The Illusionist, a new Unity-made card game, is underway ...

I'm not quite ready to put this into the Showcase forum, so I thought for a few weeks this will be the best place to discuss the latest venture I'm undertaking with Unity. More details, screen shots and website to follow shortly in the appropriate forum. So without further ado ...

Hey everyone! I am pleased to announce that with the generous and skilled and talented programming help of Tom Phillips, the advice of developer and friend Peter Baranowski, and professionally produced music, I'm working on creating a unique card game with the Unity engine.

The Illusionist is a fast playing and fun single-player card game derived from a traditional card game I've been developing and play testing for the last 18 months. Think ... Machiavellian politics among the stage magicians and illusionists in late (and somewhat "dark") 19th century London each vying to become the most prestigious/wealthy/famous etc magician in all of London's theatres. Strategy, history, intrigue and luck all play a role in your success.

The Illusionist plays in about 30-40 minutes, and will be a casual shareware game that will sell for a very reasonable (but still TBD) price. We hope to work on it's development at a steady clip over the coming months and will keep Unity forum members updated as to our progress. It has been extensively play tested for over a year in a traditional card game format and has been balanced and adjusted over that time to create a fun, tension filled fast-paced card game with a unique historic twist.

More news and a website URL soon!

 

I'm very excited to see this! It does indeed sound very intriguing!

Cheers

 

Will you be selling the physical card game as well? Seems like a nice tie-in opportunity.

I like the priorities listed in your announcement: professionalism and balance to the game. Makes me look forward to playing.

 

That's a brilliant idea, Aaron! I guess in the mind-shift to move it from physical to computer game, I'd completely forgotten to even consider that. So now that you mention it, yes, I most likely will offer a traditional card version. I have much of the art done for the card version and am adapting that to now fit a computer format so it'd be hardly any extra work for me to to continue to finish the card version as well.

And a simple way to market it directly from the site as a tie-in. Superb. Many thanks for pointing this out.

 

Here's a marketing idea... sell the electronic game with a starter deck of cards. Japanese video arcade games do this, where you buy a deck of cards and take them to the arcade. You physically insert the cards into the machine to invoke the card's piece in the game. It is possible to win more cards or lose your cards (I believe, but I never played the game myself).

So you could take a WoW card game approach where you print unique codes on the cards and let the players redeem them online to download their new cards to the electronic version. It brings both a collectible and viral aspect to the game, since players can play online or in-person with a real deck.

 

Can't help but notice the vast resemblance to the two magician movies that came out recently. You know the Illusionist and the Prestige. The later of which had a similar plot to the card game :V

 

Never saw The Prestige, did see Ed Norton's Illusionist however. This has been scratched out for over 3 years though so I claim dibs

 

i'm not really a card came person, but your description of it as "fast playing" (and the history aspect) definitly makes me interested to see how it all works. now bring on some screenies ; )

 

Sounds very cool. I think having physical cards as well is a brilliant move. A game is a game no matter what medium it is created in, so why not capture some of that market at the same time?

Games Workshop is doing/has done it with Warhammer, etc.

Good luck!
-Jeremy

 

If you haven't already, play a card game like Munchkin from Steve Jackson Games with a fun person. I don't like card games much myself, but done properly and Creatively, even I can like 'em.

-Jeremy

 

<hijack>
Yes, Munchkin. I really like Star Munchkin, too.

ShmazerPhazerLazerBoBazer!

You know, someone should make a video game like that if it hasn't been done. All about upgrading a character quickly and in ludicrous ways... with animation sounds, and outrageous graphics it could be very, very funny.

Anyone interested in making a game like that? It's almost ALL about content, however. Lots of art/models.
</hijack>

Am I right in comprehending that this is a single player game only? If not, an online component is very beneficial to any card game. Chatting and socializing is always half of a tabletop game, right? And the human element still trumps AI by a long shot.

 

Well, at this stage it can go either way still and just may go both. I'll know better a few weeks down the development road but I'm not closing the multiplayer idea out.

 

And a secret screen shot of something related to The Illusionist and the next project after that. :wink: Two of the button images shown here are placeholders for super-secret content ...



PS. I have one of those two placeholder buttons filled, who wants the other?

 

If I was at that website I'd instantly click on the Illusionist. Very intriguing and inviting. Can't wait to try out the game.

Artistic quibble: the guy on the right should be a bit less sharply defined to match the smearymysterious look of the guy on the left.

 

Will fiddle with the blurriness later tonight.

There, I've fixed the buttons. :wink:

Blurriness soon.

 

Good Work Davey! I look forward to seeing this work

I noticed in the top of the screenshot it has a place for logging in. Good work.

 

:wink:

I've tested the CSS now cross platform and it's good. I'm working on coding the inside page now then I'll actually put some content into it and get it online.

 

Finally found this link on an old computer. Back in the day I was searching for a way to do a custom card game (like pokemon), and searched all over. The different pricing etc is immense. I found these guys, they have good minimum quantities and good prices. The can do custom card games as well. Anyways, finally found the link and thought I would post.

http://www.customizedplayingcards.com

 

Many thanks! I've got only one other supplier I'm looking at right now but I'm probably going to base the decision on whether or not to do the traditional print version on how well the computer version does. If it's successful enough to allow me the luxury of a small run (500-1000) then that's where we'll go.

I've bookmarked them!

 

Almost there now ... only the news page and three other small pages and it's ready to go.

The one game that's front and centre in the design isn't ready to be announced yet, still talking. :wink:

Many thanks to those who have been so enthusiastic about letting me list them on the Partners page. Still following up with a few. Let me know if you want to be listed fellow Unity folks!



PS. And yes The Illusionist is also moving forward with the great help of team members Tom Phillips and west coast musician Mike Beckett.