In this dev diary, we’ll talk a little more about how Project Thea came to life, why it’s not Thea 3, and why we chose to go down the path of a spin-off. We’ll also explore some key differences and similarities between Project Thea and the previous Thea games.
The Inception
We began thinking about our own, new project a few years ago. As always, it all started with casual chats about where we wanted to go next. The initial idea was for a smaller game—a quick project. At the time, we knew almost immediately that it would be tied to Thea; it just felt like the right time to return to our roots. But, since we wanted a smaller scope and the opportunity to try new things that deviated from Thea, we also knew it wouldn’t be a direct continuation but rather a spin-off.
The genre, as always with our games, was the more complex part. We knew it was going to be story-rich. We knew we wanted to keep the survival tone with post-apocalyptic themes. We also had a clear idea that there would once again be a single settlement struggling to survive against the world’s difficulties. And, of course, the card battles—by now, we feel they’re our signature feature.
So why not Thea 3?
Many factors influenced this decision.
Creatively, we’re just not at that place yet. While we discussed the option—and who knows, maybe one day we’ll revisit it—we weren’t ready to dive back into a full Thea 3 experience.
Beyond that, we wanted to explore something beyond straight-up fantasy, cleanse the palette, and experiment with a new style—all the things you can do when you’re an indie studio, and that we missed.
Scope was also a key factor. Since we originally aimed for a smaller, faster project, Thea 3 simply didn’t fit that vision.
The Setting and Lore
The mood/inspiration board…
Naturally, the setting and lore played a crucial role. The leading thought behind this reimagined Thea was: How would the Theans—the Slavic demons and fantastical beasts—fare in a more futuristic, urban world? What happened in the centuries leading up to it? How did they adapt?
Once these questions started bouncing around, we knew there were definitely stories worth telling! That’s when the little ‘90s flavour crept in—because, well, we’re old, feeling nostalgic, and want to share that feeling. A strong inspiration for this was obviously the Fallout series, with its classic retro-futuristic vibes. And then Shadowrun and Cyberpunk, both of which carry that built-in ‘90s mood—especially in their old pen-and-paper RPG forms.
When development meets the inception…
So yeah, those were the ideas. But the more we work on it, the bigger it gets, and it’s certainly no longer a quick project… While the scope is still unlikely to match Thea 1 or 2, it has definitely grown. In a few months, we’ll be able to show you more about how things have evolved.
For now, it’s safe to say the game continues to grow and morph, and we hope it does so in a wonderfully Thea-esque way…
Key Aspects of the Game: Changes & Similarities to Thea 1-2
A Change in Visual Style
The original plan was for the entire game to be in 2D. (Now, I say ‘original’ because we may have news on this front in a few months—stay tuned…) As with most of our design choices, this decision was largely driven by finances and resources, as 3D is typically more expensive. But also, we’ve always had great luck with our 2D artists, and felt that this could be an interesting way to go.
After some exploration and discussions, we decided on a stylized art direction that would feel distinct and complement our retro-futuristic setting. While this move feels risky—especially now that we’re leaning back towards Thea—I hope it all comes together in the end.
No God Profiles
It’s not that gods don’t exist in future-Thea, but for now, they are no longer central to the gameplay. Instead of beginning by choosing a deity, you’ll play as one of two main protagonists, selecting their race, class, and domain (WIP—this may change!).
These choices will shape your starting conditions, affecting things like:
- Equipment
- Your starting party
- Stats & abilities
- Special cards
- Character tags (later used for events)
The Project: A Larger Settlement
The main settlement, the Project, is far larger than any village in Thea. It houses thousands of citizens, changing how it is managed and used in-game.
In previous Thea games, all villagers were playable characters. In Project Thea, they are part of the population (although you will still be able to recruit from the population)—and they aren’t just faceless numbers, they still have their character sheets, names, classes etc, so that if their turn comes, they can become part of your party or become selected for the city council.
Some key aspects for the city:
- Recruitment: You’ll be able to hire selected citizens to join your party from a small group, not from all citizens. Special characters will be unlockable for recrutiment via buildings and/or quests.
- Quests: SomeNPCs in the Project will offer quests and interactions.
- Research & Expansion: You can still develop and improve the town over time, but agai, the scale will be larger.
- Town Combat: For now, town battles will resolve automatically rather than requiring direct player involvement.
- Town Council: We have a concept for the town to have a council/board of directors. These characters will add bonuses when the city faces its challenges.
One thing that remains true and crucial to Project Thea—a concept from The Awakening:
If you lose the town, you lose the game.
We wanted to return to that feeling of the settlement being the last hope for humans and non-humans alike…
Card Battles vs. Skill Challenges
Combat mechanics are always a big topic, but one major difference from the previous Thea games is that card battles are now exclusive to physical combat.
All other challenges—whether magic, social, non-combat physical, or intellectual—will be resolved through a Skill Challenge. These challenges will still use cards for additional bonuses, and character skills will determine the overall chance of success, but they won’t be full-fledged card battles.
Left Side: Displays the success score needed and a summary of your modifiers.
Centre: Shows the value each ability/character contributes to the challenge. Here, the rocket ability added 10% to the chances of success.
Right Side: Displays your Supplies, a valuable resource that can be spent to boost your chances, but is also used for other, vital aspects of the game, so one must be careful when spending it..
Top Right: Shows the opponent, if any. (Here, the Captain is clearly trying to charm herself…)
Final Step: Once all modifiers are applied, you roll the dice and hope for success!
As for combat itself, well… it’s been through a full cycle of development already, and we’re currently in the middle of some changes. So, unfortunately, I can’t share too much just yet. However, I can say that the card battle system will feel somewhat familiar to Thea 2—but hopefully more streamlined. Expect improved clarity and no more playing the same character multiple times in a single battle, as this was a major point of confusion for many players.
Characters and Stories
This is one area where we hope to retain much of the Thea magic—your party will still be made up of flesh and blood (or ectoplasm, or metal, or stone… well, you get the idea). They’ll be living beings with names and stories waiting to unfold.
For me, the fascinating part of Project Thea is exploring how these legendary beings adapted to an urban, futuristic world.
- How did Baba Yaga adjust to city life?
- What happened to the nature demons when industrialization and urbanization destroyed most of their habitats?
- Why does the Hochlik have cyber implants?
- And… is Theodore still alive?
You’ll still play with as small, or as potentially large party as you like (we haven’t finalized any limits yet), made up of uniquely future- Thean folk. As you explore the post-apocalyptic wastelands, you’ll experience many strange and dangerous stories—a core element of Thea that we’re carrying forward.
The new game’s narrative design remains branching, with multiple choices and outcomes that lead to unique stories and potentially varied outcomes.
Currently, many quests revolve around exploring Points of Interest (POIs) on the map, which is slightly different from the Thea mechanics—where events would pop up as you traveled.
We’re also designing:
- Project-based events – These are similar to Thea’s village events, though not all will require player interaction.
- NPC-driven quests – Certain key NPCs in your town will offer unique questlines.
Things I Haven’t Covered Yet…
Crafting, items, resources, research, technology, exploration details, co-op, endgame, map sizes…
All of these (and likely more) are still under construction. I hope to shed more light on them in the coming months!