Planned Features
With the update to Beta, this marks the point of feature
complete. Although there will likely be more content in the future, we are
happy now with how the game has shaped up. In the lead up to the full release
of the game on the 15th of December 2023 we are almost entirely focused on
stability and polish. We hope that you will give it a try and enjoy the experience
that we have tried very hard to craft. Keep tuned for our future plans though!
Gambits
Gambit cards are a core gameplay mechanic we are planning to release in the next major version. Gambits allow you to combine several dice to cast powerful spells, ranging from multi-enemy damage, to healing, to rerolling dice. Along with this will be a mini-deckbuilding mechanic, where you will be able to choose which cards you want to bring into battle.
Update: With the addition of the gambit lab you can now create combo gambits. As such 300+ are now available most requiring crafting. Find your nearest lab and get crafting.
More levels
This shouldn’t be a surprise. We have 7 more levels planned, all themed around a specific element with branching paths between each of them. We won’t be adding all of them at once, and we don’t have a specific schedule, but provisionally we are planning to add the first fork in the road in the next release.
Update: With the release of Alpha 2 there are now 5 levels to explore. The newest of which are the Refrigerated Frontier and Effervert Forest. Each having a focus on their respective elements, Frost and Wither. But watch out as there are said to be beings of great power who watch over these unknown regions.
More elements
Wait, 7 levels themed around each element? Well, the first level is themed around normal dice, and (spoiler) the last will be a conglomerate, but that still leaves two elements unaccounted for… We won’t go into specifics, but yes: 2 additional dice elements will be thrown into the mix soon.
Update: Alpha 2 brings with it the more deific elements of the realm, Holy and Necro. These unusual elements at first glance seem to act as if it wasn’t an element at all but when offered up and consolidated can grant great boons.
More Tricks
At the moment, 73 tricks are included in the pre-alpha. That’s quite a lot, and way more than we initially intended… but there’s plenty more where that came from. We have over 150 more tricks planned, many of which will utilise the new mechanics we’ll be adding.
Update: There is now 250+ tricks ready to uncover so there are plenty of strange and interesting abilities and synergies to experiment with.
Another Character
This one should be obvious… you saw them in the character select screen. The main reason we didn’t include them is because they are centred around a major mechanic we have yet to implement. Mystery abounds, but they’re sure to be interesting.
Update: The new character has joined the party. Although they’re some what elusive so explore the depths and maybe they will present themselves.
More Rooms
You probably noticed that there’s not much to spend gems on at the moment. Luckily, there are merchants standing by to help relieve your burden of gems. We’re also going to spice up the treasure and fountain rooms a bit. There’s a few other rooms we have planned, too – but we’ll keep those under wraps for now.
Update: There are many additions in this regards. New additions include Gambit lab, Blood fountain, Bounties and Locked Treasure who’s keys are guarded by powerful groups of enemies.
More Dice Types
Wait, what does that mean? We’ve already mentioned elements, but dice types are something different altogether. You may have seen these mentioned in certain trick descriptions that are already in the game, but we’ll leave it to you to speculate on what these terms could mean.
Update: The addition of Transient and Quantum dice, as well as dice modifiers, make for some more dynamic interaction with each system.
Meta-Progression
Diceheart is a roguelite, so failure doesn’t mean you made no progress. We plan on adding an in-depth meta-progression system, where you’ll unlock tricks, gambits, characters, and other secrets as you fulfill certain prerequisites in your runs.
Update: With the introduction of the in game Encyclopaedia, meta progression has now made an appearance. Brining with it character unlocks, leader boards and a way to track your discoveries as you explore this strange place. A big milestone for sure but by no means the end. We still have more planned in this regard.
Extra Polish and Accessibility
We’re acutely aware we’ve got quite a complex game on our hands, so we have numerous plans to improve legibility via visual effects and other means. We are definitely going to be adding a scripted tutorial, too. Additionally, accessibility is very important to us, so we’ll be implementing as many helpful features as we can.
Update: This is an ongoing process as to be expected, but we have made decent progress in making the game feel allot more connected. We have added many more VFX and SFX as well as adding in a number QOL features. To many to list here but we hope will make the game more enjoyable overall.
Your Idea Here
We’ve been designing Diceheart in the background for nearly three years now. A lot of these systems have been hardwired into our brains, but this list of planned features isn’t complete without your suggestions. We’re very interested in any feedback you can give us. To let us know what you think, head over to the feedback page.