I do not pretend to be up on all things gaming; sometimes I stumble upon info late. Spearhead Games is at PAX West and I happened to ask them via Twitter if they were working on anything new. They answered me with a Twitter@ and my eyes lit up. Project Witchstone is coming next year and it looks like it may be bigger than Stories and Omensight put together!
What is Project Witchstone?
Jump right in using actions familiar to any RPG fan like dialogue, combat, spells, etc., then experiment with even deeper agency through systems like stealth and the influence interface. Manipulate and shape this world as you see fit, pitting others against one another, incriminating whole factions, and aligning powerful allies to your cause. Witchstone offers you the freedom to live the adventure you want. There is no overarching pre-defined story. Your decisions will craft a world and experience unique to only you.
This world is alive; its inhabitants acting with purpose. They own properties and have unique personalities. You may befriend some, and make enemies of others. They have likes and dislikes, forming an appreciation of, or disdain for factions, as well as you.
Unlimited Possibilities
The consequences of your actions are both far-reaching and powerful. Want to frame a soldier for theft, or a blacksmith for murder? Ever thought about joining a faction, becoming their leader, and decimating the opposition? Prefer to create chaos, secretly dismantling the established order from the shadows? Want to just become a treasure hunter instead? Or even attempt to unify everyone and bring peace to the world? All of this is possible in Witchstone.
A Vicious Cycle
With each new game release, our studio has evolved our expertise in the field of branching narrative. Our systemic approach tailors events based on all previous actions, applying a complex web of causality that drives all inner workings of the world. For instance, crimes result in investigations. Investigations result in arrests. Arrests result in retaliation. Retaliation results in new conflict. Conflict results in new crimes. Logic, awareness, purpose, and place all factor into these systems. Secretly murdering a homeowner and taking control of their house will work fine for your cause until the deceased’s relatives or friends come to visit. Your actions have repercussions, and those repercussions have a ripple effect. How you deal with that ripple effect will determine what kind of adventure you experience. You alone decide.
Stay tuned to R.A.G.E. Works for more info on Project Witchstone. A Kickstarter will launch later this year. Find more information on the game on the website.
