HAIL REAPERS!
The second issue of Darrow’s Digest is here!
We’re really pleased with how Red Rising Digital has been received, and we’re now sitting at over 2,000 wishlists. Thank you to everyone who’s been following along, sharing the game, and joining the Discord. We got a huge boost after we shared the Main Menu in Reddit, skyrocketing the Discord users from <10 to 180. It means a lot!
Link is here if anyone needs it: https://discord.gg/RWRRQp46HM
Early Main Menu concept
This issue, we wanted to give you a look at what the team has been working on, talk through one of the design challenges we’ve been wrestling with, and spotlight a character.
DEV DIARY
May and June has been focused on building out the core systems of the game, setting up the matchmaking and a first pass on all the in-game menus. We are well on our way to a playable demo, which we plan to have in players hands by September.
A few highlights:
We completed the first pass of the Final Score screen.
The first pass of the Lobby screen was also finished. It’s currently waiting on some custom background art before it’s fully polished.
We have an early version of a gold shader (the in-game effect to get that reflection feel). This shader is designed to be used throughout the game.
All 112 cards have been imported. These are designed to work cleanly inside their frames and are able to support FX and animations.
The team also successfully rigged their first character card so it can be animated.
Timony
On the gameplay side, a Card Staging system allows cards to be held and played in the various available slots.
The updated animation system now supports more complex sequences, such as drawing a card or discarding it.
This gives us the ability to start tuning how the cards move and feel during gameplay.
Core card mechanics have been added, including scouting, deployment, and dealing systems.
Work-in-progress gameplay
Beyond direct development work, the team has also built the groundwork for localization, as we make sure we’ll be able to support multiple languages.
DESIGNER’S DEN
Every issue, we’ll highlight one major design decision and explain why we made it. For this first issue, we wanted to talk about how we’re handling blocking cards in the digital version.
That’s a BIG problem
The Problem: Blocking Breaks Game Flow in a Major Way
In the physical board game, blocking is pretty straightforward. When someone performs an action that can be blocked, the targeted player simply chooses whether or not to use one of their cards with a blocking ability (if they have one).
However, in a game where turns rely on turn timers, we want to try and include as much in a single players turn as possible to avoid players waiting for the back-and-forth.
Imagine these 2 scenarios with turn timers set to 1 minute.
Scenario 1: Player 1’s turn starts. They perform their action, end turn. The next player’s turn starts. (60 second turn max).
Scenario 2: Player 1’s turn starts. They perform their action, which includes an option to Steal Player 2’s card. Player 2 is then given the option to Block or not. This must be presented whether they have a Block card or not, otherwise Player 1 will know they don’t have a Block card. They make their decision, and it goes back to Player 1 to finish their turn. If the players drag things out, this now becomes a 3 minute turn, while everyone else at the board waits.
Obviously Scenario 1 is more desirable. Now imagine this is an asynchronous game, and those turn timers could be hours or even days. It’s not that the game is unplayable, but it sorta kills the flow.
Our Solution: Auto-Block
We’ve decided to introduce a player-controlled toggle for auto-blocking on cards that can block. This can be activated directly on the card itself.
When Auto-Block is turned ON, the game will automatically use your blocking card if presented the opportunity. Players won’t be prompted and the game will play through the turn.
When Auto-Block is turned OFF, the game will assume you don’t want to use it this turn.
Players will need to be proactive, but it should give the same level of control as they would have had, while also improving the flow of turns.
A good example of the benefits of being digital!
EO
CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT
For this first issue, we’re spotlighting Eo. She is one of the most important characters in the entire Red Rising series, and the driving force for Darrow’s journey.
Eo in the Red Rising Universe (spoilers ahead)
Eo was the first wife of Darrow. She dares to sing the forbidden song that leads to her execution and inspires Darrow to rise up against the Golds.
She is one of the most important characters in the entire Red Rising series, despite having very limited ‘screen time’. Unlike most Reds, who have accepted their place at the bottom of the Color hierarchy, Eo quietly dreams of something better. She is idealistic, courageous, and deeply principled. While Darrow initially focuses on survival and providing for his family, Eo looks beyond their immediate suffering. She believes that the Society’s system is unjust and that Reds deserve dignity.
Her memory haunts Darrow throughout the series and serves as a constant reminder of what he’s fighting for. In many ways, Eo represents the heart of the rebellion, while Darrow becomes its sword.
Eo in the Board Game: Card Mechanics & Strategy
Eo is a Red that rewards players who commit to the lower Colors while punishing those who ignore them.
Card Breakdown:
Base Value: 10 Victory Points
Deploy Ability: Each opponent must reveal a Red. If they can’t, they lose 1 Helium.
End Game Bonus: +10 Victory Points for each other Red you have.
End Game Penalty: -10 Victory Points if with a Gray (except Bridge).
At first glance, Eo looks like a straightforward Red. However, her real strength lies in her scaling potential.
Eo is best viewed as a high-risk, high-reward card. She rewards players who commit to a Red-heavy strategy. Her deploy ability also makes her a strong disruption tool. Even if you don’t build around her end-game bonus, simply playing her can force your opponents into awkward positions, especially if they’re light on Helium.
Eo tends to shine in these situations:
You’re playing a Red-heavy strategy and want to punish opponents who are ignoring them.
You’re in a 4+ player game, where her ability can affect multiple opponents simultaneously.
You’re playing a longer game where her value increases the longer the game goes, as you have more time to accumulate other Reds in hand.
Connecting Character to Game
Forcing Opponents to Reveal a Red (or Lose Helium)
This directly mirrors Eo’s role in the books: she exposes the truth. Her presence makes it difficult for those in power to ignore the Reds.
End Game Bonus: +10 VP per other Red in hand
Represents how Eo grows stronger the more people are inspired by her. The more Reds you have, the more powerful her impact becomes.
The Gray Penalty (-10 VP)
In the books, it was the Grays who helped carry out Eo’s execution on the orders of the Golds. The penalty is a reference to her death at their hands. The exception is Bridge, who as a Gray, showed sympathy for the Reds. He even befriended Eo's mother.
“I live for the dream that my children will be born free. That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.”
Eo O’Lykos
If anyone has specific questions for the dev team, email me directly at [email protected] and we’ll try and answer them in the next issue.
See you in the next issue!
Derek Day
Founder & CEO, Emerald City Games