Prismata by Lunarch Studios

Currently powering its way to success on Kickstarter is Prismata from Lunarch Studios. It is a hybrid strategy title that fuses elements of collectible card games, tabletop strategy as well as elements of real-time strategy games. However, by focusing on easy to learn gameplay and fast paced matches the game aims to be more accessible than the genres from which it draws its inspiration. This doesn’t mean that the game is lacking in depth though as it has plenty of features that will appeal to players who love strategy titles.

The game plays out in turn-based fashion with you and your opponent spending resources, amassing armies and building up economies. Instead of working with decks the game randomly generates unit pools for each match which forces you to adapt your strategies accordingly. This means that players can’t stick to specific strategies using certain units as these might not be in every game. The game already features more than 100 units and new ones are added monthly, so variety is certainly not lacking.

One of the things that make Prismata so appealing is that matches can be completed in a matter of minutes, so the game doesn’t require a huge time investment. However, the gameplay is addictive enough that you’ll keep coming back for more. The game is also being designed with plenty of social features in mind as you’ll be able to watch replays of matches, observe matches and stream your own matches.

Players who prefer to stick to single player titles will be glad to hear that the game also has a full blown campaign in the works. This isn’t just some throwaway addition to serve as a tutorial either as Lunarch Studios has teamed up with the creator of UAlbertabot, Dave Churchill, to create the AI for opponents in single player.

The game might look very complex at first glance, but as this tutorial video demonstrates it is actually very straightforward. The real challenge comes from using your cards in the most efficient way possible and outwitting or overwhelming your opponent. To get a taste of the action players can try out the new offline demo version of the game straight from their browser. The Prismata Kickstarter earned $25,000 within 24 hours and at the time of writing is almost halfway to its funding goal already. With more than 3,000 active players already taking part in the alpha Prismata is certainly a title to keep an eye on.