero could turn to arson, violence, and jaywalking.

Controls:
WASD / Arrow Keys: move camera
Q + E: Decrease or increase game speed
Space: Pause
1 - 4: Select heroes 1 through 4. Double click / tap to zoom to the hero.
5: Quick Save (only when downloaded, not in browser)
0: Quick Load (only when downloaded, not in browser)
Tab: If a hero is selected, switch between the different views of the hero's information (e.g., Equipment, Relationships, Thoughts)

This is the first public build, five months into what I see as a three-to-five-year development cycle. Here's some cool things I have planned:
WEIRD MAPS: Get maps to the past, the present, and the future. The map to the past helps gather clues about the first apocalypse that struck the land. The map to the present lets you move around inside the narrative-cartomancy-dreamscape. The map to the future lets you see which Domains you've pissed off.
ANGRY DOMAINS: Inspired by Dungeon World and DotAGE, domains such as the personifications of ICE or HATRED or BOOKS will vie for your attention and affection. The ones you (inevitably) spurn will send terrors after your heroes. One of them (but which?) caused the original apocalypse and is gearing up for round two.
DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS: Friends and Rivals are (kinda) implemented already, but the future will bring lovers, family members, and mortal enemies.
NPCS: Add villagers to your base to handle some of the more mundane and less glorious tasks for your heroes, such as cooking or repairing buildings.
MORE DECISIONS: Will your mage sell her soul for magical power? Will she try to pawn someone else's soul instead? Will your ranger start living with the goblin warbands? Will your warrior hang up his axe and retire in order to fulfill his dream to be a baker?
FAIL FORWARD: Failure is only bad if its boring. A hero's death might lead to their younger brother coming to aid (or harm) your heroes. A failed quest might make a Domain or threat actor more dangerous. Forgotten powers lurk beneath the dead city...

This was created as part of the Tiny Mass Games collective, a small group focused on putting out a batch of polished short-form games every three months. Needless to say, this is less of a short-form game, haha. Check out more of our work at https://tinymassgames.itch.io/

Feel free to reach out with feedback, here or on the Discord (link on the main menu). If you  like the game a lot, leave a wishlist on Steam! (https://store.steampowered.com/app/3389080/Beneath_a_Dead_City/)