World-building that becomes a system
The Forbidden Codex archive gives Watchers, giants and creatures distinct identities. For the game, that material becomes a design question: what does each commander teach, what can its host do, and what must the player give up to use forbidden power? Myth supplies rules, relationships and consequences.
The playable loop
The War Council connects Watcher selection, a limited army budget and a hand of Rite cards. On the battlefield, hosts fight in real time while the player gives orders, chooses where to intervene and uses a Watcher’s ultimate. Favor, Omens and Heaven’s Wrath add competing pressures.
A world that supports more than one game
Mortals, giants, beasts and Watchers have different roles in the same setting. The campaign and wider design explore a reign before the Flood, with conquest, difficult choices and a lasting ledger. The inspected prototype contains battle and campaign work; the full roguelite vision remains in development.
My role
Original IP, creative and game direction, mythic research, product framing and AI-assisted prototyping. My focus is translating the identity of the world into army composition, resource choices, readable characters and decisions the player can make.
What this work demonstrates
The connection between narrative and mechanics: a codex can become commanders, armies, spells and a strategy loop, while retaining a coherent visual and fictional identity.
Inside the games
Independent original IP · Strategy prototype in development · Myth-inspired fiction